Chapter 2. Rachel Passes Out

Mario wasn’t angry; he just smiled. He let Rachel cool off in the room and went to the living room with Mr. Hans.

“Mario, you need to be patient with Rachel. I’m sure she’s still in shock. But you know she’s kind-hearted. Just give her some time before talking to her,” said Mr. Hans.

“Yes, Dad. I understand. And I don’t regret marrying Rachel. Maybe she just needs time,” said Mario.

“I’m sure that you can win Rachel’s heart. She’s a stubborn woman, but deep down, she’s soft-hearted. I hope you’ll take care of Rachel,” replied Mr. Hans.

“Yes, Dad. I’ll excuse myself now, okay? We all are heading to Europe for our honeymoon. I want to check on the preparations,” said Mario, then left his father-in-law.

***

In Lea and Michael’s room, Michael was packing their clothes. “Are you guys leaving already?” he asked.

“Yes, and if only Rachel wanted to come, I would’ve invited her,” said Michael.

“Let me try to talk to her first. It’s a shame she’s still silent in her room,” Mario replied.

“It’s not your fault, Mario. Just be patient! There will come a time when Rachel will warm up to you. You’re a good man. I’ll buy souvenirs for both you and Rachel,” Lea suddenly said from behind Mario.

“Thank you, Lea. And take care, okay? I’m sorry I can’t take you to the airport,” said Mario.

Once all the preparations were done, Lea and Michael headed to the airport. The same preparations were made for Rachel and Mario, but Rachel, unwilling to accept the marriage, would surely refuse if asked.

For now, the most important thing was for Rachel to stay at home. In the future, Mario would have to find ways to win Rachel’s heart.

That night, Mario tried to bring food to Rachel’s room. Since morning, Rachel had refused to eat anything. Mario brought chicken soup and hot tea. He knocked on the door and called out to Rachel, but she was reluctant to open the door and kept it locked from the inside.

Mario continued calling out to Rachel, hoping she would open the door. “Rachel, please open the door! It’s okay if you’re angry with me, but take care of yourself. I don’t want you to get sick,” he said.

But there was still no answer from inside Rachel’s room. Mario waited in front of her room until the soup and tea he had brought cooled down. At exactly 10 PM, he heard a crash from inside her room. Mario became worried and started knocking on the door again, but there was no response. Mario grew increasingly anxious and decided to break down the door from the outside.

After managing to open the door, even with the door hinge broken, Mario saw Rachel collapsed beside the bed. He quickly approached her and noticed that, at the same time, a photo of Rachel’s mother had fallen and shattered.

Mario checked Rachel’s condition. As a general practitioner, he did his best to assess her. It was clear that Rachel was weak, likely due to not eating or drinking since morning. With the day coming to an end, her condition had worsened. Mario didn’t have the necessary equipment, so he called for an ambulance to take Rachel to the hospital.

It didn’t take long for Rachel to arrive at the hospital, the same hospital where Mario worked, making it easier for him to handle everything. He had an IV placed in Rachel’s hand. Mario suspected her weakness was due to dehydration and lack of food. With the approaching morning, Rachel still hadn’t regained consciousness, but Mario faithfully stayed by her side, even though he hadn’t slept since the previous day.

Mario had been monitoring Rachel since yesterday and only had brief moments of rest beside her. But Rachel remained unconscious. Mario asked the office boy to order food for him since he was hungry. Shortly after finishing his breakfast, he received a call from work. He still had to work the next day since he had taken leave for the wedding, which lasted three days, including the day before and after the ceremony.

At exactly 7 AM, Rachel opened her eyes and looked at Mario. Mario quickly approached her, asking, “How are you feeling, Rachel?”

“Well, you should know, right? You’re a doctor,” Rachel sneered. She was still upset because Mario had taken her to the hospital.

“Are you feeling dizzy?” Mario asked again.

Rachel rolled her eyes, not in the mood to engage in a lengthy conversation with Mario, especially considering their marital status. She feared Mario might take advantage of the situation. “I’m not comfortable with you being here. You better leave!” she exclaimed.

“Rachel, I won’t do anything to harm you. The most important thing is your health,” said Mario.

Rachel couldn’t believe it. She wondered if Mario had tampered with her shoes, causing her to lose consciousness. It sent shivers down her spine.

“I’d rather be treated by another doctor. Not you. I feel like I can’t recover if you’re the one taking care of me here,” Rachel added, staring at the wall.

Mario smiled at Rachel’s behavior, finding it amusing. Even though Rachel had just graduated from university, her actions were cute, making her seem like a teenager. Of course, Rachel was still relatively young in age, especially compared to Mario, who was over five years older.

Mario received his education in New York, studying from undergraduate to medical school. As a result, he didn’t know Rachel very well. In fact, he was only close to Lea, who happened to be his girlfriend. However, their relationship was just a facade. Mr. Hans had been planning this marriage for a long time.

They had been betrothed since Rachel’s and Lea’s teenage years. However, Rachel had been in a relationship with Michael. Mr. Hans had kept the truth hidden until the right moment, revealing that Rachel had to marry Mario instead.

Mario was aware that he had been betrothed to Rachel. He also had feelings for her, although Rachel remained unaware of it. Rachel believed that she was the one suffering the most from this exchange of husbands. Regardless, Mr. Hans believed that what he was doing was not wrong, trusting that Mario could gradually win over Rachel.