Chapter 236 Being Honest With Each Other


    Rachel watched Vivian leave, leaving Daniel behind. She turned around and looked at Daniel, who to


    her shock, was still drinking. Rachel said to him,"Daniel, don''t drink too much. You nearly polished two


    full bottles of wine. Stop drinking now and go to your bedroom to sleep it off."


    Daniel swished the remaining liquor in his mouth, and finished thest few drops in the bottle. "Mrs.


    Rong, are you worried that I will drink all the alcohol in your house?"


    said Daniel. He looked at Rachel in his drunken state.


    "No, not at all, Daniel. We have lots of wine in our cer. You are allowed to drink it if you like it that


    much. I''m just starting to worry about you. Too much alcohol is really bad for your health." Shaking her


    head, Rachel gave Daniel a slight smile, as she noticed how drunk he actually was. Rachel said to


    Daniel,"Alright, get up. I can''t leave you here all by yourself. Let''s go."


    Rachel stepped towards him, in her attempt to help Daniel up from the ground. Daniel dodged her


    gesture, and refused to ept her help.


    "Don''t touch me, Rachel." Daniel said in his drunken state, and refilled his ss with wine.


    It was very unlike him to reject her like that. He wasn''t even being funny about it, which was something,


    she suddenly noticed,cking in him. Rachel nced at Daniel with a heavy sigh. "Fine, I should go


    now. I''ll ask Vivian toe get you and take care of you."


    Although Daniel was very drunk, Rachel understood that they were close friends. She initially thought


    that it was entirely normal for them to have a certain extent of physical contact with one another, yet he


    just ufortably rejected her touch. He even seemed too scared to touch her.


    Rachel turned around without giving the situation a second thought, and proceeded to walk away. As


    she was just about to reach the stairs, she heard a noise behind her. She turned around and wondered


    what had happened. Daniel already caught up to her. He hugged her close from behind, smelling like


    alcohol, so Rachel urged him to let her go.


    "Don''t move. Let me hug you."


    said Daniel. He hugged Rachel tightly. He was so close to her that she could almost feel his heartbeat.


    Daniel buried his face in Rachel''s shoulders, as he murmured,"Rachel, I miss you. I have missed you


    every day since you left work. How am I supposed to look at you and not touch you?


    I used to see you at work at least three times a week. I thought I would be satisfied with that, but you


    left. I feel hopeless not being able to see you as I please."


    Despite knowing how drunk he was, Rachel was startled by Daniel''s words. She wanted to pull herself


    out of Daniel''s hug, but he held onto her tightly. "Daniel, you''re drunk. Please, let go of me!"


    "No, I''m not letting you go. Not now. I know you''re Hiram''s wife. So, I can never everpete with him,


    and I don''t even think twice about it. Just... Grant me one minute. All I want to do is talk to you." said


    Daniel. He turned Rachel around with his hands gently holding on to her shoulders. Rachel lowered her


    head. She felt uneasy about the entire situation and didn''t know how to respond.


    She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. She continued to speak,"Alright, I can give you one


    minute. Just, let go of me first."


    Daniel stared at his hands, which were holding on to Rachel''s shoulders. He let go of her reluctantly,


    and said bitterly,"You''ve hurt me, Rachel. Hiram can do whatever he wants to do because he''s your


    husband, but me? I am not even allowed to touch you.


    I know I don''t deserve you. I don''t have the guts to win you over. I''m not brave enough. Even when


    Hiram hurt you, I... I was too much of a coward tofort you or take care of you in public. Because I


    know you. I know that even if you and Hiram encountered the idea of getting a divorce one day, still I


    wouldn''t be able to have you.


    Things like this always happen to me. It seems as though my life, and all these events, have been set


    out for me. I feel like I have always been doomed to lose. I have felt this since the very beginning. I will


    never be able to win you over."


    Rachel didn''t know how to respond. The words he said, really struck a chord with her. Although they


    didn''t feel like anything too profound, she felt a sudden sense of sadness in her heart.


    She didn''t have many male friends. Daniel was really the only one whom she felt she could embrace a


    friendship with.


    "Don''t say that, Daniel. I think Vivian is a really good choice for you. You''re a great guy. There are many


    women out there who would simply jump at the mere idea of building a life with you."


    Rachel patted Daniel on his shoulders, and said,"Okay, so we''re good. We''re not going to overthink


    this, right? You''re going to sleep it off, and forget this."


    While she was talking to Daniel, she noticed that someone was standing on the stairs. She was startled


    and quickly said,"Daniel, I should go now. Get some rest. Goodnight."


    Startled, Rachel was ready to turn around and leave. However, Daniel was extremely drunk, and


    refused to let go of her. He suddenly grabbed her hands and wanted to pull her into his arms.


    Hiram, was the one who stood on the stairs.


    He came upstairs to look for his wife. He strode towards them and pulled Rachel from Daniel''s arms.


    He held her, and looked at Daniel coldly,"Daniel, you''re very drunk. I''ll ask someone to send you to your


    bedroom now! You need to get some sleep,"


    said Hiram. He walked down the stairs with Rachel. With his hands on her shoulders. he refused to


    take his hands off of her.


    Daniel''s hands were holding the air around him. Eventually he bitterly closed his eyes.


    Daniel had predicted that this would happen.


    …


    Hiram didn''t let go of Rachel''s hands until they reached their bedroom. His face was shocked, and


    rather faded. He walked towards the balcony, opened the window and lit a cigarette, which always


    seemed like it could solve all of his problems in one go. However, not this time.


    If it hadn''t been Daniel who tried something as stupid as hitting on his wife tonight, he would have


    beaten him up.


    Rachel stared at Hiram''s back through the window. She opened the door and walked over to him.


    "Hiram…"


    She had no idea what to say to him. She couldn''t defend Daniel. Hiram would just get angrier towards


    him, and she didn''t want any trouble. She imagined that if she had kept it a secret and he hadn''t caught


    Daniel dering his love and care to Rachel, Hiram wouldn''t feel as ufortable as he did tonight.


    Rachel walked onto the balcony. Hiram put out his cigarette, and turned around to look at her. "I''m fine.


    I just want a few moments alone to breathe. You can go to sleep, honey. You don''t have to wait for me."


    Rachel opened her mouth, yet held back what she wanted to say. She turned around and went inside.


    When she was finished in the shower, she walked into the bedroom. Hiram already came inside from


    the balcony. He was subtly reading on their bed, as if nothing had happened. Rachel didn''t know how


    to respond.


    While Rachel was taking a shower, she thought about a lot of things. She finally made a decision. They


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    needed to talk about what happened. She acknowledged that if they ignored it, it would be much more


    difficult for them to deal with their problems in the future.


    "Hiram, I want to talk to you." said Rachel. She got into bed to lie next to him.


    Hiram took his ss of wine, which was ced on the bedside table. He took a big sip. Flinching his


    eyes. he looked over at his wife, who seemed exceedingly serious. "Say it."


    Rachel let out a heavy sigh, as she grabbed his arm and rested her head on it firmly. She continued to


    speak in a lower tone. "I know that whatever Daniel said to me, was said in his drunken state of mind.


    Regardless, he shocked me, and I only see him as a friend. He has never said anything like that to me


    before. I have no idea where it came from. He gave me a lot of attitude tonight. I don''t know what''s


    wrong with him. I know that it must have made you feel very ufortable. It made me feel very


    ufortable too..."


    Hiram held onto Rachel as he watched her lying in his arms safely. He didn''t say a word whatsoever. A


    few secondster, he found the courage to finally speak. "Yes, I feel very ufortable about what


    Daniel said and, dered... Not only is he my business partner, but also is my friend. Where is the


    loyalty? I ced my trust in him and he broke it."


    If it was someone else, like Wayne or whoever, Hiram acknowledged to himself that he would feel


    jealous in his heart, but he wouldn''t feel ufortable, nor uneasy about the whole ordeal, as it


    wouldn''t matter.


    Hiram knew his taste and style quite well. Rachel was a charming, beautiful and intelligent woman. He


    understood that she would be difficult to resist by most men.


    "You know what? If you were any other woman, I would let you go with Daniel without a single thought


    of hesitation. Unfortunately for Daniel, you''re different and mean the world to me. I won''t allow that kind


    of things to happen. No other guys are allowed to touch you! I won''t have it." Hiram said, as he grabbed


    Rachel''s shoulders harder. As he got more upset, he didn''t stop.


    "Ouch! That hurts!" It was so hard that Rachel shouted out loud. She yanked herself out of Hiram''s


    hands, and nced at her shoulders. On her pale-white shoulders, were Hiram''s fingerprints. She


    eximed,"No, Hiram, you''re overthinking what happened tonight! I am not involved with other men,


    except for you! I am your wife, and I am loyal to you alone."


    Hiram nced at her shoulders and rubbed them for her. "I know. I''m really sorry for hurting you...


    Daniel is drunk tonight. If he were in his right mind, he would never have said things like that! I like to


    believe that he carries somemon courtesy, and loyalty too,"


    said Hiram. He held Rachel''s head gently and in a protective manner. "Okay, I''ll let it go and forget


    about what happened tonight, but when I wake up tomorrow, Daniel better pull himself together. I will


    give him another chance, as long as he knows that nothing like this can ever happen again."


    Hiram was trying to appear calm in front of Rachel, but in reality, he was very angry. He never wanted


    to see other men look at Rachel with an intention. He was very protective of her. He also didn''t want to


    hear any man confess a romantic suggestion to her, never again.


    Hiram had always been scared of losing Rachel. She was an amazing woman.


    Since the day Rachel was kidnapped from the theater, Hiram had grown worried with the mere idea


    that one day, he could very well lose her. Most importantly, he worried that she could possess the idea


    of leaving him one day, which was something he wouldn''t be able to bear at all. It would break his


    heart.


    Should she ever get hurt, other men would be presented with a chance to sabotage their rtionship.


    He was constantly worried about her. Even the idea of her leaving him along the line, was the one he


    simply just couldn''t imagine.