Oris stood motionless for a full two minutes. His colleagues exchanged uneasy glances.“Are you alright, Oris?” one of them asked, cautious but concerned.Oris stared into space. “Pinch me. Am I dreaming or not?”They burst into laughter and went back to their work. The sound jolted him back to himself. Reality settled like a stone in his chest: Rachael had moved on. She was married now—to a billionaire.He tried calling her all day, but the line never connected. His heart thudded, his thoughts scattered. By the time he got home, Belinda was unpacking groceries.“Babe, I could only buy a few foodstuffs—”He walked past her without a word. She stared after him, stunned. In the bedroom he washed up, changed, and headed straight for the door.“Oris, where the hell are you going?” Belinda called, trailing him.He didn’t answer. He opened the door, stepped through, and shut it in her face. Outside, he flagged a taxi and spent the evening crisscrossing the city.He couldn’t find Rachael’s n
Oris quickened his pace toward the building and saw children running out of Richard’s apartment. In that instant, he realized Rachael had moved out—and Richard too.Deep lines furrowed Oris’s forehead. He clenched his fists, then forced himself to relax long enough to pull out his phone and call Rachael. She didn’t pick up. When he tried again, the call wouldn’t even connect. His face fell. “Did Rachael move out without telling me? And why isn’t her number going through? Did she change her line?” he muttered.He walked on, expression hollow, eyes cold, eyebrows drawn tight. Flagging down a taxi, he climbed in and told the driver to head to Rachael’s office.When the cab pulled up, Oris paid and went straight to her department. He stopped a colleague. “Is Rachael at work?”“Which Rachael?” the woman asked.“Rachael White,” he grumbled.“She quit a few weeks ago. She doesn’t work here anymore,” the colleague said.Oris’s face shifted sharply. He forced a brittle smile. “You’re lying. Ho
While Rachael was dialing the number, a piece of paper on the table caught her eye. As she read, a smile creased her face and all the worry drained from her eyes.She sat down, ate breakfast, washed up, and left for work.At dusk, a taxi carrying Rachael pulled over. She alighted, paid, and walked toward Richard's apartment.A large banner floated in the air, boldly proclaiming, "I Love You Rachael."Rachael’s lips curled into a smile, her eyes glistened, and she continued toward the garden, which had been decorated with colorful balloons.Looking up, she saw Richard standing in the doorway of the garden, dressed in a suit and holding a bouquet of flowers. Beside him was a stool, and on it rested a golden box reflecting the evening sun.Step by step, Rachael approached him.Standing before Richard, he handed her the bouquet and said softly, "Give me your hand."Rachael stretched out her arm. Richard took it, opened the ring box beside him, and revealed a diamond ring.Rachael gasped i
Richard met her gaze with a warm smile, and Rachael replied with a tremor in her voice, “I don’t know if I can trust anyone now.”Richard stepped closer, taking her hands. “I don’t care whether you trust me or not. I want to love you and treat you like my queen. I may not be able to buy the world and give it to you, but you own my heart.”Rachael looked into his eyes and felt his sincerity, yet fear still lingered.Richard cupped her chin, his voice soft but steady. “I know what you’re worried about. If you want, let’s go to the marriage registrar and get our marriage certificate. This is me showing you I love you and am willing to do anything to make you happy.”“Just a nod, and we’ll do it,” he urged gently.Rachael felt something surge inside her, and impulsively she nodded. To her shock, Richard turned and briskly walked into his bedroom.When he returned, he carried his personal IDs. Seeing them, Rachael realized he was serious; she had thought he was joking, but now she understo
Richard helped Rachael move into his apartment and showed her to one of the empty rooms. After they hauled in all her luggage, he said, “You can rearrange the room the way you want. Make yourself comfortable.”“Thank you very much,” Rachael replied.“It’s nothing. I’ll go and prepare dinner,” Richard said, turning away before she could respond and heading straight to the kitchen.Rachael wandered over and leaned on the door frame, watching him cook. When Richard felt her gaze, he glanced over and asked, “Are you done setting up your room?”“Not much to do—everything suits my taste. Do you need help?” she offered.“I’m almost done. All you need to do is sit in there and wait for me. This is a special treat from me to you.”Rachael smiled and agreed, “Since you said so, I’ll do as you say.”She walked to the sofa and sat down as Richard continued in the kitchen. When the meal was ready, he served it at the dining table.“Food is ready, Rachael,” he announced.Rachael stood, walked over,
Oris sat there, fear gripping him as he watched Rachael intently, every movement under his scrutiny.After dinner, he watched as she carried the used plates to the kitchen and washed them, then she came out quietly and headed for the bedroom.He couldn't take it any longer. He was already going crazy, and her silence made it worse.“Rachael, if you don’t want me anymore, just tell me to go away! This silence is killing me. I know I did wrong, I regret hurting you. Please forgive me—can you stop the silent treatment?” Oris begged, anxious and desperate.Rachael remained mute, then walked into the bedroom and lay down on the bed.Oris followed and began packing his clothes into a bag. He had decided to move out, to escape the torment and the fear that Rachael might murder him someday.“What are you doing?” Rachael asked when she saw him loading the luggage.Oris was stunned that she spoke. His racing heart momentarily slowed as he turned to face her, their gazes locked.“You’ve gone sil