Jonas appeared, his arms encircling Raquel's waist in a familiar embrace.
"I missed you so much, my love," he whispered in her ear.
Raquel turned to face him, her best smile plastered on her face.
Jonas pouted sadly. "I was really worried when Nina called me the other day and told me that someone kidnapped you."
Raquel managed a chuckle. "But I'm here now. I'm fine."
"Judging by the way you're smiling, I'd say you're having a pretty good time on this vacation with your family. I'm so happy for you. I know how much you've been looking forward to it. But be careful not to enjoy yourself too much. You don't want to go back to the real world and be all depressed."
Jonas wondered, "How many weeks had it been since we'd last seen each other? And how had you gotten so thin?"
Raquel stuttered, "I-I'm dieting, yes, diet."
Jonas's gentle touch on Raquel's head was a reminder of his love for her. But his words made her frown.
"I don't understand why you're still following your diet program, even though you already have a smaller body than IU," he said.
Nina retorted, her voice sharp, "Of course. Diet enthusiasts need to maintain their weight to stay stable. Because you're a man, you wouldn't understand that."
Jonas sighed, his shoulders slumping. "But not by torturing yourself like that. Darling, don't go on such strict diets again. Eat well and eat something healthy. I don't want you to look like a walking skeleton."
Raquel nodded, her face pale. "I will stop the diet program today, Jonas. Don't worry."
Jonas clasped his hands, then stepped his feet together. He was clearly nervous. "How about I drop you off at class? I happen to be meeting Professor Guthrie as well to submit a document."
Raquel nodded, her heart pounding. She couldn't believe Jonas was offering to help her.
"Sweetie, how much do you have to be to chase the target, right? You see, you miss a lot. Want me to help?" Jonas asked, his voice hesitant.
Raquel turned her head to Jonas, her eyes wide. "You don't have any practice?"
Jonas shook his head slowly. "Nothing for this month, so want to help you."
Raquel's smile was like a breath of fresh air on a hot summer day. It was warm and inviting, and it made Jonas feel like he could tell her anything.
"I'm going to the library after class," she said, her voice soft and melodic. "Want to join me?"
Jonas's heart skipped a beat.
"Of course," he said, his voice a little hoarse.
Raquel chuckled and patted him on the shoulder.
"I don't know why you're so cute and funny," she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "If you were a baby, I'd pinch your chubby cheeks."
Jonas blushed and looked down at the ground, but he couldn't help but smile. He felt like he was melting under Raquel's gaze.
Soon after, they arrived in front of Raquel and Nina's classroom. Jonas stood there for a moment, gazing at Raquel's.
"Can you two stop being so lovey-dovey?" Nina grumbled, her arms folded across her chest. "Jonas, you said you wanted to meet Professor Guthrie, so why aren't you heading to his office right away?"
Jonas stuck his tongue out. "I know you miss Alex, right? That's why you're so jealous of our affection."
Nina rolled her eyes. "Damn it, Jonas." She pushed him away with frustration. "I'm not jealous. I'm just annoyed. You're supposed to be meeting with your professor, not making out with your girlfriend."
"But it's so much fun making out with my girlfriend," Jonas said with a grin.
Nina sighed. "Whatever. Just go."
Jonas left, leaving Nina and Raquel alone. Nina noticed how thin Raquel had become since the previous day. Her eyes, once bright and cheerful, were now dull and lifeless. Nina reached out and gently stroked Raquel's shoulder.
"Are you okay?" she whispered. "I've been feeling like something's wrong. If you want to talk, I'm here."
"How could you guess that I'm not okay?" Raquel asked. "I'm Raquel De Angelis. Surely my day is filled with happiness."
Nina's brow furrowed. "You're still using your family name? What about your married name?"
Raquel's smile faded.
"As long as I haven't changed my ID card, maybe I'll continue using my family name," she murmured.
Nina reached across the table and stroked Raquel's arm. Her touch was gentle, but her eyes were fierce.
"I believe in you," she said. "I believe you can be stronger than you think."
Raquel looked up at Nina, her eyes filled with tears. "I don't know, Nina," she said. "I feel so lost and alone."
"You're not alone," Nina said. "You have me. And you have your family. And you have yourself. You're stronger than you think."
Raquel took a deep breath and wiped her eyes.
"I know," she said. "I just need to figure out how to be strong."
"You will," Nina said. "You will."
***
Now Raquel is at her in-laws' house, Jacquelin Pavlona's house. She went there to pick up Damian because since last night, Damian had been staying at Jacquelin's house. Jacquelin had been calling Damian repeatedly, but he hadn't shown up yet. That made her extremely worried.
When Jacquelin finally managed to call Damian to meet Raquel, Raquel was surprised when Damian ran and hugged his caregiver. She stood there frozen, unsure of what to do. She had never seen Damian so affectionate with anyone before.
Jacquelin stroked Damian's head, her voice laced with false cheer. "Damian, my dear, hug your mommy. She must have missed you so much."
Damian pouted and looked at me with annoyance. "She's not my mommy, Grandma. If she were my mommy, she would take me to the playground like other kids."
I winced at his words. It was true. I hadn't taken him to the playground yet.
"Darling, Mommy Raquel loves you very much."
Damian rolled his eyes. "No! My mommy is only Mommy Serena." He yawned and stretched, revealing a set of tiny, perfect teeth. "And she's the best mommy in the whole world."
Serena, Gavin's first wife, had cheated on him with her ex-boyfriend. Gavin found out when he didn't fly to London, and their marriage fell apart. Their son, Damian, went to live with Gavin, because Serena had always neglected him.
Jacquelin was the one who spilled the beans about all of this when Raquel first moved into the grand house.
Raquel sighed deeply and approached Damian, who was still throwing a tantrum in the arms of his caregiver. She tried to ignore the sharp pang of sadness that pierced her heart. She knew that Damian was probably just adjusting to her presence, but it still hurt to be rejected.
"Hey, Damian," she said softly. "I know you haven't fully accepted me yet. But I hope we can be friends."
Damian stopped crying for a moment and looked at her with big, suspicious eyes. Raquel held out her hand to him. He hesitated for a moment, then slowly reached out and took it.
Raquel smiled. "There you go," she said. "Now we're friends."
Damian's determined blue eyes held Raquel's gaze. "But will you take me to the playground next time?"
Raquel smiled gently. "Of course. But for now, let's go home. Your Dad is anxiously waiting for us."
"Well. Let's go home."
Raquel persuaded Damian to come home, but only because Gavin had ordered her to. She wasn't sure why she cared so much about the kid. Damian was a sullen toddler with a chip on his shoulder. He was the type of kid who made teachers roll their eyes and other parents cross the street to avoid him.
But Raquel couldn't help but feel a little bit of sympathy for Damian. He missed having a mother figure in his life, and it showed. He was always looking for attention, even if it was negative. He was always trying to push Raquel's buttons.
She knew that he was just a kid who was acting out because he was hurting inside. She hoped that one day, he would let her in and let her help him.
Damian said, his voice trailing off as he glanced at Raquel.
Raquel, who had been standing by the door, turned to face him. "Um... but Aunt Gwyneth will stop by and bring delicious ice cream, can we--"
"Alright. That's fine," she said, interrupting him mid-sentence. She sat back down on the plush sofa.
Jacquelin sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping inwards. "If you want to come back and play, Damian, don't go too far away."
Damian nodded, his face expressionless, and headed towards a room. Jacquelin couldn't take her eyes off the child's back. He was so small and frail, yet he carried himself with an air of maturity that didn't belong to a child.
"Forgive Damian," Jacquelin said, her voice barely above a whisper. "He's like that because he never received love from a mother figure since he was newborn." She cleared her throat and expressed her guilt. "I'm so sorry, Raquel. I know it's not fair to you, but I promise I'm trying my best."
Raquel stared at Jacquelin, her heart aching. She knew that Jacquelin was trying her best, but it wasn't enough. Damian was a wounded bird, and Jacquelin didn't have the tools to heal him.
Jacquelin, poured her a cup of black tea, her smile fading.
"It's okay, Mom. I understand. It's just a matter of time. Eventually, Damian will understand," Raquel said, nodding and smiling.
"By the way, how is Gavin doing?"
Raquel's heart pounded in her chest as she lied. "Gavin is fine, he started working yesterday."
Jacquelin's eyes narrowed. "Raquel, are you happy being married to Gavin?"
Raquel swallowed hard. She didn't know what to say.
Raquel bit her lower lip, feeling anxious. She couldn't find the words to answer.
"It's okay, my dear Raquel. Feelings can't be forced." Jacquelin interrupted, noticing the sudden sadness in Raquel's eyes.
***
As the evening descended like a velvet shroud, Raquel and Damian arrived at Gavin's sprawling mansion. Damian's caregiver, Karl Heaven, a gentle giant with a kind smile, scooped Damian out of Raquel's arms and whisked him away to his room. His eyelids were already drooping, and his breathing had slowed to a soft rhythm.
Raquel sat in the living room, enjoying the mesmerizing dance of the flames in the fireplace. She felt a warm glow inside and out, content in the knowledge that her son, Damian, was safely tucked away in bed upstairs, and that her home was in good hands with Karl, Gavin's butler, who was also her caregiver and cook.
"Mrs. Raquel, would you like me to serve you some tea?" Karl asked in his soft, British accent.
"No, Karl," Raquel said with a smile. "Thank you, but I'll make my own tea. I don't want you to stay up too late."
Karl bowed his head slightly. "As per Mr. Pavlovna's request, ma'am, I will not retire until you are safely in your room."
Raquel turned and smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Karl, you've been working double duty all day. Taking care of Damian at Mom's, then tidying up this entire house. I insist you rest. I'll wait up for Gavin."
Karl hesitated. "But, ma'am—"
"I don't mind, Karl," Raquel interrupted, her voice laced with concern. "If you're so exhausted, you're risking your own health."
Karl capitulated, his head bowed, and excused himself to his quarters. Raquel remained alone in the vast living room, fiddling with her phone and exchanging messages with Jonas and Nina.
The antique clock in the living room chimed eleven times, its echoing chimes echoing through the empty living room. It was almost midnight, and Gavin still wasn't home.
Even worse, Raquel felt her drowsiness like a heavy cloak, threatening to engulf her.
***
Gavin sighed in frustration as he saw the long tailback ahead of him. An accident had occurred about 200 meters away, caused by a diesel spill that had left the road slick as ice. Gavin tapped his fingers on his thigh, his jaw clenched in annoyance.
He checked his watch: 11:00 PM. He'd been wanting to text Raquel, but he didn't have her number.
Gavin's frustration boiled over as he sat in the traffic jam. He turned to his private driver, Arnold.
"Will this last until morning?" he asked sarcastically.
Arnold winced at the sarcasm. "I'm sorry, Sir. But it seems like the cars in front aren't moving at all."
Gavin sighed and leaned back in his seat. He looked out the window at the long line of cars ahead of him. He couldn't believe this was happening.
He was so exhausted from work that his bones ached, and when he finally got on the road, the traffic was a parking lot.
Half an hour later, the cars in front started to creep forward. Gavin let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He asked Arnold to take a shortcut, anything to get home faster. They arrived at the gate of the mansion, chickens and birds chirping in the middle of the night.
Gavin entered the mansion, his footsteps echoing in the silent foyer.
"Sir," a butler greeted him, his voice low and deferential. "You finally came home. Mrs. Raquel has been waiting for you in the living room. She fell asleep, and I apologize, I took the liberty of taking her to the bedroom because she was so sound asleep. But I swear I didn't do anything inappropriate to her—"
Gavin's gaze sparked with amusement.
"Don't worry, I'm sure you didn't," he said dryly. "Just make sure you locked all doors and gates. I want to rest."
Karl nodded, his understanding etched in the lines of his face. Gavin turned and headed to his room, his footsteps quick and urgent. When he saw Raquel fast asleep on his bed, his heart skipped a beat.
Gavin crept towards Raquel, his footsteps muted by the plush carpet. He crouched down beside her, his breath catching in his throat as he gazed at her serene face.
"What a foolish girl," he whispered, his voice barely above a breath.