The Husband I Loved for Eight Years Never Loved Me-Chapter 12: Introduction

Chapter 12: The Introduction

Rachel Royce stood behind him. He knew her identity, but unlike Simon Shaw, he didn’t show any obvious disgust. He was indeed a cultured gentleman.

She stepped out of the elevator.

Her phone vibrated.

It was a call from Peter Preston.

Rachel Royce answered. "I just got out of the elevator."

She hung up.

By the time she walked through the turnstiles, the man was already far away. She spotted Peter Preston.

Peter Preston hurried over to support her.

They left the office building.

Her car was parked outside. Peter Preston took her suitcase, placed it in his car, and drove her home.

It was past 12:30 by the time they got home.

Rachel Royce quickly washed up and lay down to rest.

「For the next three days.」

Rachel Royce stayed at her family’s home. No one from the villa contacted her; after all, nobody cared where she stayed.

The work handover during these past few days went smoothly.

Every morning, Florence Preston would wake up early to prepare her meals.

Rachel Royce’s complexion and overall condition improved noticeably.

The pain inflicted by Sylvia Shannon and Tristan Sterling was slowly healing with her family’s companionship.

「On Saturday.」

Florence Preston accompanied Rachel Royce to a yoga studio downtown.

It was a studio Rachel had found online. Although the fees were expensive, the equipment, facilities, and instructor qualifications were top-notch. They offered specialized, one-on-one professional training for pregnant women.

After learning more about it, Rachel was very satisfied. The only issue was the price, which was indeed high. A private session started at eight thousand, and the price increased with the seniority of the chosen instructor.

According to the staff, their one-on-one professional instructors served the wives and daughters of wealthy families, and they even offered in-home training services, which, of course, were even more expensive.

Florence Preston booked it for her, starting with a one-month package for three hundred thousand—a mid-range price point.

Rachel wanted to pay for it herself. As Tristan Sterling’s former assistant, she had an annual salary in the millions and still had some savings.

In the past two years, Peter Preston had invested a lot of money into starting his own business, and the company had yet to become profitable, so Florence Preston didn’t have much money on hand.

When her father’s company had run into trouble, Peter had been prepared to sell his shares to help pay off the debt. But it was his life’s work, and Rachel didn’t want to see his efforts go to waste like that.

"We’re family. Why are you arguing with me over this? Your father gave me some money, so I can still afford this."

In the end, Florence Preston paid.

An indescribable warmth filled Rachel Royce’s heart. She secretly vowed to work hard and make a lot of money in the future.

They selected a yoga instructor named Quinn Preston. She was thirty-five and had eight years of experience teaching prenatal yoga.

They scheduled the class time.

As it happened, one of Quinn Preston’s private clients had something come up, freeing up her schedule. So, Rachel began her lesson with Quinn right away.

Florence Preston waited for her outside.

Rachel had dance experience from a young age, so her flexibility wasn’t too bad.

After the two-hour class, Rachel was drenched in sweat. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but her body felt much lighter, and her spirits were lifted.

She showered at the studio and came out after changing.

She heard a familiar voice.

"The Ainsworth Beauty really doesn’t let anyone else have a chance. A body like that, and you still work so hard. No wonder the cold President Sterling fell at your feet. Claire, with a curvy figure like yours, you must drive your Tristan wild every night."

"What are you talking about? Behave yourself, there are other people here."

"Your face is so red, I must have hit the nail on the head. Come on, tell us, is Tristan Sterling amazing in that department? How many times a night?"

"Do you even have to ask? He’s definitely an ’at least seven times a night’ kind of guy."

"Oh, stop it, you guys."

"..."

The group of women entered the locker room, laughing and teasing.

They happened to run right into Rachel Royce, who was on her way out.

Claire Ainsworth stopped short, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

Rachel looked at Claire Ainsworth. The yoga clothes perfectly outlined her slender, delicate figure. Her skin was fair and soft, her legs long and her waist slim. Her curves were so perfect there wasn’t a single flaw to be found.

Her hair was in a top knot, and her makeup-free face was exquisite and beautiful, without a single imperfection.

She was so beautiful that even women couldn’t help but be captivated, let alone men.

The moment Rachel saw her, she couldn’t help but lower her gaze. The women’s conversation echoed in her ears, and a sharp pain clenched her heart. She strode out.

Claire Ainsworth stood frozen, watching Rachel’s display of low self-esteem. A faint, cold smirk touched her lips, but she felt no sense of triumph. ’After all, an ugly, fat woman like that isn’t even worthy of being compared to me.’

"Claire, what’s wrong?"

Nancy Willow asked quizzically when she saw her standing still.

Claire Ainsworth subtly composed herself, her expression returning to its usual lovely and beautiful state. "It’s nothing," she said.

Only after composing herself did Rachel go find Florence Preston.

"Miss Preston, let’s go."

Florence Preston didn’t notice anything unusual about her.

The two took the elevator downstairs and went to the supermarket inside the mall to buy some groceries. This time, Rachel insisted on paying, and Florence didn’t argue.

They left the mall.

As they were about to hail a cab, she saw a striking figure in the distance.

Leaning against a luxurious, expensive car stood a man with an exceptional build. He wore a light gray, thin cashmere sweater, and his long legs, encased in straight-leg trousers, were particularly striking. He had a perfectly proportioned body, a handsome face, and an air of elegance and nobility that seemed bone-deep.

The multi-million-dollar luxury car behind him and the hundred-million-dollar watch on his wrist added to his mature, wealthy charm.

He just stood there quietly, and even the breeze that swept past him seemed to smell of money. Every passerby was stunned, their eyes fixed on him.

However, the cold, distant aura he exuded kept people from daring to approach.

"That’s Tristan."

Florence Preston said.

Rachel Royce snapped back to reality.

"Should we go say hello?" Florence Preston asked, looking at Rachel.

Rachel felt her feet freeze. She didn’t have to guess why he was here.

Before she could speak, a delicate figure appeared and ran toward the man. "Tristan."

The coldness in the man’s eyes melted, as if the warm sun had broken through the bleak late-autumn sky.

Tristan Sterling stepped forward and naturally wrapped his arm around the girl’s waist. Claire Ainsworth said goodbye to her friends, her face beaming with happiness and bliss. Tristan opened the passenger door for her, and she got in.

Tristan shut the door, strode around the front of the car, and got into the driver’s seat before driving away.

Florence Preston witnessed this scene of Tristan’s infidelity, but she was powerless to do anything. Tristan had clearly seen them just now, but his gaze was that of someone looking at a complete stranger.

’It’s our own fault for being indebted to the Sterling Family,’ she thought. ’We can’t afford to provoke someone like Tristan Sterling.’

She turned back and saw Rachel’s pale face.

"Rachel!"

Florence Preston’s eyes were filled with worry.

Rachel forced a small smile. "I’m fine, Miss Preston," she said unconvincingly. "Let’s go home."

"Okay, let’s go home first."

Just then, Rachel received a call from Julian Jennings.

"Professor Jennings."

"Are you free tonight? Professor Michael from Stanford happens to be in Kingsland for an exchange, and he’ll be your instructor. I’ve scheduled a meeting with him and wanted to take the opportunity to introduce you."

Rachel’s miserable mood instantly lifted upon hearing this. She asked joyfully, "I do! When? Where?"

"I’ll send you the location."

"Okay."