Chapter 1010 Jessica's Plan
Rebecca's alarm rang punctually, signaling the start of her day. Without any delay, she rose from her bed, disciplined and adhering to her schedule. After silencing the alarm, she glanced beside her, expecting to find Jessica still sleeping peacefully.
To her surprise, Jessica was not by her side.
"Did she actually wake up earlier than me?" Rebecca wondered, momentarily puzzled. However, she dismissed the thought with a shake of her head, muttering, "She would never wake up early."
Determined to solve the mystery, Rebecca got out of bed and headed upstairs to Rudy's room. Upon entering, she found Jessica cozily nestled on Rudy's bed, completely oblivious to the world. Rudy, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen.
Rebecca, not one to let Jessica off easily, approached and tried to wake her. However, Jessica, in her deep slumber, rolled away to the other side, stubbornly avoiding the disturbance.
Undeterred, Rebecca persisted until she successfully roused Jessica from her sleep. Jessica slowly opened her eyes, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle glow in the room.
"Ugh, why are you waking me up so early?" Jessica mumbled, shooting a playful glare at Rebecca.
Rebecca inquired about Rudy's whereabouts. Jessica, still in a sleepy haze, glanced around and noticed Rudy's absence. She nonchalantly shrugged and suggested he might be taking a bath or something.
"Worrying too much won't add years to your life, Becca. He's practically a superhero," Jessica teased, stretching her arms.
Rebecca, not satisfied with the vague response, furrowed her brows and questioned Jessica's sudden relocation to Rudy's bed. She reminded Jessica that she had gone to sleep early in Rebecca's room the previous night.
A mischievous chuckle escaped Jessica's lips, and she flashed a sly smirk. "I just pretended to sleep. You doze off, and I get to upgrade to the comfiest bed in the house. Win-win."
Rebecca sighed, shaking her head at Jessica's antics. She reminded her that Rudy was on the verge of turning 18, emphasizing the impropriety of sharing a bed with a teenage boy.
Jessica, with an air of nonchalance, dismissed the concern. "Relax, Becca. Our relations.h.i.+p is pure. It's all innocent. No need to stress over it."
Rebecca, her patience wearing thin, turned to Jessica with a stern expression. "Jess, can you, for once, act like an adult and not fool around all day?"
Jessica, reclining comfortably, glanced at Rebecca with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Being an adult is overrated, Becca. You should try embracing your inner child sometime."
Rebecca, not amused, s.h.i.+fted the conversation back to Rudy. "Jess, no matter your intentions, there are boundaries and limits in domestic relations.h.i.+ps. We shouldn't be crossing them."
Jessica, unfazed, quirked an eyebrow. "Oh, is someone a bit jealous? Afraid I'll get too close to Rudy?"
Rebecca dismissed the insinuation with a wave of her hand. "Jess, this isn't about jealousy. It's about propriety. Act like an adult and Rudy's aunt."
Jessica, visibly irritated, furrowed her brows. "Rebecca, just because you've decided to play mother doesn't mean I have to play the auntie. I'm an adult, and I can do whatever I want."
Rebecca, a bit shocked, pleaded with Jessica. "Jess, I'm saying this for your sake and Rudy's. There are consequences to these actions."
Jessica, defiant, shot back, "You chose to be his mother. You could've raised him as his sister, but no. You accepted the role, and I'm not interested in playing the auntie. I'm just waiting for Rudy to turn 18 so this fake family play can finally end."
Rebecca, with a determined expression, looked at Jessica and spoke, "Jess, once Rudy turns 18, I plan to continue being the best mother figure I can be for him. But tell me, what do you think will change?"
Jessica, taken aback by the direct question, hesitated for a moment. She gathered her thoughts but struggled to come up with a substantial answer. With a nervous gulp, she replied, "Well, there will be so many changes, Becca. It's hard to list just one."
Rebecca chuckled knowingly, her arms folded beneath her chest. "Come on, Jess. Just one change. Dare to think beyond the usual antics."
Jessica, feeling a bit cornered, couldn't admit that she hadn't thought of any changes. Instead, she maintained a defiant posture and insisted, "There are just too many to mention, Becca. You'll see."
Rebecca raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Jess, nothing's going to change, and you know it. Stop expecting a revolution when it's not even on the horizon."
Unable to accept her defeat in the verbal sparring, Jessica finally let slip her plan. "Well, maybe Rudy could make some changes once he's 18. Adjust the dynamics of our little family, you know? Make everyone happy."
Rebecca, intrigued by this unexpected revelation, probed further. "What kind of changes are you talking about?"
Unexpectedly, Jessica confidently replied, "Our relations.h.i.+ps. Rudy could change our relations.h.i.+ps."
Rebecca's expression s.h.i.+fted from antic.i.p.ation to shock. The unexpected turn left her momentarily speechless, contemplating the implications of Jessica's revelation.
After a brief pause, curiosity got the better of Rebecca, and she couldn't help but inquire, "What kind of family changes are you talking about? What could Rudy change?"
Jessica, feeling a bit embarra.s.sed about her upcoming admission, hesitated before finally confessing, "Well, you know, he could maybe become our partner."
Rebecca's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and she fixed Jessica with a scrutinizing gaze. "Partner? Are you saying you want Rudy to be romantically involved with us? Is that why you were sleeping with him, to seduce him?"
Jessica shook her head, her expression serious. "No, Becca, it's not like that. Rudy doesn't even know the truth about our relations.h.i.+p. If he were to develop feelings for us, it would mean that we have a chance to be his partner. That's how he could change our relations.h.i.+ps."
Rebecca, still skeptical, leaned back and crossed her arms, contemplating Jessica's words. "So, you're saying you want him to figure it out on his own and make a move?"
Jessica nodded, "Exactly. I'm not trying to seduce him or anything. It's just that if he sees us in a different light, things might naturally evolve. We don't need to force it."
Rebecca sighed, her skepticism giving way to a hint of amus.e.m.e.nt. "Jess, sometimes your plans are just too much."
Jessica chuckled, "Well, it's worth a shot. Who knows, it might work."