Rachel couldn’t help herself but running out. She stopped at the iron gate and pushed her back against the wall, eavesdropping on the conversation outside.
Robert’s voice floated into her ear, “Why so rush?”
“I got stuff to deal with at the military center. Since the matter of home has settled, it’s time for me to go back.”
“Did you get the murderer?”
“Dad, forget about that. Go to the police station and go through the formalities this afternoon. Take mom home.”
“Okay.”
Erica became very anxious, “Ewan, if you leave now, when will you and Sienna have the wedding?”
“I’ll talk to her.”
“Alright, be safe. Visit us more often.” Erica smiled with content.
“Ewan, don’t you wanna tell Rachel about this? She doesn’t even know you’re leaving so soon,” Luke said.
“There’s no need for that.” Ewan refused immediately.
Hiding behind the wall, Rachel had already drenched into tears. She covered her mouth with both hands, and her body was just like a deflated ball vanished in the flower shrubs. Tears coursed down her cheeks. Agony was like a knife piercing her heart.
He was leaving, and he didn’t want to see her for the last time?
Ten years ago, when Ewan joined the army, Rachel cried for a whole month.
Every time Rachel thought of him, she hided herself and cried. When tears were dried, she continued to miss him, continued her life with a smile on.
Every time Ewan came back home from the military center, she would find excuses to leave the White family and stayed with the Hills for several days. To accompany her mom was a lie, she only wanted to see Ewan indeed. Even though she could only meet him once a year, she was satisfied.
Even though he was cold as ice when she saw him, and they couldn’t make full conversations, as long as Rachel could call him “Ewan”, happiness would fulfill her mind.
She barely saw him for the last ten years.
This time, Lord knows when would they meet again.
Ewan started the car. Rachel covered her mouth with one hand and grabbed her cloth with another hand, trying to push the heartache back.
That kind of pain was killing her.
He really left, left for the metropolitan that was separated by two cities. So far away.
She could never see his emotionless face or hear his deep voice.
Since he got married with Sienna, missing him became so immoral and so unethical.
Time flies, before you can cherish it, time has already disappeared.
Rachel returned to her normal life pace.
Her mother was released. The police said they had another suspect in mind, but refused to give more details.
Was Ewan Hill letting the murderer getting away or did he have another plan?
That was the only thing that bothered Rachel.
She restarted the work. Day after day, she was bustled.
She worked for a state-owned corporate with a fixed schedule from nine to five.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
5:30 p. m., Rachel got off work like usual.
She just left the building when three cocky women rushed to her and blocked her way.
One of them slapped so hard on her face two times.
The sudden attack frightened Rachel.
“What…” The next thing she knew was another woman pulling her hair. She pressed her hair in a hurry and shouted angrily, “Who are you? What do you want?”
“You bitch, steal your best friend’s husband. You look so innocent, but you’re just a whore.”
People coming out of the building hurried away and took out their phones to record the scene, even posted it online.
There was a “beating the mistress” drama going on outside the hallway.
“Bitch, you seduce your best friend’s husband, make her life miserable. Do you have any conscience? Shameless.”
“What a slut. Your friend was true to you and you stole her man. You’re that kind of slut that everyone have to stay away.”
“Take off her clothes and post the video online, let the whole world know this bitch is the other woman in her friend’s marriage.”
Rachel was confused by their abusing words. The pain of the woman pulling her hair kept her from standing straight. She shouted with rage, “I don’t know any of you. Let me go, or I’ll call the police!”
The indifferent crowd was busy filming and pointing fingers at her. Just like the three women, they swore at her, and no one gave her a helping hand.
Right in this moment, Sienna’s voice came, “Let her go. It’s none of your business.”
Rachel recognized Sienna’s voice. She rushed to push away the woman that was pulling Rachel hair. She yelled with tears, “Don’t mind my business, who says you can slap her?”
Sienna protected Rachel with her own body. Rachel fixed her messy hair, but the pain on her face was still with her. She was wondering what was happening.
The woman that slapped Rachel clenched her fist and shouted to Sienna, “Sienna, will you take a good look at your so-called best friend? She stole the man that you fell in love for so many years and about to marry. She’s a scum, and you protect her as if she were your friend? We can’t even take it anymore, but you’re still on her side. Are you blind?”
Sienna clenched her fist, crying, “I don’t need your help, I can fix it myself. Who gave you permits to do this?”
From any stranger’s point of view, Sienna was the victim. Though her best friend cheated with her husband, she still protected her. They felt sorry for such a kind girl, so they scolded Rachel and recorded her “sin” in order to show the world.
The three women said in accord, “She deserves the beating. Don’t tell me you feel sorry for her. I will slap this kind of slut every time I see one. So disgusting.”
Sienna banished them with rage, “Leave, stay out of this.”
Those women were still surged with great fury. They kept pointing finger at Rachel, swearing at her, trying to get justice for Sienna.
Strangers knew what happened, how could Rachel not understand?
Standing behind Sienna, she lost in mind quietly.
She stole her husband? What kind of nonsense was that? How ridiculous and unbelievable.
Sienna drove those women away.
The crowd gradually dispersed. Sienna turned around, tears had already covered her face and she dried them sorrowfully.
Rachel clenched her hand, asked calmly, “What happened?”
Sienna cried with bitterness, looking so sad. She stared at Rachel with hatred, “Rachel, are we best friends?”
“Of course.”
“Have I ever done anything unforgivable to you?”
“Not yet.”
Rachel acted so calm.
But right now, she was panicking. She was frightened, a bad feelings was running through her heart like poison. She knew it was something serious.
She took the fact that she was slapped, slandered as a slut and being filmed very well. She just wanted to know the reason.
Sienna sneered, scolded her with sarcasm, “You think I’ve done something to hurt you, so you take my husband and my happiness away, leaving me there with pain for the rest of my life? Why you do this to me? You …” she burst into tears before finishing the sentence, “Why you do this to me? Why?”
Rachel clenched her hand, it felt like her heart was about to explode. She was afraid of what would come next, but she still faced it with courage. She comforted Sienna, “Don’t cry. Tell me what’s going on. Why I got slapped and was called a mistress?”
Sienna took out a napkin and wiped out the tears on her eye corners carefully. She spoke every word without emotion, “Ewan and I have been preparing to get married for a long time, and I don’t know how you tricked him into making such a choice.”
“What choice?”
“He’s already married, to you. It’s your name on the paper.”