Chapter 172

After what happened with Tammy, Rachel was rather worried. Did she just hop from one trap to another? She now felt as though everyone was trying to harm her. As she followed Samantha, Rachel asked, "Weren’t you with William? How could he possibly let you roam around alone like this?"

Samantha turned around and gave Rachel what was supposed to be a normal smile, but she thought she sensed something else in it. In her usual innocent tone, Samantha said, "Rachel, why are you being so suspicious? If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be able to find your way back."

Rachel hated seeing that mild and harmless mask on Samantha’s face, which hid the sinister and malicious thoughts the latter harbored. She looked icily at Samantha and cut straight to the chase.

“William isn’t around, so you don’t need to bother putting on an act. Let’s be honest with each other, shall we?”

The smile on Samantha’s face deepened; her eyes were crystal-clear, never failing to evoke the desire in men to protect her. Some women just had that charm. They could simply stand there and blink innocently to make a man do everything for them without saying a word or doing a thing. Samantha had that charm.

She looked confused by Rachel’s words. In a saccharinely sweet voice, she said, "Rachel, I don’t have anything against you, really. In fact, I envy you for being by William’s side for so many years."

Rachel straightened her back. "You left him back then. You have only yourself to blame."

Samantha scoffed, her voice bright yet with a tinge of mockery. "Yeah, it was my problem back then, but he promised to wait for me. Rachel, you probably don’t know this yet, but there’s one thing about you that’s similar to me."

A bad feeling rose in Rachel’s chest. Could it be that dramatic? What Samantha told her at the next moment was exactly as she had expected.

“There’s a butterfly on your back, isn’t there?”

Rachel’s heart fell, and her face turned pale. Her body wavered as she felt an invisible hand clutching her heart. The pain was so intense, she almost fainted from it. She subconsciously put a hand over her chest.

Rachel had thought that come what may regarding William and Samantha, she could remain calm. It was only at this moment that she realized how tormenting the pain was—and that it could only get worse. She did not have any reason to doubt Samantha’s claim, because she remembered clearly how she first got to know William.

It was during their school’s anniversary celebration, during which she was part of the cheerleading team. Her uniform was bare-backed. William, on the other hand, was the captain of the basketball team; he was a popular kid in school, what with his boyish good looks. That was before he became jaded with the world, back when he was young and suave, with a lively and energetic air about him.

Rachel was busy managing the team and didn’t notice the basketball flying toward her. William deflected it just in the nick of time, and she thanked him for it. He approached her and praised her for the butterfly on her back.

Rachel’s eyes narrowed as she tried hard to calm herself. "There’s a butterfly on your back..."

“Yes, I have a butterfly on my back. He got someone to tattoo it on me,” Samantha said.

Rachel felt as though she could hardly breathe. She forced a smile on her face, but tears were welling up in her eyes. No wonder William would gaze at her back whenever she was fresh out of her shower.

Chapter 173