Chapter 15
Theodore walked up to her and saw Phoebe trembling violently. He reached out to touch her. "What's wrong with you? Are you sick?"
The sudden gentleness from Theodore almost made Phoebe lose her composure. She nearly thought she had gone back to three years ago when they had just gotten married. Although Theodore only loved the children, he still cared about her. But the next moment, she snapped back to reality.
Where did Theodore come back from? Vanessa's bed?
Thinking of this, Phoebe suddenly felt a wave of nausea. She almost instinctively slapped away Theodore's hand and staggered back two steps.
"Don't touch me!"
The atmosphere suddenly became tense. The brief moment of warmth was completely shattered by that slap.
Theodore's hand froze in mid-air. He had never been rejected by a woman before, and a red mark immediately appeared on the back of his hand.
He stepped forward, grabbed Phoebe's wrist, and pinned her against the wall. "Don't want me to touch you? Who do you want to touch you then?"
In an instant, the gentle Theodore vanished, reverting back to the cold demeanor Phoebe remembered.
Theodore's warm breath brushed on her neck, making her shiver uncontrollably.
Phoebe bit her lip and stubbornly turned her face to the side.
It was summer, and her clothes were thin. As she turned her head, the lines of her neck became more pronounced, instantly igniting the most primal, carnal urges in a person.
Theodore's eyes turned fierce, and his breathing became rapid. In certain moments, anger and lust naturally intertwined.
His lips grazed Phoebe's neck, sending shivers through the skin beneath. A subtle, intoxicating scent enveloped his senses, a blend of warmth and sweetness unique to Phoebe.
Lowering his head, he pressed his lips against her silky neck, the fragrance lingering, casting a spell on his senses. This aroma held a mesmerizing allure, capable of subduing even the fiercest flames of anger within Theodore, entrapping him in its seductive grasp.
Wrapping his arm around Phoebe's waist, he sensually explored her neck with gentle caresses, his arousal evident.
Despite lacking love for Phoebe, each encounter fueled an insatiable urge to claim her, a desire he struggled to contain.
He wanted to fuck her.
Suddenly, the sound of a woman's suppressed sobbing reached his ears. Theodore slowly lifted his head, his gaze burning as it met the tears on her face.
He pressed his lips together, a strange jealousy burning fiercely in his chest, and he mocked, "Why are you crying? Do you hate my touch so much? Do you hate being intimate with me, or are you thinking about your old lover again?"
As Theodore said this, he became even angrier at his own words.
She hated being touched by him because she only liked Edward. She really knew how to break his heart.
Phoebe trembled all over at his words. She pushed Theodore's chest in shame and anger, shouting, "Theodore, you bastard!"
Phoebe pushed Theodore with all her might, her face turning red, but she couldn't move him an inch.
Theodore grabbed her chin, the jealousy in his chest burning hotter and hotter, almost consuming his reason.
"Yes, I may not be as gentle as Edward, but let this sink in; no matter how rough I am, I'm still your husband. You're stuck with loving only me!"
With that, Theodore let go of her, turned around, and stormed into the bedroom.
The door slammed shut, the sound echoing through the room. Phoebe sank to the floor, back against the wall, hands shielding her face as tears streamed down, dampening her fingertips.
Their kind of marriage was better off not existing.
When Theodore came out of the bedroom after changing his clothes, the living room was filled with the aroma of food, and he felt hungry.
He didn't leave directly but instead turned and walked into the dining room, seeing Phoebe sitting at the table having breakfast.
She seemed to have composed herself.
Theodore swaggered over and sat down across from her.
"Serve me a bowl," he ordered.
Phoebe was still angry at his earlier humiliation. She didn't follow Theodore's order and retorted, "Don't you have hands?"
"Yes, I have." Theodore replied frankly, "but you're my wife."
A flash of anger crossed Phoebe's eyes.
How could someone be so shameless?
Upon seeing that Theodore was still sitting there, showing no sign of compromise, Phoebe fumed for a while but eventually got up and brought the food from the kitchen.
Theodore took a bite and then glanced up at Phoebe across the table. His gaze lingered for a moment on the light pink scar at the corner of Phoebe's eye before he looked away.
Theodore cleared his throat. "In two days, it's Mom's birthday. What gift have you prepared?"
Phoebe's movements froze.
Seeing her reaction, Theodore inexplicably felt a sense of relief, then sneered, "You've been married into the Reynolds family for three years. Don't tell me you can't even remember my mother's birthday?"
Phoebe's face showed guilt. Of course, she remembered Taylor's birthday, but she had been so busy lately that she had overlooked such an important matter.
"I'll go buy something this afternoon."
Theodore sneered, as if he had already guessed. "I haven't prepared anything either. Come with me to buy a gift later."
Phoebe thought to herself, ‘You are her son; haven't prepared a gift and still have the nerve to mock me?'
Phoebe didn't want to eat with Theodore and instinctively sped up. But the freshly made food was still scalding hot, and she accidentally burned her tongue.
Theodore noticed her intention and was about to remind her, but Phoebe ate too quickly. Before he could say anything, she had already burned herself.
He was amused by Phoebe's clumsy appearance and quickly cleared his throat, saying nonchalantly, "Why are you eating so fast? No one's going to take it from you."
He got up and poured a glass of water, only to see Phoebe still sitting in her chair, sticking out her tongue. The pink tip of her tongue reminded him of the feeling of kissing her.
Theodore swallowed hard, feeling his member starting to react again.
He quickly placed the glass on the table, trying to distract himself.
"Drink some ice water."
Phoebe's tongue hurt, and she didn't notice Theodore's hoarse voice. She took the glass and gulped down a few sips.
The ice water helped ease the pain on her tongue, leaving a lingering numbness. She murmured a quiet thank you and resumed eating at a leisurely pace.
The recent interaction slightly eased their tension. Theodore then noticed a bandage on the back of her right hand and frowned.
"What happened to your hand?"
Phoebe glanced at the back of her right hand, recalling the fear and terror of being trampled that day, and a wave of resentment rose in her heart.
She repeated what Theodore had said in the office. "It's just a small wound. It won't kill me."
Theodore was taken aback, his face turning ugly. The atmosphere became tense again, and they awkwardly finished their breakfast.
After the meal, Theodore didn't wait for her and left first. Phoebe didn't pay him any mind either. She took the dishes to the kitchen, cleaned them, and then left for work, looking very much like a couple in a quarrel.
Their apartment was just a street away from the Reynolds Group building. After they got married, they lived in the Reynolds Mansion for a while. But after her miscarriage, she insisted on returning to work. But the Reynolds Mansion was too far from the company, so Theodore bought this apartment.
In the afternoon, Theodore called her, asking her to wait for him in the underground parking lot to go buy a gift together.
After Theodore hung up, Phoebe couldn't help but roll her eyes. Didn't he have a secretary? Why did he have to drag her into everything?
But no matter what she thought, she didn't dare disobey Theodore's orders. She handed her work to someone else, grabbed her bag, and went downstairs.
When Phoebe walked out of the elevator, she saw a black Maybach already parked at the entrance. The passenger window rolled down, revealing Vanessa's face. "Ms. Ziegler, get in. We've been waiting for you."
Phoebe was stunned, not expecting Vanessa to be in the car. She instinctively looked past her to the driver's seat. Sure enough, Theodore was sitting there, not even glancing at her.
Phoebe's gaze returned to Vanessa in the passenger seat. Seeing Vanessa sitting next to Theodore made her inexplicably uncomfortable.
Phoebe forced a smile, opened the back door, and got in. She then heard Theodore scolding, "If you don't want to come, you should refuse earlier. Don't waste our time."
"Theodore, don't talk to Ms. Ziegler like that." Vanessa tugged on Theodore's arm, using a coquettish tone, "Ms. Ziegler is usually so busy with work. It's not easy for her to find time to join us. Don't blame her."
