Chapter 7 Living the Easy Life Rebecca glared at Alistair's name on her phone screen , her irritation bubbling over . Is Anne right ? Is Alistair really trying to play the pity card to worm his way back into my life ? She let out a cold , mocking laugh . Alistair , don't make me lose what little respect I have left for you . 1/8 You walked away from the courthouse acting all cool and detached . What's with this pathetic act now ? The memory of his fleeting , infuriatingly attractive smile as he left sparked a fresh wave of annoyance . Spurred by Anne's prodding , Rebecca dialed his number with deliberate nonchalance . The call connected almost instantly . Before he could get a word in , Rebecca pounced . " Alistair , what's wrong with you ? Who gave you permission to call me ? " A brief silence followed , and then Alistair's voice came through , calm and steady . Chapter 7 Living the Easy Life 2/8 His voice had a unique quality . It was low , clear , almost magnetic . Someone once joked that Alistair could charm anyone with his voice alone . Unfortunately , he rarely spoke . Back when they were together , he was so quiet it felt like living with a mute .. " Here's the thing , " he said evenly . " Danny's kindergarten teacher called me . She said no one picked him up after school , and he was crying his eyes out . He didn't want to come with me , and given my situation now , it wouldn't have been right for me to take him . So I called to let you know you need to get him . " Anne , eavesdropping , chimed in with a snide tone , " Oh , Alistair , that's the lamest excuse I've ever heard . You're not even good at lying ! Don't you know ? Danny's real dad picked him up today . There's no way Rick would leave his own son stranded at kindergarten . What kind of father would let his kid go through that ? " anger . Rebecca's brows knitted together , her voice sharp with " Didn't I tell you yesterday to stop dragging Danny into your games ? Don't overestimate your importance , Alistair . Pull this again , and you'll regret it . " With that , she slammed the call to an end . Oddly , while Rebecca seemed furious at Alistair's supposed scheming , a strange satisfaction coursed through her . The pent - up frustration she'd been carrying found an outlet , leaving her feeling lighter , almost giddy . Chapter 7 Living the Easy Life Anne urged her not to let someone like Alistair get under her skin . 3/8 Vivienne , however , looked thoughtful . " Maybe you should call Richard to double - check . " Anne's jaw dropped . " Vivienne , are you serious ? You're siding with Alistair over Rick ? You're hopeless ! " Vivienne stood her ground . " This isn't about picking sides . It's about Danny . A quick call can clear things up . Better to be safe than sorry . " Whether it was Vivienne's logic or Rebecca's desire to expose Alistair's lies , she dialed Richard's number . " Hey , babe , miss me already ? " Richard's warm , velvety voice came through , prompting a teasing giggle from Anne at their obvious closeness . Rebecca playfully scolded him , " Behave , my friends are right here . How's Danny doing ? Is he being good ? " A strange silence hung on the line . After a beat , Richard asked , " Did you pick up Danny ? " Rebecca's mind went blank , a buzz ringing in her ears . " Weren't you supposed to get him ? " she said , her voice rising . " Didn't you say you wanted to bond with him , build that Chapter 7 Living the Easy Life father - son thing ? You … You didn't go ? " 4/8 Richard's tone turned sheepish . " I'm so sorry , Rebecca . I got swamped today and completely forgot . Where's Danny now ? He's not still at the kindergarten , is he ? Look , you go grab him , and I'll make it up to him when I get home , I swear . " Rebecca was speechless . She'd wanted to prove Vivienne wrong , but instead , she'd proven herself mistaken . As Rebecca rushed toward the kindergarten , Vivienne watched her go , shaking her head with a sigh . Rebecca used to glide through life with effortless poise . Even after having Daniel , she lived like a carefree girl , untouched by mundane worries . Alistair had been gone less than a day , and her world was already unraveling . Vivienne silently hoped Rebecca wouldn't come to regret her choices . While Rebecca raced to retrieve her son , Alistair was comfortably lounging on a sofa by the floor - to - ceiling window , playing with the latest , most expensive smartphones on the market . Rebecca had always kept him on a tight leash , claiming gadgets would distract him . She'd given him a clunky old phone that Chapter 7 Living the Easy Life could barely handle calls and texts . 5/8 In an era of digital payments , she insisted on handing him cash , meticulously tracking every penny . He had to log every expense , and she'd pore over his records . Over the years , Alistair had filled dozens of notebooks just keeping accounts . He'd been cut off from the world for too long , and he needed to catch up . However , suddenly , Alistair abruptly stumbled into a life of luxury , coasting on someone else's dime . The sleek phone in his hand was a gift from Caroline . The presidential suite he was relaxing in was also booked by Caroline . As Rebecca finally reached Daniel , whose voice was hoarse from crying , Alistair was casually skimming news headlines . Rebecca scooped up her son , soothing him as they headed home . When Richard apologized profusely , she brushed it off with understanding . " Don't beat yourself up . It's normal . You're still adjusting to fatherhood . " Exhausted from a day of shopping , all she wanted was a good meal and a long soak in a bubble bath to melt away her fatigue . But when she glanced at the dining table , it was bare . The kitchen showed no signs of use . This never would've happened before . Chapter 7 Living the Easy Life 6/8 Richard , ever attentive , massaged her shoulders and guided her to the table . " Dinner's coming right up . Just hang tight for a bit . " Rebecca's hopes lifted . Richard had always bragged about his cooking . He said he'd picked it up during his six years abroad to take care of himself . She believed his breakfast flop was just overeagerness . She figured that was just nerves . Maybe he was saving his real skills for tonight . Curious about what he'd whip up for dinner , she wondered if he'd staged the untouched kitchen for a surprise . The doorbell rang . Richard darted to answer it , and soon , the table was laden with an array of dishes . He sat across from her , his smile warm . " Dig in ! " Rebecca stared at the spread , disbelief creeping in . " This is dinner ? " She couldn't believe it . Richard had ordered takeout . Even if it was from a five - star restaurant , it was still takeout . A wave of disappointment washed over her , snuffing out her appetite . Daniel , unusually cooperative , dug in without complaint . His earlier meltdown had left him ravenous , Richard thoughtfully passed the shrimp to Rebecca and Daniel . Chapter 7 Living the Easy Life 7/8 Daniel took one bite and spat it out . " Gross ! It's nowhere near as good as Dad's . " His words plunged the room into an awkward silence . Oblivious to the tension , the five - year - old kept complaining , " This is awful . I want Dad's shrimp . Mom , I want Dad's shrimp ! " Rebecca shot a quick glance at Richard , relieved to see he seemed unfazed . Turning to Daniel , she snapped , " What did I tell you ? Mr. Morgan is your dad . Your real dad . Got it ? " Daniel , spoiled and used to getting his way , had never been scolded like that . He didn't think he'd said anything wrong . Staring at his mother's fierce expression , he let out a wail and burst into tears . Richard tried to calm him , gently chiding Rebecca . " Come on , he's just a kid . No need to get worked up . He's young . Give it time , and he'll know who his real family is . " Rebecca instantly regretted her outburst . Years ago , she and Richard had dated in secret , and she'd gotten pregnant with Daniel . He'd begged her to terminate it , saying it would ruin their future . But she had refused . When they broke up and he left for school abroad , Rebecca faced immense pressure but stubbornly brought Daniel into the world . djes for fou eldress Chapter 7 Living the Easy Life 8/8 Daniel wasn't just her flesh and blood . He was the unbreakable bond between her and Richard . She cherished him fiercely and , until today , had never raised her voice at him . She pulled out every trick in the book to coax him back into a good mood . Only after he finally calmed down did she allow herself to slip away for her long - awaited bath . She undressed , stood in front of the tub , and froze . It was empty . For six years , Alistair had always drawn her bath in advance . By the time she finally sank into the warm water , ready to savor a moment of peace , Daniel's cries echoed through the bathroom door .