Chapter 124 She Can't Ride
"Was I that obvious?" Joseph mumbled, touching his face. He grabbed his luggage and followed Ella.
James shot a look at Michael and Mandy and seemed to have made up his mind. Picking up his bags, he said, "Michael, Mandy, I'll bunk with them so you two can have some alone time." He quickly followed after saying that.
In no time, it was just Michael and Mandy left in the big living room. If it weren't for Ella's earlier comment, staying on the second floor while everyone else was on the third would have been perfect. Now, it felt like they were being purposely left out.
"Let's go," Michael said, grabbing Mandy's suitcase.
"Okay," Mandy replied, feeling a bit down.
Up on the third floor, after Joseph and James finished unpacking, they headed straight to the stables. Ella stayed behind, waiting for Rachel to wake up. About half an hour later, Rachel came downstairs, still groggy, and was surprised to see Ella chilling on the couch watching TV.
"Ella?" Rachel greeted, rubbing her eyes.
Ella looked up and replied, "Morning, Ms. Williams."
Rachel, still confused, asked, "What are you doing here?"
"Joseph invited me," Ella said, turning off the TV. She had been woken up by a call from Joseph asking her to help mess up Michael's date. She was furious when she found out who he really was.
Rachel was stunned for a moment before she realized, "So Joseph is here too?"
Just then, John walked out of the kitchen with a cup of water and added, "Not just him, James is here too. And the other couple is Michael and Mandy."
Rachel's mouth twitched. They really seemed to run into them everywhere.
"Should we head out now?" John suggested, handing Rachel the cup.
Rachel shook her head firmly. "Why should we leave just because they showed up? Besides, with Joseph here, I doubt Mandy will dare to do anything."
Ella chimed in, "Exactly. Just so you know, Joseph brought James and me here to mess up Michael and Mandy's date, so their weekend is pretty much ruined. Mandy will be too busy dealing with Joseph to bother you, Ms. Williams."
"Oh?" Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Joseph wants to ruin Michael and Mandy's vacation?"
"Yep." Ella nodded.
Rachel and John exchanged a glance. "John, you were right before. The Brown family offended the Anderson family, and Joseph won't let Mandy have it easy. He's here to stir things up."
John clapped his hands. "That's good news. Let Joseph deal with Mandy first."
Rachel lifted her chin. "You're right."
Then John changed the subject, "Alright, Rachel, let's go to the stables too."
"Sure," Rachel agreed.
The three of them made their way to the stables. As they got closer, Rachel spotted three horses galloping. Even though the riders were fully geared up with their faces hidden, she instantly recognized them as Michael, James, and Joseph. Mandy wasn't on the field; she was sitting in the resting area, watching them.
When Rachel and the others entered the stables, Mandy noticed them and stood up with a smile. "Ms. Williams, you're here."
Rachel acted like she hadn't heard and moved to sit on the other side. John and Ella followed, completely ignoring Mandy.
Mandy's smile froze, and a dark look flashed in her eyes, but she quickly recovered her smile. "Ms. Williams, aren't you going to ride?"
Rachel frowned impatiently. "Miss Brown, has anyone ever told you that you're annoying?"
"Huh?" Mandy was taken aback, her face turning red. "Am I really that annoying?"
"Absolutely. Can't you see we don't want to talk to you? Yet you still come over. It's really irritating," John snorted.
Ella chimed in, "Exactly, no self-awareness whatsoever."
"You..." Mandy's eyes reddened, her body trembling slightly as if she was about to cry.
From a distance, Michael spotted Rachel and the others. Noticing Mandy approaching with tears in her eyes, he frowned and urged his horse forward. James and Joseph followed closely.
Michael halted his horse and quickly dismounted. Rachel glanced at him, acknowledging his striking appearance. He excelled in both business and entertainment. But so what? His taste was still questionable. With that thought, Rachel averted her gaze and stopped looking at him.
"Mandy," Michael called out, taking off his helmet.
Hearing his voice, Mandy turned and threw herself into his arms, crying loudly, "Michael!"
Rachel and the others rolled their eyes. They hadn't done anything, yet she was bawling her eyes out so dramatically.
"What happened?" Joseph rode over and asked loudly.
James looked at Rachel with anticipation in his eyes. "Rachel."
Rachel glanced at him indifferently and didn't respond. James's eyes darkened instantly. It had been so long since that incident, and Rachel still ignored him.
"Mandy, what happened?" Michael asked in a deep voice.
Mandy shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "It's nothing, really. It's not Ms. Williams or anyone else. It's just me..."
"Hold up a sec," Ella cut in with a smirk. "Mandy, when you say it's not their fault, aren't you kinda implying that you're crying because of something they did?"
"I didn't mean that," Mandy quickly clarified.
Ella rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. Maybe Mr. Smith over there is clueless enough to buy that, but the rest of us aren't idiots."
Michael's expression darkened as he glared at Ella. Was she calling him a fool?
Rachel couldn't help but laugh, and soon everyone else joined in. "Michael, looks like you're the fool." James chuckled.
Michael shot him a cold glare, and James immediately clammed up. "Sorry, Michael."
"Alright," Michael said, turning his attention back to Mandy. "Mandy, what really happened?"
"Mr. Smith, don't bother asking. All she'll say is 'I didn't, I wasn't.' Let me explain," John interjected as he stood up and started recounting the events.
After listening, Joseph stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I think Mr. Davis and the others are right. If they don't like you, just stay away from them. Being this sensitive isn't doing you any favors."
James nodded in agreement. Even Michael couldn't say that Rachel and the others were wrong. "Sorry, it was indeed Mandy's fault. I apologize on her behalf." Michael sighed.
Mandy looked at him in surprise. "Michael..." Michael squeezed her shoulder, signaling her to stay silent.
Rachel propped her head up with a half-smile. "Mr. Smith, your apologies are getting more and more practiced. This time, I accept your apology."
"Thank you," Michael replied, lowering his eyes.
"Michael, I'm sorry. I caused you trouble again," Mandy said tearfully.
Michael gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. He comforted, "Just steer clear of them in the future. Now, go wash your face." Mandy nodded and walked toward the restroom.
"Well, this is boring. Let's continue riding," Joseph stretched.
"Joseph, how about we race to see who finishes a lap first?" James suggested.
"Great idea." Joseph's eyes lit up.
John and Ella were also eager. "I'll join too," Ella said, raising her hand.
"Rachel, do you want to ride? Let's join them," John suggested, looking at Rachel.
Rachel was about to answer when Michael suddenly spoke up, "No, she can't ride!"
Everyone was stunned and turned to look at Michael in surprise. "Why can't Rachel ride?" John asked, clearly annoyed.
"Yeah, why can't she?" Ella added, glaring at Michael.
Only Rachel sensed something unusual, her eyes flashing slightly. It seemed that Michael wasn't acting out of dominance but for some other reason.
Her eyes piercing his, she demanded, "Mr. Smith, give me a reason!" She wanted to know why he was stopping her.
Facing Rachel's clear and bright eyes, Michael felt inexplicably guilty. He quickly looked away and replied, "Your face is so pale; you're not fit to ride!"
After hearing this, everyone looked at Rachel's face. John was the first to speak, "Yeah, Rachel, your face does look a bit pale. Are you still feeling carsick?"
Rachel touched her face. "Is it really that pale?"
"A little," Ella replied.
Rachel smiled. "It's okay, I can ride."
Michael frowned deeply, looking very displeased. He thought to himself, 'She has no idea how important her pregnancy is. What's more important, the baby or riding?'
Just as Michael was about to forcefully stop Rachel, John persuaded, "Rachel, maybe you should go back and rest. You can ride next time. If you get dizzy again, it'll be troublesome."
Michael nodded slightly, thinking that John finally said something sensible. However, Rachel was stubborn and smiled. "It's fine. I'm already here, why go back now? Don't worry, I'll just ride slowly and won't let the horse run."
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