Chapter 89: An Enemy Watching “Girl, you have really changed a lot. You know it’s been a while since we last saw each other,” Sofia said, touching Rose’s face as she drove the car. “Oh, stop, that tickles,” Rose reacted to Sofia’s rough touch.“By the way, thanks for the compliment. Give yourself a compliment, too – you look great as usual,” Rose smiled. “Really? Then I think I should join a beauty pageant,” Sofia joked, and they both laughed. “Yes, you should,” Rose chuckled.“You know, I really miss the good old days, and sometimes I wonder why I and my aunt would be age-mates,” Rose laughed, and Sofia joined her. “I think you forgot to add the part that you are also a week older than me,” Sofia added, and they both burst out in laughter again.“Well, you wouldn’t blame my mom. She gave birth at an early age of 14 after being raped. Then, 20 years later, she got married and became pregnant with me”“At the same time, her first child, who is your mom, was also married and pregnan
Chapter 90: It’s too Heavy “Yes, I remember his name, Rose. I remember his name vividly; his name is Michael,” Maureen turned to Rose and said.“But I don’t think he is the real enemy, but if you can find him, then you can find your real enemy, who is so engrossed in ending you,” Maureen replied with shaky voice.Rose and Sofia gave each other a quick stare before turning to Maureen again. “Real enemy!” they chimed in unison, and Maureen nodded. “I think Michael has a boss, a boss higher than him,” Maureen explained in a low tone. “He always calls a man whom he always refers to as ‘boss.’” She gave more details. “And his boss seems very ruthless; in fact, he is the master planner of everything, and with him around, then I bet we are no longer safe." Maureen had a terrified look on her face as she said this, and Rose and Sofia watched her in fear.“Gosh! This is more challenging than I thought it would be,” Rose stuttered. “I can’t believe that we will have to fight off two enemies:
Chapter 91: A New DadAs Rose’s eyes stayed on the caller ID, she picked up the phone immediately and placed it on her ear. “Hello, teacher,” Rose mumbled into the phone.“Mrs. Rose, I just informed you that a man has just come to pick your kids from school. It’s already 6, and you weren’t here,” the teacher said, and Rose’s eyes flew open.She quickly pulled the phone out of her ear and stared at the time. “What the fuck!” she stuttered and stood up immediately. “Is it already fucking 6:30? How could I stay out this long, and who the hell came to pick the kids?”“Who the hell picked the kids from school? How could you release my kids without informing me first?” Rose felt anger surge through her.“I am sorry, ma, but I only released the kids because the man said he is the father of the kids with evidence,” the teacher replied in a low tone.“He proved he is the father of the kids with evidence?” Rose repeated, and the teacher nodded from her end.“Yes, Mrs. Rose, there was enough evi
Chapter 92: Selfish Mom!As Rose listened to the kids speak, it took everything in her not to burst out in tears, and for a while, she felt bad for her kids for missing out on so much fatherly love.“You know, mom, at first I hated Mr. Derek so much, but I think I am beginning to like him now,” Kendell’s words snatched Rose back to reality, and she turned to look at her little girl.“Yeah, Kendall, you’re right,” Ken chipped in. “I want him to always come to pick us up from school from today onwards, so our classmates wouldn’t look down on us again.” Ken smiled and turned to Derek.“Mr. Derek, will you always come to pick us up from school?” He pouted, his eyes filled with cuteness.Derek had a smile on his face as he replied, “Yes, Ken. The pleasure is all mine.” Derek said, and as he watched the little boy smile back at him, he could feel his heart melting. He felt the way he had never felt in his entire life: he felt true compassion and love for another person who wasn’t himself.
Chapter 93: I knew all along Rose looked at Derek as his words hit her, and she could only blame him for what just played out. “Wasn’t it your fault?” she barked at him, her pain slowly replaced by rage.“You caused all of this, Derek. It was because of you that everything is happening, so don’t you dare act concerned,” she lashed out, her eyes filled with pain.“You brought this upon me, and now you are trying to act like you care? Really?” She continued.“You put me in this horrible situation, Derek. You left me when I needed you the most; you abandoned me like a piece of trash. Now you feel that you can play the hero? Are you kidding me?”“You, Derek, have no right to pity me. You, Derek, have no right to assure me that everything will be fine. You, Derek, have no right to make me feel better because you started everything first. So, stop trying to act concerned; it’s stupid of you,” Rose stood up from the floor angrily.“You, Derek Reynolds, were my nemesis, but now I will be yo
Chapter 94: Forgive Me“Come, Ken,” she said suddenly, her voice filled with anger. “We need to go teach that man a lesson for messing with mom.” Ken nodded in agreement to his sister’s words, and together they walked down the stairs.“What’s going on here?” Kendell lashed when they got to the last stair, where they were visible to their parents. She watched as both parents stared at them in shock, and she questioned again, “What is going on here?” She turned to Derek and said, her little angry eyes dancing around him.“How could you treat our mom so unfairly? You mean man,” she walked up to Derek, her eyes still blazing red with fury. “Isn’t it a shame for a father to abandon his own children?” she threw the question, which left Rose and Derek in more shock.“Ho…..” Rose tried to speak, but she cut her short, already knowing what she was about to say. “How do I know he is my father?” Kendell let out a painful chuckle, her eyes dancing around her mom now.“We heard everything, Mom.
Chapter 95: A Secret Known “I am sorry for putting you through such a hard time; I sincerely apologize,” he went on his knees and begged, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.As Rose watched Derek go on his knees and as tears threatened to pull down his eyes, she was placed in a tight spot. She didn’t know if he was genuinely sorry or if it was one of his tactics to lure her into more of his traps.“What is he doing?” Ken whispered into her ears, and she whispered back, “I really don’t know; I am as confused as you are.”“Is he sincerely sorry, or is he just forcing it?” Kendell whispered now, and Rose gave Derek a quick stare before replying, “It seems like this man is a really dangerous one.”“Hmm! Or is he trying to play the victim card? He wants to act like the innocent guy,” Kendell whispered, and Rose nodded. “I think that’s what he’s trying to do.”“But what if he is genuinely sorry? I am a man, and I know that we men don’t cry unless we are genuinely sorry,” Ken chipped
Chapter 96: An Underlying Secret The family sat around the dining table, feasting on their mashed potatoes with gravy. Ken and Kendell munched on their food as if they were having a fight with it, while Rose and Derek ate silently. Rose would glare at Derek at any opportunity that presented itself, and Derek would look away immediately. It seemed he was trying to get on Rose’s good side, because if it was turned around, he would glare and curse at her also.“Mom, this has got to be the most delicious meal I have eaten in a long while,” Kendell said, taking another spoonful of food and forcing a smile, her mouth so full of food she could hardly smile. “I really need your recipe, Mom. When I grow up and get married, I want to prepare sumptuous meals for my family too.” She added, taking another spoonful of food after finishing the one in her mouth.“Yes, Mom, Kendell is right,” Ken said mockingly. “She needs to learn how to cook, because the only thing she knows how to do for now is
Chapter 136: Too Hard to Believe Derek and Rose paced around the Dave’s restlessly; yes, they were still definitely mad at Dave for what he did, but they never wanted any harm to come to him. As they strolled around impatiently, Mr. Reynolds and Sofia could be seen walking into the hospital with worried looks on their faces. Derek had called them earlier to inform them about Dave’s condition.“How is he doing?” Mr. Reynolds asked the couple as soon as he was close enough.“The doctor isn’t out yet; we’re still waiting for him,” Rose replied, as if she had been forced to.“Ouch!” Mr. Reynolds mumbled and sat in a provided seat. “I just hope nothing happens to him,” he said with desperation in his tone.“I might be mad at him for what he did to me, but honestly, the last thing I wanted was for him to end up in that hospital; I never wanted that,” Derek said after a while of pacing around.“You don’t need to worry, son. I believe everything will be alright, so worry not and keep prayin
Chapter 135: Unexpected Turnaround Two months later………“Do we really need to go see that jerk?” Rose said with dissatisfaction as the driver drove her and Derek to the station. “Of course, babe. I’m so desperate to see him, and I just don’t know why,” Derek clarified, but Rose gave a loud hiss. “So you’re suddenly concerned about a man who nearly sent you to an early grave? Absurd!” She folded her hands under her breast and turned away. Of course, that act of hers was to be pampered by her husband.“No, babe, I’m not going there because I care for him. I’m going because I have this great urge to, and furthermore, I really need to clarify something from him,” Derek explained further. “Whatever! Do as you please. What can I even do? It’s not as if you ever listen to me.”“Oh, babe, but I always do. You know you’re my best advisor,” Derek said, tickling Rose, but she remained stern. “If you always listen to me, then why aren’t you listening now? Why are you being really naughty now?”
Chapter 134: A Special moment As Rose waited anxiously in the waiting room, she noticed Sofia and Mr. Reynolds approaching her from the corner of her eye. Immediately, she turned away, attempting to avoid a conversation with them. “Rose, how long will you continue avoiding us? You know this isn’t the right time for this, right? Even if you want to be mad at us, it shouldn’t be now, please,” Sofia said calmly, standing in front of Rose. Mr. Reynolds stood nearby, listening as Sofia spoke.Slowly, Rose lifted her head and stared at Sofia. “I’m not angry at anyone; I’m just in a lot of trouble now,” she replied calmly, turning to face them. “I’m sad that Derek had to go through all of that alone, and that I’ve been blaming him without knowing the reasons behind his actions,” she continued, her voice laced with pain. “I feel terrible for not sharing in his pain or supporting him through his difficult time. I was always quick to blame him without understanding his predicament.”Sofia sa
Chapter 133: The Hidden Truth“Sorry that I had to take that call,” the doctor said, dropping his phone on the table. Earlier on, before Mr. Reynolds could say the things he wanted to, the doctor’s phone rang, alerting him to a call he had to take. “It’s nothing,” Mr. Reynolds said with a calm smile, but beneath his smile, his tension still flickered around. “Thanks for understanding, sir. So, you can start now; I am ready to listen.” The doctor assured with a bright smile, and Mr. Reynolds nodded and shifted uncomfortably on his seat. He stretched his back and cleared his throat before saying his first words, “Well, it’s a long story.” His voice was filled with emotions as he spoke. The doctor and Sofia turned to him with keen attention. Mr. Reynolds gave a sad sigh before he continued, “A long time ago, Derek’s mom died while giving birth to him, thereby leaving him in the care of his dad.”“A year after his mom’s death, I advised his dad to get remarried, seeing how difficult
Chapter 132: A Call for AlarmSofia and Mr. Reynolds waited impatiently for the doctor to arrive and give them a report. Derek had been taken to a ward, and now they were made to wait helplessly for the doctor’s arrival. A few minutes later, they saw the doctor coming from afar, and before the man could get closer to them, they rushed to him to inquire how things were going with Derek.“Doctor, how is my son doing?” Mr. Reynolds was the first to speak, and they waited impatiently for the doctor’s response. “Please, can we talk in my office?” the doctor said instead of responding, and Mr. Reynolds and Sofia gave each other a quick glance before they turned back to the doctor.“Ummmm, okay,” Mr. Reynolds responded, and they both followed the doctor to his office. They walked for a while before arriving at the doctor’s office, and upon getting there, he directed them to two seats where they sat before he occupied his. Taking his seat, he cleared his throat before turning to the adults
Chapter 131: Another Display “I need to bathe and rest too,” she made to leave, but Derek stopped her before she could make another move.“Please, I want to discuss with both of you,” Derek said, catching them off guard.Sofia quickly stopped on her track and gave Derek a quick stare. Slowly, her eyes moved to Rose, who stared back, blankly. “Ok,” she stuttered and returned to her seat. As she sat, she wondered what was going through Derek’s mind, what exactly he wanted to say to them.“Uhmm! Sorry for interrupting you, but I just couldn’t stop wondering, so I decided to inquire from you both.” Derek spoke, his eyes moving across the ladies. The room was silent for a while before he began again, “I wanted to know how you two know each other.” Derek asked the most confusing question.The ladies gave each other a shocking stare, unsure of what he meant by such a question. “What exactly are you trying to say? How do we know each other?” Rose was the first to speak, her face bathed in
Chapter 130: A Word The family sat on the dining table having dinner together. The dining table was filled with all kinds of assorted food. “Yum! This tastes so good,” Ken said with a mouth full of spaghetti. “I really missed having something this good,” he added. “I think this tastes better; the taste is just so nice,” Kendell chimed in, her mouth also filled with food.“Don’t forget the table manners, eat and stop talking,” Rose said calmly, her eyes dancing around the kids, who nodded calmly and kept quiet. “Please, let my grandchildren be; why are you dismissing them? They are marveling at this beauty, so let them,” Mr. Reynolds chimed in, his eyes quickly moving to Rose and then to the kids.The kids gave a bright smile and looked at their mom, who only shook her head and remained calm. “You see why Grandpa shouldn’t stay here? He would definitely spoil the kids,” Derek rolled his eyes at Mr. Reynolds. “Oh my! Oh my! You little brat,” Mr. Reynolds twisted Derek ears who sat
Chapter 129: A Child Three weeks later… The family has been discharged from the hospital, and now it’s time to return home. “It’s finally great to be able to return home,” Kendell releases a broad smile and looks up at her mom, who stood behind. “Right? I really wished to go home right away because I really don’t like the amount of people being rushed here daily. It breaks my heart,” Ken, who was standing next to her, chipped in with a sad scowl. “Honestly, it breaks my heart so badly that I wish to cry whenever I see such,” Kendell backed her brother.“Gosh! They talk like they have existed for ages,” Sofia, who stood not far from Rose, said to her in a surprised tone, and the entire room erupted in laughter. “You haven’t even seen anything; sometimes I wonder if they are really kids because they act so mature, and let’s not even talk about the way they talk,” Rose laughed.“I have already seen everything that is needed to be seen. The few days I have spent with them are enough
Chapter 128: A Family Chat “But I hope you are not in serious pain?” Ken asked, his voice laced with a concerned tone. “No, I am fine,” Derek lied, so his son would worry less.“Ok, I am glad you are, Dad,” Ken said with a broad smile, and Derek smiled back. “So, when are we returning home?” Kendell asked, desperation evident in her eyes.“It’s obvious you are tired of this place already,” Rose giggled, seeing the desperation in her daughter’s eyes. “Yes, Mom, I am so tired of this place and want to go home already,” Kendell replied.“Well, I seriously don’t know when the doctor would be discharging us, so I can’t answer that question,” Rose answered kindly, and Kendell pouted. “Ouch! I really wanted to go home,” she said, pushing her lips out and rendering her face in a sad scorn.“Don’t act like a baby now; you are a big girl,” Ken interrupted, already having enough of his sister’s silly behavior. Kendell gave him a deadly glare and hissed, “I am not acting like a baby; I just mis