Chapter 362 She Would Become His Enemy (1/2)

”Rachel, are you okay?” Carl asked, his brows furrowed in worry. He just got there and saw her standing absentmindedly.

Rachel shook her head, but she wasn't looking at him. Her eyes were fixed at the direction where the strange man went. Dusting herself off, she said,”I'm fine, Carl. Let's go. Take me to the police station. I want to see my mom.”

On her way to the precinct, her mind was full of thoughts of her mom. She asked Carl to pull over at a store and went inside. She filled a cart with all of her mom's favorite food, as well as some toiletries. She paid at the counter and gripped the bag on her way out. It was less than ten days before the hearing, but she had nothing that could possibly help.

Things just kept getting worse. Her mother would be staying in prison for at least ten years if she was convicted guilty. She felt her chest constrict at the thought. She spent the rest of the ride in grim silence. When it was her turn, she entered the visiting room and looked around her. She wondered if the other people around felt as helpless.

Seeing the familiar figure of her mom walk into the room, she stood reflexively, but her voice was caught in her throat when she saw her more clearly. Rachel grasped her mother's arms. She swallowed and managed to choke out her words. ”Mom, how are you doing the past days?” she asked. She looked paler, and thinner. There were dark circles under her eyes. It seemed that she was getting slowly defeated. Rachel felt as if stones were filling her chest. Nothing could assuage the guilt that came over her when she touched her mother's bony fingers.

Fannie smiled at her, just like every single time she saw her daughter. Her eyes lighted up for a moment, and she replied,”I'm fine, honey. We don't have much to do here, but things are going well. Don't worry about me.” She squeezed Rachel's hands, and gave her another small smile.

”More importantly,” Fannie added more enthusiastically,”did you bring any new photos of Jonny and Joyce now? I'm missing them so much!” It had been quite a long time after she last saw them. She could only see their smiles and hear the tinkle of their laughter in her dreams now.

Rachel took out her phone and immediately handed it to her mother's waiting hands.

Fannie scrolled through Rachel's gallery. ”Look at them, Joyce's face is getting more round and Jonny's getting taller! They grow so fast,” she exclaimed. Fannie held the phone closer to her face. She smiled at the screen and traced her grandchildren's faces with her fingers, reliving for a moment the glow of their eyes and the warmth of their skin.

Tears were threatening to fall from Rachel's eyelids as she looked at her mother stare lovingly at the faces of her children. She took in her bent form, noticing the frailness of her frame, the creases on her face, and the silver strands of her hair. Had it really only been a few days?

She had been living her life lie after lie, ever since her mom was imprisoned, even when Hiram was around. Especially when he was around. She didn't want to complicate things any more than they already were, but it was getting more and more suffocating each day.

She made sure that she maintained a good relationship with her father-in-law, especially in front of her children. The sight of them fighting could leave shadows in their small hearts.

She closed her eyes against the difficulties of her emotions. 'I have to bear with it, ' she told herself. Seeing her mother immensely pained her- she would be glad to take her place, but at the same time, knowing that she was also suffering strengthened her resolve to keep her family together.

Her thoughts were cut short when she saw her mother's wrist. ”Mom, what's wrong with your wrist?” she asked.

Purple bruises coiled around her wrist, in stark contrast to her pale skin. Rachel saw it while her mother was fixated on her phone, looking at the kids' photos.

Fannie jerked at this and tore her gaze a

“Let's go and register our marriage on your birthday!”

Marrying Daniel should have been her best birthday gift, but everything was ruined the moment when she caught him sleeping with another woman on the day before her birthday.