Chapter 28
Phoebe lay there for a while, feeling his warm body behind her, making her sweat in the summer night.
Besides the heat, Phoebe felt awkward. Theodore had been so angry when he drove out in the afternoon, as if he would never come back, and now he was all cozy with her again.
Thinking about this, Phoebe's temper flared up again. She struggled to remove Theodore's arm. But no sooner had she done so than Theodore's arm wrapped around her waist again, and his whole body pressed down on her, making her very uncomfortable.
"I need to go to the bathroom," Phoebe said, finding an excuse.
Theodore let her go and lay flat, his words slurred from the alcohol, "Come back soon."
Phoebe went to the bathroom, put down the toilet lid, and sat on it, hugging her knees, lost in thought.
Actually, nothing had changed.
Theodore still liked to hold her while sleeping when he came back drunk.
But everything seemed different.
Because she could no longer sleep peacefully in Theodore's arms. Three years ago, when they first got married, Theodore had many social engagements. Every time he came back drunk, he liked to hold Phoebe tightly in his arms.
But now, after everything that had happened, they had both changed. Theodore no longer treated her with the same care as when they first got married, and she could no longer sleep peacefully in his arms.
Phoebe lost track of time sitting there until she felt chilled to the bone, then she finally went back out.
She climbed into bed and saw Theodore holding her pillow, sleeping soundly.
Phoebe's mouth twitched.
It seemed Theodore didn't like holding her to sleep; he was just used to having something in his arms, whether it was her, a pillow, or someone else, it didn't matter.
Theodore woke up early, feeling something soft in his arms. He rubbed it, and the texture felt wrong, so he opened his eyes.
Looking down, Theodore saw he was holding a pillow.
He threw the pillow aside. The bedroom was empty, with only him in it. Theodore frowned, picked up his phone, and made a call. The other end quickly answered, and Phoebe's calm voice came through. "Mr. Reynolds, good morning!"
Theodore gritted his teeth and asked in a stern tone, "Why didn't you wake me up?"
"Sorry, Mr. Reynolds. I'm no longer your chief secretary and don't provide wake-up services. I'm busy with work here, so if there's nothing else, bye now," Phoebe said in a businesslike manner.
With that, Phoebe really hung up.
A surge of anger rose in Theodore's heart, and he turned and punched the pillow beside him.
Phoebe put her phone aside and said to the dazed John, "Where were we? Continue."
John was speechless.
What had he just heard? No wonder there were rumors that Phoebe and Theodore had a complicated relationship. From what she just said, it seemed quite complicated indeed.
Wake-up service? Wasn't that a bit too much? Was this a topic he could listen to for free?
Phoebe drummed her pen on the table, giving him a look that said, "Keep going."
John cleared his throat and said, "Last night's episode of the variety show really boosted Noah's rankings. His Facebook followers shot up by tens of thousands. I think he has a lot of potential."
"Okay," Phoebe pondered for a moment, "Go to the HR department and have them post some job openings. I'll personally conduct the interviews."
"Got it." John hadn't been gone long when Theodore arrived.
"Did you do that on purpose?" Theodore stood by the desk, his tall frame looming over Phoebe, making the office feel cramped.
Phoebe remained seated, looking up at him. "I made some soup. Did you drink it?"
Theodore had come in full of anger, expecting Phoebe to coldly snap at him so he could find an excuse to lash out in her new office.
His anger was now stuck, making him feel extremely awkward. "I drank it, but what was that? It tasted so strange."
Theodore continued to provoke her, feeling the need to vent his pent-up frustration.
Phoebe's tone remained calm, "It's a new recipe I'm trying. If you don't like it, I'll make it the old way next time."
"Not bad," Theodore touched the tip of his nose, looking down at her with a puzzled expression. "You're acting strange today. Are you up to something??"
"I didn't realize you had a masochistic streak," Phoebe rolled her eyes. She was just tired and didn't want to argue with Theodore.
Theodore still wouldn't leave; Phoebe glanced at her watch. "I remember you have a morning meeting in three minutes. Hurry up or you'll be late. You've never been late in years, Mr. Reynolds; don't start now because of me."
Theodore gritted his teeth at her retort. He said, "I'll deal with you after the meeting."
Theodore started to walk out but couldn't help stopping and turning back to look.
Phoebe sat behind her large desk, her hair simply tied up, revealing her small, delicate face and graceful, slender neck.
Every time they made love, Theodore liked to hold Phoebe's neck, which was beautiful yet fragile. It felt like he had control over her completely.
The nine o'clock sun shone on Phoebe, making her look like she was glowing.
For some reason, since coming back from the hospital yesterday, Phoebe seemed different. This change was subtle, making Theodore feel a bit lost.
Noticing his gaze, Phoebe looked up at him in confusion. Theodore quickly turned his head, snorted coldly, and walked out arrogantly.
Phoebe was speechless.
What was wrong with Theodore?
In the afternoon, Phoebe went to the talent show base of Extraordinary Entertainments. A group of energetic boys was practicing the theme song dance in the studio. They were all young, sweating in the practice room, full of youthful energy.
A staff member called Noah over and pointed to Phoebe in the distance. Noah jogged over to Phoebe. The young boy exuded youthful energy.
"Ms. Ziegler, what brings you here?"
Phoebe smiled.
Noah also smiled, blushing a bit as he looked at her. Phoebe's smile was truly captivating. Already beautiful, her smile was like a breath of fresh air, making hearts flutter. .
"Phoebe, did you come here just to see me?" Noah couldn't help but ask, looking at Phoebe.
Phoebe nodded. "You've been performing well lately. The audience likes you. If you have any discomfort or needs at the base, just let the show team know. I've already instructed them to meet your needs as much as possible."
Noah understood that Phoebe intended to focus on nurturing him. He quickly said, "I'm fine with everything."
Then Noah asked expectantly, "Phoebe, will you be the one guiding me from now on?"
Noah's eyes were filled with hope.
Phoebe smiled. "Yes. After the show ends, I'll assign an agent to you."
Noah and Phoebe chatted for a while. Phoebe gave him some instructions before allowing him to return to his training.
When Noah returned to the practice room, a group of boys surrounded him. "Noah, is that your agent? She's so pretty; she could debut herself."
"Don't talk nonsense. She's the artist manager of our company," Noah glared at them.
"So young?" The boy looked back in surprise.
"Yeah."
Phoebe turned to go downstairs and received a call from Theodore in the stairwell. Theodore's tone was harsh. "Where did you go? Why aren't you in the office?"
Phoebe pursed her lips. "I'm at base. What's up?"
"Why are you there? Wait there. I'll come to pick you up. Grandma's back and wants us to go home," Theodore said on the other end of the line.
Phoebe was about to say she had driven over, but Theodore hung up.
Phoebe had no choice but to wait by the roadside for him.
It didn't take long for a black Maybach to pull up. The window rolled down, and Vanessa was sitting in the passenger seat.
In front of Theodore, Vanessa still appeared gentle and greeted Phoebe warmly, "Ms. Ziegler, get in the car. We can't park here for long."
