Chapter 5 Waiting For Her To Beg For Forgiveness

Rachel finally registered the gravity of her provocative words as they hung in the air between them.

"I... I didn't mean it that way," she stammered, heat rising to her cheeks as she struggled to explain herself.

Brian's imposing figure loomed closer as his fingers wrapped around her wrist.

Something stirred within Rachel, and she found herself leaning into him, her arms encircling his frame with gentle desperation.

Her eyes sought his, luminous with unspoken pleas. "Brian, please don't keep Tracy as your secretary," she whispered, clinging to him. "If you truly want to help her, find her a position at another company. Otherwise, I cannot help but feel jealous."

The warmth between them shattered as Brian wrenched his arm away.

His expression hardened into something unrecognizable. "I've always admired your generous spirit. But your treatment of Tracy seems unnecessarily mean. She's newly returned and struggling to find her footing. I'm merely offering assistance."

Rachel's teeth worried her lower lip as the fight drained from her.

The stark contrast between love and indifference had never felt more apparent.

"You're determined to help her, aren't you?"

"Yes," came his unwavering reply.

Rachel gazed at him, her heart splintering beneath the weight of his conviction.

She pressed a hand against her chest, a bitter smile twisting her features. "Tell me, am I truly such an unreasonable, small-minded partner in your eyes?"

His silence cut deeper than any words could have.

Something snapped within her. She seized a pillow and hurled it at him, tears streaming unchecked down her face. "You're right about everything! I'm jealous, hot-headed, and intolerant. That's who I am, petty to the core. Just leave! I can't bear to look at you anymore!"

Another pillow followed the first.

Brian caught it deftly, his expression darkening as their eyes locked in a silent battle of wills.

In all their time together, Rachel had been his refuge of endless patience and affection, rarely displaying such raw anger.

Even during their disputes, she had always been the first to extend an olive branch.

Now Brian waited, certain that if she would only embrace him and whisper, "I'm sorry, it was my fault," he could pretend this fracture had never occurred.

But as one minute bled into three, she remained resolute in her stance.

His jaw tightened, his features carved from ice. "Rest well. Someone will take you home tomorrow."

The door slammed behind him with such force that it bounced back, remaining open.

Bitter wind swept across her exposed skin-skin that his hands had uncovered mere moments ago.

Rachel huddled beneath the blankets, seeking warmth against the chill of abandonment.

Downstairs, Brian encountered his mother Debby, who poorly concealed her satisfaction at his obvious anger. "Son, did you have a fight with her?" she probed delicately.

His thunderous expression spoke volumes, fueling her private delight. "I've always said women shouldn't be spoiled excessively. Rachel should count herself fortunate to have caught your eye. You mustn't indulge her so much. Today she even tried using Carol's influence against me."

"Mother." His glacial tone cut through her words. "I'll handle my relationship as I see fit. This doesn't concern you."

"I'm your mother. How can this not concern me?"

He turned away without acknowledgment, descending the stairs to light two cigarettes in quick succession.

Despite everything, some part of him still waited, hoping to hear Rachel's footsteps following him down.

In times past, she would have descended those stairs with bare feet flying, not sparing a moment for shoes.

She would have clung to him with puppy-like devotion, tears streaming as she begged his forgiveness.

That vulnerable, pleading expression never failed to pierce his defenses.

Inevitably, his anger would dissolve, and he would gather her into his arms, carrying her back upstairs himself.

Their reconciliations had always culminated in passionate embraces, their bodies intertwined as if separation was impossible.

Rachel had consistently yielded to his desires, accommodating his every wish and preferred position with unwavering devotion.

Even when certain acts brought her discomfort, she strived to please him, allowing him to draw forth her tears again and again.

Each encounter had left him deeply satisfied in both body and spirit.

But this night marked a stark departure from their established pattern. Rachel seemed transformed into someone he barely recognized.

Brian remained in his idling car for thirty minutes, but the stairwell remained empty of her familiar form.

The engine was on, but the car remained parked.

"Step on the gas," Brian commanded, his voice sharp with tension.

Surely such a commotion would draw her attention.

Yet behind him, only darkness prevailed.

Her absence felt like a physical weight.

"Again," he demanded, his body radiating cold fury.

Ronald Miller, his assistant, shifted uncomfortably. "Sir, we've reached the engine's limit."

Brian's intention was obvious-he wanted to force Rachel to notice him, to pull her out of the house, to make her surrender.

But the tactic reeked of childishness. Ronald knew it. Anyone would.

But voicing that thought was out of the question.

After ten more minutes of tense silence, Ronald ventured carefully, "Perhaps she has retired for the night. We might be waiting in vain."

"Who said I was waiting for her? Drive," Brian snapped.

Relief flooded through Ronald as he quietly engaged the engine.

When Rachel finally descended, she found only empty space where Brian's car had been.

A bitter smile crossed her features as she turned away.

What a fool she had been, expecting to find him waiting.

She had imagined that a simple tug on his sleeve, a softening of her stance, would bring him back to her.

How naive.

His heart now belonged to Tracy, consumed by thoughts of that woman.

As Rachel moved to return upstairs, a caustic voice floated down from above. "It's perfectly natural for men to pursue multiple women. Even married ones stray. Rachel, I've always told you-Brian could never be satisfied with just one woman. Tracy was his high school infatuation. Men eternally chase what eludes them while scorning what they already possess. After countless intimate encounters with Brian, you've become commonplace to him. Tracy represents the unconquered, and thus she holds his fascination!"

Debby's words cut deep.

Rachel's hands clenched until her knuckles whitened, her entire frame trembling.

The cruel words carried undeniable kernels of truth.

Yet she lifted her chin, pressing her lips together before responding, "I understand your dislike of me, and I don't seek your approval. But I refuse to believe Brian feels nothing for me at all."