My Darling, My Dearest

Jack raised an eyebrow as he looked at Rachel. Was she threatening him?

Seeing his expression, Rachel realized that Jack had misunderstood her. She didn't intend to threaten him. She just wanted to remind him. Besides, he wasn't the kind of person that one could easily threaten. However, she was confident that Jack would take her up on her offer. She had a bargaining chip ready. "I can help you. You and Celine can be together. If you ever need me in the future, I can put in a good word for her with your family.

I believe that if I put in a good word for Celine, it will be easier for her to eventually marry into the Fu family."

A slight frown formed on Jack's face. He knew how his family liked Rachel. He had stayed married for the past five years because he hadn't come up with the perfect reason to end the marriage — a reason that would drive Rachel to file for divorce herself and avoid hurting his parents at the same time.

Seeing the subtle change in Jack's expression, Rachel knew that they were about to reach an agreement.

Jack seldom showed emotion. It was not easy to elicit a visual response from him.

In the silence, Rachel looked at Eric and saw ■3

his badly-beaten face. He had suffered a loss today, and she wondered if this had finally enlightened him. The thought that Celine could manipulate Eric angered Rachel deeply.

"Why are you still here?" she asked coldly.

Eric hadn't expected Rachel to address him so suddenly. He was stunned for a moment, but then he understood what she meant. He stood up, looked at Jack and asked, "Are you done talking?"

"I think Mr. Fu might need some time to think things through. We're leaving now," Rachel announced.

Without saying goodbye, she grabbed Eric and away they went.

Rachel did not let go of Eric's hand until they had left the room. The whole time, she had a blank expression on her face. He was confused, but upon seeing her face, he decided that it was wiser to keep quiet. When the two reached Rachel's car, she wordlessly opened the driver's side door, got in, adjusted her seatbelt, and started the car all within seconds.

It was not until she had held on to the steering wheel with both hands that Eric snapped out of his daze. He quickly raised his hand and rapped on the passenger's side window. Rachel glanced at him coldly. With a pitiful look, he said, "Aren't you going to give me a ride?"

"Did I tell you not to get in?"

Her answer felt like amnesty for him. Relieved, he opened the door and got into the car. Rachel did ■3

not start the car until he had secured his seatbelt.

Finally, she started driving. It grew uncomfortably quiet, and for some reason, it felt as though it had gotten colder and colder in that cramped space.

Rachel remained quiet, but Eric glanced at her from time to time.

He dreaded her expressionless face. He was afraid that she would suddenly erupt. Although she didn't say a thing, there was something in there that made him feel as though he was about to die. Nevertheless, it seemed that Rachel wasn't paying attention to him at all. She had her eyes fixed on the road, and she drove the car smoothly. Beside her, Eric sat still like a turtle with its head inside in its shell. He did not dare make a single comment or ask her where they were headed.

After some time, the car slowed. Eric looked out and noticed that they had stopped in the hospital's parking lot. Seeing that Rachel was gathering her things and was probably about to get out of the vehicle, he swallowed and quickly reached out and grabbed her.

Rachel turned to look at him, still with a blank expression on her face. Eric was terrified now. It would have been better if she beat him than to keep silent all the time.

Eric believed that a man should do his best to protect his pride. This time, however, he shed his armor and surrendered. "Rachel, I'm sorry. I know it's my fault. Can you forgive me?"

"Forgive you?" Rachel burst out laughing and reached out to touch Eric's face. He recoiled out of reflex, but when he recognized what was happening, he let her hold him.

Rachel touched one spot on Eric's face that had been hit. Her fingers were cool and slightly sticky to the touch. Tracing the edges of a red and swollen area, she was able to make out the shape of a palm. She pressed her fingers gently on the spot. Eric felt a tingle. "Does this hurt?" asked Rachel.

Thinking that his sister must be worried about him, he quickly shook his head. "It doesn't. It doesn't hurt at all!"

Rachel's smile suddenly widened. Immediately, she pressed down on the spot harder and asked, "How about this?"

A high pitched scream echoed in the empty parking lot. "Ahhhhh!

That hurts!"

Rachel did not stop. Instead, she continued applying the soothing ointment on Eric's face. With a cold smile, she said, "Don't worry. Just continue messing with Celine, and soon, it would no longer hurt." The pain and the cold sensation made Eric gasp. Then, intrigued by her comment, he asked curiously, "Why is that?"

"Because..." Rachel flashed him a scary smile and, pressing on his bruise again. "Jack will cut you up into pieces. Will that still hurt?"

"Ouch! Rachel! Be gentle, please!" ■3

"Sooner or later, you're going to die. I might as well take advantage of your remaining days to train my medical skills."

After Rachel had applied enough ointment on Eric's face, the latter dashed into the nearest restroom. He had to check how much damage was done to his handsome face.

Rachel collected the things that she had used to fix Eric up and climbed out of the car. After closing the door, she turned around to see Eric coming out of the restroom, looking defeated. Initially, there had only been one handprint on his face. Now, his face had yellow and red marks on it as if someone had beaten him up a second time.

Rachel approached and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't be depressed. It's not that I've applied too much ointment. It must be because you were already ugly in the first place." "Are you really my sister?" he asked as he looked at her grudgingly.

"If I weren't, would I have gotten you out of trouble today?" Rachel crossed her arms over her chest. She studied Eric with a slight smile that quickly disappeared. "There won't be a third time, Eric. I can assure you that the next time this happens, I will be seeing your lifeless body."

There was no trace of joking in her dark eyes. In an instant, Eric thought of the ferocity of the people who had harmed him today. In his mind, he saw Jack's cold face.

Eric could not help but shudder. He swallowed and tried to make sense of things. "He won't be that ■3

cruel, right? After all, he is your husband."

Rachel sneered and said, "Are you being stupid right now, or were you just born stupid? You are messing with his woman. How much do you think Jack would tolerate?

Haven't these two events taught you a lesson? Don't you have any idea as to what kind of man Jack is yet?"

"It wasn't me. Celine invited me," Eric weakly protested, his expression changed.

"So you'll do whatever she asks you? Okay, if I tell you right now to jump off a building, will you do it?"

Eric was taken aback by Rachel's response. He said, clearly hurt, "Rachel, I know I was wrong."

Rachel took a deep breath to help ease her anxiety. She knew that her anger was affecting the way she talked.

It was clear that Celine was taking advantage of Eric. He was a jerk sometimes, but he was simple-minded.

If he tried hooking up with Celine again, Jack would end him.

Rachel rubbed her temples. Coldly, she warned, "You'd better remember that Celine is Jack's woman. It's up to you if you want to listen to me or not, but I can't save you every time. If you become his target, he won't care that you're my cousin. And if you don't believe me, then give it a try!"

She turned around to leave.

She had been brutally honest with him, but ■3

there was one thing that she wouldn't say.

That was if Jack dared to lay a hand on Eric, no matter which woman he was fighting for, Rachel would not just sit around and do nothing.

She didn't need to let Eric know this, of course.

She needed to keep an eye on him. Otherwise, Celine would make use of him again.

Eric returned to the ward by himself and mulled things over. He hadn't really liked Celine that much at first.

However, because she was Jack's woman, he got to know her. Whether intentionally or not, the two grew close. He hadn't known at first that Celine and Jack were in a relationship. He had only found out when it was already too late.

Jack was his sister's husband, and yet he was having an affair with Celine.

Rachel hadn't wanted him to worry about it. Still, in his own naive way, he had tried to figure out ways to help his sister.

He figured that if Jack's woman grew interested in him, Jack would be humiliated.

However, before Eric's plans could even come to fruition, things had gone out of control.

His sister was right. As he thought more deeply about things, he broke out into a cold sweat. This whole thing with Jack was serious. Jack was not kidding when he had told Eric that he was going to kill him. After some hesitation, he called Celine. ■3

There was no answer. He sent her a message instead, telling her not to come over.

Rachel decided to find a new apartment for Eric and asked Mindy Wang, their head nurse, to help out.

Upon hearing that Rachel was looking for a place for Eric, Mindy Wang agreed without hesitation.

Rachel didn't expect that Mindy Wang would be that quickly. When Rachel finally finished her shift in the afternoon, Mindy Wang called to tell her that there were several apartments that they could look at in Times Square.

As expected, apartments in and around Times Square were rather expensive, but Rachel could afford to rent one of them. These apartments all had two bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom, a kitchen and a balcony.

Rachel took pictures and sent them to Eric as she and Mindy Wang went from place to place. All the places had distinct characteristics, and they all varied greatly in design.

In the end, they picked one of the apartments, after which Rachel reviewed the contract with the agency. Right then and there, she signed the document.

Mindy Wang watched as Rachel signed a one-year contract without blinking. She even settled all the fees cheerfully. Needless to say, Mindy Wang was thoroughly impressed.