The Husband I Loved for Eight Years Never Loved Me-Chapter 7: What’s with Your Attitude?

Rachel Royce stayed at the Royce Family’s home that night.

It was the most peaceful and sound sleep she’d had in a long time.

When she woke up in the morning.

Florence Preston was in the kitchen preparing breakfast. She had made chicken soup just for her, packed a nutritious lunch, and put it in a thermal container for her to take to the office.

Last night, Rachel Royce had told them she had resigned and was planning to work as Julian Jennings’s assistant for a month.

They had initially disagreed, wanting her to rest and take care of herself and the baby.

But Rachel insisted. Aside from her body feeling a bit heavy, she felt fine and could handle some simple work. Besides, she needed a change of scenery and something to keep her busy. Otherwise, if she did nothing, her mind would be filled with wild thoughts.

In the end, Wendy Royce didn’t say any more.

She had wanted to help in the kitchen, but Florence Preston refused.

Rachel didn’t insist. She sat on the sofa, searching online with her phone for a Pilates class suitable for pregnant women.

She picked one out and planned to find a time to go for a consultation.

She continued scrolling through her phone.

Suddenly, her expression changed.

She had come across a post on her social media feed.

The person had posted a nine-photo grid from a dinner gathering, the background an upscale private club.

The contact was Simon Shaw, a friend from Tristan Sterling’s circle. She had added him back when she was still Tristan’s assistant.

The photo caption read: "Dinner night. P.S. Another day of being the third wheel. When’s the wedding?"

Among the pictures were three of Tristan Sterling and Claire Ainsworth together.

In the center photo, Claire Ainsworth was covering her cheeks, nestled shyly in Tristan Sterling’s arms. The impossibly handsome man had a large hand on her shoulder, his eyes lowered and filled with tenderness as he gazed at the small woman in his embrace.

The sweet, affectionate atmosphere practically overflowed from the screen.

Everyone in Tristan Sterling’s circle knew he was legally married, but in their eyes, Rachel Royce was simply not worthy of him.

Simon Shaw had likely posted this on his feed intentionally for her to see.

Rachel felt a sharp, twisting pain in her chest, so intense she could barely breathe.

She turned off her phone.

Getting up, she went out onto the balcony, forcing herself to calm down, to not care, to stop thinking about it.

She couldn’t help but place a hand on her protruding belly.

Her heart felt as heavy as lead.

’Once we’re divorced, Tristan will surely marry Claire Ainsworth right away. They’ll have children. He loves Claire so much, he’ll definitely love their children... What about my child then? Will my baby still receive any so-called fatherly love?’

"Rachel, it’s time to eat."

Florence Preston’s voice called out.

Rachel snapped back to reality, took a deep breath, and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. She turned, walked back into the living room, and went to the bathroom.

By the time she came out, she had composed herself.

After breakfast.

Peter Preston drove Rachel Royce to the office.

On the way.

Peter Preston noticed something was off with Rachel and asked, "Rachel, is something wrong?"

Rachel shook her head, not wanting to say anything.

Peter said earnestly, "Rachel, you’re pregnant now. You shouldn’t keep things bottled up. It’s not good for you or the baby."

After a long moment, Rachel finally spoke. "It’s nothing... It’s just that Tristan Sterling has someone else, and I haven’t been able to fully accept it yet. But it’s okay, I’ll pull myself together. You don’t have to worry, Peter."

She said it lightly.

Peter knew she was hurting but didn’t know how to comfort her. He could only say, "Time heals all wounds. It will get better."

Rachel nodded and hummed in agreement.

When they arrived at the company.

Rachel got out of the car with the thermal container, said goodbye to Peter, and walked into the office building.

Inside the company.

She ran into Tristan Sterling again.

Tristan rarely stayed at home, and the reason she had persisted in coming to work even after her demotion was so she could see him every day.

But in the past few months at the company, she had rarely seen him. Even when she did, he was exceptionally cold to her.

’I can’t believe I’ve run into him two days in a row.’

The man got out of his car, dressed in a sharp suit. Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and strikingly long legs. A handsome face with deep, chiseled features. No matter when she saw him, he was always stunning—extraordinarily handsome, imposing, and commanding.

And yet, this same cold man also had a tender and passionate side.

A sudden pang of bitterness twisted in Rachel’s heart. She lowered her gaze, stepped aside to clear the path, and said respectfully, "President Sterling."

As usual, Tristan Sterling treated her like she was thin air. Upon noticing her presence, his expression grew even colder as he strode right past her.

Not until the man had entered the exclusive presidential elevator did Rachel finally recover, taking the staff elevator upstairs.

Yesterday.

She and Sandra Chapman had had an ugly confrontation, so today, Sandra’s attitude toward her was sour. She had arranged for someone else to handle the handover with her.

Rachel couldn’t care less about Sandra’s attitude; she just wanted to finish the handover quickly and get out of there.

When her morning work was done.

Rachel saw that the weather was nice. Since there was an ecological park behind the office building, she decided to take her thermal container downstairs to eat outside and go for a short walk.

She took the elevator down.

As she reached the lobby, she came face-to-face with two men walking in. One of them was Zane Shaw. The man beside him stood tall with an extraordinary presence. He looked like one of Tristan Sterling’s friends, but she had never seen him before.

Rachel had no intention of greeting them. She kept her head down and moved away from the two, heading for the exit.

However, Zane Shaw spotted Rachel the moment he walked in.

Her overweight figure was simply too conspicuous.

Seeing her try to avoid him, Zane Shaw strode forward and blocked her path.

Rachel stopped in her tracks. She looked up at Zane Shaw, only to be met with his utterly disgusted expression. "What, you don’t have eyes? Or are you just blind? Don’t you know to greet people?"

Back when she was still Tristan Sterling’s assistant, Zane Shaw had always been polite to her. But now, in their eyes, she was just an ugly, fat, scheming woman who didn’t know her place.

Rachel lowered her eyes and said softly, "Master Shaw."

Zane Shaw sneered mockingly, "What’s with that attitude? You really think a toad like you can become a phoenix?"

Rachel’s fingers tightened around the thermal container. She felt utterly humiliated. She tried to step around Zane Shaw and leave.

Suddenly, Zane Shaw stuck out his long leg.

Caught completely off guard, Rachel tripped and fell, her knees hitting the hard floor with a THUD. Her face went white in an instant, and her teeth chattered from the pain. The thermal container flew from her grasp, its contents of chicken soup and food spilling everywhere.

Watching from a short distance away, Suzanne Sullivan couldn’t help but gasp in shock.