She opened the door without checking the screen. She was confused to see all those men wearing
suits in front of her door. "Who are you?" asked Celine from the edge of her half-open door.
The man that stood out, looked like he was in his early thirties. He walked closer to the door and
cleared his throat. "Good day, Miss Duan. We are Mr. Jonathan Fu's lawyers. We would like to talk to
you regarding this apartment."
Celine was not sure if she had heard him correctly. She fully opened the door and crossed her arms.
"What do you mean?" she asked. The moment she heard Jonathan's name, she became vigilant. "Why
would he tell you to come here?"
"Perhaps we can go inside to discuss?" said the lawyer. He was a polite man, and Celine couldn't
refuse him so she let them in.
Rachel's foot was almost completely healed, so she went back to work. She felt bored and helpless to
be at home all the time. She had been asking too many days of leave and she thought she might run
out of sick leaves. The executive didn't say anything about the matter, but she still felt embarrassed.
Rachel's unusual behavior attracted people's attention in the hospital. During lunch break, Rachel was
preparing to make some hot tea in the pantry.
When she approached the door, she heard people talking about her. The voices sounded familiar.
She remained outside to hear the rest of the conversation.
"Who do you think is behind Rachel? Our emergency department is short on staff. However, she asked
for a few days of leave, and there was no response from the superiors. That's just absurd," said one of
the voices.
"I've told you about this last time. Why are you asking again?"
"What did you even say? I can't remember you telling me anything. Is she related to some big shot in
the hospital?"
"Keep it down. I'm not really sure either. But I'm sure she's from a rich and influential family."
'From a rich and influential family, huh?' Rachel couldn't resist laughing. She found it funny that her
coworkers were gossiping about her.
How bored these people were that they were starting to make up stories about her! However, she did
realize that she had done something wrong in the past couple of days.
The emergency department was the busiest department in the hospital, and it was often shorthanded.
Although she had to ask for leave because of an accident, she had indeed asked for too many leaves
in the past few months.
Although it was an issue beyond her control, Rachel didn't appreciate people talking behind her back
and making up stories.
They thought the only reason she got the job and continued to be here was because she had someone
powerful behind her. But that wasn't true. She relied on her own abilities to get where she was in life.
If there was ever anyone influential that she knew in the hospital, they must be talking about James
Zhou, Lucas' father. He was the current chairman of the hospital, and he knew Rachel since she and
Lucas were high school classmates.
When she was about to leave, she heard a familiar voice join the conversation. "Why is everyone so
curious about Rachel's private life? She only asked for a few days of leave. All of you should know how
dedicated of a doctor she is. If she has been asking for a few days of rest, she must be going through a
lot right now."
The voice belonged to Cara. There was no mistaking it.
Rachel was about to thank Cara in her heart when she heard her continue speaking. "I'll only say this
once so you don't have to point fingers and make up stories anymore."
Everyone fell silent. They were all listening to what Cara was about to say. "So, what is it that you want
to tell us?"
"Cara, please don't keep us waiting."
Everyone inside the room thought that they weren't speaking too loud. They were sorely mistaken.
Anyone that stood outside of the room could hear them clearly without having to listen so close.
Hearing Cara say that, Rachel was deathly curious about what she wanted to say.
Cara said, "Listen up, this is the first and last time that I will say this. If anyone asks, you did not hear
this from me. Do not spread what you're all about to hear, does everyone understand?"
"We know!"
"Rachel doesn't come from a rich and powerful family, but she does have ties with the Fu family,"
said Cara.
"Wait a minute.
You mean the Fu family? The same Fu family that owns the MK Group?"
Everyone was so shocked that you could practically hear them gasping.
"If I was talking about another Fu family, why would I even bother telling you this?" Cara sounded sassy
in that last sentence.
Rachel held the cup of tea in her hand closer to her nose. She inhaled its vapors to calm herself down.
'How did Cara find out about my connections to the Fu family?'
Everyone was still gossiping inside the room.
Rachel was someone who had ties to the Fu family. If it was true, then nobody would dare deny Rachel
of anything she asked for.
When Cara revealed what she had found out, it was like she opened the sluice gate of a dam, and the
issues flooded out one by one.
None of them really knew that much about the Fu family. Anything they did know, they had only read
from magazines and news articles, or heard it on the news. But there was one thing they were sure
about, the Fu family was incredibly rich and powerful.
One of them asked a question that put a stop to the chatter. "Wait a minute, the Fu family only has one
heir, Jack Fu. What would Rachel's standing be in that family?"
"Is she Jack Fu's cousin?"
"Jonathan Fu's niece, maybe?"
"Or maybe she's the old man's sworn daughter?"
Cara overturned everyone's guesses. None of them were even remotely close to the truth. She grinned
at them and gestured for them to come closer.
"So? Tell us already!" They all looked at Cara, expecting her to give them an interesting guess.
Even Rachel was wondering what answer Cara would give them. She wondered whether Cara really
knew about her relationship to the Fu family, and to Jack.
Rachel was getting nervous. What if Cara really found out about the truth?
Her coworkers in the hospital thought that Rachel was not married yet. She had hidden the fact about
her marriage, because she didn't think it was necessary for them to know. Besides, her marriage with
Jack was only nominal.
She also knew that Jack's social status was special. She didn't want anyone to find out that she was
Mrs. Fu.
She didn't want people to be intimidated by her name. If word got out that she was Jack's wife, chaos
would ensue.
When she was hesitating whether to go in and interrupt Cara, it was all too late.
"Rachel must be Jack Fu's girlfriend!" said Cara. The tone of her voice had a tinge of mystery to it.
"Jack Fu's girlfriend?" "Are you sure?"
"You must be kidding me!" "There's no way that she's Jack Fu's girlfriend!"
"You're serious, Cara?"
Hearing this, Rachel, who was standing at the door, almost fell down. She knew that Cara would say
something, but she didn't expect that it would be like this.
She shook her head. When she was about to leave, she heard someone second guess Cara's words.
"Wait a minute. Jack Fu is married, isn't he?"
Her words infuriated everyone again.
Rachel felt so degraded. The more she listened, the more the chatter became senseless. She never
would have guessed that they would talk like this behind her back. One day she was just one of the
doctors of the hospital, now her colleagues painted her as a mistress and a home wrecker.
Rachel shook her head in disgust. There was no more reason to keep listening to this debacle.
She didn't know the rest of the conversation, nor did she want to continue listening.
The following days, Rachel felt something off. The same people she heard talking behind her back
were now looking at her differently, and not the good kind of different. They were silently judging her.
Rachel knew it might be the result of the conversation two days ago. At this point, she could care less
what they thought of her. She was never really one to pay mind to prejudices.
It was pure coincidence for her to hear them gossiping behind her back. She couldn't just jump in and
join the conversation and clarify their misunderstandings. None of what they said was true.
As for what they were thinking of her now, she didn't give a damn anymore. As long as they didn't
harass or bother her, it didn't matter.
Rachel thought it was best that she just kept silent.
It had been four days since she returned to work, and everything was going swimmingly.
Jack had moved out of her house, and Jonathan told her that Celine had been driven out of Ninwell
City.
All her troubles were being solved one after the other. Mendes' father was also coming back in two
days. Everything was going well for Rachel.
For the first time in a long while, she felt at peace. Lucas had been on a business trip, and Mendes who
was happily waiting for his father was sent to Rachel by his driver.
Mendes would be temporarily staying with Rachel in her office. During his days with Lucas, Mendes
had changed so much. He didn't even ask for snacks as often as he did before. He just sat on a chair
with an iPad in his hand and watched cartoons. Rachel thought it was alright to leave him in there until
she finished her work.
Once all of her work was done, she returned to her office. She saw how well-behaved Mendes was and
decided that he deserved a reward so she sliced up some fruits and gave them to the child.
Mendes gladly accepted the fruits and thanked her. Rachel was surprised. It was not really the first time
she heard him say thanks, but it was surprising to see how polite he had become.
"You've become such a good boy, Mendes. You're so polite!" said Rachel. Her eyes were smiling along
with her lips. She was so proud to see the boy that he had become.
Mendes had lost a lot of weight, all thanks to Lucas.
He was looking healthier by the day, and had even grown a little taller.
Mendes blushed when he heard Rachel's compliment. "Lucas told me that if I was ever impolite, no
girls would like me," he whispered to Rachel.
Rachel didn't hear him properly, so she leaned in closer to Mendes. She curled her hand behind her
ear and sat next to Mendes. "Come on, I didn't hear you the first time. Tell me."
Mendes' face turned red, but he obliged and whispered what he had said before. Rachel laughed and
ruffled his hair. "You're still a little boy, and you're already thinking about girls?"
Mendes covered his face and giggled. "If I become as polite as Lucas, someone will surely like me!"
"You're right Mendes. If you are as polite as Lucas, I'll take a fancy on you too," she replied. Rachel
tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled.
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