Clara had been standing at the door of Roger's room for a while, before she finally mustered enough courage to knock on the
door.Seconds later, she heard footsteps coming from inside, and soon, the door was opened.
Roger had changed into his pajamas.
When he saw Clara at his door, he was a bit surprised.
In a hoarse voice, he greeted, "Clara."
"Mom is worried that it'll be bad for your stomach if you don't eat anything.That's why I'm here to bring you sfood," she
replied while making her way into the room.
Roger closed the door once she was inside, and took off his glasses. He just nodded and hummed in a tone devoid of emotion.
"Roger, I'm so sorry.I never meant to lie to you."
When he heard Clara speak, he was sorting out sdocuments.
For a moment, it made him pause and lower his gaze without saying anything.
"Roger, are you planning never to talk toagain?"
Clara's eyes were filled with regret and guilt.
From the corner of her eyes, she saw the documents he was sorting.
Her eyes quivered upon seeing them.
"Wait a second... Are you planning to go back to America?"
Roger set aside the papers and didn't answer her question.
Instead, he looked at her and asked, "Had I not seen her today, how long were you planning to hide this from me?"
Clara was rendered speechless.
"Sister, you, of all people, know why I cback to this city," Roger said in a calm tone.
"I..."
Clara wanted to speak up, but she found no words to respond to his statement.She then lowered her gaze for a moment,
thinking of what she should say next.
Moments later, she said, "Roger, it's been over two years.I had thought you've given up on her already.Two years ago, she got
married, and it broke your heart to know that it would be impossible to be with her."
Roger's eyes darkened.
"But now, she's divorced, isn't she?"Clara was stunned.
After a long silence, she clenched her fists and scowled.
"You think you'll be able to work things out between you two just because she's divorced now? Roger, open your eyes! Do you
think she's worth all of this effort? My God, Roger! Don't you know how many ridiculous things she's done in the past two years?
She doesn't deserve..."
"I'm the one who decides whether she deservesor not,"
Roger interrupted her abruptly with a frown on his face.
"Sister, just put the food on the desk.
If you have nothing else to say, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leavealone.
I still have important matters to attend to."
Upon seeing the displeasure on his face, Clara's eyes welled up with tears.
"I knew you'd be like this once you see her.
That's why I did my best to hide her from you."
Roger asked.
"I know it's impossible."
Clara shook her head, and then she pondered for a moment before saying, "Roger, believe it or not, the moment I heard that she
got divorced, I've been contemplating on whether to tell you about it or not.
After she got married, you went abroad.
During the past two years, you hardly ever visited home.
Dad and Mom are getting older, and their deepest wish is to see you get married and have children.
All they want is for you to have a loving family, but you..."
'You completely disregarded their feelings.' Clara didn't finish her sentence.
After a moment of silence, she continued, "I know you chthis tbecause you heard that she's divorced now.
As your sister, I also wish for you to be happy.
That's why I've been thinking, as long as you're willing to chto pursue her, it wouldn't matter how bad her reputation
had gotten.
All I can do now is to help you persuade our parents to accept her.
I will do that, for you, my dearest brother!"
Truth be told, Roger was moved by his sister's words, but he didn't say anything.
Clara took a deep breath, held his shoulders, and looked into his eyes.
"But you have to know one thing... Rachel is pregnant."
Roger was taken by surprise.
In a quivering voice, he said, "What did you say?"
"Roger..."
Clara was heartbroken to see the look of devastation on her brother's face.
Roger hadn't been in a relationship for a long time.
One time, his mother got so anxious that she once doubted her own son's sexuality.
It even took her a long tto accept the possibility that it might be true.
Once she had mentally prepared herself for it, she told Roger that it was okay if he were gay.
As long as he could live a long, happy life with his loved one, she would always support him.
When he heard his mother say that, a wry expression appeared on his face.
However, unlike their mother, Clara knew everything.
She knew the reason Roger hadn't gone out with women all this twas because the woman he truly loved got married two
years ago.
He was in love with Rachel.
Clara knew that all too well.
There was a twhen she saw him go into a bakery despite the fact that there was a storm, just so he could learn how to bake
a cake for Rachel's birthday.
And it broke her heart to witness her beloved brother sit on a stairwell, drinking alone during Rachel's wedding day.
From the moment Clara saw the look on her younger brother's eyes when he was walking side by side with Rachel, she already
knew that he would love this girl for the rest of his life.
Anything remotely related to Rachel, Roger would always volunteer to take care of it himself.
That was why Clara didn't want him to see that woman again.
Even though she knew that it would be impossible to prevent them from seeing each other for a life time, she really didn't want to
see her brother in the sstate he was two years ago.
Back then, he was no better than a walking dead.
And on that sday Clara saw him heartbroken, she vowed to hide the truth for as long as possible.
"She... When did she get pregnant?"
Roger said in a hoarse voice; his eyes welling up with tears.
"I only found out a few days ago, but according to the prenatal examination, she's been pregnant for over a month."
Clara paused to look at her brother with pity in her eyes, and continued, "She got pregnant during the twhen she and Victor
got divorced."
The clamoring sound of falling papers resonated throughout the room.
Roger dropped every sheet of paper he was carrying, too shocked to hold onto them.
Tears were about to fall from Clara's eyes.
She stepped forward, holding her brother.
"Roger, it's tto let her go.
Speople are just not destined to be together.
No matter how hard you force it, nothing will cof it."
Roger's eyes fell on Clara's face; the look in his eyes turned grim.
It took him a long tbefore he managed to find his voice again.
"Clara, I have loved her for nine long years.
The love I have for her has been engraved into every fiber of my being.
How am I supposed to let her go."
Clara just looked at her brother, too hurt to utter a word.
"From the first tI laid eyes on her during high school, I couldn't stop thinking about her."
Roger smiled bitterly.
"If it were that easy to forget her, I wouldn't have stayed abroad for the past two years! So, please, stop trying to dissuade me
from my decision.
It's not gonna work."
"But she's pregnant! Roger, the two of you—"
"Sister, how did you find out she's pregnant?"
Roger interrupted her.
Clara couldn't say a word.
She paused for a moment, averting her gaze from Roger's eyes.
Embarrassment flashed through her eyes.
Pretty soon, she regained her composure, but he still noticed the unnatural expression on her face.
He could tell that she was hiding something from him, so he grabbed her shoulder, "Clara!"
he shouted her name.
Clara stared back into his eyes.
After a long time, she decided to tell him everything that she had seen and heard regarding Rachel.
During this time, Rachel had bought every item on the list.
She put all the bags at her feet, and stood outside a building.
When she went shopping in the building, the rain stopped, and the sun was about to cout.
However, by the tshe finished shopping and cout, it was raining cats and dogs.
From tto time, she could feel raindrops seeping into her skin due to the strong gusts of wind.
While she was trying to figure out a way to get home, her phone rang.