Chapter 590 What Brother-in-law?
On the other end of the line, Sarah's voice came through, "Barbara, I'm just relieved you're okay! Take some time to rest up in the hospital, alright? I'm still in Houston and haven't made it to Aurora City yet, but I'll be there soon. Meanwhile, I'll have your brother-in-law Ryder look after you!"
"No need, I can handle myself!" Barbara shot back without hesitation.
"That's not gonna fly. I can't relax knowing you're alone in Aurora City!"
Barbara sighed, "Alright, alright, Sarah, whatever you say, I'll listen!"
"That's more like it!"
They chatted a bit longer before Barbara reluctantly hung up and tossed the phone to Ryder.
If Ryder didn't know Barbara had feelings for Sarah, he might've thought it was just a normal conversation. But now, he felt like he was being played.
"Hey, mister! Are you the guy Sarah married three years ago?" Barbara asked as she saw Ryder pocket the phone.
Her tone was no longer shy and sweet—it was confrontational and unfriendly.
Ryder replied coldly, "That's right, and Sarah and I are deeply in love."
"Yeah, right. That's bullshit."
Barbara suddenly cursed, "In my opinion, no man is any good! And if I remember right, Sarah had a boyfriend named Henry in college, right? Was that you? But didn't he marry into the Windsor family?"
"My name is Ryder! Your brother-in-law!"
"What brother-in-law? Get a clue. You're just a stand-in Sarah found! A woman as cool and distant as Sarah could never like someone like you, a rich but not-so-bright chairman of Maple Group!"
Barbara continued angrily, "Stop pretending! Anna told me everything. You're clueless, not even as good as a kid like Tyler! You married Sarah just because you liked her looks!"
Ryder rolled his eyes. "Are you done?"
"What, are you mad 'cause it's true?" Barbara shot back.
Ryder rubbed his forehead and replied, "Not really, I just know that deep down, you like Sarah! And it's the kind of like that excludes men!"
Rather than argue, it was better to let Barbara stop.
Hearing this, Barbara jumped like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "You—How do you know?"
Ryder sighed and explained, "You told me privately back then! But Barbara, I need to warn you again, Sarah is my legal wife, my lover! Besides being your blood relative, she has no other connection with you!"
"So don't have any improper thoughts about Sarah, or I won't be polite, whether you're a woman or a lesbian!"
Unexpectedly, Barbara slapped her thigh and retorted, "Love is equal for everyone, why must Sarah be yours and not mine!"
"If, as you say, you've been married to Sarah for three years, how come you haven't had a child yet? I know Sarah's body, could it be that you have a problem with your sexual function?"
What did she mean by knowing Sarah's body?
Thinking about his relationship with Sarah, although they had sex last time, it was when he was drunk. He didn't have a particularly clear memory of the whole thing.
But to save face, Ryder pointed to his crotch and said proudly, "Whether it works or not, Sarah knows very well. We've done it! As for kids, that's just a matter of time. We're focusing on our careers right now!"
Barbara glared at his crotch and snapped, "No way! You must be lying! How could Sarah do that with a jerk like you? If she did, it would be with me!"
"Don't say stuff like that!" Ryder quickly cut her off before she could say anything more gross.
He hurriedly changed the subject, "Look, Barbara, I get it. You've had a rough time. When you went abroad with your parents, your dad died of pancreatic cancer, and your mom married some old guy. That stepfather of yours, even though he was impotent, drugged you with sleeping pills and abused you in all sorts of ways."
"So yeah, I get why you hate men! As your brother-in-law, I want you to have a normal life and view of love. I'm sure that's what Sarah wants too."
Barbara was stunned. "How do you know all this?"
She hadn't even told her best friend Anna about the sleeping pills, just that her stepfather was violent.
Then a thought hit her.
"Did you manipulate my merory or something? Is that how you know all this?"
Ryder's mouth twitched, "Relax, it's only been three years, medical tech isn't that advanced yet!"
"Then how do you know? If I really lost my memory for the past three years, what happened between us? Did I even fall for you?"
Ryder shrugged. "I don't know that! But don't worry, I haven't told anyone else about your past. It's our little secret."
"And I hope you change those crazy thoughts about Sarah! You see her as the last light in your world, but it's not love! I believe you'll meet a guy who truly treats you well someday."
"A guy who truly treats me well?" Barbara muttered, smiling bitterly, "Even if there is, could someone as messed up as me deserve him?"
"Him? Don't you hate guys? Who is it?" Ryder asked, feeling uneasy.
Barbara pouted, "It's definitely not you! Alright, I'm tired, you can leave now! I'm going to sleep!"
"Okay."
After Ryder left, Barbara took out her phone.
She opened WhatsApp and scrolled for a bit, wondering why she had blocked Tyler.
So she unblocked him and then sent a message: [I've heard from Anna, thank you for risking your life to save us. I'll treat you to a meal someday!]
Then she turned off her phone screen, closed her eyes to sleep.
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