“I’ve just finished some work,” Rachel said, her voice calm.
Samantha and William stood side by side, looking, like a couple. Anyone who didn’t know them would have assumed they were married.
Samantha glanced nervously at Rachel, fumbling for an explanation. “Rachel, I’m sorry. I was going to finish checking the data, but William said I should eat first. You haven’t eaten yet either, so why don’t you come with us?”
Rachel smirked.
Us, huh? It sounded like such a simple, friendly invitation.
Noticing the shift in Rachel’s mood, William stepped forward and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “She’s just came back from overseas and isn’t familiar with things yet. I happened to get a reservation at Moon & Barrel, your favorite place. Come with us.”
If Rachel hadn’t already seen through him, she might have been touched by his effort. But she wasn’t fooled.
Looking up at the man she had loved for seven years, her eyes were cold. “Really? Well, it’s too bad. I have a meeting with a business partner this afternoon. You should take Ms. Judd instead.
She wasn’t about to sit and watch them play their little games behind closed doors, all while pretending to enjoy the delicious food at Moon & Barrel.
William reached for her hand, his brows furrowed as he softly said, “Work will always be there. Your health is more important Don’t overdo it, okay?”
Rachel smirked, then pulled her hand away from his. “If Ms. Judd could improve her efficiency and take her work seriously, maybe I’d have less to do.”
Samantha stood quietly beside them, looking uncomfortable at Rachel’s words.
Rachel glanced at her watch, then turned to leave. Once she was outside the office, she took a deep breath. It was hard to breathe in the office with the suffocating scent of Samantha’s perfume lingering in the air.
She found a nearby spot to grab a quick meal, trying to shake off the tension. As she was eating, William sent her a message.
[Caleb just came back from abroad. There’s a gathering tonight, so come with me, okay?]
Rachel didn’t really enjoy these kinds of gatherings, but always went to support Will around, the other guys acted differently–more stiff and awkward. It was clear they she usually kept to herself.
But Caleb Spencer had always been kind to her, so she agreed to go this time.
[Okay.]
She knew that whenever she was t feel comfortable with her there, so
As the end of the day drew closer, Samantha still hadn’t submitted the revised data. But Rachel didn’t push. She knew that as long as she made some progress with Tyler, everything Samantha was doing now would eventually be overwritten.
Rachel was packing up when Cecilia walked in with some documents for her to sign. As soon as the door opened, a sharp smell hit her, and she frowned, coughing a little.
“Rachel, you can’t seriously want to stay in this place forever, can you? It’s bad for your health. You’ve been coughing all day.”
“It’s fine. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be out working on projects more and not in the office so much,” Rachel replied.
Cecilia pursed her lips, looking irritated. “You saw Samantha, right? Did she finish the data she was supposed to give you? She’s just over there putting on makeup. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think she was getting ready for a date tonight.
“She does that every time. When Mr. Lewis is around, she acts like she’s working hard. When he leaves, she’s either snacking or
1/3
Chapter 10
+25 BONUS
drinking coffee.”
Rachel wasn’t surprised. With William backing, Samantha, she could sit around all day with her legs up and no one would dare say a word.
She picked up the pen and signed her name with swift confidence. Just focus on doing our job right.“
Cecilia pouted. She hadn’t expected Rachel to stay this calm–anyone else would’ve lost it by now.
William was waiting for Rachel outside the company, already by the car. As she opened the door, she saw him holding a bourget of red roses.
“Do you like them?” he asked, his voice soft.
Rachel stared at the bright roses for a moment before reaching out to take them. Then, she unconsciously noticed a hint of pink on his white shirt, and her breath caught for a second.
“Yes, I like them,” she replied, her voice steady.
William got into the car and started driving toward the gathering. While one hand was steady on the wheel, the other was casually signing to her.
“The Oasis Project’s still in its early stages. Samantha’s used to working overseas, where things move at a different pace. She’s probably still adjusting. Don’t be too hard on her.”
Rachel couldn’t help but laugh. “You think asking her to research the Oasis Project and put together a data summary is being too strict?”
Everyone knew that the first step in any project was to ensure the data gathered was correct. It didn’t matter whether the work style was from overseas or not.
Did William not realize how much he was favoring Samantha?
William could hear the edge in Rachel’s voice. He sighed and tried to explain, keeping his tone patient.
“That’s not what I meant. She’s new, that’s all. Seeing her now… reminds me of you when you first joined the company- nervous, unsure, still figuring things out. I was busy with work back then and didn’t have time to watch over you. You had to face a lot of unnecessary criticism; I’ve always felt bad about it.”
Rachel almost wanted to give William an award for “Best Actor” when she left. Sh conversation. A man could always find endless excuses for being nice to another v
“We’re here,” William said, pulling into the parking lot.
ided not to continue with that
in, no matter how far–fetched.
Rachel hadn’t wanted to bring the flowers inside, but then figured it would be better than keeping them. At least this way, she could just give them to the staff when they left.
As soon as William got out of the car, he came around to Rachel’s side and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She could smell Samantha’s perfume on him. Frowning, she instinctively tried to pull away.
Noticing her discomfort, William lowered his head and asked softly, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, just let’s keep it low–key,” Rachel replied, trying to brush it off.
William leaned down and kissed her cheek, smiling. “No, we’re going to let them see just how much we care for each other.”
Rachel didn’t argue. She couldn’t find a good reason to protest, so she just let him lead her inside. The moment they walked in, the group started teasing.
“Well, look who’s brought his darling wife. Mr. Lewis, who used to act like a man with no interest in women. Look at him now, so whipped.”
2/3
Chapter 10
+25 BONUS
“Yeah, we tried to get you to come out for drinks so many times, and every time you said you had to stay home with the missus.” “If it weren’t for Caleb coming back, I bet you’d be hard to drag out tonight.”
“Even after all these years of marriage, William’s still so romantic. He even bought flowers for his wife.”
William laughed, squeezing Rachel closer as they entered, tossing playful comment back to the group.
“Hey, move over for my princess. Don’t you know how great it is to have a wife to take care of you? You single guys wouldn’t understand.”
Laughter filled the air, and the teasing continued.
“Alright, we get it, you’re happy. Just you and your wife.”
William slid a small plate of grapes in front of Rachel. They were her favorite kind, deep red and seedless. Every time they had them, he would pluck them off the stem, carefully remove the skin and feed them to her.
This time was no different.
“Here, try one. I had them flown in. They’re perfectly sweet this time of year.”
She opened her mouth stiffly, letting him feed her. The grape burst with sweetness, but it only made the bitterness inside her
worse.
“It’s good,” she said, forcing a smile.
William had always taken good care of her. In the past, he never joined in on drinking games at gatherings. He would stay by her side the whole time, always attentive to her needs.
But tonight, Rachel felt completely out of place. The things William’s friends said didn’t make her feel cherished–they made her feel like a joke.
She hadn’t been sleeping well the past few days, and a dull ache had started building in her head. After sitting there for a while, she leaned over to William and said softly, “You guys go ahead and have fun. I’m not feeling great. I think I’ll head home and
rest.”
3/3