Chapter 199 She Is My Sister
Gloria's voice was thick with sarcasm. "Oh wow, Rachel, you’ve got yourself a knight in shining armor? Where did you find such a loser?" "I guess my dad was right—this is your punishment. You won’t be marrying into money anymore, so you’ll just have to settle for whatever’s left."
Karl stepped in front of Rachel, frowning disapprovingly. "Miss, I don’t know her at all, but I can’t stand seeing all of you ganging up on one person.""Please don’t make assumptions." Gloria covered her mouth, a mocking laugh escaping her. "Oh, I thought he was your hero—but he can’t even admit he knows you!""This is hilarious. Rachel, not even someone like him would want you!" Rachel shoved Karl aside furiously. "Get lost!" Gloria laughed harder. "Well, hello there, handsome…" "She doesn’t want you either! Come here—I’ll take care of you!" Karl shot her a sharp look. "Please, don’t joke about things like that."
"Oh, so you think you’re too good for me too?" Gloria smirked. "Pathetic. Acting all high-and-mighty… I’d say you and that Rachel deserve each other." "Have a wonderful life together." With a mocking flick of her hair, Gloria walked away. Karl immediately turned to Rachel, his brow furrowed. "Rachel… are you all right?"
Rachel frowned. "Do you know me?" He shook his head, giving a sheepish smile. "I just… heard someone call you Rachel. Sorry, I jumped to conclusions."
After a pause, he added, his voice tinged with wonder, "Rachel—what a stunning name. Just like you." Rachel had been irritated, but she couldn’t help feeling a small warmth at the compliment.Her expression softened slightly. "Thanks for stepping in earlier. It might not have solved everything, but I really appreciate it."
Karl bent down to gather the scattered shopping bags. "Are you sure you’re okay? That hit looked pretty rough.""Maybe we should get you checked at a hospital." Rachel laughed, shaking her head. "You’re ridiculous. It’s just a bump—why would I need a hospital?" "Doctors wouldn’t even see me—it’s too minor." Karl hesitated, then offered, "Well… how about we swap numbers? In case it starts hurting later…""You can reach me anytime. I’m on vacation, so I’m free." Rachel’s emotions were a mix—she’d never had a man show this much interest in her before. All those lesser-known families eager to connect with the Watsons—every eligible bachelor seemed drawn to her, circling constantly like bees around a hive.
But after Gloria’s scandal, Rachel’s standing in their circle had plummeted. The men who once vied for her attention now kept their distance, as if she were untouchable. These days, if she wanted male company, she had to go out to clubs and rely on strangers. This was the first man in months who had genuinely shown her any attention. Even though he seemed rather ordinary, Rachel didn’t hesitate. She unlocked her phone and added him on WhatsApp, her fingers lingering for a moment before sending the request.
After all, he was clean-cut, tall, and reasonably handsome—more than enough for her purposes. They had just finished adding each other when Faye came running, grabbing Karl’s arm with a worried tug. "Are you okay?" Karl gently withdrew his arm from her grip, smiling as he shook his head. "I’m fine. Really, nothing to worry about." Faye didn’t notice his deliberate distancing. She had been so worried about him that she’d almost called the police. Now, with the danger passed, she couldn’t resist scolding him. "You were far too reckless!""Everyone here is influential and wealthy. What if you’d offended the wrong person? What would you do then? You’ve already lost your job…"
Before she could finish, Karl frowned, cutting her off. "Faye, I’m a man. When I see injustice, I can’t just stand by!""If I can’t even keep a woman safe, who would ever want to be with me?"
His words subtly pulled him away from Faye while hinting to Rachel that he was single. But to Faye,It seemed as if he had done all this for her—to show he could protect her. Her irritation eased, replaced by a careful worry. Afraid of setting him off, she spoke softly,"I was just worried about you." Rachel studied their interaction, her curiosity mixed with suspicion. "So… what’s your relationship?" Her expression had already darkened. Judging by Karl’s reaction,They appeared to be just friends—but judging by the girl’s behavior, they might actually be a couple. So… this man had a girlfriend and was trying to flirt with me? Using her for entertainment? Especially after being hurt by Ethan, Rachel had no patience for this. She fixed Karl with a sharp, wary stare, She was already resolved that if he tried to cross her, he would quickly learn exactly what not to do. Faye smiled and began, "I’m his—"
Karl interrupted her. "Sister. She’s my sister." Faye stared at him in surprise. Karl didn’t even glance at her—he just offered Rachel a small, confident smile. "Nice to meet you." "But I’m here shopping with my sister today, so… I guess I’d better be off." He passed the shopping bags he’d been carrying back to Rachel.
Rachel took the bags, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Alright. See you around." She watched Karl and Faye walk away, chuckling softly to herself. She glanced at the new number saved on her phone, tucked it into her pocket, and walked off with her bags. Meanwhile, after Karl gently steered Faye aside, She glared at him, her voice trembling with hurt. "Why did you tell her I’m your sister? Do you… like that woman? Karl, are you breaking up with me? We’ve been together for years!"
Karl hurried to reassure her. "Faye, what are you saying? How could I possibly like her?"
"Then… why did you add her on WhatsApp?"
"She put me in an awkward position. What was I supposed to do—as a man, refuse her in public and embarrass her? Some young women are easily flustered.""What if she reacted badly to the rejection? Who would be responsible?"
"Then why did you say I was your sister?" Faye’s voice shook with worry,Tears brimmed in her eyes. "We've been together six years… since my freshman year of college. I had an abortion for you. I’ve endured so much pain.""My parents don’t approve of us, but I’ve fought for this relationship. I even gave you everything I had saved. And yet… you can’t even acknowledge me in front of another woman?" "Karl… what am I to you?" By the end, her voice cracked. She couldn’t deny everything Gillian and Arabella had warned her about—but what could she do now? She loved this man—her first love. She had poured her heart into him, yet he wouldn’t even acknowledge that she was his girlfriend. "If you truly have no other intentions… "Only a fool would believe you!" Faye finally broke down in tears. Seeing her like this, Karl reached out hesitantly, trying to comfort her. "Don’t cry, Faye…""You know I can’t stand seeing you cry—it hurts me to my core. Please, don’t cry. I promise, you’re the only one I’m thinking about." "I just wanted to get us out of there quickly, so we didn’t end up cornered by that woman. You saw for yourself—she seemed interested in me.""If I’d said you were my girlfriend, what if she had come after you? Look at everything she bought—she’s obviously not ordinary. What if she tried to hurt you?"
He drew Faye close, his expression tight with worry. "You’re my whole world. I won’t let anything hurt you. That woman was nothing—just a stranger.""Who cares what she thinks of our relationship? The important thing is that we got away safely, right?" Faye sobbed, her face streaked with tears, still unsure if she could believe him. "You really mean that?"
Karl sighed, gently stroking her hair. "Of course it’s true. Don’t be upset… you have a baby now. If you feel sad, I’ll be here with you.""The baby will be mad at me." Faye’s cheeks flushed. "Then… delete that woman’s WhatsApp."
"Alright, I’ll delete it," Karl said, smiling with mock helplessness. He pulled out his phone and deleted the contact while Faye watched. Only after that did her face light up with relief.
She had a straightforward nature—her anger flared in an instant but vanished just as quickly. Within minutes, she was laughing and chatting as if nothing had happened. Karl walked beside her, chatting and smiling casually. When Faye’s attention wandered, he discreetly added Rachel back as a contact, saving her under the name "X Company HR."
He then slipped his phone into his pocket as if nothing had happened. Arabella knew nothing about the Watson family drama—and she had no interest in finding out.After brushing Anthony off, she returned to work. Faye still hadn’t shown up that morning. Glancing at the calendar, Arabella realized—it had been five days already.
Faye had mentioned she was pregnant and asked for three days off to rest. But even after that time passed, she still hadn’t come back. Arabella hesitated, not wanting to pressure her. Being pregnant herself, she understood how much emotions could swing during this time. So, she quietly approved an additional three days of leave for Faye, taking the decision into her own hands.
With only one day left of Faye’s six-day break, Arabella wasn’t concerned about the work—it was Faye’s well-being that worried her. After all,That boyfriend of hers didn’t seem very dependable. Clearly, Gillian felt the same unease. During lunch break, she rolled her chair over to Arabella’s desk."Arabella, are you free after work today? I want to go check on Faye at her place—I have a really uneasy feeling. I’m worried something might be wrong."
Arabella glanced at her calendar and nodded. "I'll go with you." She quickly sent Alexander a message, letting him know he’d need to watch Becky that evening since she’d be getting home late.
Alexander replied quickly: [Where are you going?] Then, as if fearing she might be upset, he added: [I’m not trying to control you—just worried.]
A small smile tugged at Arabella’s lips as she typed back: [Visiting a coworker. Going with someone from the office.] After a moment, Alexander replied simply: [Okay.]
Soon, it was quitting time. Gillian had already reached out to Faye, and together they grabbed a cab to her apartment.
Arabella had assumed Faye would be resting at her parents’ house, being cared for by them. Instead, she found her at the apartment she shared with her boyfriend.
When they arrived, Faye was busy in the kitchen, preparing a meal. Gillian’s eyes widened in surprise. "Since when do you know how to cook?" Her mind flashed back to when Faye first joined the company,She had complained that her mom said she couldn’t do anything—she even cut herself just trying to slice potatoes. That was… less than two years ago, wasn’t it?
Faye smiled. "I learned after moving in with Karl—he’s hopeless in the kitchen. At first, he tried to make me meals,“But everything he made was awful—far worse than anything I’d ever cooked. So I started learning from online videos. Cooking isn’t really that hard; I just never had the opportunity before.”
Gillian hesitated, then let it slip. "You had your parents spoiling you, raising you like royalty. It’s no wonder you never had to cook."
Twenty-plus years of being cherished, pampered, and adored. And now here she was, running a household for some guy—it was almost painful to watch. Even as an outsider, Gillian struggled to wrap her head around it. If Faye’s parents knew, they’d be shocked. Faye laughed. "It’s no big deal—I’m completely self-sufficient now.""I can manage just about anything around the house. They weren’t kidding when they say you truly grow up after leaving your parents—I’ve come a long way.""I didn’t even know how to make a bed back then." Hearing the pride in Faye’s voice, Gillian just sighed, choosing to say nothing. Arabella, on the other hand, She was observing the modest rental apartment. The old building housed a compact one-bedroom unit, with a cozy living room and a simple bathroom.The kitchen was little more than a table tucked into the corner of the living room—no range hood in sight. She hesitated for a moment before speaking softly, "Since you're pregnant, "You really should avoid the smoke from cooking. Even when you’re not pregnant, it’s better to stay clear—those fumes can be harmful." Faye just smiled and brushed it off. "Karl says that since my appetite’s been off lately, just smelling the food might help stimulate it." Arabella was momentarily at a loss for words.
She couldn’t help but see her younger self in Faye. That’s why she worried so much—Faye seemed to be following almost the same path she had once walked.
Faye carried the dishes to the table, setting out the utensils with a smile. "Try my cooking! Don’t hold back—dig in." Gillian took a cautious bite, then her eyes widened in surprise. "Wow… this is actually really good."
Faye’s smile widened. "See? Karl loves my cooking."
"Isn’t he home from work yet?" Gillian asked, tilting her head.
Faye let out a small sigh. "He was laid off a couple of days ago.""You know how tough the economy is these days. He’s been working hard to land a new job, and today he had another interview." She sighed again, worry creasing her brow."He’s carrying so much pressure. After I got pregnant, he wanted me to quit and take care of myself—said the stress of work was too much for my body.""But he’s unemployed, and we’re planning to get married at the end of this year. With his grandfather ill, money is extremely tight." "I’m thinking of borrowing a little from my parents." Arabella spoke up immediately, concern lacing her voice. "No—you shouldn’t quit your job."
Faye forced a wry smile. "I don’t want to… but if he still can’t find work, how could I quit? We’d both be in real trouble."