When Victor finally returned, the sky was already pitch black.
“Grandma is fine, Rachel.”
Upon entering the house, he relayed everything to her and said, “While you were being sent here last night, they picked Grandma up and brought her back to her place as well.”
Rachel, who was sitting at the dining table, regained her senses after being stunned for a few seconds.
‘That’s good to hear.’
“I’ve done what you told me to do, Rachel. I told Grandma that you got into a fight with Justin, but you’re currently resting at home right now and can’t go visit her for the time being. Grandma bought it and had me bring some fish soup to you.”
As he spoke, he placed the thermal container on the dining table. “Come and have some while it’s still hot.”
However, Rachel simply pursed her lips. She seemed to be rather exhausted.
‘I don’t have the appetite. Why don’t you eat up instead, and I’ll go get some rest!
After grabbing her phone, she walked out of the dining room.
Victor watched her leaving back, and he couldn’t stop worrying.
“What’s wrong with Rachel, Madam Mary?”
As she grabbed a new pair of cutlery, Madam Mary shook her head and replied, “I have no idea. She looked fine earlier.”
From the corner of his eyes, Victor glanced at the remote control on the dining table as he thought about it.
After returning to her room, Rachel never showed herself again.
Later on, Madam Mary prepared a glass of hot milk and went upstairs. She knocked on her door, but there wasn’t any response. “I’m coming in, Mrs. Burton.”
“Aaaaah!”
Upon hearing the shriek from the second floor, Victor sprung up from his seat at the dining table and stormed upstairs in a flash.
Rachel was sitting on the carpet, and her bottoms were full of blood.
“Rachel!”
“Hurry up and call Mr. Burton!”
Madam Mary had fast reflexes, and she quickly said, “This is a sign of a miscarriage. The baby is doomed if we delay any further!”
“Get the phone. Where’s the phone?”
Victor searched for his phone anxiously. “I don’t have that b*stard’s phone number!”
“I have it. Let me, let me.”
Meanwhile, Justin was having dinner with Amber.
“Justin, now that the entire Riverdale knows about our engagement, even my father cannot do anything about it even though he’s against it.”
Justin answered curtly, “Mr. Hudson was planning to send you abroad. What’s going to happen to the business over there if you stay here?”
“Nothing. There’s no business over there except for some minor things that my dad doesn’t want any outsiders to handle, so I’ll have to visit there once or twice every year. It’s not like I’ll have to stay there for extended periods.”
“Is that so? Will you be going this year as well?”
“Yeah.”
“When are you going? Give me an estimate.”
Upon hearing that, Amber was visibly skeptical as she studied his face. “Why are you asking me all this,
Justin?”
He maintained the same expression and explained, “Didn’t you say that you wanted an engagement ceremony? I’m just fearing that your trip might clash with our engagement plans.”
Amber was overjoyed upon hearing his words. “Are you serious?”
“Of course I’m being serious. As long as you like it, I’ll do anything to make you happy.”
“You’re so nice to me, Justin.”
Just as he was about to ask something else, his pocket started vibrating.
“Hello?”
“Mr. Burton, Mrs. Burton is bleeding profusely, and the child may be at great risk. Where are you? There’s no hospital nearby.”
At once, Justin’s eyes sank.
“What happened?” Amber’s concerned tone came from across the table.
However, Justin regained his senses and answered, “It’s nothing.”
“Hello? Mr. Burton?”
After yelling at the phone for a long time, Madam Mary realized that the call had already been disconnected.
As Victor helped Rachel up, he was enraged and growled, “What did Justin say?”
“He hung up on me…”
“What the f*ck? That motherf*cker!”
Just then, Rachel made a sudden movement in his arms as she clutched his sleeves.
“Rachel!”
Julian
She wrote the name in Victor’s palm.
“Julian? Dr. Peters?” He quickly acknowledged her message. “I’ll call him right away!”
Since it was already getting late at night, Julian put everything he was doing on hold and rushed to the house from the hospital. His heart palpitated at the sight of Rachel’s worn-out body after she had been bleeding out profusely.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know either…”
“Forget I asked. Please get out. I need to stop her bleeding.”
After hauling Madam Mary and Victor out of the room, Julian helped Rachel stop the bleeding and disinfected her wounds.
As the hemostat crashed into other medical tools, it produced a cold clank.
Rachel grabbed his arm and moved her light-toned lips, but she couldn’t make a sound.
Upon seeing that, Julian comforted her by saying, “It’s okay. Everything will be fine once I stop the bleeding. It’s okay…”
Then, Rachel loosened her hand as tears started falling from the corner of her eyes, moistening her pillow.
When she remembered how Justin wanted to keep the child and insisted that she stay by his side, all the while telling her that his relationship with Amber was merely a facade, yet he was nowhere to be found at
such a critical moment.
How did I let a man like this be the father of my child?
As the anesthesia was delayed, the tingle in her abdomen quickly numbed her.
In that instant, nothing orderly was in her mind.
She couldn’t figure out how she had led her life into such a situation.
All the possibilities in life, yet she managed to find herself in the abyss, unable to crawl out of the darkness. Instead, she found herself sinking even deeper into it.
Soon, the sound of a car engine was heard coming from the yard.
Upon seeing Justin’s arrival, Victor bellowed, “I thought you’d forgotten about Rachel.”
Before he could approach Justin, the latter’s bodyguard caught him.
Victor struggled as he shouted, “Let go of me! All you shameful dogs, does it feed your pride suppressing a pregnant woman?”
Disregarding the young man, Justin went straight upstairs.
Just as he got upstairs, Julian came out of the room with a dull face.
“How is she?”
“The situation is bad.”
After shutting the door, Julian revealed a scowl. “She’ll need a better bed to rest in. If this happens again, the child will be gone for good.”
At once, Justin tensed his brows.
“I can’t comprehend how you’re able to neglect and hurt her so heartlessly simply for the sake of business, money, and influence. She’s forgiven you countless times, yet you constantly cross the line again and again. Do you realize what you’re doing?”
Julian continued in a more solemn voice, “You’re getting engaged to Amber while you lock her up in here. You’re forcing her to be the third wheel in your relationship. Have you ever considered how she actually feels
about the situation?”
Based on what he knew about Rachel, this was much more agonizing than being murdered.
While her pride was downright shattered, the boundaries of morality had gone over her head. How could anyone not be worried about her?
In response, Justin uttered, “There are some things you don’t understand. I’ll explain everything to her.”
“Indeed. There are many things that I do not understand.”
After grabbing his first aid kit, he walked toward the staircase. “Nor do I intend to. I’ll be overseas very soon, so it’s best you hire a private physician to tend to her. Otherwise, you’re going to regret it if anything happens again.”
Among the footsteps descending the stairs, Justin twisted the doorknob.
After pushing the door open. Rachel was seen quietly resting on the bed in the dim light of the room. On the ground was an uncleaned carpet that was stained with her blood; it sent shivers to anyone who saw it, and that included Justin. He was dumbfounded at the sight of the carpet.
When he saw how she had no reaction when he walked in, he assumed that she was asleep.
Then, he walked to the bed and sat down beside her. After raising his hand in the air for a while, he placed it on her cheek.
Only if you weren’t Jefferey’s daughter; if you weren’t one of the Hudsons, things wouldn’t have turned out this way…
