Chapter 2
Rachel didn't know how much time had passed. By the time everything finally quieted down, she felt completely drained.
There was barely any strength left in her body, and every muscle ached faintly. Supporting herself against the wall, she slowly made her way back to the bed.
Not long after, Jared also walked out of the bathroom.
He had a towel casually wrapped around his lower body, his damp hair slightly messy from the shower.
Under the soft bedroom light, his tall frame looked even more striking. Broad shoulders, a well-defined chest, and firm muscles shaped by years of disciplined training gave him an imposing yet elegant presence.
His sharp features and calm, composed expression were the same ones that made him the most admired captain in the airline.
Rachel watched him for a moment before speaking.
"Jared... there's something I'd like to discuss with you."
"What is it?" he asked casually as he moved toward the bed.
"I—"
Before she could finish, the phone on the nightstand suddenly rang.
Jared paused and glanced at the screen.
"Let me take this call first," he said before walking toward the balcony.
Rachel watched his back as he stepped outside. The moment he looked at the caller, a faint trace of concern appeared on his face.
She didn't need to guess who it was.
Who else could it be other than Olivia—his first love and the so-called foster sister he cared about more than anything?
It wasn't the first time Olivia had called him in the middle of the night. And every time she did, Jared would drop everything and rush to her side, never once considering Rachel's feelings.
Lost in her thoughts, Rachel barely noticed when Jared walked back into the room.
He was already putting on his clothes.
"Rachel," he said, fastening the buttons of his shirt, "I need to go to the hospital."
Rachel let out a faint, cold laugh.
"Why?" she said mockingly. "Are you a doctor? If you don't go... will she die?"
Jared's movements paused for a second. His expression darkened slightly.
But the change lasted only a moment before his face returned to its usual calm indifference.
He walked over to the bed, leaned down, and gently kissed her forehead.
"Baby, go back to sleep," he said softly. "Don't wait for me."
The moment he finished speaking, he turned and walked out of the room.
His steps were quick—almost as if he were running.
Watching his receding figure disappear down the hallway, Rachel let out a bitter smile.
What else did you expect from him? she thought to herself.
She slowly got out of bed and walked toward the balcony. The night air was cool and quiet. Taking a cigarette from the small pack on the table, she lit it and took a slow puff.
Rachel had never really liked smoking. But sometimes, when the ache in her chest became too difficult to suppress, it was the only thing that seemed to calm the storm inside her.
And coincidentally, during the past six months, those moments had become more and more frequent.
She leaned against the railing and looked up at the clear night sky. The stars were faint but visible, scattered across the darkness.
A faint, almost peaceful smile appeared on her lips.
"Rachel," she murmured softly to herself, "it's time to let go of the things that were never good for you."
The cigarette burned down slowly between her fingers. After finishing it, she stubbed it out and went back inside the bedroom.
The room felt unusually quiet now.
Rachel walked to the drawer beside the bed and pulled out a set of papers. She stared at them for a few seconds before sitting down.
They were the divorce papers.
Jared's mother, Sahara, had sent them to her two days ago.
Before Rachel and Jared got married, she had signed a prenuptial agreement. According to the agreement, once the three-year deadline of their marriage was over, she would quietly walk out of Jared's life with nothing.
No money. No compensation.
Just like someone who had never belonged there in the first place.
Rachel picked up the pen.
For a brief moment, memories of the past three years flashed through her mind—the cold glances, the silent dinners, the moments when she had foolishly hoped that maybe, just maybe, things could change.
But they never did.
In Jared's heart, there had always been someone else.
Her gaze slowly hardened with quiet determination.
Without hesitation, she lowered the pen and signed her name at the bottom of the page.
Rachel Holland.
No.
Soon... she would simply be Rachel Brown again.
The next morning, Rachel woke up early.
As soon as she got out of bed, she began packing her things again. Since she had already signed the divorce papers, there was no reason for her to stay in this house any longer.
Just as she finished closing the suitcase, her phone suddenly rang.
She glanced at the screen.
It was Jared.
Rachel hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Hello."
"Baby, are you awake?" Jared's voice came from the other end. "Get ready. I'm coming to pick you up. We're going to the old mansion. Grandma asked us to come back."
Rachel frowned slightly.
"Why?"
She had never liked going to the old mansion. No one in the Holland family welcomed her there.
"What do you mean 'why'?" Jared replied impatiently. "We haven't visited in two months. Of course they miss us."
"Us?" Rachel let out a faint scoff. "I think the one they miss is you... and Olivia."
"Rachel, stop throwing a tantrum," Jared said flatly. "Just get ready."
Before she could say anything else, he hung up.
Rachel stared at the packed suitcases beside the bed and let out a quiet sigh.
"This will be the last time," she murmured.
Not long after, Jared's car arrived outside.
Rachel walked toward the passenger door, but when she opened it, she froze.
Olivia was already sitting there.
Rachel frowned slightly.
Jared glanced at her and said casually, "Rachel, sit in the back. Olivia is coming with us. She wanted to visit Grandma and Mom. Besides, I thought it would be good for her to get some fresh air."
Rachel's gaze shifted to Olivia.
She sat elegantly in the passenger seat, dressed in a cream cashmere coat with oversized sunglasses resting on her face. Even after spending the night in the hospital, she still looked delicate and flawless—like someone who had never known hardship.
Rachel quietly closed the passenger door.
Without saying a word, she walked around the car and got into the back seat.
For a long time in the past, Rachel had once foolishly believed that maybe—just maybe—Jared had some feelings for her.
After all, if he truly hated her, why hadn't he treated her cruelly the way his older brother had treated the woman who once schemed to sleep with him?
But that fragile illusion only lasted during the times when Olivia wasn't around.
Because whenever Olivia appeared, Jared's attention would immediately shift to her.
At those moments, Rachel might as well have been invisible.
The car drove quietly along the road.
For a long time, no one spoke.
Then suddenly, Jared glanced at the rearview mirror.
"Rachel," he said, as if remembering something, "you were about to tell me something last night. What was it?"
Rachel's gaze slowly moved to Olivia sitting in the front seat.
Then she spoke calmly, without hesitation.
"Let's get divorced."
