My Mute Bride

Rachel wanted to scatter the powder that Nancy had given her onto the buttons of the keypad. With a mini-flashlight that she brought around everywhere, Rachel ensured that every number on the keypad had been covered with some powder before she shut the wardrobe and left the room.

It began to rain in the evening, and the skies were dark by the time Justin got home. He saw a figure sitting in his living hall the moment he entered the house. “What are you doing here?”

Rachel looked up from the magazine she was reading and replied in a matter-of-factly tone, “Did you forget that I sent Charlotte back earlier?”

Justin seemed rather displeased. “What I meant was, what are you still doing here?” Charlotte got home hours ago. What time is it now? Justin thought.

“Well, I did you a favor, right? Why can’t you offer me dinner or something?” Rachel said.

“Don’t you have food at home? Do you need to eat here?” Justin was obviously annoyed. “You’d better not think that you’ll be able to gain control over me just because you managed to win Charlotte’s heart. What happened in the past is in the past. I’m not someone who likes looking back.”

“You’re thinking too much.” Rachel shot a glance at the room upstairs. “Charlotte has a slight fever, and I stayed back because I was rather worried.”

Justin’s pupils shrank a little after he heard what Rachel said. When Rachel tucked Charlotte into bed earlier, she had already realized how the young girl seemed rather unwell. After taking Charlotte’s temperature, Rachel found that Charlotte had a slight fever. It was probably because Charlotte had dressed too thinly for a windy day out.

g to the room, Justin took the young girl’s temperature once more. His fatherly gaze was filled with tenderness as he gently placed his large palm against Charlotte’s tiny face. Charlotte was half awake as she let out a soft mumble. “Mommy…”

Justin’s face fell a little. Rachel was too far to hear what Charlotte had said, but she assumed that Justin was worried because of the grim look on his face. “Don’t worry, it’s only normal for kids to have mild fevers and headaches. She’ll be a lot better after she gets some rest,” Rachel said.

He simply responded with a slight nod. The rain only got heavier by the time they left Charlotte’s room and went downstairs. “I’ll leave now,” Rachel said.

Justin glanced out the window before he replied, “You didn’t leave when the weather was good earlier, and you’re telling me that you’re leaving now when it’s raining. Are you expecting me to make you stay?”

“Honestly, no. I would’ve left if Charlotte didn’t have a fever, and I don’t need to worry now since you’re home,” Rachel uttered. “I have food waiting for me at home,” she added to prove her point.

a car’s engine rumbled by the front entrance. Rachel took an umbrella from the porch as she walked out. “Can I borrow one of your

the full-length window by the side. He could

the heavy droplets of rain on the windshield. “The rain is so heavy tonight. This could’ve been your perfect excuse to spend a night there. You might’ve even managed to get some evidence by tonight, right?

up?” Nancy

tell that this weather is the perfect excuse for me to stay, so don’t you

he’d get suspicious of you?”

gone to his safebox on

you going to do now? You can’t say that you’re going over to visit your daughter, right? Doesn’t Justin

“There’ll be a lot of other chances in the

next day, Rachel paid a visit to Justin’s office

Justin uttered from

He lifted his head when

doing here?”

umbrella she was holding in her hand. “I’m here to return your

What’s this? What’s the rush?” he asked as he pushed his signed documents to one side of his

you as someone who’s that desperate to achieve something?” Rachel asked as she placed the

“Wait,” he muttered.

anything

you haven’t finished teaching her how to bake cookies, so she told me to invite you over after work,” he continued. An exasperated

free,” she hastily

work.” Justin continued to look at his documents after he finished his sentence. He