Secret Admiration: Finding True Love After P…

Chapter 653 Fight Back

Meryl furrowed her brows, still feeling a bit miffed with Chandler. She gently pushed him away, biting her lip. “What about Rachel? Don’t you need to take care of her tonight? She’s blind right now—what if something happens? Aren’t you concerned?”

“Concerned?” Chandler met her gaze, his eyes deep and searching. “Meryl, are you… still jealous?”

Meryl fell silent, her lack of response speaking volumes. It stung to see her man treating another woman so well, especially when he had forgotten their anniversary. Sure, Chandler had held his own at the reunion, making her look good among her classmates, but what good was that? It didn’t fill her heart or provide any real comfort. Meryl wanted genuine care and attention from her husband, not just superficial accolades.

She desperately wished Chandler would sort out his relationship with Rachel and return to their family. She had given him time to figure things out, but if he couldn’t, she was ready to gather her thoughts and leave. She didn’t want to get caught up in a love triangle. After all, Meryl was financially stable now; she could manage on her own with their child.

Chandler took Meryl’s hand gently. “Today, a specialist came to consult. They said Rachel’s eyes don’t have any underlying issues, but she insists she can’t see. The expert mentioned that she might recover on her own in a few days. I’ve been swamped with work and haven’t been able to sit by her bedside around the clock. Please don’t misunderstand me. Sometimes, I’m just too busy to come by the Stone Villa late at night. I didn’t want to disturb your rest.” After all, Meryl was quite far along in her pregnancy, and he knew how hard it was for her to get a good night’s sleep. If he showed up late, it would only disrupt her peace. “I was at the hospital today because of the specialist. I wanted to hear firsthand what was going on with her eyes.” He had entrusted Walter to handle Rachel’s care and even hired a nurse to look after her. “I tried calling you earlier, but you didn’t pick up,” he added, pulling Meryl closer and wrapping his arms around her waist.

Meryl had been busy composing music lately, often silencing her phone during the day. Whenever she noticed missed calls from Chandler and tried to return them, he was normally in a meeting, his phone on silent as well. It was a cycle of missed connections that left them both frustrated.

Hearing that Chandler hadn’t been glued to Rachel’s bedside made Meryl feel a little better. She lowered her gaze, her voice barely above a whisper, “But this afternoon, when I went to the hospital, I saw you two kissing.”

Chandler’s expression shifted as he frowned, trying to recall the moment. Suddenly, his face changed. “Wait a minute, was that noise in the hallway caused by you?” He quickly scanned Meryl from head to toe, concern etched on his face. “Meryl, did you fall? Are you hurt?” Chandler vaguely remembered hearing something heavy hit the floor, but Rachel had distracted him from checking it out.

Meryl shook her head gently. “I just bumped into a trash can and tripped a little. I didn’t fall.”

Chandler let out a sigh of relief. “As long as you didn’t fall, that’s good. At the time, Rachel said something got in her eye… I checked it out, and we didn’t kiss. You must have misunderstood.”

Meryl’s expression suddenly turned serious. She mused, “What a coincidence! I just happened to arrive at the hospital and saw the two of you so close together. It felt like… Rachel wanted me to see that. But wait, isn’t she blind? How does she know I’m here?”

A bold thought crept into Meryl’s mind. “What if Rachel can actually see? What if her blindness is just an act?” The more she pondered, the more plausible it seemed. Even the specialists had said Rachel’s injuries weren’t severe—maybe she was just pretending to be blind. “Could it be that she’s been faking it all along?”

Meryl didn’t share her suspicions with Chandler. For one, she had no proof to pin Rachel down. And if Rachel was indeed acting, Meryl wanted to expose her true self personally. After all, Rachel had thrown the blame on Meryl for this injury; now it was time for Meryl to fight back.

“Keeping Rachel in the hospital isn’t a long-term solution. How about we bring her to our house?” Meryl suggested suddenly.

Chandler looked at her in disbelief. “Bring her home? Meryl, what do you mean?”

“Think about it. It would be easier to care for her at home. We have maids,” Meryl replied earnestly, not joking around.

Chandler shook his head. “But that’s our home. I don’t want another woman living there disrupting our space.” He had his boundaries. There was no way he would agree to let Rachel cross the threshold of their home. Plus, as a man, he felt it would be awkward to have Rachel, a woman, living with them, even with Meryl around.

But Meryl had her reasons for wanting Rachel to stay. “It’s just temporary! Once her eyes are better, she can move out. Are you really going to leave a blind woman alone?”

Chandler hesitated, clearly torn. Meryl wrapped her arms around his and looked up at him, her expression softening. It was hard for him to say no to her like this; it felt like a gentle tug on his heartstrings.

With a deep sigh, he nodded slowly. “Alright, you call the shots. I’ll go along with whatever you decide.”

Meryl felt a wave of relief wash over her.

Chandler asked gently, “So, are you finally ready to move back from the Stone Villa?”

She nodded eagerly.

“Then I’ll push my work back and personally come to get you tomorrow,” Chandler said, a smile creeping onto his face. After a moment, he added, “No, let’s head home tonight.” Without missing a beat, he helped Meryl into the car, almost as if he were afraid she might change her mind.

As they drove, the scenery zipped by outside the window, and Meryl’s thoughts drifted. She reminded herself that Chandler was a busy man, and the fact that he carved out time to join her at the reunion was already a win. There was no need to expect him to remember every anniversary. Meryl lowered her gaze, stealing glances out the window.

Noticing Meryl’s distraction, Chandler pulled out his phone and texted Dante: [Call me in ten minutes.]

Dante replied with an “OK.”