Chapter 41 Rachel Actually Knows Benjamin!
Rachel froze for a moment.
Her mind involuntarily replayed Steven's reaction that morning when he thought she was experiencing morning sickness.
Joy, excitement, anticipation, even pride.
All of these emotions seemed genuine to her.
How could he who was thrilled about becoming a father in the morning, renew a hotel room for his affair in the afternoon, and hold his mistress intimately by night?
She couldn't understand it.
What kind of mental fortitude and inner strength does it take to live such a double life so effortlessly?
What excuse would he use tonight?
A business trip?
Or working late?
Rachel stared at the message, a dull ache spreading through her chest, making it hard to breathe.
After a long moment, she laughed, a sound that was both mocking and self-deprecating.
Around 8 PM, as she was packing up to leave work, Steven called.
She didn't need to guess the reason for his call.
As soon as she answered, Steven's gentle voice came through, "Hey Rachel, are you off work yet?"
"Just about to leave," she replied. "What about you? When are you coming home?"
"I have a video conference with an overseas client around midnight. We're still negotiating an international construction project, and I'm not sure how long the meeting will last. Don't wait up for me tonight; go to bed early."
The same old excuse of working late.
But she did see Steven reviewing documents about this project at breakfast that morning.
His excuses always appeared reasonable and flawless.
Rachel felt a numbness settle over her heart after the initial pain, her eyes reflecting a complex mix of emotions. She struggled to keep her voice steady.
"Staying up late isn't good for you. Can you handle it?"
Steven chuckled on the other end, "Working late doesn't bother me. But you shouldn't stay up late. Get some rest, and I'll make you some soup tomorrow."
"Okay."
After hanging up, she left her office and ran into Nancy, who was also getting ready to leave. She asked casually, "Want to grab dinner?"
Nancy looked at her apologetically, "Sorry, Rachel, my boyfriend made reservations at a restaurant. He's picking me up."
Rachel paused.
She suddenly remembered overhearing Steven say he would arrange for someone to pick Nancy up at a restaurant the night before.
They had prepared their act well to deceive her.
"Boyfriend?" Rachel smiled faintly. "Maybe next time."
"Sorry, Rachel. Next time, I'll have him treat you to dinner to make up for it."
"No worries."
When the elevator reached the ground floor, Nancy left with a few colleagues while Rachel headed to the underground parking lot. After a few minutes of contemplation, she drove to the Sunbeam Hotel.
She parked in an inconspicuous spot and sat in a corner of the lobby, pretending to wait for someone.
Around 9:30 PM, she finally saw Steven and Nancy, hand in hand, chatting and laughing like any ordinary couple.
No matter how many times she saw this, it still struck her deeply.
The perfect husband who loved her dearly and the man intimately involved with her friend—she couldn't reconcile these two images.
Rachel's eyes stung, but she forced back the tears.
She quickly snapped a few photos of their silhouettes and backs.
Once they disappeared, she turned away, took a deep breath, sipped her now-cold water, and left after a while.
That night, she tossed and turned until three or four in the morning before falling into an exhausted sleep.
The next day, she didn't see Steven. The empty spot in the garage made her smile bitterly as she drove to Stargaze Gallery.
On the way, she received a call from the dry cleaner.
Benjamin's coat was ready.
She changed her route to pick it up and sent Benjamin a message: [Mr. Wright, your coat is ready. Can I drop it off at your office?]
About seven or eight minutes later, he replied: [Not at the office. I'll be back this afternoon. Send me the address, and I'll pick it up.]
Rachel replied with a quick "Okay" while waiting at a red light.
When she arrived at Stargaze Gallery, she sent Benjamin her location and told him to message her when he arrived.
As she took the elevator to the third floor, she noticed a group gathered around Nancy's phone in the lounge area, exclaiming in admiration.
"Your boyfriend must be a looker. His hands are so good-looking."
"Why not use a full-face photo as your wallpaper?"
"You don't get it. Nancy clearly had an obsession with his hands."
Rachel raised an eyebrow and interjected, "What are you looking at?"
The group looked up at her in unison. "Good morning, Ms. Davis."
A long-haired girl snatched Nancy's phone and ran to Rachel, "Ms. Davis, look at Nancy's wallpaper."
"Sarah!"
Nancy's heart skipped a beat as she tried to grab her phone back, but it was too late.
Rachel had already seen it.
The photo showed two people holding hands, the man's fingers long and veined.
Rachel recognized the photo from Nancy's Instagram.
She studied the hand, deep in thought. "This looks familiar."
Nancy walked over, snatched her phone back, her expression tense and nervous. "Familiar? How so?"
"I remember now. No wonder it looks familiar." Rachel spoke slowly, then smiled. "My husband has a watch just like that, even the same color face."
"It's common to have the same style."
Nancy's heart settled, and she forced a laugh, putting her phone away.
She shot a sharp glance at Sarah, who was still laughing.
Idiot!
Rachel smiled calmly, "True, it's not a custom piece. Let's get back to work."
With that, she returned to her office.
Around 4 PM, she received a call from Benjamin. "I'm here, at the east gate."
"East gate?" Rachel was surprised. "Wait for me; I'll be right down."
She carried the coat to the east gate and saw Benjamin standing by his car through the glass.
The golden sunlight cast a warm glow on his sharp, cold features, making him look even more handsome.
She paused for a moment, then smiled at him as she walked over.
Benjamin turned at the sound of her footsteps, meeting her gaze from a few yards away.
The coat was heavy and long, and she struggled to carry it.
Benjamin quickly closed the distance in a few strides, taking the coat wrapped in a garment bag. The faint scent of tea blossoms lingered in the air, making his eyebrows twitch slightly.
"Thanks," he said softly.
Rachel hesitated for a moment, feeling the weight lift from her arms. "No need to thank me. I should be thanking you. But why did you come to this entrance?"
The east gate was usually for the gallery's cleaning and delivery staff.
Benjamin replied, "Too many people at the main entrance, hard to park."
From the third-floor window, Nancy happened to see this scene. She raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Benjamin?
Rachel knew Benjamin!
And they were talking in a secluded corner.
Just a few days ago, at the school reunion, they seemed like strangers.
Nancy chuckled softly, her eyes darkening as a thought formed.
She captured the moment Benjamin reached for the coat, making it look like he was about to hug Rachel, and saved it in her phone.