At that time, there were not many people having their meal in that restaurant.
Rachel and Sierra were sitting at a corner, where there was not a single person around them.
After Eddison went to the counter, Sierra started to pick up the cutlery while making a joke about Rachel and Eddison.
âRachel, why didnât you tell me that you two are an item? I even talked to you about him a few days ago!â
Rachel was a little embarrassed, âWell, in fact, we-â
Sierra interrupted Rachel, âThink nothing of it, Iâm just kidding! I know Eddison the best. Even if you canât win his heart, he will still take good care of you.â
Rachel frowned. She didnât like the note of sarcasm in Sierraâs voice. As she expected, Sierra hadnât come to give Rachel her blessings.
Rachel took a fork and toyed with it.
Sierra continued to say, âEver since I knew him three years ago, he has been taking care of me. He always makes sure that I wonât get cold or hungry. I failed to notice his tenderness back then, but now when I think about it, heâs definitely more caring than any of my boyfriends. Being with such a man, of course youâll be happy!â
She was implying that Eddison had liked her all the while, and Rachel managed to pick up on that.
If Rachel were to listen to her words a few days ago, she would have been flustered.
However, after getting along with Eddison for a few days, she believed in him. As for Sierraâs sardonic remark, she just disregarded it.
Rachel pretended to nod in agreement as she put some tea bags into the boiled water the restaurant prepared, beginning to brew the tea.
Sierra was getting anxious as Rachel seemed unruffled by her words.
Just as she was pondering her next move, Eddison came back after placing his orders.
Sierra immediately laughed and said, âThank you! Iâve bought a bottle of Coke for you. Here you are!â
âThanks,â replied Eddison. Then, he sat down beside Rachel. Rachel placed a cup of tea in front of him without saying a word.
The weather was perfect for some warm tea. It was starting to get a bit cold outside when they arrived.
He didnât expect that Rachel would notice that and that she would prepare tea for him to warm himself up.
He took a sip of the tea, leaving the Coke untouched.
Sierra felt on edge. She remembered clearly that he had never had a girlfriend, but for some reason, she felt like the two of them were an old couple, who knew each other very well.
She thought to herself, âThis canât be true!â
She wondered if he was deliberately putting on an act.
Sierra was so absorbed in thought that she accidentally choked on a mouthful of Coke.
In the past, Eddison would be quite attentive to her whenever she coughed or sneezed, and would be busy serving her some water.
However, after she finished coughing, he just asked casually, âSierra, are you all right?â
âIâm fine!â
He nodded, and then his gaze fell on Rachel again.
Sierra couldnât help but observe Rachel. To Sierra, she was merely an ordinary girl, and her looks werenât outstanding at all.
In Sierraâs eyes, she was just the quiet, meek type of girl.
She asked curiously, âRachel, where are you from?â
Rachel answered politely, âIâm from Rosaville City!â
âSo, the two of you are from the same town. No wonder you are so close. Itâs true that weâll feel more at ease in a foreign country when thereâs someone from the same hometown by your side.â
Eddison said, âItâs not entirely because of that. Sheâs really an attractive girl.â
Eddisonâs reply was sincere.
Sierra was greatly disappointed by his words. It seemed that she had really lost to Rachel.
Nevertheless, she couldnât reconcile herself to the failure. At the moment, she had lost everything but Eddison, and he had liked her first. Therefore, she wouldnât let anybody take him away.
She took a deep breath and took out a card from her handbag.
âEddison, this is for you.â
Rachel and him were both perplexed. They had no idea what Sierra meant by taking out a bank card.
âWhatâs this?â
Sierra laughed, âHave you forgotten about it? I just knew not long ago that when I participated in the competition, it was you who spent plenty of money to help me get the championship. I heard from your roommates that you did a lot of things in order to raise half a million dollars. Why didnât you tell me that? I thought it was Jairus who did it. I really didnât expect you to be so kind to me.â
Rachel was dumbstruck.
She recalled the past.
She turned to look inquiringly at Eddison.
He nodded at her, indicating that Sierraâs words were true.
As a matter of fact, others might not know about the matter, but she knew the ins and outs of it quite well.
Back in the day, she had seen with her own eyes how he had distributed the leaflets diligently while sweating profusely to raise that amount of money.
The fact that he had done so much for Sierra agitated her. Hence, she got up and wanted to leave.
âIâm going to the washroom.â
Then, she ran away in dejection.
For a moment, she felt like she was the one interfering in their relationship. That uncanny feeling came back to her again.
Five hundred thousand dollars was not a substantial amount for her, but having said that, Eddisonâs efforts were priceless. She couldnât help wondering if he would love her more than how much he had formerly loved Sierra.
Rachel stayed in the washroom for a long time. It was not until she regained her composure that she came back to their dining table.
Sierra had already left whereas Eddison was waiting for her.
âYou donât look too good. Are you not feeling well?â
Rachel shook her head. âNo! It just came to me that I have something to do. Letâs go back!â
âOkay!â he said and nodded. When they left the restaurant, he seemed to recall something.
âRegarding the half a million dollars, I-â
Rachel interrupted his explanation, saying, âItâs all in the past now.â
He replied with a smile, âAlright!â
Rachel, on the other hand, was unable to force a smile. It was not that she did not want to hear his explanation, but listening to her beloved talking about his love story with another woman in the past would make her feel even more miserable.
â¦
After returning home, Rachel locked herself up in her room.
In the evening, Eddison took his book to the living room as usual after washing up.
The relationships between Rachel and him had been improving lately. Although they hadnât come to the point where they could get intimate with each other, they would spend some time together tacitly after dinner every night.
Occasionally, they would read books separately in the living room, but staying in the same room and sitting close to each other was enough to comfort them.
On that day, Eddison sat in the living room for a long time, but Rachel failed to show up.
He was worried about her, thinking that she might be ill, so he went upstairs and knocked on the door of her room.
âRachel?â
Rachel answered in a low voice, âIâm about to sleep.â
Surprised, he asked, âThis early?â
âYes, Iâm tired.â
He wasnât a fool. He pondered it over and over again. Eventually, he came to a conclusion that there must be something wrong with what happened during the day.
âIs it about Sierra? Is the 500, 000 dollars troubling you?â
Since he had brought it up, Rachel decided to not bottle up her feelings anymore. She got up and opened the door, replying, âYes!â
âI can explain myself.â
Rachel said firmly, âI donât need an explanation. Everyone knows how to say sweet words, but only a few people know how to put their words into action. Itâs true that Iâm holding a grudge against you, but I donât need your words. I just hope that you can prove yourself through your actions.â
âSo, are you going to stop liking me?â
He was a tall and virile man. However, at the moment, he sounded incredibly plaintive when he said that, just like a pitiful boy who couldnât get his desired candy.