Chapter 10 Encounter
Rachel's heart sank suddenly.
So, all those extra business trips were spent with Nancy.
The confirmation of her suspicions hurt more than she had imagined.
Her phone screen went dark, and her gaze drifted out the car window. The vibrant neon lights and towering buildings passed by her eyes, but the brightness and cheerfulness they once brought had vanished, leaving only a faint shimmer of tears.
The next morning, she went to the bank to sort out her assets and their joint property.
In the afternoon, she returned to the Stargaze Gallery. Around two o'clock, she received a call from Steven. "Rachel, I have to go to Verdant City this afternoon."
Verdant City was about a five-hour drive from Dawnlight City.
Blueprint Innovations, which he managed, had a subsidiary in Verdant City. There were also two steel and textile company partners there.
He had always traveled there for business, but in the past year or so, it had become more frequent.
Using Verdant City as an excuse was perfectly reasonable.
This was how he deceived her, step by step.
If it weren't for the text messages, if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have suspected a thing.
How many of those trips to Verdant City were real, and how many were spent with Nancy?
"Another business trip."
Rachel offered a sarcastic smile, drawing out the last word.
"Yeah, there's an issue with the materials for the Stardust Plaza project. I need to go check it out. Shouldn't take long; if things go smoothly, I'll be back tomorrow night. If not, the morning after."
His excuses were flawless. What could Rachel say?
"Alright, what time are you leaving?"
"I'm on my way home now. I'll pack a few clothes and head out right after." Steven's voice was warm and cheerful. "Is there anything you want or something you'd like to eat? I can bring it back for you."
Rachel struggled to discern whether there was any truth in his words.
She simply said, "I don't need anything. Verdant City is too far; anything you bring back won't be good."
"Then next time, I'll take you there for fun."
"Sure, safe travels."
After hanging up, Rachel's hands fell weakly onto her lap. She stared blankly at her computer screen until Carol's knock on the door brought her back to reality.
After signing several documents, Carol asked worriedly, "Rachel, are you okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"I've noticed you haven't been looking well these past few days."
Rachel was a workaholic, especially after her mother passed away. She was dedicated to the Stargaze Gallery, always the first to arrive and the last to leave.
Recently, She'd been around the gallery less often lately.
Rachel smiled, "I haven't been sleeping well. I'm just tired."
After hanging up Steven's call, she felt an overwhelming exhaustion from this marriage for the first time.
Not just physically tired, but her heart was utterly weary.
In just a few days, it felt like it had endured years, even decades of torment, turning into a blurry mess of blood.
Carol didn't catch the underlying meaning and sympathetically said, "Rachel, you should rest well. The art exhibition on the 6th is in two weeks, and you need to take care of yourself. We can't do it without you."
Rachel pondered for a moment, "Please keep an eye on things at the gallery. If anything comes up and I'm not around, call me immediately."
"Okay." Carol nodded. "The acrylic panels for the four exhibition areas will arrive the day after tomorrow morning. We'll need you to check them out."
Rachel nodded, acknowledging.
Soon after, she headed straight to the Scenic Bay Estates sales office to retrieve the contract records for Villa 11.
Sure enough, at the end of the document, she saw Steven's signature and Nancy's name listed as the property owner.
Those two names, which should never have appeared together, were now on the same piece of paper.
Rachel was momentarily dazed but then laughed out loud.
After a while, she slowly took out her phone and snapped a picture of the contract.
Next, she needed to find the transaction records for the house Steven bought for Nancy.
His personal records were difficult to access through the bank without raising suspicion, so it was best to retrieve them from his mobile banking.
Around ten o'clock that night, just as Rachel was about to fall asleep, Steven called to say goodnight.
It had become their routine: no matter the distance, he always called or messaged her to say good morning and goodnight.
The thought of him saying goodnight and professing his love while Nancy lay in his arms made Rachel feel sick and disgusted.
Even hearing his voice felt like an assault on her ears.
She didn't want to answer the call, so she closed her eyes and ignored it.
After about ten seconds, the ringing stopped, and her phone screen went dark. A message from Steven popped up on WhatsApp, which Rachel saw the next morning: [Honey, are you asleep? I called, but you didn't answer. I didn't want to wake you, so I stopped. Goodnight, I love you.]
She typed back: [I was really tired yesterday. Took some melatonin and went to bed early. My phone was on silent. Good morning.]
Rachel still had no appetite and only had a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. Just as she grabbed her bag to leave, her phone chimed with a text message: [Steven will be having dinner with Nancy at Moonlight Bistro at 7 PM.]
She paused, her grip on the phone tightening as her knuckles turned white.
At 6:30 PM, she left the gallery and headed straight to Moonlight Bistro.
The timing was perfect.
Before she could get out of the car, she saw Steven and Nancy stepping out of a white BMW.
Nancy clung to Steven's arm, smiling brightly as they walked into the restaurant.
Rachel's breath caught for a moment. She instinctively took out her phone and snapped several photos of their silhouettes.
Once they were out of sight, she suppressed the sadness welling up inside her, took a deep breath, and got out of the car.
As she walked into the restaurant, a server approached her. "Good evening, ma'am. How many in your party? Do you have a reservation?"
"Just one, no reservation."
Rachel watched them walk ahead.
Without waiting for the server to respond, she said, "Just bring me a few of your signature dishes."
Then she quickly followed them.
The restaurant had two floors. Steven and Nancy took the elevator, while Rachel used the stairs on the right.
At the top of the stairs, directly opposite the elevator, Rachel slowed her pace, wanting to avoid running into them. She heard the elevator doors open and saw them being led by a server.
She followed at a distance but unexpectedly saw a familiar face. The person saw her too. "Rachel?"
Hearing her name, Steven froze, his body stiffening as he slowly turned around.