Chapter 2 The Ripple Effect.

The hospital was cold and quiet, with only the soft hum of machines and distant murmurs filling the halls. Outside, the rain fell in a steady rhythm, washing the city in gray. The air smelled faintly of antiseptic, and the sound of rubber soles squeaking against the tiled floors was almost constant as nurses moved briskly between rooms.

Rachael pushed open the door to her mother's room, her heart heavy. The room was small, with plain white walls and a single window that let in the dull light of the rainy Evening. Her mother lay in the bed, motionless, her face pale and drawn. Machines beeped softly beside her, their blinking lights the only signs of life in the quiet room.

"Mom..." Rachael whispered as she sat down in the chair beside the bed. She reached out and took her mother's cold hand in hers, her thumb brushing gently over the frail skin. "You're going to be okay," she said, her voice trembling. "You have to be."

The door creaked open, and Rachael's father stepped in. He was wearing his usual work clothes, a worn-out suit and scuffed shoes, but his face was etched with worry. He walked over to Rachael and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"She's strong, Rach," he said softly, his voice steady despite the weight of his words. "She's been through so much already. She'll get through this too."

Rachael looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. "But what if she doesn't?" she asked, her voice breaking. "What if this time is different?"

Her father pulled up a chair and sat down beside her. "We can't think like that," he said firmly. "We have to stay positive. Your mom needs us to believe in her."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. They just sat there, watching the rise and fall of her mother's chest, listening to the steady beep of the machines. It was a sound Rachael had grown used to over the past few years. Her mom had been sick for a long time. It started as headaches, then dizziness, until one day, the doctors found a tumor in her brain. Surgery was the only way to save her now, but it was expensive, far more than they could afford.

Rachael's father had done everything he could. He sold their car, worked extra shifts, and even considered selling their house. But it still wasn't enough. They were running out of time, and the weight of it all felt like it was crushing Rachael.

"You should go home and rest," her father said after a while. "You've had a long day."

Rachael hesitated, not wanting to leave, but she knew he was right. She kissed her mother's hand and stood up. "Call me if anything changes," she said before leaving the room.

Back in her apartment, Rachael dropped her bag on the floor and collapsed onto the couch. She was exhausted-emotionally, physically, mentally. All she wanted was to shut her brain off for a while. She grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, hoping for something to distract her.

The news was on, and a reporter was speaking with excitement. "Deevin Blackwood, heir to the Blackwood fortune, has returned to the city," the anchor announced. "He was spotted earlier today at the Blackwood & Co. headquarters, accompanied by world-famous model Ashley Brooke, sparking rumors of a relationship."

Rachael sat up, her interest piqued.

The screen showed blurry footage of Deevin and Ashley leaving the building, surrounded by bodyguards. Rachael's eyes widened. She recognized him immediately, The same man she had seen at the office that evening.

"That's why he looked familiar," she muttered. "Deevin Blackwood. Of course."

She shook her head, amazed at how oblivious she'd been. Everyone knew who Deevin Blackwood was. he was practically a celebrity in the business world. His family owned the very company she worked for, yet she hadn't recognized him when she saw him earlier. The realization made her laugh softly, though there was no humor in it.

Turning off the TV, she let herself sink into the couch, curling up with a blanket ,the soft breeze the rain had left behind gently caressing her skin, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up to her. Before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the thin curtains of her apartment, pulling Rachael out of a restless sleep. She groaned as she sat up, her neck stiff from sleeping on the couch. After a quick shower and a bowl of cereal, she grabbed her phone to check her messages.

Her friend had sent her several texts, along with a screenshot. "You won't believe what Ethan posted!" one of them read.

Rachael opened the screenshot and froze. It was a photo from her high school graduation. Ethan was in the center, smiling that same boyish smile she remembered so well. The caption read: "I miss those days. I miss us."

Her heart skipped a beat, and she stared at the screen, unsure how to feel. Her friends had bombarded her with messages. "He's talking about you, it's so Obvious Rach!" "See? He still cares!"

Rachael rolled her eyes and tossed her phone onto the couch,"Delusional", "He probably means the group," she muttered. "They're reading too much into it." But deep down, a part of her couldn't help but wonder, But there was no time for that, she quickly got dressed, A quick makeup look, and texted peter good morning before leaving.

At work, Rachael tried to focus, but Claudia wasn't making it easy. The older woman hovered over her desk, criticizing everything she did.

"Rachael, do you even read these reports before handing them in?" Claudia snapped.

"Yes, I do," Rachael replied, keeping her voice calm despite the frustration bubbling inside her.

"Well, it doesn't look like it. This is sloppy work. Do better."

"Oh and Could you at least try to pretend to like your job"

Rachael clenched her fists under the desk but said nothing. She had learned long ago that arguing with Claudia was pointless.

Just as she thought the day couldn't get any worse, the door to the department burst open. A woman in a bright red dress stormed in, her heels clicking loudly against the floor. She was tall and striking, with sharp features and piercing blue eyes that were locked onto Rachael.

"You!" the woman shouted, pointing an accusing finger at her.

Rachael stood, confused. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"you pathetic little whore!" she yelled again.

"Stay away from Peter," the woman said, her voice dripping with venom. "He's mine."

The entire office went silent, all eyes on them. Rachael felt her face heat up as she tried to process what was happening.

"I don't know who you are, but Peter and I are dating," Rachael said firmly.

The woman laughed, a cold, bitter sound. "Dating? Oh, honey, you're just a distraction, a fling, Peter doesn't care about you."

Before Rachael could respond, the woman stepped forward and slapped her hard across the face. Gasps echoed around the room.

"you're a woman, don't you have any bit of shame left in you ?"

"Take this and leave him alone," the woman hissed, pulling out a wad of cash and throwing it at Rachael's feet. "You're nothing but a cheap whore."

She tossed a handful of photos onto Rachael's desk. They were of her and Peter in bed, laughing, kissing-things Rachael wished she could unsee.

"You've been warned," the woman said before storming out. Security escorted her away, but the damage was done. Phones had recorded the entire scene, and Rachael could already feel the stares of her coworkers.

Later That night, Rachael sat in her apartment, scrolling through the endless comments on the video. It was trending, and people were calling her horrible names: homewrecker, gold digger, liar.

"tch! Homewrecker ?, They don't even know the whole story"

She had blocked peter everywhere and kept ignoring his calls ,even when he tried using other numbers.

She felt more angry than sad, so she thought she began to think of how pathetic she is when it comes to luck. All her life. hot tears started rushing down her Cheeks as she began feeling sorry for herself.

When an unknown number called, she assumed it was peter and picked up, ready to unleash her anger.

"What do you want, Peter?" she snapped. "You're a pathetic excuse of a man, and I don't want to hear from you ever again!"

"you think you won ?, You think you played me, You did not, I'm not that easy to break okay ?"

Rachael was fuming

"Whoa,"

a familiar voice said, amused. "That's a bit harsh for someone you haven't spoken to in years, don't you think "

Rachael froze.

......

......

"Ethan?"

"Yeah," he said, laughing softly. "Surprise."

Her heart raced. Of all the people to call her now, Ethan was the last person she expected. why did it have to be Ethan?