Chapter 152
"Nothing," Michael muttered, his eyes darting away. He shot a quick glance at Rachel, silently begging her to keep quiet. He knew if Catherine found out Mandy had pushed her down the stairs, she'd be devastated.
Rachel got the hint and played along. "Alright, Catherine, let's drop it. It's all in the past, and I don't want to dig it up. I know the secret behind this necklace now, but I still can't figure out why Dad wanted me to find it."
If it was about revenge, that didn't make sense. She'd go after Ethan anyway since he drove Henry to his death. So, there had to be more to it. This necklace had another purpose.
"I don't know either. Your dad said it was tied to a big secret. It must be about what happened over twenty years ago, like I just told you. Beyond that, I'm clueless," Catherine admitted, shaking her head.
Rachel sighed. Catherine gave her a reassuring smile. "It's okay. Just hang onto the necklace. Maybe one day, the secret will reveal itself."
"Yeah, you're right." Rachel smiled back. "It's getting late, Catherine. I should head out. It's almost dark."
"Alright, I'll have Michael take you," Catherine said, turning to Michael. "Michael, take Rachel home."
"Sure," Michael said, pulling out his car keys.
Rachel waved it off. "No need, Catherine. I'll just grab a cab. No need to trouble Mr. Smith. Goodbye." She smiled, grabbed her bag, and left.
Michael's lips tightened, and he instinctively wanted to follow her. Catherine's voice cut through the air. "Stop!"
Michael froze. "Grandma?"
"Rachel said she didn't want you to take her. What are you doing?" Catherine's eyes bore into him.
She thought, 'She used to ask you to take her, and you didn't. Now she doesn't want you to, and you're insisting. Think about what Rachel wants.'
Michael's lips moved, but no words came out. Catherine sighed. "Do you regret it?"
''What do you mean?'' Michael's eyes flickered. Catherine snorted. "Don't play dumb. I'm asking if you regret divorcing Rachel."
Michael's heart clenched painfully. He lowered his gaze, hiding his feelings. "No."
"Really?" Catherine asked, a knowing smile on her face.
Michael's voice was cold and firm. "Of course! I said before I wouldn't regret it. I didn't then, and I won't in the future."
"Is that so? I see." Catherine nodded, falling silent. Catherine smiled to herself, hoping he wouldn't regret it later.
"By the way, don't mention today's conversation with Rachel to anyone, especially Mandy and the Brown family. Got it?" Catherine warned Michael.
Michael lifted his chin. "I know. I won't say anything. I promised Rachel I wouldn't help the Brown family, so I won't tell them this."
"Good. You..." Catherine's eyes landed on the soft cheese on the bedside table. She patted the blanket. "Rachel forgot the soft cheese."
Michael's eyes flashed. He'd noticed Rachel had forgotten the soft cheese but hadn't reminded her. Soft cheese could have bacteria like Listeria, which was bad for pregnant women.
"Hurry, take the soft cheese to Rachel. She should still be leaving the hospital." Catherine shoved the cheese into Michael's arms, urging him to go.
Michael agreed, but as soon as he left the room, he handed the cheese to a passing nurse.
Outside the hospital, Rachel was still waiting for a cab. The rich aroma of food wafted from the restaurant across the street. Rachel caught a whiff and her face paled, a wave of nausea hitting her.
Rachel quickly covered her mouth and rushed to a nearby flowerbed, bending over as she started to retch. But nothing came up except for a few mouthfuls of bitter bile.
She knew it was just the pregnancy nausea. The moment she smelled something too greasy or strong, she felt like throwing up. Just as she thought she was getting better, the nausea hit her again.
Rachel bent over once more, retching, her face pale and beads of sweat forming on her forehead, clearly showing her discomfort.
Michael came out and saw her, his face tightening. He quickly went to a nearby store, bought a bottle of warm water, and walked up behind her. "You okay?" he asked, unscrewing the cap and handing her the water.
Rachel didn't want to take it at first, but the acidity in her mouth made her accept it reluctantly. She rinsed her mouth twice. Once the sour taste was gone, she started drinking the water.
After a few sips, she finally felt better as the churning in her stomach gradually subsided. She breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm fine, thanks for the water, Mr. Smith. How much is it? I'll pay you back," Rachel said, reaching for her phone.
Michael's face darkened. "It's just a bottle of water, no need."
"Of course, it's necessary. I can't accept someone's kindness for nothing." Seeing he didn't take out his phone, Rachel opened her wallet and took out some cash.
"This is for the water and the ride you gave me." Rachel pressed the largest bill into Michael's hand.
Michael's expression turned icy. "Rachel, are you so eager to cut all ties with me?"
Rachel looked at him strangely. "Isn't it good to cut ties? We could just say we're former spouses, or more bluntly, two unrelated individuals. Given our lack of connection, why not make it clear?"
Michael clenched his fists, suddenly at a loss for words. Yes, they were two strangers with no relation. What she did was right, but he just felt very displeased.
"Alright, Mr. Smith, I'm leaving." Rachel didn't care what he was thinking, tightened the bottle cap, and walked past him, heading back to her spot to continue waiting for a cab.
But after taking two steps, a wave of dizziness hit her, and she swayed. Michael stepped forward and caught her, preventing her from falling. "What's wrong?" he asked, frowning, his eyes filled with undeniable concern.
Rachel saw this and was stunned, thinking she must have seen wrong. Yet after blinking twice, to her astonishment, she found that he was genuinely concerned for her.
"I'm fine." Rachel shook her head and pulled her arm away.
Michael looked at her pale face. "You almost fainted just now, and you say you're fine?"
"I'm really fine, just low blood sugar," Rachel said lightly.
When she was diagnosed with pregnancy, the doctor mentioned she had low blood sugar, which could easily cause dizziness. This was common among most pregnant women.
"Really?" Michael was still worried.
Rachel responded, "Really."
"What should you do for low blood sugar?" Michael asked again.
Rachel sneered. "Mr. Smith, I'm not Miss Brown. Isn't it inappropriate for you to be so concerned about me?"
Michael's thin lips pressed together. "I just don't want Grandma to be upset. If something happens to you, Grandma will worry."
Hearing this, Rachel's expression softened, and she sighed. "Alright, there's not much to worry about, just need to replenish blood sugar as needed."
"How to replenish?" Michael looked at her.
Rachel tilted her head and said with uncertainty, "Maybe eat some sugar?"
Michael's lips curved slightly. "I thought you knew."
"I'm not a doctor, so how would I know? Forget it, why am I telling you this? I'm leaving." Rachel waved her hand and started to walk away.
But before she could take a step, Michael scooped her up in his arms. Rachel was stunned at first, then her face turned red as she struggled. "Michael, what are you doing? Put me down!"
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