The Husband I Loved for Eight Years Never Loved Me-Chapter 54: The Only Chance from Tristan Sterling
Chapter 54: The Only Chance Tristan Sterling Gave Her
Rachel Royce received photos and videos of little Melissa’s one-month celebration from Thomas Sterling.
"Little Melissa grabbed the safety lock you sent her and was all smiles. The little one definitely knew it was from her mommy."
Seeing the happy, smiling child, a smile couldn’t help but touch Rachel’s lips. She had now come to terms with her situation and calmed down.
She wanted to watch her child grow up, even if she couldn’t be there with her.
Rachel looked at the little one in the photo. She could tell she was being very well taken care of; the Sterling family truly adored her.
"She’s a clever little thing."
"Of course she is. Any child of yours would be smart."
"..."
One day, Rachel suddenly received a call from Tristan Sterling. "I’m going on a business trip for a few days. You should come over and take care of the baby."
Hearing his words, Rachel froze. She thought he was calling to discuss the divorce, but the cooling-off period wasn’t over for another three days.
She never expected him to actually ask her to come back and care for their child. For a long moment, she couldn’t process it.
’What on earth does he mean by this?’
’Is he giving me an out?’
’We’re about to get a divorce.’
’Tristan Sterling has always been decisive and resolute, a man whose word is final. Besides, he despises me so much. It’s absolutely impossible that he’s having second thoughts about the divorce.’
’The only possibility is that he’s letting me come back for the baby’s sake.’
Rachel gripped her phone tighter.
Silence filled the line.
Tristan Sterling waited for her answer.
Time ticked by, second by agonizing second. A heavy weight seemed to press down on Rachel’s heart, making it hard to breathe.
Finally, she spoke. "I can’t come take care of the baby. You take good care of her."
She tried her best to keep her emotions in check.
She knew this was the only chance Tristan Sterling was giving her.
As soon as the words left her mouth, the person on the other end said nothing more and hung up.
Listening to the dial tone, Rachel limply lowered her phone.
The dam of her emotions finally broke. A stinging sensation filled her nose, her eyes turned red, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
Just then, Florence Preston came in with a plate of fruit and saw Rachel’s tear-streaked face and red eyes.
Florence was startled. She hurried to the edge of the bed, set down the plate, pulled out a tissue, and hugged Rachel, asking nervously, "What is it? What happened?"
Rachel buried her face in Florence’s shoulder and began to sob uncontrollably.
Hearing her, Florence’s heart ached. She gently patted Rachel’s back and said, "Go on and cry if you need to. You’ll feel better after you let it all out."
Wendy Royce stood at the door, his own eyes reddening as he watched his daughter. He turned and left in silence.
An unknown amount of time passed.
Rachel gradually calmed down. Exhausted from crying, she fell asleep on the bed.
Florence quietly left the bedroom, closing the door behind her and wiping the corners of her own eyes.
Wendy Royce saw her and asked, "Was it about the baby?"
Florence said, "Tristan Sterling just called her. I don’t know what was said, but it was definitely about the baby." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂
They both knew how much Rachel had been suffering recently, but she didn’t want to worry them, so she had always hidden it.
For her to lose control like this today, Tristan must have said something about the child.
Wendy Royce’s expression soured. "It’s all my fault for being a bad father."
Florence comforted him, "Alright, don’t blame yourself. And don’t say anything like that in front of Rachel, or you’ll only make her feel worse."
"Let’s just be there for her. Everything will be okay."
Wendy Royce nodded.
「On the day the cooling-off period ended.」
Rachel didn’t receive a call from Tristan Sterling, and her own calls to him wouldn’t go through. Remembering he had mentioned a business trip, she figured he must have really gone.
She sent him a message, but he didn’t reply.
Now, all she could do was wait for him to return, though she had no idea how long his trip would be.
She called Thomas Sterling to ask about the baby.
He was the only way she could get news about her child now.
Thomas Sterling’s company was also very busy at the start of the year. He said, "I’ll check on her when I get back tonight."
"Okay."
That night, she received a call from Thomas Sterling. "My cousin went on his business trip and took the baby with him."
Rachel was stunned. "He took the baby on a business trip?"
"Yeah, little Melissa is hard to soothe when she cries. My aunt and the others couldn’t calm her down. She’s really attached to her dad, so he took her with him. No idea when he’ll be back."
Rachel never thought Tristan Sterling would indulge their child so much, never imagined he could love her this deeply.
An indescribable feeling welled up inside her.
"As long as the baby is alright, that’s all that matters."
"You don’t need to worry about little Melissa. She’s the Sterling family’s treasure now. She’ll be well taken care of."
Rachel hummed in acknowledgment.
The two chatted for a little longer before hanging up.
March in Kingsland was still cold.
Florence Preston began to pack Rachel’s luggage for her move abroad.
Julian Jennings had already confirmed everything with her. The visa was processed, her accommodations were all arranged, and her flight was at 1:00 PM on the 10th.
After more than a month of meticulous care, Rachel’s body had recovered well. She hadn’t left the house once since being discharged from the hospital.
She could only gaze at the outside world through her window.
The confinement was making her feel restless.
「A few more days passed.」
Tristan Sterling still hadn’t contacted her; it seemed he wasn’t back yet.
Wendy Royce also asked her how the divorce proceedings were going.
Rachel answered him honestly.
"Then we’ll just have to wait a little longer."
Tristan Sterling surely wasn’t dragging his feet on purpose; his work was probably just that important.
If time ran out, she would just have to entrust the matter to her lawyer.
Seeing that Rachel was about to leave for the United States, Joanna Sutton suggested in their group chat that everyone gather at the Royce family home. Since Florence wouldn’t let Rachel go out, they would have to come to her for a get-together.
After they settled on Saturday evening, everyone in the group chat eagerly agreed.
Early Saturday morning, Florence Preston and Wendy Royce went to the supermarket to buy groceries and prepare.
Peter Preston had to work overtime with Thomas Sterling to discuss a partnership, so the two of them came over to the Royce home together around five in the afternoon.
Julian Jennings, Joanna Sutton, and Ian Quinn met up downstairs.
Upon seeing Julian, Ian Quinn couldn’t help but start gossiping. "Hey, let me tell you, I heard Claire Ainsworth is trying to break up with Tristan Sterling."
Joanna Sutton shot him a look. "You’re so interested in her. Don’t tell me you have a secret crush on her."
Ian Quinn laughed. "You really think my taste is worse than your senior’s?"
"Oh, it’s worlds apart."
Just as Ian was about to retort, they heard Thomas Sterling’s voice and turned to look.
"Julian!"
Thomas Sterling walked up to them. "Ian. Joanna."
They all exchanged greetings.
Then, they all headed into the apartment building together.
