The Husband I Loved for Eight Years Never Loved Me-Chapter 6: Too High to Reach

Chapter 6: Out of Her League

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

"Rachel, your father and the others are back," Florence Preston said as she knocked on the door.

Rachel didn’t think much of it. She put down the photo album, got up, and left her room. Seeing the two men coming in, she called out happily, "Dad, Peter."

Peter Preston and Wendy Royce looked at Rachel.

"Rachel, I brought you a gift. Come see if you like it," Peter Preston said, gesturing her over.

Rachel walked over, delighted. "What is it?"

Peter Preston was carrying several bags, big and small, which he placed on the coffee table.

Peter Preston took out a branded jewelry box and handed it to her. "Open it."

Rachel took it happily. Inside was an exquisitely crafted gold bracelet. "Thank you, Peter. I love it."

"I’m glad you like it."

Peter Preston reached out and affectionately ruffled Rachel’s hair.

Peter Preston had also bought a gold bracelet for Florence Preston, one that suited her style, as well as a skincare set for both her and Rachel. For Wendy Royce, he brought back tea and liquor, along with some local specialties.

The atmosphere was warm and harmonious.

Only when she was back home could Rachel feel completely at ease.

"Rachel, when’s your due date?" Peter Preston asked with concern.

Her large belly did make it look like she was in the final trimester.

Rachel replied, "My due date is still two months away."

"Rachel must be having a girl," Florence Preston said with a smile.

Rachel nodded. "It is a girl."

"You had the sex checked?" Wendy Royce asked.

Realizing the implications, Florence Preston couldn’t help but grow tense as well.

"Yes, but Madam Sterling values this child very much."

Wendy Royce let out a sigh of relief. "That’s good. As long as you have the child, you and Tristan will eventually work things out."

Rachel lowered her gaze, her heart suddenly heavy. She didn’t know how to bring it up—how to tell them that Tristan Sterling had already asked for a divorce.

But she couldn’t hide it forever, especially since she had decided to move out of Silvermist Bay and come back home to live.

’Forget it.’

’I’ll wait until after dinner to tell them.’

Florence Preston prepared a sumptuous dinner.

Peter Preston had co-founded a tech company with a friend. Two years ago, when he was first setting it up, Wendy Royce had given him the startup capital without any hesitation. The company was now doing very well, focusing primarily on AI technology. The business trip he just returned from was to negotiate a partnership, and it had gone very smoothly.

Wendy Royce was currently in the process of selling his own company.

Although the dowry from the Sterling Family had given the company some breathing room before, the current business climate was poor. Restructuring was proving difficult, and the company was simply no longer sustainable.

He was getting older and didn’t have the energy he used to. He was very optimistic about the development of Peter Preston’s company, which was entering its financing round at the end of the year. It was the perfect time to sell his own company and invest the proceeds into Peter’s.

At the same time, he announced some good news: he and Florence Preston were planning to get their marriage license.

Florence Preston’s eyes reddened instantly.

Her years of companionship had finally led to this. Rachel had no objections; she knew her father had hesitated to marry Florence Preston because he still held a place in his heart for her mother.

She had never understood why her mother would have divorced and left such a good man.

But that didn’t matter anymore.

’On such a happy occasion...’

’I can’t bear to ruin the mood.’

But in the end, she spoke up. "Dad, Miss Preston, Peter... Tristan Sterling is going to divorce me."

Silence fell.

The atmosphere in the dining room grew tense. Everyone’s expression turned grim, especially Wendy Royce’s. He lowered his head, his face taut. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The outcome seemed expected, but no one had thought it would happen so soon.

Although the Royce and Sterling families were joined by marriage, the couple had never had a wedding ceremony, only a marriage license. For the past six months or more, the two families had had no contact.

Tristan Sterling had never once set foot in the Royce family home. The Sterlings never sent gifts for holidays like the Dragon Boat Festival or the Mid-Autumn Festival. Every time Rachel came home alone, Wendy Royce and Florence Preston would prepare festive gifts for her to take back to the Sterling Family.

When she delivered them to the Sterling estate, Madam Sterling would accept the gifts politely enough, but Rachel knew she just gave them all to the servants.

Sylvia Shannon, on the other hand, had once ordered a servant to throw the gifts into the trash right in front of her, telling Rachel not to have her family send such "unpresentable" things again.

Tristan Sterling had warned her to stop doing such meaningless things.

In such an unequal marriage, a parting of ways was only a matter of time.

Rachel pursed her lips and continued, "But we’re waiting until after the baby is born. I’ve also accepted Professor Jennings’ offer to go to Stanford University for advanced studies next February."

Peter Preston was the first to break the heavy silence. "Going back to school is a great idea. Rachel, you’re too talented to be trapped in a marriage. No matter what you decide, I’ll support you."

Rachel smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Peter."

Wendy Royce sighed, a sound filled with endless helplessness and guilt. "A divorce... so be it. It’s all my fault. Ordinary people like us really can’t hope to marry into a powerful family like the Sterlings."

Rachel’s eyes couldn’t help but redden. Suddenly, all the pain she had endured recently seemed insignificant. She had her family’s support. Her family would always be her rock. There was no obstacle she couldn’t overcome.

Seeing this, Florence Preston grabbed a tissue and gently wiped Rachel’s teary eyes, comforting her.

In the end, the family finished their dinner in high spirits.

「Meanwhile.」

In One Southgate Estates, a villa district that had been around for over twenty years, the infrastructure was beginning to show its age. It was considered an old-money neighborhood.

A Bentley slowly pulled up in front of Villa 12—the very same villa the Royce Family had sold.

The window lowered, revealing a handsome, perfect profile. He gazed at the villa, which was brightly lit.

The warm yellow glow of the streetlights reflected in his eyes, revealing a complex and lonely expression he couldn’t hide.

He pulled his gaze away and lit a cigarette.

Just then, his phone vibrated. He picked it up and answered, his voice gentle. "What’s wrong, Claire?"

Claire Ainsworth’s playful pout came through the phone. "Brother, when are you going to get here? I’m starving, and Tristan won’t let me eat yet."

Immediately after, a deep, indulgent voice sounded from the other end. "Who was it that asked me to remind her to watch what she eats? And now you’re blaming me?"

Claire Ainsworth huffed.

"If you’re hungry, go ahead and eat. I’ll be right there."

He hung up the phone.

Suzanne Sullivan stubbed out his cigarette, took one last look out the window, rolled it up, and drove away from the villa.