Chapter 92 Encountered Hiram in the Bar


    "Mom, stop kidding. I''m serious. Look at you, sitting in a wheelchair. Do you really think I can leave you


    now?" Rachel cried out to Fannie. Yes, Fannie could go out in a wheelchair. But how would she use the


    toilet or go to bed, let alone cook for herself? Rachel could never forgive herself if she left her mother


    like that.


    "Don''t worry about me, my dear. Haven''t you heard? The girl next door is out of a job, so she''s free at


    home now. I can ask her to take care of me until I can manage things myself. I''ll pay her. Listen, go


    back to H City and wait for Hiram. I''m fine, "


    Fannie said to Rachel briskly. In the vige, a good neighbor was better than a brother. The neighbors


    had been getting along well for dozens of years. They wouldn''t leave her alone in her time of need,


    they would look after her.


    Rachel took a seat beside her mom. She took Fannie''s hand in hers and said gently, "Dear mom,


    nothing happened between me and Hiram. We''re fine. Even if there''s been a misunderstanding, we will


    talk it out. Would you please just give me a month? I''ll stay here and look after you. Now, calm down


    and don''t worry, please!"


    "No way!" Fannie eximed. "Of course I''m worried about you, and I''ll keep worrying as long as you''re


    here. Think about it. You''ve been here for half a month already. Hiram hasn''te to see you. In fact,


    he hasn''t even called you. I don''t know what will happen if things go on like this." Fannie was quite


    stubborn. She shoved a pair of chopsticks into Rachel''s hands and urged her to have lunch. "Stop


    talking. Finish your lunch quickly, and then make your way back to H City."


    Rachel didn''t know what to say. It was hard for her to exin her situation to her mom, and anyway,


    she couldn''t tell the truth about it.


    Fannie was already overreacting to the lie that Rachel and Hiram had quarreled. If Rachel told her the


    truth that Hiram and her were divorced, it would drive Fannie so crazy that she might even kill her.


    Rachel sighed to herself. This was the most vorless lunch she had ever had.


    After lunch, Fannie urged her to pack her things quickly. The bus heading to H City would leave at half


    past one. If she didn''t hurry up, it would leave without her.


    Rachel had no choice but to follow what Fannie told her to do. She packed up her luggage and went


    next door. She asked the girl Fannie had mentioned to look after Fannie, and handed her some money.


    Now that she had been kicked out by her own mother, she had nowhere to go but finally went back to H


    City.


    It had been half a month since she left her apartment in H City. She spent the whole afternoon tidying it


    up, not realizing that it was getting dark.


    She was sitting on the sofa in the living room alone. She tried to avoid looking at her bedroom, but


    everything that had happened that night kept ying in her mind slowly, like a movie. She wanted to


    get it out of her mind, but it just started over and over again. What could she do?


    Rachel wanted to find something to distract herself from it. She took out her phone and saw a text


    Rachel texted her back right away, saying that she hade back to H City.


    A few minutester, Rachel got a call from Celine. "Hey, Rachel, we''re missing you so much. You''re


    just in time. We''re at a restaurant now, the whole team. Come and join us! Let''s have fun!"


    Lying down on the sofa and turning the TV on, Rachel said to Celine, "Sorry, I can''t make it. I''m totally


    worn out. I can hardly get up from my sofa. Next time, maybe. Have fun!" A quite popr TV show was


    on now.


    "No, we''re waiting for you. If you don''te here now, we''lle to you. Hm, we''ll take this chance to


    visit that fancy vi of yours! You decide!" Celine said briskly. It sounded like she would show up at any


    moment.


    Rachel shook her head with a frail smile on her face. She turned off the TV and got up. "Okay, okay,


    you win. I''ming. Where are you guys? Text me the address. See you soon."


    Rachel went to the bathroom and took a shower. She got changed and put on some makeup. Celine


    had already sent her the address, so she grabbed her bag and left.


    It was nightfall when she got to the restaurant. She got off the taxi and walked inside.


    Suddenly, the whole room burst into apuse, overwhelming Rachel. Everyone weed her so


    warmly that she felt ttered, even though she thought it was more than she deserved.


    Celine and several female teammates rushed to her and smothered her in a hug. "Two weeks, what a


    long time! Rachel, we miss you so much! How are you doing? How about your mom? Is she getting


    better?"


    "Thank you, all of you! She''s fine now, she''s getting better and better. I''m so ttered. People might


    think I just returned in triumph from a tough battle! I don''t deserve this, really. You''re embarrassing me!"


    Rachel quipped,ughing. She took a seat in the center of the room.


    "You feel embarrassed? Please don''t! You should get used to this as soon as possible. You''ll be our


    boss in a few days. We''re going to ride on your coattails and never get down, " Celine said eagerly,


    "Raise your sses, everybody! To Rachel, and our brand new future! Bottoms up!"


    Rachel raised her ss and toasted to the people around her before chugging it. Exhrated, she


    looked around at the familiar faces. She was missing the past three years when they had worked


    together. She felt thankful for the days when all she had to do was to work hard without worrying about


    anything.


    But those days were long gone. Time waits for no man, they said. Rachel wished she could go back


    and start over. This time, she would appreciate everything. But she knew very well that she was just


    daydreaming.


    The excitement still hadn''t died down after dinner, so everybody decided to spend more time together.


    They went to a bar to continue their party.


    The bar was packed at that hour. Everyone inside seemed lost in the noise.


    There was a rock singer on stage singing his heart out. Surrounded by the bright lights and loud music,


    young people were letting loose on the dance floor.


    Rachel and her teammates made their way through the crowd and found a table in the corner to sit


    down. Celine asked the waiter serving them a few beers and a pack of cards.


    "Come on, guys! Let''s y cards. It''s boring just watching people dance and drink beer. Here is the


    rule. It''s straightforward. Everyone pulls a card out of my hands, and sees what number they get.


    Whoever gets thergest number wins. Whoever gets the smallest loses, and they have to either do


    something we say or answer one question we ask. You all get me?"


    Fiona pped her hands together when she heard Celine''s idea. "Okay, let''s do it. Since no one has


    objected to Celine''s rules, there won''t be any exceptions and everyone here must follow them strictly.


    Otherwise, whoever breaks the rules must buy us lunch for a month."


    Rachel sat with them reservedly. They were talking loudly and having fun, but somehow she couldn''t


    cheer herself up. She missed the days when she was really a part of the team, joking andughing with


    them. It felt like a part of her heart was missing. She hadn''t been intending to take part in their game,


    but someone slipped a card into her hand.


    "Haha, Michael, you''re losing! My card is bigger than yours, " Celine shouted triumphantly, "Has


    everyone gotten a card? No one left? Okay, then Michael lost this time. Are you ready? I''m going to say


    something and you must do exactly as you''re told!"


    "Wait! Wait a moment, please, " Michael said. "Look, there is a card in Rachel''s hand, right? Rachel,


    show us, please! Mine is ten. What number did you get?" Michael stared at Rachel''s hands without


    blinking. Nervous, he prayed in his mind that Rachel''s number was smaller.


    He couldn''t imagine what Celine would make him do. It would probably be something so embarrassing


    that he would beughed at for the whole year.


    Seeing everyone at the table staring at her, Rachel sighed to herself and put the card in her hand on


    the table. She turned it over to reveal the number one. She forced a smile and waited for Celine to say


    something.


    "One? Well, there you go! Although you''re number one in our team, the winner tonight is decided by


    the number we''ve gotten. That''s the rule, no exceptions. Since you''ve gotten the smallest, let''s see


    what you can do, " Fiona said, unable to hide herughter. Then she turned to Michael and said, "You


    got lucky this time. But it''s a long night. Wait and see!"


    Celine sipped her beer excitedly. "Dear boss, tell us, would you prefer to answer a question? The


    answer should be honest. Or, would you like to go up on the stage and sing a song for us? You


    decide."


    Looking at her serious face, Rachel could barely control herughter as she said, "Okay, what''s the


    question?"


    Celine looked around at her colleagues. Everybody looked back at her expectantly. She cleared her


    throat and said, "How does it feel? You married Hiram Rong. We want to hear something private. The


    more private, the better. Tell us, tell us!"


    Hiram was thest person Rachel wanted to talk about. She opened her mouth only to find that she


    couldn''t say a word, so she stood up and walked towards the stage.


    It was clear that she had chosen to sing on stage instead of answering the question.


    Rachel made her way through the noisy crowd with difficulty. She didn''t even realize that she had


    grabbed a stranger''s arm for a while.


    When she reached the DJ, she asked them to y a song for her. They were pleased to help such a


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    beautiful woman. Besides, it would improve the atmosphere in the bar.


    The bright light turned soft, as did the music.


    The light was focused onto Rachel''s back. She seldom went up on stage, let alone sang in front of so


    many people. Even the time when she had hung out with Luke and Hiram, she hadn''t opened her


    mouth to sing. The truth was, she wasn''t that interested in music, but she knew a few songs.


    She had decided to sing a mncholy one. She sat on stage with her back to the audience so that she


    could sing well without any distractions.


    In the cold wind


    You''re holding me in your arms


    All of those are my sweet memories


    The warm light illuminated her hair while she sang.


    The whole bar was silent in a moment, and people were either staring at her in awe or holding each


    other in their arms.


    Rachel''s voice was maic, with a unique quality to it. Her singing sounded more touching than the


    original singer''s.


    In a corner of the same bar...


    Hiram was sitting there with his date for the night. When the woman on stage began singing, he was


    transfixed by her, forgetting to drink his wine. She was singing with her back to the audience, but he still


    couldn''t take his eyes off of her.


    "Hiram, shall we..." His date trailed off, feeling annoyed at Hiram being distracted by the woman on


    stage.


    "Hush! Quiet, " Hiram murmured, shaking his head slowly. He was attracted to the singer''s voice, and


    he wanted to listen carefully.


    He had never heard Rachel sing before, so now he began to wonder why this woman sounded so


    familiar to him. Did he know her?