Chapter 957 Phoebe, Let's Talk
Phoebe was wasted. She had Lori with her today, and Lori helped her into the car.
Seeing how miserable Phoebe looked, Lori said with concern, "I just looked away for a second, and you ended up drinking this much?"
Phoebe slumped in the back seat, her body feeling light and floaty, but her heart felt heavy, like the alcohol had turned into a weight pressing down on her chest, making it hard to breathe.
"No one forced me. I drank on my own."
Lori frowned. "Drinking's bad for you. You even gave me tips on how to avoid getting drunk on the way here. Why'd you go and get yourself hammered?"
Phoebe clenched her fists, pounding on her heavy heart. "I'm in pain, Lori. I'm in so much pain."
It was the first time Lori had heard Phoebe admit she was in pain.
She thought it was because of the alcohol and quickly said, "Guadalupe, stop at the pharmacy up ahead. I need to get some hangover medicine for Ms. Ziegler. She must be feeling awful after drinking so much."
Phoebe shook her head. It wasn't her stomach that hurt; it was her heart. But she couldn't bring herself to say that out loud.
She had always been strong and didn't want to lose her composure in front of her subordinates.
Let them think it was her stomach that hurt. She curled up in pain.
Lori was very worried. "Ms. Ziegler, did you hurt your stomach? Maybe we should go to the hospital. Guadalupe, let's go to the hospital."
Phoebe shook her head again. "No hospital. No."
Lori looked at her with concern. "Ms. Ziegler, we should at least get you checked out. What if it's alcohol poisoning? We need to catch it early and treat it. I shouldn't have left you alone."
Lori was filled with regret. Seeing Phoebe's twisted face in pain made her feel even more guilty.
If she had kept an eye on Phoebe, this wouldn't have happened.
At the intersection ahead, Guadalupe looked in the rearview mirror. "Lori, are we heading back to Lakeview Estates or to the hospital? We need to change lanes soon."
Phoebe mumbled, "No hospital."
Lori sighed. "Ms. Ziegler said no hospital, so let's go home."
"Got it."
The car headed towards Lakeview Estates.
On the way, Lori got out at a pharmacy to buy some hangover medicine and coaxed Phoebe into taking it.
The car stopped outside the villa at 1 AM.
The neighborhood was quiet, with only the streetlights casting a lonely glow.
Lori grabbed a down jacket and draped it over Phoebe, worried that the cold night air would give her a headache in the morning.
"Ms. Ziegler, we're home. Wake up, I'll help you inside," Lori called softly.
Phoebe didn't move, as if she were asleep.
In reality, she was wide awake. Her limbs were weak from the alcohol, but her mind was clearer than ever.
She was avoiding something.
She didn't want to go inside, didn't want to face Theodore.
Just as Lori was about to ask Guadalupe for help to get Phoebe inside, the front door suddenly opened, and a tall figure appeared.
Lori turned and saw Theodore walking towards the car under the streetlight.
She was overjoyed and quickly rolled down the window. "Mr. Reynolds, you're still up? Great! Ms. Ziegler is drunk. Can you help her inside?"
Theodore looked through the window and saw Phoebe slumped on the left side.
The dim light inside the car made it hard to see her face.
He walked around to the other side of the Mercedes, opened the door, and the cold air rushed in.
He wrapped her tightly in the down jacket and lifted her out of the car.
Despite his back injury, Phoebe wanted to struggle free but was afraid of making it worse for him.
She stayed still, trying to make herself as light as possible.
Theodore looked down, sensing she wasn't asleep. He carried her around the car and told the driver, "Guadalupe, take Lori home. Come back later tomorrow to pick up Phoebe."
"Yes, Mr. Reynolds," Guadalupe replied quickly.
Theodore carried Phoebe into the villa, through the courtyard, and into the house.
At the entrance, Phoebe couldn't help but open her eyes.
"Put me down," Phoebe said.
Theodore looked at her pale face. "It's fine. I'll carry you upstairs."
"Your back..." Phoebe tried to get down, but Theodore easily carried her through the living room and up the stairs.
"You're not that heavy. It's fine."
Phoebe stayed still.
After those two sentences, it seemed hard to pretend she was drunk. She remained silent.
Theodore carried her past the master bedroom and headed towards the guest room.
Phoebe tensed up and reminded him, "You passed the master bedroom."
Theodore said nothing and carried her into the guest room, laying her on the bed.
Smelling the strong scent of alcohol, he went to the bathroom.
Phoebe lay on the soft mattress, feeling like she was floating on a cloud.
The alcohol made her drowsy.
By the time Theodore returned, she was already asleep.
Theodore sat on the edge of the bed, wiping her face with a warm towel.
Hearing her steady breathing, he sighed deeply.
His fingers traced her features. They said beauty was in the bones, not the skin.
Phoebe had beautiful bone structure and smooth skin.
His fingers lingered on her face for a while before he pulled back, placing the used towel on the nightstand. He took off his clothes and lay down beside her.
The night passed without a word.
The next morning, when Theodore woke up, his arms were empty.
He quickly sat up, looking around, but Phoebe was nowhere to be seen.
He hurriedly put on his jacket and walked out of the guest room.
Downstairs, Phoebe had just finished breakfast.
After a night of drinking, she woke up early and went to the bathroom, not returning to the guest room.
She didn't know how to face Theodore, so she avoided him.
Hearing hurried footsteps coming down the stairs, Phoebe paused.
After living with Theodore for four years, she could tell it was him just by the sound of his steps.
Soon, Theodore appeared at the entrance of the dining room.
Seeing Phoebe still there, Theodore sighed in relief and walked over. "When did you wake up? Does your head hurt? You don't look well. Are you going to work today?"
Phoebe looked away, focusing on the sandwich on the table. "Yes, there's a lot to do. How about you? Is your back okay?"
Theodore stared at her. They both knew what was going on, but she said nothing, pretending everything was fine. It made him uneasy.
"Phoebe, we need to talk."
Phoebe's hand clenched into a fist at her side. She hesitated for a few seconds and said, "I'm really busy lately, with a tight schedule. Maybe another day."
She stood up and walked towards the door.
As she passed Theodore, he grabbed her wrist.
He looked at her intently. "Just give me ten minutes. It won't take long."
Phoebe's heart tightened. If they talked about it, what would happen to them?
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