Betrayed and Dumped: She Rose Stronger Than Ever novel Chapter 6

Rebecca thought Bruce was calling to talk about her quitting her job and calling off the engagement. She had already gone over everything she wanted to say in her head. After all these years, she’d put in so much effort for the company. She just hoped Bruce would remember how much she’d given and how deeply she’d loved him, and let her go without making things ugly. In return, she’d wish him and Sonja all the best, and she’d even finish up the northern project until the contract was signed.

She took a deep breath. “Mr. Lamont…”

Bruce frowned on the other end. It was rare to hear Rebecca call him Mr. Lamont outside of work. The odd feeling passed almost instantly. He tugged at his tie, his voice low. “Did you see the news yesterday?”

Rebecca froze, her practiced speech suddenly forgotten. She pressed her lips together. “Yeah.”

Bruce paused, waiting for her to say more, but she didn’t. He felt a wave of relief. If she was upset, she would have let him know already.

He kept going. “When you get a chance, send me a summary of your business trip.”

Rebecca stared at her phone in disbelief. Was he seriously calling to ask her to work for free? Was this really happening? He knew she was on leave to take care of her mom, but he didn’t even bother to ask how she was. All he cared about was work. How sad was it that she was just now realizing it?

“Mr. Lamont, I’m on vacation. Wouldn’t working during my vacation count as overtime?” she asked, her tone pointed.

Bruce sounded surprised, then annoyed. “It’s just a summary. That’s not overtime. Rebecca, stopping making it a big deal.”

This was exactly what she expected. Rebecca kept her voice cool. “Mr. Lamont, sorry, but my mom is being admitted to the hospital tomorrow. I’ll be busy looking after her. I probably won’t have time for extra work.”

No overtime pay, no overtime work. Simple as that.

It finally clicked for Bruce. He remembered her mom’s hospital stay. Work had him so overwhelmed he honestly forgot. Even so, he didn’t even think about apologizing. He was used to being in control, used to Rebecca always giving in.

Rebecca answered calmly, “The engagement gifts from Bruce, and all the other things he’s given me.”

“Why are you packing them up? The engagement’s still a month away. What’s the hurry?” Samantha laughed, teasing her.

She assumed her daughter was just eager to get married.

Rebecca understood the misunderstanding but didn’t bother to explain. She just quietly carried the box into the storage room. Her mom was about to have surgery, and the last thing she needed was more stress. Better to wait until after the operation to tell her the truth.

After lunch, Rebecca took a nap for a couple of hours, then got up and did some exercise. Out of nowhere, her phone lit up with a message.

It was from her old university group chat. The group had been set up back when everyone got their acceptance letters and was about to start grad school together.