Chapter 9 His Deep Affection and Gentleness No Longer Belong to Her
Nancy forced a surprised smile and quickly came up with an excuse. "I brought my bag in for maintenance and thought I'd do some shopping."
She was holding a light pink Chanel Classic Flap bag. It retailed for around $4,000.
But Rachel remembered the bag from Nancy's Instagram. It was one of many bags Steven had given her.
Rachel raised an eyebrow and said, "That bag looks great on you. When did you get it? I have one like it, but in white."
That white bag was also a gift from Steven during a business trip abroad. The timing was close—Rachel had posted hers a day before Nancy.
"My boyfriend gave it to me," Nancy said, tightening her grip on the bag's chain. She quickly changed the topic. "What brings you here?"
"My mother-in-law's birthday is coming up. We're here to pick out a gift for her, and Steven happened to come to pick up the bag and perfume he ordered for me," Rachel said with a warm smile.
Nancy was momentarily stunned, her eyes flashing with surprise as she glanced at Steven.
She waited for the bag, and the limited-edition perfume was the last one at the Dawnlight City boutique. Now both ended up with Rachel.
Steven looked at her, but his eyes were distant, his polite smile barely touching his lips. Nancy felt a pang of resentment but dared not let her eyes redden, fearing Rachel would notice. She turned her face away, lightly biting her lip.
Rachel pretended to look around and teased, "Are you here alone? Where's your boyfriend? You said you'd bring him to meet us last time, but he never showed. Instead of waiting for a perfect time, why not tonight? We could all have dinner together."
Nancy's chest tightened, a flash of awkwardness crossing her face as she glanced at Steven. "He's busy with work. He probably can't make it."
"Why don't you call and ask?" Rachel suggested, her smile deepening though she felt a twinge of bitterness.
She got Nancy the job at Stargaze Gallery. Nancy was her best friend. Her husband was her world. She never imagined they'd choose each other over her.
"I'll send him a message. He might be busy and unable to answer the phone," Nancy said, her palm sweaty as she tried to stay calm. She took out her phone and opened WhatsApp. She stared at a contact's avatar and sent a voice message, "Honey, my friend suggested we have dinner tonight. Do you have time?"
Her sweet voice, tinged with a playful tone, was enough to make anyone cringe. Rachel casually glanced at her screen and saw the avatar was indeed an oil painting, possibly of a sunrise. Nancy was messaging Steven's secondary account on WhatsApp. So blatant, only because she thought Rachel was unaware.
Rachel's heart ached. Nancy's "honey" sounded sweeter than hers. Steven must enjoy it.
Nancy put her phone away, her previous resentment replaced with a playful demeanor. "Let's wait for his reply."
Rachel asked curiously, "What does your boyfriend do?"
"He works in high-end home design and manufacturing," Nancy replied, her voice slightly wavering.
Nancy clutched her phone, licking her lips. The unexpected encounter left her unprepared, forcing her to improvise.
"Dawnlight City only has a few companies in that industry. There's the Simmons family in the east, the Watson family in the south, and the other one is—?" She pretended to forget and looked at Steven.
Steven smiled, "The Lynn family in the south."
Rachel nodded in realization and looked at Nancy, who quickly replied, "I'm not that lucky to have a boyfriend from those prominent families. His company is small, not in Dawnlight City."
She dared not associate with those families; it would be hard to maintain the lie. Besides, Rachel was well-connected in high society, and a little inquiry would reveal the truth.
"Now I'm even more curious. What kind of person managed to win you over?" Rachel teased.
Nancy blushed and playfully glared at her, "Stop teasing me. Let's go shopping."
She then asked Steven, "You don't mind me interrupting your date, do you?"
Steven smiled warmly, "It's fine, as long as Rachel is happy."
Nancy swallowed her sadness and discontent, affectionately linking arms with Rachel, "Let's go, Rachel."
Rachel led her into the Louis Vuitton boutique, where the staff recognized her and greeted her warmly, "Good afternoon, Mrs. Martinez, Mr. Martinez."
She nodded lightly in response and was escorted to the VIP lounge, where afternoon tea and snacks were promptly served.
"Bring out all your new arrivals," Steven said, sitting beside Rachel.
"Of course, Mr. Martinez, Mrs. Martinez. Please wait a moment."
Soon, the staff brought in various items to display before them: bags, watches, scarves, perfumes, rings, and more.
Rachel's gaze lingered on a pair of diamond earrings for a few seconds. Steven noticed and immediately picked them up, "Like them? If you do, we'll buy them."
Rachel was taken aback. Steven was always attentive and generous. Whenever they went shopping, if her gaze lingered on an item, he would ask if she liked it. If she hesitated, he would buy it without question. She glanced at the Hermes bag beside him, thinking he must treat Nancy the same way. His tenderness and affection were no longer hers alone.
"Aren't we here to pick out a gift for Mom?" Rachel asked.
"These aren't suitable for Mom. They'd look great on you." Steven's eyes were gentle, his words full of affection. He turned to the staff, "Wrap these earrings up."
The manager stepped forward, "Mr. Martinez, the necklace would complement these earrings beautifully. Mrs. Martinez would look stunning with both."
Steven seemed to enjoy hearing "Mrs. Martinez," his smile deepening, "Wrap the necklace too."
Nancy watched, feeling the bitterness of the coffee she had just swallowed. She tried to mask it with a cookie, but the jealousy within her grew.
Steven's tenderness and affection for Rachel were painful to witness. Just half an hour ago, he had held Nancy, saying he'd buy her anything she wanted, telling her she deserved the best in the world.
Nancy interrupted, "Rachel, I think that burgundy crocodile leather bag would suit your mother-in-law. It's youthful and elegant."
Rachel followed Nancy's gaze and observed for a moment before shaking her head gently. "That color... Do you have this in true red?"
In some countries, burgundy was historically worn by mistresses. Heather despised being called a mistress, even though it was true. She always positioned herself as the legitimate wife, choosing clothes, jewelry, and bags in true red, never the mistress-revealing burgundy.
"This particular bag in true red is a limited edition, but it would need to be ordered from abroad," the manager replied with a polite smile.
"How long would that take?" Rachel asked.
"Three to five days," the manager said. "Mrs. Martinez, would it be alright if I arranged to have the bag delivered to you as soon as it arrives?"
Rachel considered it. Heather's birthday was next weekend, so it would arrive in time. She nodded. "That scarf with the pattern looks nice too. Wrap it up."
After the staff left, the lounge was just the three of them. Nancy, realizing the awkwardness, cast an apologetic glance at Steven. Steven frowned but said nothing.
Rachel noticed Nancy's daze and smiled, "Nancy, has your boyfriend replied? Is he coming tonight?"
"What? Let me check." Nancy hurriedly took out her phone, "He hasn't replied yet. Probably busy."
Rachel said, "It's still early. Let's keep shopping. Do you see anything you like or want to buy?"
"Not yet."
"Then let's keep looking."
"Okay."
Leaving the lounge, Steven paid with his card, arranging for the items to be delivered home, and naturally took Rachel's hand as they walked out. They shopped for over an hour. During this time, Steven went to the restroom.
While he was gone for about four or five minutes, Nancy received a message from her so-called "boyfriend." She showed it to Rachel, pouting and complaining, "I don't know what he's so busy with all day that he doesn't even have time for dinner with us!"
Rachel read the message: [Honey, I have an engagement tonight that I can't cancel. Next time, okay? Please apologize to your friend for me.]
Of course, he had been with her the whole time. When would he have had the chance to switch WhatsApp accounts and reply? It must have been during his restroom break. How ironic. Maybe Nancy wanted her to see it, as their chat history was still there.
Their last conversation was around 3 PM yesterday. Nancy had said she wanted hot cocoa and cake from the north side of Dawnlight City. Steven replied: [Sure, I'll get it for you after I finish work.]
Around 8:30 PM, Nancy messaged again: [Honey, the cake was delicious, but the hot cocoa didn't taste as good after it cooled.] She added a playful emoji.
Steven responded this morning around 8:00 AM: [Next time, I'll take you to the north side for it.]
Rachel found it amusing; his replies to Nancy were almost identical to what he said to her last night. He used the same sweet talk on Nancy too.
Rachel smiled, hiding her disdain, "It's alright. Work is important. We can have dinner anytime. We'll go tonight."
"Alright." Nancy reluctantly put her phone away, linking arms with Rachel and leaning on her shoulder, "We'll plan for another time when he's free."
"Of course." Rachel resisted the urge to pull her arm away, responding softly.
By the time they left the mall, it was past five, and the autumn twilight had settled in. The restaurant for dinner had already been decided: a barbecue place near Scenic Bay Estates.
Steven's composure was commendable; he agreed without hesitation when the restaurant was mentioned. But Nancy's heart skipped a beat, and her eyes flickered uneasily.
She hesitated, "Scenic Bay Estates is far from here. It's rush hour, so there will be traffic, and we might have to wait in line. How about we choose another place?"
Rachel caught her unease and smiled, "It's alright. We still have half an hour before rush hour."
Nancy opened her mouth but couldn't find a rebuttal. She consoled herself, thinking it was just dinner; there was nothing to fear.
After a thirty-minute drive, they arrived at the barbecue restaurant. It was just a street away from Scenic Bay Estates.
The three of them went in, sat down, and ordered. Everything seemed normal. During grilling, Rachel accidentally touched the edge of the grill pan, burning her finger.
Instantly, Steven grabbed her hand, frowning, "Let me see. Is it red?"
Her slender finger showed no sign of redness. When she looked up, she saw Steven's eyes filled with concern, "Does it hurt?"
In her memory, anything related to her was always Steven's priority. Just like the first time she entered the kitchen and accidentally cut her hand. He never let her in the kitchen again, not even to help.
"It doesn't hurt. It's fine."
For some reason, those details from the past, once dormant in the river of time, resurfaced vividly. Yet his betrayal now struck her hard. The pain of comparison was almost crushing her heart.
Steven said, "Don't move. I'll do the grilling."
Nancy watched Steven's tenderness towards Rachel, feeling a pang of discomfort. Her hand accidentally touched the edge of the grill pan, and she cried out in pain, looking at Steven with a pitiful expression.
Rachel quickly asked, "Are you alright, Nancy?"
Steven responded indifferently, "Be careful. If it's red, run it under cold water."
Nancy felt unbalanced and unwilling. She bit her lower lip, "It's fine. It's not red. I was just distracted."
"Thinking about your boyfriend?" Rachel teased.
Nancy blushed and glared at her, "Eat some meat and stop teasing me."
While speaking, she subtly hooked Steven's leg under the table. Steven's grilling paused momentarily, his eyes darkening. He continued to serve Rachel meat, moving his leg away. When Nancy tried to hook his leg again, he frowned, giving her a warning glance.
Nancy froze, recalling Steven's words from when they first started seeing each other, "We can do anything privately, but in front of Rachel, don't show any signs."
Rachel was always his priority. Nancy knew this, but her heart had long been lost in his nightly tenderness, developing a strong dependency. She felt jealousy and imbalance. But more than that, she feared losing him. She feared losing Steven, losing her affluent life and everything that came with it.
Weighing her options, she clenched her fist and reluctantly withdrew her leg, pouting and quietly eating her grilled meat.
Rachel was unaware of this. She didn't enjoy the barbecue either. After the meal, Rachel suggested driving Nancy home, but Nancy declined, so she didn't insist.
On the way back, Rachel's phone suddenly buzzed. She glanced at the message: [Steven will use a business trip excuse to be with Nancy tomorrow.]