Chapter 25 Sick
Rachel was stunned. There were quite a few familiar names on the list.
Seraphina was practically a legend among the elite of Dawnlight City. She had personally sent her brother to prison and taken over as the chairwoman of the Shaw Group. She had never married, and under her leadership, the Shaw Group had thrived for over a decade.
Keeping a few boy toys was pretty normal for her.
Another name on the list was Elowen, a wealthy heiress who was only 28 years old.
Most of the others were married individuals.
Heather's business definitely catered to the needs of some of the city's wealthy ladies.
No wonder her business was booming; the profits in just six months were sky-high.
Her enterprise had been running for less than a year and already had 36 clients.
If it kept growing, the numbers would surely double by next year.
Just thinking about the dividends made Rachel feel incredibly uneasy.
This money was obtained illegally.
But how could she get her hands on solid evidence?
After much thought, she realized she needed to first get hold of the underground business's ledgers and understand their operations.
She stayed in the restroom for about ten minutes, suppressing her emotions, before slowly walking out.
Steven approached her, "Hey, are you okay? You look a bit off."
"No." Rachel was slightly taken aback. "What are you doing here?"
"I couldn't find you anywhere. A lady said you went to the restroom, so I came to check."
"Nothing, I just needed a break."
Steven chuckled, gently brushing a strand of hair from her forehead. His affectionate tone carried a hint of reproach, "Silly, if you're tired of socializing, just tell me. We can go home. No need to hide in the restroom."
He took her hand, "Come on, let's get outta here."
"Okay."
After saying goodbye to Harold and a few others, Steven took Rachel to the parking lot.
Rachel remembered, "Nancy hasn't left yet. Should we let her know we're leaving?"
"Sure, just shoot her a message."
"Got it."
After messaging Nancy, Rachel leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes to rest.
Maybe it was because going back to school had stirred up old memories, but she had been feeling down all afternoon. When they got home, she took a shower and went straight to bed.
In the middle of the night, she was vaguely aware of being shaken awake. "Rachel, wake up, wake up. What's wrong? Don't scare me."
Rachel barely managed to open her eyes, murmuring, "Wha-what's happening?"
As soon as she spoke, her throat felt like it was filled with sand, making swallowing difficult and painful.
"You've got a fever. Get up and change your clothes. I called the family doctor. He'll be here in about ten minutes."
"A fever?"
Rachel was bewildered, struggling to prop herself up but finding she had no strength.
Steven quickly supported her, "Don't move. Just tell me what you need."
"Water."
"Okay, I'll get some. You lie down."
Steven soon returned with a glass of warm water, which Rachel drank in one gulp.
Her mind gradually cleared.
Her forehead was indeed burning hot.
Her husband's cheating had left her feeling sick and really messed up emotionally.
She had literally made herself sick.
Rachel didn't speak; her throat hurt too much. She spent the rest of the night getting two hours of IV fluids and taking some pills. The medication quickly made her drowsy again.
Steven stayed by her side, only resting a bit himself after the IV was done.
He got up around seven, seeing Rachel still asleep, and went downstairs to make breakfast.
Rachel woke up at eight-thirty.
Steven brought a basin of water for her to wash up and served her oatmeal, taking care of her meticulously.
To help her sweat out the fever, he later brought another basin of water to soak her feet.
He had done this before, but now that Rachel knew about his affair, she felt a bit repulsed by his every touch.
"Soak for a while and rest. Did you not sleep well last night? Sorry if I disturbed you."
"Don't say that. What do you mean disturbed? You're my wife. Taking care of you is my duty." Steven's eyes were filled with concern. "The family doctor said it's due to exhaustion and maybe catching a chill yesterday."
"Seeing you so sick last night really freaked me out. You were talking in your sleep and couldn't be woken up. Were you thinking about Mom? When you're better, I'll take you to see her."
Sleep-talking?
Rachel looked up slightly. She had slept deeply and couldn't remember her dreams.
Her fists clenched involuntarily as she nervously asked, "Did I say anything else?"
"You said a lot, but it was hard to make out. The only clear thing was you calling for Mom, saying you missed her."
"Okay."
Rachel relaxed her fists and said nothing more.
After Steven dried her feet and went to the bathroom to dump the water, her phone buzzed with a text message: [Nancy's apartment sold for $1.45 million.]