My Darling, My Dearest

Rachel was in no hurry, draining the coffee leisurely like a lioness stalking her prey, waiting to pounce. Although it was Celine who'd taken upon herself to ask Rachel for a talk, it seemed that it would be Rache who'd take matters into her own hands and initiate a conversation.

Celine pinched her thigh under the table again.

She dared to be willful in front of Jack because of how he'd spoiled her. But her antics fell short in front of Rachel, for Rachel was Jack's lawfully wedded wife.

Even though Jack had proclaimed that his marriage was in name only, Celine still felt ashamed of herself in front of his wife.

'That is going to change today,' Celine thought to herself.

'Rachel is Jack's legal spouse. But he doesn't love her at all. He loves me!'

At the thought of this, Celine felt more confident. Looking at Rachel, she tried to adjust her mood and looked as leisurely as Rachel.

Celine failed to notice how ridiculous she looked in Rachel's eyes.

"Rachel, I need to tell you something."

Rachel sat back and observed Celine steadily. Raising her chin ever so slightly, she simply said, "Go on." ■3

Celine felt her composure slipping, and she felt dismayed as her confidence left her under Rachel's piercing gaze.

Celine threw away all the plates and asked, "Rachel, tell me, what on earth is your relationship with Jack?"

Rachel smiled, "Miss Duan, don't you know that we are a couple?"

Hearing the word "couple" jolted Celine. She exclaimed in annoyance, "Jack said it! He doesn't love you, nor do you love him!"

Rachel smiled, "Every man who is unfaithful to his wife gives the same reason to his mistress. Miss Duan, don't you know that?"

Celine felt at a loss of words, caught off guard she couldn't seem to refute Rachel. She inhaled sharply and hurled her question at Rachel like an accusation. "What kind of a couple are you? How many times do the two of you meet? Does he love you? Are you aware that he has been sleeping with me all these year, Mrs Fu?" Celine mockingly pronounced the last two words, as if daring Rachel to respond.

Rachel's smile faded slowly from her lips in disdain as she looked at Celine. She wondered how Jack could have such bad taste.

Celine was so childlike that it was ridiculous. Celine never seemed to be sure of herself.

Rachel pitied Celine. She wondered why Jack had thrown such a naive kitten her way and let her torture it at will.

Rachel waited for Celine's tirade to end and her ■3

smile vanished, making Celine feel smug about herself. She felt as if her words had somehow made Rachel suffer.

Suddenly, Rachel gave her an uncharacteristic sneer.

Celine's face paled and she felt like she was humiliated. Clenching her fists and drowning her anger, she inquired in an even tone, "What are you laughing at?"

Rachel shook her head. "Go on. What's your point? Even if it's true that he has been sleeping with you, so what?"

Rachel pronounced the words haughtily and stood up, picking her bag from the table, and she collected her things to leave. She looked down at Celine in a scornful stare, using the height to her advantage. Her next words were going to shock Celine to her very core. She said, "As long as my name and his appear beside each other on the wedding certificate, you will always stay a mere mistress." Celine's face distorted as Rachel's words washed over her. She wished to cover her ears and block out Rachel's voice but felt immobilized, her arms hung loosely by her sides.

Rachel didn't stop and continued, "Don't kick yourself. Jack has had a lot of mistresses till now, but I think you might've been his favorite so far.

I'm going to leave you with a bit of advice, Miss Duan. He can have as many mistresses as he wants." Rachel sneered at Celine with malice. Leaning down, she went on saying, "As long as I ■3

don't want a divorce, I'll remain his only wife. Oh, right, I don't have to love him. I can have a child with him, and we can have an open marriage. So, you'd better be careful about what you say. Please don't contact me again."

After that, Rachel picked up her bag and departed, not even sparing Celine a second glance.

Celine remained sitting stiffly in her seat. Her face was pale as if a sudden blow had struck her.

What Rachel wasn't aware of was the fact that she'd struck at Celine's weakness right before she left. Celine had been with Jack for nearly five years.

In the past five years, Rachel's existence had been like a thorn in her flesh.

Ever since she found out that Jack was married, Celine's world crumbled around her.

Celine was born in a poor family. Before she met Jack, she was just an ordinary waitress in a hotel.

Even their courtship felt surreal like the prince meets Cinderella. When he began to shower her with interest, Celine was unaware that he was the CEO of the MK Group.

After they got together, she thought that he wasn't serious, but then he'd gone extra lengths for her time and time again.

The courtship felt tumultuous to Celine, marred by self-deprecation and diffidence on her part. And when things became better, she discovered from a friend that Jack was committed. ■3

Celine wasn't aware of the special situation between Jack and Rachel and initially felt heartbroken. Her fairy tale had been violently ripped from her arms.

Jack and Celine quarreled over it. After explaining his relationship with Rachel, he promised to get a divorce. Celine begrudgingly gave in and they got back together again.

But days turned into months, and then years, but Jack never got a divorce.

He never met or slept with his wife, though.

Rachel never caught onto Celine. With Jack's extra attention and love, Celine felt less aware and uncomfortable with being a mistress. He had professed his love to her and sworn that he had never been intimate with Rachel.

This made Celine feel better. She felt confident that Rachel didn't amount to a wife because they weren't in love. Sooner or later, Jack would leave Rachel for her. However, occasionally, Celine would overhear gossips at her expense accusing her as a homewrecker, the accusations saddened her.

But recently it seemed that Jack had been cold to her. She drank herself silly in the bar the other day and caused a raucous, desperately seeking his attention. She wanted to hear Jack that he loved her and indulge her in every way possible.

However, had Celine known that her plan would create complications in her life by frequent appearances from Rachel, she would've thought twice about it.

Jack left her and went to visit his family with ■3

his wife. She had called him again and again but to no avail. Then suddenly, Rachel had picked up her call, and Celine found herself talking to Jack's wife.

Celine panicked, She wasn't intimidated by other women, but Rachel was his wife. Blessed with a stable mind, clear skin and good stature. Everyone in his family liked Rachel.

Jack could love Celine all he wanted; she would still remain a mistress.

Celine sat in her seat quietly, unaware of her surroundings. Rachel had hurt her deeply. She always felt that Jack's bond with her was fragile, and the possibility of losing him now terrified her.

She stood up from her seat with a weary sigh, feeling tired. With a drooping face and moist eyes, she departed from the cafe silently.

Both women were unaware that their meeting had been photographed by someone from a distance.

Rachel hoped that Celine was smart enough to understand what she had said; otherwise this meeting would've just been a sorry waste of words.

A smart woman knows not to confront another woman because of a man, but to go after her man instead.

Rachel didn't expect Jack to call her that night.

When the phone rang, and she picked it up, she found herself on the line with her husband. "Rachel! What did you say to her today?"

Hearing the fury in his tone surprised her. It took her a few seconds to realize that the voice indeed was Jack's. It seemed that she was to blame for what had transpired during the meeting. "Why don't you ask Celine?" Rachel responded in disgust.

At the other end of the phone, Jack paced in anger, clutching the phone tightly till his knuckles screamed in protest. He had Celine's whereabouts traced through a private investigator who sent him the pictures of Rachel and Celine in a cafe.

Then, Celine had called to break up with him over the phone. Jack had tried to reach her over the phone, but she hadn't been picking up his calls.

Jack could not tolerate it anymore; he felt he'd had enough. He snapped and called Rachel.

"Rachel, I'll get even with you for this after I come back."