Looking at Eliza’s back, Rachel felt flustered by a chill on her back.
Rachel was not certain if Eliza was pretending to be mysterious. She always felt that Eliza was not as simple as she looked.
Leaving the back garden, Rachel walked towards to the villa in south garden.
She had just stepped in and was still putting on slippers at the entrance, Sophie’s excited voice was heard, “Rachel, look! Who’s here?”
Rachel raised her eyes and looked towards the living room.
Sitting on the sofa in the living room were two women, her mother Sophie and Sienna.
Seeing Sienna, Rachel was slightly stunned. The guilt spread instantly to her whole heart.
She felt ashamed to face Sienna.
With a big smile on her face, Sienna stood up slowly and said to Rachel in a warm tone, “Hi, Rachel. I’m here to visit you and Ms. Sophie today.”
Rachel didn’t know how to respond, so she walked in calmly. “Hi, Sienna, when did you arrive?”
“I’ve been here for a while and been chatting with Ms. Sophie.” Sienna looked at Sophie. “Ms. Sophie, I hope you don’t mind my being so talkative.”
Sophie held her hand very fondly and told her to sit down. “Of course not! If you can make time to come here and chat with me more often, I’ll be happier. Don’t be silly, Sweetheart.”
Rachel walked over slowly. Noticing that her mother’s brilliant smile and her eyes on Sienna were so gentle, she believed that her mother really liked Sienna, her daughter-in-law-to-be.
Sienna smiled, “Thank you, Ms. Sophie.”
Sophie continued, “Alas, it’s almost the end of the month now, but Ewan still won’t come back and get married to you. I wondered what’s on his mind.”
Hearing that, Sienna bent down her head and smiled bitterly. She looked helpless and kept silent.
Rachel, sitting next to them, listened to their conversation.
She looked at Sienna’s depressed expression and then at her mother’s extremely expectant look.
Her heart sank.
She couldn’t imagine that when the truth was exposed, how many people would blame her and how disappointed her family and friends would be.
Holding Sienna’s hand and stroking it lightly, Sophie whispered gently, “How blessed Luke is to have married Erica. She’s filial and virtuous. She’s also very capable and she takes good care of Hill Studio. Besides, the Parker and Hill families are well matched for marriage. I really hope Ewan would come back and marry you soon.”
“Ms. Sophie…” Sienna wanted to say something but stopped at the second thought.
Rachel slowly lowered her head, put her hands on her lap, and gently stirred her fingernails. There was nothing wrong with her mother’s words, but it was so harsh in her ears that her heart ached so much.
Did her mother mean that only a woman with impeccable conditions like Sienna could be worthy of Ewan?
Sienna put on a bitter smile and murmured, “Ms. Sophie, it all depends on Ewan’s willingness. If he doesn’t want to marry me, I can’t do anything.”
“How could he not want to marry you?” Sophie was worried. She asked anxiously, “Did something happen?”
Sienna looked towards Rachel slowly, who had her head bent down and immersed in her own thoughts. She didn’t even notice that Sienna was staring at her.
Sophie could see a clue from Sienna’s gaze. She glanced at Rachel and asked nervously, “Ewan doesn’t want to marry you because of my Rachel, right?”
Hearing her mother’s question, Rachel fiercely raised her head, her face instantly turning pale. She looked at Sophie nervously.
Sienna shook her head quickly, holding Sophie’s hand and looking flustered. She denied, “Ms. Sophie, please don’t blame Rachel. It has nothing to do with her… It’s because of Ewan. It’s his own choice, while Rachel… she…”
Sophie stared at Sienna with suspicious eyes. Sienna was so nervous and incoherent, and anyone could sense there was subtext under her denial.
Sophie realized something in her heart. Slowly looking towards Rachel, she recalled the previous news on the Internet. It was reported that Rachel had robbed her bestie’s fiancé and was beaten up for that.
“Sweetheart, you’re really a good girl. It’s Ewan’s loss if he doesn’t marry you. I will never allow this to happen.” Sophie comforted Sienna, patting her hands, “Don’t be so selfless. Why are you still hiding the truth and being considerate for others? Please tell me what exactly has happened to you and Ewan.”
Sienna forced a smile. “Not really, Ms. Sophie. There’s nothing wrong between Ewan and me. I’m just waiting for that day, when he’s willing to marry me.”
Sophie slowly cast her gaze to Rachel.
Rachel’s face paled slightly, and she looked at Sienna at a loss, feeling guilty with a touch of expectation.
She had been disliked by her father, who scorned and abused her with cruelty. She didn’t want her last family to spurn and hate her.
Sienna said nothing.
Rachel was very grateful. She knew that she owed a sincere apology to Sienna. She didn’t know what she could do to make up for this mistake.
Sophie frowned and asked in an aloof tone, “Rachel, are you hiding something from me?”
Rachel stood up slowly, feeling extremely depressed. She answered weakly, “No, Mom, I have nothing to hide from you. I’m not feeling very well. May I go upstairs and have a rest? Please enjoy your chat.”
Sophie’s eyes darkened. She waved her hand. “Go ahead. I see you bored sitting here.”
Sienna asked with a care, “Rachel, what’s wrong with you? Do you want to see a doctor? I can give you a ride…”
“No, Sienna, thank you though.”
The better Sienna treated her, the guiltier Rachel felt. “I’ll just go upstairs and take a nap. Thank you for accompanying my mother. She could rarely see you. I know she missed you a lot.”
“Okay, please go ahead then. Do let me know if you don’t feel well,” Sienna said with concern.
In Sophie’s eyes, Sienna was an extremely kind-hearted woman, almost perfect.
Comparing with Rachel, Sophie felt that her daughter is introverted, quiet, and less talkative. She could never guess what was on Rachel’s mind. Besides, Rachel was sometimes stubborn, making her more difficult to get along with than Sienna.
Rachel dragged a heavy step up the stairs. Her heart seemed to have fallen into the bottom of an unfathomable dark valley, sinking all the way.
Behind her, she heard Sophie ask softly. “Sweetheart, tell me what’s bothering you and Ewan, please.”
Sienna answered, “Ms. Sophie, nothing. Really! Please don’t worry about us. I believe everything will be better.”
“The more you don’t want me to know, the more I believe there is a problem. Don’t take me as a fool. Please tell me directly.”
“Ms. Sophie, please don’t embarrass me. I have difficulties that I can’t tell you.”
Rachel had reached her bedroom and couldn’t hear her mother’s reply.
She opened the door, walked in, and slowly closed it behind her.
She had weak legs already, therefore she leaned her back on the door and slowly slid down to sit on the floor.
She retracted her feet, hugged her legs tightly with her arms, and looked at the brilliant warm sun outside the balcony. Her body was icy, tears welling up in her eyes, her sight hazy.
Rachel looked tough but no one knew how fragile she was inside. Although she was already 25 years old, she still yearned for parental care like that a 3-year-old child.
She hoped that her parents would spare more love on her.
Jordan favored his daughter from Rachel’s stepmother. He never paid attention to Rachel, but instead, he always abused her. The only time when he could think about her was when he was in trouble. He never gave Rachel a trace of paternal love.
Sophie raised Rachel for fifteen years, but Rachel was just an accessory to her. She had given all her love to the three sons of the Hill family. Supplying Rachel with food and clothing, she believed that she had given her daughter enough benefits.
Rachel was so envious when she heard her mother calling Sienna ‘Sweetheart’. How she had hoped that her mother could call her so affectionately!
She had become a sinner for saving her mother. In the end, there was not even a person that she could talk to about it. If the matter of her robbing Sienna’s fiancé was exposed, her mother would definitely be the first one who would never forgive her.
Nevertheless, Rachel could only hold back her grievance and bear it alone with herself.