Forbidden Passion
Chapter 510 Phoebe Ran Off with Another Man

After seeing Vanessa off, Phoebe sat on the couch, holding Ollie, lost in thought. She couldn't figure out why Theodore had sent Vanessa to pick up his clothes. 'Is he just trying to show off?' she wondered.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She lifted Ollie's paw and murmured, "Ollie, Theodore is such a jerk."

Ollie meowed.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed. She answered it, and Cindy's voice came through, loud and clear from a bar. "Phoebe, want to come out for a drink?" "I have a bad cold," Phoebe replied.

"What? I can't hear you. I'll send you the location. Come quick, I'm waiting." Cindy hung up before Phoebe could respond.

Phoebe looked at the location Cindy sent. Feeling frustrated, she decided to go out for a drink.

Phoebe usually played by the rules. The wildest thing she'd ever done was a one-night stand with Theodore, which had turned her life upside down. Now, she was stuck in a marriage she wanted to leave but couldn't, torn between staying and going.

It was a constant struggle.

Phoebe took a cab to the bar. The noise hit her as soon as she walked in. She finally spotted Cindy, sitting in a prominent spot at the bar. Two sketchy guys were hovering around Cindy.

When Phoebe approached, they whistled. "Hey, Cindy, is this your friend? She's gorgeous, just my type."

Cindy, clearly drunk, reached out to Phoebe. "Phoebe, come here. You two, beat it."

The guys left.

Cindy pulled Phoebe to sit next to her. Noticing Phoebe was still in her work clothes, she said, "Why so formal?"

"Wear the fanciest clothes, drink the strongest liquor," Phoebe said, taking a big gulp. The liquor burned her throat, making her cough. Cindy laughed.

Phoebe endured the burn and started drinking slowly. They drank glass after glass, not talking much, and soon got drunk.

Christopher was at the bar celebrating with colleagues. When he went to pay, he saw a familiar face. 'Isn't that Phoebe?' he thought. Seeing Phoebe drinking straight from the bottle, he was shocked and quickly called Theodore.

Meanwhile, in the car, the streetlamp cast a shadow on Vanessa's face, making her look grim. "That damn cat scratched me," she said.

Ruby, driving, glanced in the rearview mirror. "Vanessa, you shouldn't have done that."

"Shouldn't I have?" Vanessa sneered. "What about when she took Theodore? If it weren't for her, would I be in this mess?"

Ruby frowned. "You're in this situation because of your own actions. I warned you, no one likes someone who self-harms."

"Stop it. You haven't even married into the Ziegler family, and you're already defending Phoebe. But does Phoebe appreciate it?" Vanessa mocked.

Ruby pressed her lips together, not wanting to argue.

Vanessa turned to look out the window. "I thought you'd never betray me, Ruby. Guess I was wrong."

Ruby stayed silent.

When they got to the hospital, Vanessa got out, and Ruby followed with the luggage. Outside the hospital room, Vanessa composed herself and walked in.

Theodore was resting on the couch with his eyes closed. Hearing the door, he opened his eyes and saw Vanessa with a crutch.

"Did I disturb you?" Vanessa asked.

Theodore stood up, rubbing his temples. "Sophia's stable now. I have some things to do, so I'll be leaving."

"Theodore," Vanessa quickly said, "I stopped by the Imperial Apartment and noticed you haven't changed clothes in days. I brought you a set. You should change; you smell like disinfectant. Don't bother Phoebe with it." She handed him the luggage.

Theodore noticed the bloody scratches on her hand. He grabbed her wrist and frowned. "What happened to your hand?"

Vanessa quickly pulled her hand back. "It's nothing, just a scratch from your cat. I'll get a rabies shot later." Theodore looked at her. "Did Ollie do this?"

"Yes," Vanessa said, looking pitiful. "I thought it was cute and wanted to pet it. Phoebe might have been worried it would scratch me, so she scolded it. The cat got scared and scratched me. Phoebe already apologized, so don't blame her." Ruby stood by, amazed at Vanessa's distortion of the truth. 'It was that Vanessa tried to hit Ollie with a crutch, and Ollie fought back. But she made it sound like Phoebe's fault. How could someone twist the truth so much?' she thought. Theodore felt uneasy. He fixed a cautious gaze on Vanessa. "Ollie's got a short fuse. You shouldn't have poked at it."

Vanessa was stunned. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, how could you be wrong?" Theodore's tone was indifferent. He took the luggage. "Let's go. I'll take you to get the rabies shot."

Vanessa hesitated but followed him out. "Theodore, wait for me."

Theodore took a brief breath and slowed his pace, waiting for Vanessa to catch up.

"Vanessa, Sophia's condition has stabilized. I've discussed the treatment plan with the cardiology experts. It doesn't matter if I'm here or not," Theodore said.

Vanessa's face turned pale. "Theodore, what do you mean?"

Theodore didn't avoid her gaze. "We're all smart people. Some things don't need to be said directly."

Vanessa's expression shattered. She lowered her head, tears streaming down. "I know. I shouldn't rely on you too much and burden you. But I only know you. My mom suddenly got seriously ill, and you're the only one I can rely on. I'm sorry. I'll learn to be strong and try not to trouble you in the future."

Theodore was about to speak when his phone vibrated. He glanced at Vanessa and picked up the call.

"Theodore, if you don't come to the bar now, Phoebe's gonna ditch you for some other dude."