My Darling, My Dearest

Chapter 171

Jack didn't know whether to cry or to laugh. "Rachel...." He was speechless with fury and amusement.

He had changed so much and let his guard down. He had let her peak into his heart.

She should have known that he was in love with her. All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

Hearing what she had said, annoyed and amused Jack at the same time. He had never felt so helpless before.

After all this time, she still hadn't realized how differently he treated her.

Confused, Rachel asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Placing one hand at the back of her head, Jack pulled her close and pressed his lips against her forehead.

He did not attempt to conceal his feelings for her. "You stupid girl," he said, affection evident in his voice.

Rachel was trying to make sense of what was happening. She did not understand what his answer meant.

'Why did he call me stupid?

Ugh! What exactly did he mean?'

Rachel's mood was quickly deteriorating.

Jack was still evading giving her a proper response. "You can feel my heart beating against yours. Can you not tell whether I have a crush on you or not?"

Rachel could feel her emotions swim to the surface. She realized what a coward she was being.

She was in a daze, unable to figure out what he meant. Jack could also sense her confusion.

But, he was enjoying watching her struggle. So, he kept his mouth shut.

Rachel didn't dare to ask him to give her an exact answer.

On their way home that night, Rachel watched the night sky from the car's window. "Do you remember when we first met?" she asked, after a while.

Jack was stunned by her question. He thought back to when he was a teenager. Maybe that was when they met.

He had little to no recollection of the past. But, he recalled laying eyes on her when she was with the Fu family.

Still, he wasn't sure when they had first met.

He gripped the steering wheel tight, staring straight ahead. With a faint smile on his lips, he questioned, "Why do you ask?"

"Wanted to see if you still remembered," Rachel replied.

Jack decided to answer honestly. "I don't remember."

Hearing his answer, Rachel smiled a little complacently. She didn't really want to know the answer.

"A few days ago, I dreamed we met when we were children. Perhaps that was when we first met."

It could be true. Their families had close relations before. Perhaps they met each other when they were younger.

When Rachel was about four or five years old, her family had moved abroad. A couple of years later, they had returned.

During their time abroad, they rarely contacted any friends they had had back in Ninwell City.

Jack smiled. "Really? When?"

"I can't remember clearly," she said, frowning.

Jack was curious to know what else she had dreamed of. But, he did not see it fit to pry when she had already said that she did not remember clearly. Instead, he asked, "What was I like back then?"

Rachel laughed. "You had the same stoic expression on your face like you do now. You grew up, but nothing has changed."

"That's all?"

"What else do you want to hear?"

"I thought you wanted to say something else," he smiled bitterly.

Jack was now realizing all the opportunities he had missed in all those years.

He had no idea why he disliked Rachel back then. Maybe, he resented being forced to marry,

rather than the person he had been pushed to claim as his wife.

Jonathan was probably the happiest when he had found out that they were getting along with each other.

But, Tracy was still confused about her husband's motives. She had no inkling of why he had created such a fuss in the first place only to have her son agree to divorce Rachel.

She had thought Jack would come back home with Celine on his arm.

To her surprise, her husband had cleared that misconception. With darkness in his eyes, he had said, "Don't worry. Jack will never bring that woman back."

Yet, Tracy did not take him at his word. She thought Jack wanted to divorce Rachel because he couldn't wait to marry Celine.

She thought it was now impossible for Rachel and Jack to live together.

However, she had not expected their relationship to take a positive turn in such a short span of time.

Thus, Tracy was skeptical and convinced herself that they were only pretending in front of her.

But they were not professional actors. Their pretense could not have been so realistic as to deceive her.

Now retired, Jonathan cared only about keeping the married couple together.

The fact that they were getting close to each other made him happy.

Although Jack and Rachel were only just getting along, he pictured a grandson waving hello to him much like Mendes had.

If Jack had heard his father's thoughts, he most definitely would have made fun of him. Nevertheless,

Jonathan felt excited.

After finding out that they had spent two days together, he was sure that he had made the right decision.

He could not wait to ask them to dinner at his home. Rachel had no idea what was going on, but Jack had guessed what his father was up to.

Every time Jonathan asked them to come back and have dinner, he wanted to know about the development of their relationship.

Jack thought it was lucky that Rachel did not know of this. Otherwise, she too would have been mad at his father.

She would even refuse to go there for dinner.

Fortunately, Jonathan only discussed business with him at the dining table.

He never mentioned their relationship at all. In his heart, Jack would laugh thinking about it.

Perhaps, even now the old man was keeping an eye on them. To meet his expectations, Jack put a spoonful of food in Rachel's bowl. "Fried bamboo shoots and shredded meat, your favorite," he whispered.

All eyes full of surprise turned to Jack.

Tracy and Jonathan could not believe that their son was thinking about someone else besides himself.

To think, he remembered what Rachel liked to eat. Jack was a changed man.

Tracy was still having trouble believing that their relationship had taken such a drastic turn in only a couple of days.

They had been married for years and yet, never asked for each other's opinion or interacted with each other.

Tracy already thought that it was not possible for Jack and Rachel to have a child. But she didn't want him to marry Celine either because she disliked her. But,

she couldn't figure out exactly what was going on here She did not feel like eating, listening to the men talk about business.

Rachel silently put some food on Jack's plate.

When Tracy could not take it any longer, she interrupted her husband and son. "All right, enough! Can't we all just enjoy our meal without discussing business? It is starting to get on my nerves."

No one dared refuse her order. The entire table went quiet as they resumed eating.

Jonathan turned to ask Rachel how her work was going, attempting to make casual conversation. But lately, the only work she had been doing was to take care of Jack every day.

Impatient, Jack interrupted, "Dad, Mom is

already annoyed. Do you really want to continue this conversation? Mom will definitely get angry."

Glancing at his wife, Jonathan saw she was unhappy. Now that she had her son's support, Tracy started to complain once again.

"If the two of you like talking about business so much, eat in the kitchen next time."

Rachel and Jack looked at each other before they burst out laughing.

Tracy had always treated Rachel like a distant relative.

She wouldn't maltreat Rachel, but she didn't like her either.

If Rachel's parents hadn't died, she would have been the ideal choice for Jack, given the Shen family's background.

She had grown up right in front of their eyes. Jonathan even considered her to be his daughter. She was qualified and educated. But Tracy could not help thinking that Jack could do better.

As a mother, she thought that her son was an ideal man. Therefore, she had always been picky about the women he had taken an interest in.

Even though Rachel was not a bad person, she and Jack did not really connect.

Tracy had finally accepted her son's marriage as a catastrophe. But, now she was witnessing a dramatic change.

She was both taken aback and curious about it.

Tracy asked Rachel to help her wash the fruits in the kitchen. This was the first time she had done something like this.

She wanted to ask about their relationship. Both Jonathan and Jack were aware of her motives.

Flattered, Rachel got up and followed her mother-in-law to the kitchen. But she was confused by her changed attitude.

Maybe this was the result of her and Jack making progress.

Tracy took some peaches, grapes, and other fruits to the table.

She started rubbing a peach slowly hoping Rachel would catch on.

Her well- maintained, soft, and plump hands rubbed against the peach skin.