58

58
Rachel sat at the breakfast table, staring blankly at the plate in front of her. The eggs were getting cold and the toast was starting to harden, but she didn’t seem to care. Her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Leo and the dream she had just woken up from.
“Is everything okay, sweetie?” her mother asked, taking a seat across from her. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Rachel sighed, “I had a nightmare about Leo last night.”
Her mother’s eyebrows shot up in concern. “Oh no. What happened?”
“It was like he was here in the room with me, begging for my forgiveness. But I wouldn’t listen.” Rachel’s voice was trembling as she spoke. “I’m just so confused, Mom. I don’t know what to do.”
Her mother reached across the table and took her hand. “I know it’s hard, sweetie. But you have to talk to Leo. Running away from the situation won’t solve anything.”
Rachel shook her head, “I’m not ready to see him yet. I need time to sort out my feelings.”
Her mother nodded understandingly. “Take all the time you need. I’ll be here for you every step of the way.”
After breakfast, Rachel tried to distract herself by sketching. She had always found solace in her art, but today, her inspiration was lacking. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to shake the image of Leo from her mind.
Rachel could feel the knot in her stomach tighten with each passing moment. The thought of facing Leo again made her feel as if she was going to be sick. She didn’t know how she was going to be able to work alongside him after everything that had happened between them. She had never felt so vulnerable and exposed in her life.
She tried to distract herself by sketching new designs, but her heart wasn’t in it. She lacked inspiration, and her mind was constantly preoccupied with thoughts of Leo. She wondered if he was feeling just as anxious as she was about their next encounter.
Sighing deeply, Rachel decided it was time to face the music. She knew that she couldn’t avoid Leo forever and that she would have to work with him, at least until she was able to stand firmly on her own. She started doing research about starting her own fashion brand, taking small steps towards her goal of independence, but it all came crashing down when the thought of Leo returned to her mind.
***
Rachel answered the call from her friend from South Korea, who had been checking in on her. They chatted for a few minutes until the door to her room was suddenly opened and Celine walked in, her face lighting up despite the sadness in her eyes.
“Celine! You’re back,” Rachel said, putting down the phone and getting up to give her friend a hug.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you when everything went down,” Celine said, her voice shaking with emotion.
“It’s okay,” Rachel said, holding her friend close. “What happened to you?”
Celine pulled back and showed Rachel the ring on her finger. “William asked me to marry him,” she said, her face shining with joy.
Rachel’s heart swelled with happiness for her friend. “Oh, Celine, that’s wonderful! Congratulations!”
Despite the happiness she felt for her friend, Rachel couldn’t shake the feeling of sadness and anxiety that had settled deep within her. Her thoughts drifted back to Leo, and the way he had treated her. She wondered if she would ever be able to forgive him for what he had done.
She couldn’t help but feel envious of her friend Celine’s recent engagement. It seemed like everything in Celine’s life was falling into place, while her own was falling apart.
“So tell me, what happened?” Rachel asked, eager to know why how things had turned out between William and her, considering the slight squabble between them the last time she had seen them.
“Oh, you know, William proposed and we went on a romantic getaway,” Celine said, her voice filled with excitement.
Rachel felt a pang of jealousy as she listened to her friend’s story. Celine’s relationship with William was everything she had ever wanted for herself. But instead, she was stuck in a marriage with Leo, someone she barely knew.
“I hope your relationship works out better than mine,” Rachel said, unable to hide the bitterness in her voice.
“Don’t talk like that, Rach. William and I are in love and we’re getting married because we want to, not because we have to,” Celine replied, trying to comfort her friend.
Rachel sighed, knowing that her friend was right. She needed to focus on the present and the future, not dwell on the past.
“Congratulations on your engagement, Celine. I’m so happy for you,” Rachel said, finally mustering a genuine smile.
The two women talked for a while longer, catching up on everything that had happened since they last spoke.
******
Rachel Wakes up in the morning, feeling restless and unable to shake off the shadows of the past that haunted her dreams. She spends the day in her room, lost in thought and trying to come to terms with her reality. Her mother tries her best to engage her, but Rachel remains distant and uninterested.
“Rachel, why don’t you come with me to the market? I need to buy some fresh produce for dinner,” Her mother suggested, hoping to get her out of the house.
“No, I don’t feel like it. I just want to stay here and be by myself,” Rachel responded, curling up in her bed.
Her mother sighed, sensing that her daughter was going through a tough time. “Okay, but you need to eat something. I’ll make you a sandwich, alright?”
Rachel nodded, grateful for her mother’s love and care. As her mother left the room, she picked up her sketchbook and pencil. She tried to find inspiration for her designs, but her mind was cluttered with thoughts and emotions. Most of her sketches were dark and brooding, reflecting the turmoil within her.
“These sketches are beautiful, but they look so sad. What’s bothering you?” Her mother asked as she entered the room with a sandwich.
Rachel shook her head, “I don’t know, it’s just how I feel right now.”
Her mother sat down beside her and took her hand, “I know you’ve been through a lot, and it’s okay to feel sad. But don’t let it consume you, okay? You’re strong, and you’ll get through this.”
Rachel forced a smile, “Thanks, Mom.”
As the days passed, Rachel remained in isolation, struggling to find peace and find herself. Despite her mother’s efforts, she refused to attend any of her classes and spent most of her time sketching and thinking. She tried to push away the memories of her past, but they haunted her relentlessly, reminding her of all that had gone wrong.
Her mother walked into the room where Rachel was sketching. She took a look at the sketches and noticed the darkness in them. “These sketches look like you’re missing Leo,” her mother joked.
Rachel didn’t take it lightly. “How could you say that?” she snapped. “After everything he’s done, you think I would miss him?”
Her mother sighed and walked over to Rachel, sitting next to her. “I know, I know. I was only joking,” she said, putting her arm around Rachel. “But, you can’t deny that he’s been a big part of your life for the past year.”
Rachel shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she said, getting up from her seat and walking to the window. She looked out at the city and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
Her mother followed her and put her hand on her shoulder. “I’m here for you, no matter what,” she said, giving her a comforting squeeze.
Rachel turned to her mother, tears welling up in her eyes. “I don’t know what to do,” she said. “I don’t know how to move on from this.”
Her mother pulled her into a hug. “It’s going to take time, but you’ll get there. I promise.”
Rachel sat at the breakfast table, picking at her food with no real appetite. She was still haunted by her nightmares, which only seemed to be getting worse. Her mother, noticing her daughter’s mood, tried to distract her.
“Rachel, why don’t we go shopping today? You need to get out of this house and get some fresh air,” her mother said, trying to sound cheerful.
Rachel was hesitant at first, but her mother’s persistence won her over. She agreed to accompany her to a boutique to shop for new sportswear.
As they walked into the store, Rachel felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She was finally out of the house and surrounded by people. Her mother was trying on different outfits, giggling at her reflection in the mirror. Rachel, however, was lost in thought, still trying to process everything that had happened.
Just as Rachel’s mother was in the middle of trying on a new outfit, a woman approached them. She introduced herself as a shop attendant and offered to help with any queries they had. Rachel was skeptical, but her mother was taken in by the woman’s friendly demeanor.
However, the woman’s questions soon became more intrusive and personal, and Rachel realized that she was a paparazzi in disguise. The woman pressed Rachel for information about her recent marriage and the events that had transpired. Rachel was getting angrier by the second and finally, she had enough. She grabbed the woman’s recording device and smashed it on the ground.
People in the store gathered around them, curious about the commotion. A security personnel approached Rachel and her mother, asking if everything was okay. Rachel was shaking with anger, but her mother stepped in and explained the situation. The security personnel apologized for the intrusion and offered to escort the woman out of the store.
Rachel and her mother left the store, both shaken by the experience. They made their way back home, with Rachel trying to calm down and her mother offering words of comfort. The shopping trip had been a reminder of the constant attention and scrutiny that Rachel was under all the time.