The next morning, Rebecca and Anderson were fully dressed.
Rebecca was putting on a high waist office trousers and a small top which was ash in colour. She paired it with pearl earrings and packed her hair up, with a few strands falling off face.
Her neck was bare, and it accentuated her graceful neck.
She took one final glance in the mirror, and her lips curved upwards.
"I never thought I'd age this beautiful." She murmured, and picked her handbag before she walked out of the room.
Once she got out of the room, she bumped into Anderson.
Anderson paused in his tracks as his gaze swept over her, his eyes lingering on her more than it should.
She became self-aware of herself as she tugged the dress.
Biting her lips, she asked hesitantly. "How... how do I look?"
Anderson was silent for a while.
"You look... perfect." He growled lowly. "Too perfect."
Rebecca met his eyes and blinked once.
There it was again—that look.
The intense, heavy and almost… dangerous look.
She recognized it. She didn't understand it, but it made her chest feel tight.
Clearing her throat, she broke eye contact.
"We should go get breakfast."
She turned quickly, walking past him before the air between them could thicken any further.
Anderson didn't move immediately.
His gaze followed her retreating figure, something dark and conflicted flickering in his eyes.
"This is going to be a... problem."
After having breakfast, Anderson drove his Bentley to the company. And for the first time, he wasn't alone. Rebecca was seated just beside him.
His grip on the wheel tightened, his jaw clenching and unclenching.
If anyone had told him in the previous years that Rebecca would sit beside him while they both drove to the company, he would have laughed it off, perhaps called the person crazy.
But now—
He glanced at her through the corner of his eyes, and he could see the way she stared straight, and her shoulders were squared.
She was nervous. That much he could point out with the way she rubbed her palms on her trousers every two seconds.
She was just as nervous as he was. But they were for different reasons.
He chuckled internally.
Maybe... just maybe, her losing her memory was something to celebrate. He'd never have been close to her this way if she didn't, neither would the kids have someone caring for them. ,
He took a deep breath and returned his gaze to the road.
The car was filled with silence—a strange comforting silence.
After a while, Anderson's eyes drifted to her hands which were tightly clutching the fabric of her trousers and his brows furrowed.
"Are you nervous?" His voice was low as he asked carefully.
Rebecca's eyes flickered to him, and she swallowed.
"A little."
He took her hands into his own, his huge hands swallowing hers.
"You don't have to worry." He assured her. "You have me by your side."
Rebecca stared at him, her big eyes widening.
She took in her lower lips as she thanked him genuinely.
Anderson finally focused on the road, having soothed her nerves.
The car rolled to a stop, and Anderson parked it in his designated spot.
The engine died down, and the silence lingered for a second longer than necessary.
Anderson stepped out first, walking around the car before opening the door for her.
Rebecca blinked slightly at the gesture but stepped out anyway.
"Thank you."
He gave a slight nod, but his gaze had already shifted.
The moment they stepped into the building, it happened again.
The eyes were there.
Whispers floated in the air.
Only this time—
Rebecca caught it faster.
Her steps faltered just slightly.
"They are staring again." She muttered under her breath.
Anderson didn't deny it. "You'll get used to it. You are my wife. It's normal."
Rebecca nodded slightly, not quite liking the answer. She feared it was more than that. Still, she didn't say anything to counter his words.
Once they reached the reception, the greetings came... but this time, they were entirely different.
"Good morning, Mr Vance."
Cheerful, and all smiles.
"...Mrs Vance."
The light in the receptionist dimmed for a second. It was subtle, but there and it was enough for Rebecca to catch since she was perceptive.
Anderson didn't catch it because his attention was on Rebecca.
As they stepped into the elevator, two female staff who had been whispering earlier immediately fell silent.
One of them quickly lowered her phone.
Rebecca's sharp eyes caught the screen before it dimmed.
It was a message:
She's here. Start now.
Her brows creased. Her chest tightened as a bad feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.
"Andy..."
"Hmm?"
Though his voice was calm, his heart trembled. She called him intimately... in public.
"Does your company always feel like this?"
He glanced at her. "Like what?"
Rebecca hesitated.
"Like everyone... is watching a show."
The elevator doors slid open before he could respond.
"I don't think that's possible." He murmured once the two female staff exited the elevator.
Rebecca bit her lips. She couldn't shake off this terrible feeling.
When they reached his floor, Anderson paused.
"I have a meeting in twenty minutes," he said. "I'll have someone take you to HR first."
Rebecca nodded for a second. "Okay."
He studied her for a second—like he didn't want to leave.
Then—
"I'll come find you later."
She gave a small nod as she watched him walk away.
The moment he disappeared, the atmosphere shifted.
It was subtle, but she could feel the tension.
A woman in her mid-thirties with sharp eyes and a polished smile appeared shortly after.
"Mrs Vance." She greeted.
Rebecca immediately shook her head. "Just Rebecca."
The woman's smile tightened, and it was barely noticeable.
"Of course."
But the way she said it didn't feel respectable.
"I'll be handling your onboarding," she continued smoothly. "We'll start simple."
"For now, let's get you an office."
She led Rebecca to an office.
All eyes fell on Rebecca and the woman, but they remained silent as Rebecca walked to the desk with the woman.
Afterwards, the woman handed Rebecca a stack of files.
Far too many for a beginner.
"Sort these by priority level, then draft summaries for each." She ordered.
Rebecca blinked. "All of them?"
"Yes."
Rebecca looked at the files, and remained silent.
"Unless… that's too difficult?"
Rebecca straightened slightly. "No. I can do it."
"Good," the woman replied.
Then she added, almost casually—
"Oh, and they're needed before noon."
Rebecca said nothing as she took a seat while watching the woman leave.
The moment she sat down, she opened the first file. Her expression changed instantly.
It was dense and technical. Nothing like high school level.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the pages.
"This is insane."
She flipped through another. And another, but it only got worse.
Around her, no one offered help.
In fact, they were watching.
Some had curious expressions.
Others were amused.
While some… expectant.
It was as though they already knew how this would end. They were waiting for Mrs Vance to fail.
Rebecca inhaled slowly. Then exhaled.
Her eyes hardened. "Fine." She picked up her pen. "Let's see who breaks first."