Chapter 48: Mabel Paradise As she finally clicked on the message, she breathed out before reading the contents of the message, and that was when her eyes stayed on the most unexpected. Rose’s expression changed, and she quickly grabbed her phone to call Derek.But on second thought, she dropped the phone back. She was still reeling from shock, and her hands were trembling. Even as she stared at the life-threatening email in front of her, she knew it was going to change her life forever. But still, she needed to be the one to implement it, so it doesn’t get twisted.“If I call him, I won’t be able to explain everything to him; it’s better I have a meeting with him,” she stuttered and pulled out her phone from her pocket. Quickly, she sent a message to Derek: “Meet me at Tunop Eatery tomorrow; I have something really important to tell you.” She texted and clutched her phone to her chest.As she stood there, still reeling from shock and waiting for Derek’s response, her son’s voice
Chapter 49: Meet MeAs Derek’s eyes stayed on her, he recognized her immediately. “Sofia!” he screamed at the top of his lungs, rushing to her side. ‘That is my wife, officer. This is my wife,” he stammered, lifting Sofia from the ground.“Let’s go, let’s take her to the hospital,” Derek rushed out of the cottage with his unconscious wife, and the police followed immediately. Outside the cottage, he rushed her to his car and laid her on the back seat.“We will continue our investigation; take your wife to the hospital,” the police head said to Derek as he made to get into his car. Derek nodded and got into the car. “Please, alert me if you find out anything,” he said to the police.“I will definitely do so,” the police men smiled and waved at Derek as he drove off.At the hospital… Derek paced back and forth as he waited impatiently for the doctor to come out from the emergency ward.“I can never forgive myself if anything happens to you, so please wake up,” Derek mumbled, tighte
Chapter 50: No idea “Mtweew!” he hissed and wanted to return the phone to his pocket when his eyes fell on a message from a familiar name.“Rose!” he stuttered in surprise and opened the message, which read, “Meet me at Tunop Eatery tomorrow; I have something really important to tell you.”“Meet me at Tunop Eatery?” Derek repeated the message, his face plastered in shock. “What is it?” Sofia, who noticed the shock on his face, questioned, her worried eyes dancing around her husband as she waited for a response.Not wanting Sofia to find out anything about him and Rose, who had held her hand and lied, “It’s nothing to worry about,” he smiled.“Are you sure? You know you can always share your problem with me?” Sofia urged on, her eyes locking with Derek’s, whose lips still wore a forced smile.“I told you, nothing is wrong, Sofia. You know I won’t hide anything from you, right?” he took her hands and massaged them as he assured. He was sure this act would make her believe him.“Okay,
Chapter 51: A Quick AnswerDerek walked into Dunop Eatery, his presence alarming. He could feel eyes fall on him as he located a seat at the far end of the eatery.“Gosh! Isn’t that the popular businessman, Derek Reynolds?” he heard some girls seated not too far from him whisper.“Gosh! He’s so handsome and looks better in reality than most of his pictures,” another lady whispered, biting her lip.“I could eat him up right away,” he heard another whisper, but he played dumb to it, as he did with the rest. He was used to these kinds of things, and it didn’t freak him out anymore; instead, it annoyed him. He hated it when girls gushed over him and threw themselves at him, and he hated it when they follow him like bugs.As he sat there, he had a stern look on his face, one he put on to chase most desperate chicks away.“Dahm! I think I should get his number; we could meet up some other time,” he heard a lady say the only thing that caught his attention.“Get my number so we can link up
Chapter 52: A Rash Decision “Just tell me the reason you brought me out here,” he muttered, and Rose nodded.She was ready to go straight to the point now without taking chances.She gave Derek a quick glance before spitting out her words: “I have agreed to get married to you,” she forced out. The air seemed to fall quiet around them as she splurged out these words. For some time, it felt like they were both alone in a lonely room. Derek opened and closed his eyes countless times; he felt he was having a dream, or maybe he was imagining things.“This really can’t be happening; there is absolutely no way this is happening,” that would be his reply if asked. He felt there was no way a woman who warned him to back away from her would suddenly invite him over only to accept his proposal.“What did you just say?” he heard himself saying, after what seemed like an eternity. He needed to be sure he heard her right. He watched as Rose locked eyes with him and repeated herself: “I have
Chapter 53: I will be getting married “Such a pervert! What does he think? That I am head over heels for him?” Rose muttered, an irritated look on her face. “I even had to touch that disgusting man,” she took her handkerchief and wiped her hands. “Eish! I can’t believe I literally touched that man; he is the most irritating man in the world,” she said, her eyes filled with disdain. “I loathe him so much, and I can’t believe I have to spend a little while of my precious life with him. That would be the most horrible months of my entire existence,” she scoffed.“I wonder how he feels now, like a superhero?” she lamented further.“Ash! This is freaking me out and giving me goosebumps. The fact that I even touched him with my precious hands is the most annoying part of everything,” she wiped her hands again. The hatred she had for Derek was evident in her eyes, and she was unable to hide it or control it.“You better come back with a positive response, because if you dare come with s
Chapter 54: I am a bad person She turned to Dave, who had a smile on his face as he ate his pizza, and she cleared her throat and hit the nail on the head immediately. “I will be getting married,” she said in one breath. She watched as Dave turned to her, his face plastered in shock. She expected that.“You would be what?” He stammered, his eyes dancing around Rose as he waited for a response. There was no way he was believing his ears; maybe they were just playing tricks on him because they were aware he wanted Rose. He watched as Rose lowered her gaze in an attempt to avoid his stares.“I am getting married,” Rose repeated, still avoiding his eyes; she wasn’t ready to face him. As Rose repeated herself, that was when it started sinking in on him; he wasn’t imagining things – Rose really said what he heard. Her bodily language was enough to prove to him that he didn’t hear wrong. But then, he thought he might be joking, so he laughed it out.“Don’t be silly, Rose. What are you
Chapter 55: The Real Deal“I am the one running back into his hands because I am a betrayer and a wicked woman, so stay far from me,” she screamed. “I am dangerous and would harm you if you stay close, understand?” Rose pushed Dave and took the stairs immediately, tears gushing down her eyes. Dave watched her as she ran off, and his heart shattered further. Slowly, he sat on the couch, his mind filled with different thoughts. What did she really do this for? What is her true intention for hurting him? He felt something wasn’t right, but he really couldn’t place the problem. “Rose, what are you hiding from me, huh?” he mumbled, his eyes void of emotions now.As he sat there, trying to get a valid reason why Rose did what she did, his phone suddenly rang, alerting him of a call. Slowly, he pulled the phone from his pocket, and as his eyes stayed on the caller ID, he stood up immediately. “Why is this jerk calling me now? Didn’t I ask him to avoid me for now?” he hissed and walked
Chapter 137: A Family Dinner 1 month later……“Come on, babe! Aren’t you done yet?” Derek stressed; he was already tired of waiting for Rose. Him and the kids had been waiting for Rose for almost 30 minutes, and she hadn’t descended the stairs yet.“Gosh, mom! We’re going to be late for the outing,” Kendell poured in frustration, and Rose replied from the room where she was still applying makeup. “I’ll be down in a jiffy; I’m just adding finishing touches to my makeup,” she screamed back.“But you said that twenty minutes ago, and you’re still repeating it,” Derek replied. “Yeah, but I’m serious this time around. I’m done,” Rose said, already cracking the door to the room open.“I told you I am done,” she said as soon as she stepped out of the room. Hearing the sound of the door opening and noticing her voice grew nearer was enough to inform them that she had finally stepped out of the room.“Gosh, mom! It took you forever to look this beautiful,” Ken gasped, taking in his mom’s beaut
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