"Of course not, Rose. I don't have cancer.""Then let me see what kind of medicine this is," she countered. She forcefully pushed his hand away and took out the pill bottles.The bottle didn't seem to be in its original packaging. It was a repackaged amber-colored container with different labels stuck on it.Clonazepam, Barbiturate, Fluoxetine.The names of these medications were unfamiliar to her.All the bottles were empty, with no pills left inside. It was obvious they had already been consumed.Since they were repackaged, it meant the prescription was strictly controlled, with only a limited quantity dispensed at a time."What kind of medicine is this? What is it for?""They're just common medications. Look at me—I'm perfectly fine.""If you won't tell me, I'll find out myself."Rosalie stood up to leave, but Theodore grabbed her arm."Rose, these are psychiatric medications used to relieve depression, anxiety, and to stabilize emotions."He had no choice but to tell the truth. Eve
Another week passed. Every night during this past week, Rosalie would go to Theodore's room and tuck him in.She would also bring Jake to Theodore's room, soothing both father and son together. It was as if she had become a mother to the two of them.Theodore no longer wanted to go to work. Unless there was something urgent, he would stay at home with Rosalie and Jake, entrusting other matters to his subordinates.The happiest among them was undoubtedly Jake. Both his parents were by his side, and his mother held him and played with him every day.Theodore thought that this blissful time would continue indefinitely, but one day, everything came to an abrupt halt.Rosalie had disappeared.Theodore found a letter on her bed.After that, he locked himself in his room, reading the letter over and over again, not stepping out for the entire day.-[Theo, I'm sorry. In the end, I decided to leave. I hope you won't try to find me, because leaving is my own decision.I know that doing this wil
Five years later.SVIG, headquartered in Oxoria, Melrine, specialized in asset management, risk assessment, and investment consulting, aiming to provide clients with diversified investment options and intelligent asset allocation. The full name of the firm was Strategic Ventures Investment Group, with branches and offices in multiple countries.In the office space, everyone was busy. Sunlight streamed in through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, making the entire office exceptionally bright.Rows of spacious desks were occupied by computers and stacked with piles of folders. Meanwhile, the projection screen flickered with various market charts and data reports.Phones rang incessantly—some employees were handling urgent calls, while others pored over rapidly growing data sheets.In one corner of the room, a team was gathered around a whiteboard, holding an emergency meeting. Their fingers moved swiftly over the data on the board as they discussed the latest market trends and risk ass
Rosalie's words left no room for argument.Working in a financial institution required absolute precision with numbers—there was little to no room for trial and error. A single misplaced mouse click could result in losses amounting to tens of millions of dollars.In the end, Sam left the office with his head hanging low, dejectedly packing up his belongings from his desk.The other employees cast cautious glances toward Rosalie's office, all shuddering slightly.Rosalie was an extremely strict leader, and most people were quite intimidated by her.Despite her young age, she was highly professional. Under her leadership, the efficiency of the risk management department improved significantly. When she was promoted to department head a year ago, many had been unconvinced and even tried to undermine her. However, Rosalie's expertise and decisive attitude soon silenced all doubts.She wasn't just demanding of her subordinates—she held herself to an even higher standard. She worked tireles
When Rosalie returned home, a five-year-old girl ran up to her. She threw her arms around Rosalie's leg. "Mommy, you're back!"Rosalie crouched down and gently caressed her daughter's face. The exhaustion of the entire day vanished the moment she saw her child. No matter how tired she was, it was all worth it for her.She pulled her daughter into her embrace. "Chels, how was your day?""Mommy, our teacher told us so many stories today!"At five years old, Rosalie's daughter, Chelsea, was in kindergarten."Miss Young, you're home." A woman emerged from the living room. She was the nanny Rosalie had hired to look after Chelsea while she was at work."Ms. Henderson, was everything alright today?"Mabel Henderson smiled. "Everything was fine. Chelsea was very well-behaved. What would you like for dinner tonight?""Ms. Henderson, you can leave early today and go home to spend time with your kids," Rosalie said."Is there anything else I need to do before I go?""No, that's all. You can tid
Blencalgo."Mr. Spencer, I'm terribly sorry to trouble you by asking you to come in person."In the office, the teacher nervously poured a cup of tea for Theodore.Theodore sat with an icy expression, flanked by two stern-faced bodyguards. The intimidating presence of these men made the teacher break into a cold sweat.Under normal circumstances, the school would never contact Theodore directly. Any issues were usually handled by his assistant. However, this time, the matter had escalated to a point where Theodore had no choice but to come in person.Jake had beaten up a classmate so badly that the child lost several teeth and his entire face was swollen. The victim's parents were furious and refused to let the matter go.However, the moment Theodore arrived at the school, the other child's parents fell silent. They hadn't expected Jake's father to be the Theodore Spencer.Jake stood beside Theodore in silence, his head hanging low, looking weak and subdued.His features were delicate
The entire way home, Theodore didn't say a word to Jake. The father and son remained unusually silent until they arrived back at the house."Jake, how many times have you caused trouble at school now?"Theodore's voice was extremely cold as he sat on the couch. His gaze was similarly icy."He insulted me first," Jake muttered, head lowered."And what about the previous times? How about when you were the one bullying others?" Theodore interrogated him.He knew his son was no saint. It wasn't always others picking on Jake first—there were times when he was the instigator.If someone else bullied Jake first, Theodore would protect his son without hesitation. But if Jake was the one provoking others, that was an entirely different matter.Most of the time, Theodore sent his assistant to handle such issues. But as these incidents piled up, growing more frequent and severe, he realized that if he didn't step in personally, he had no idea what kind of person his son might grow into."But this
A week later, Theodore was walking out of a meeting room on his way back to his office.He glanced at the calendar and realized that today was Justin's death anniversary.He had been so busy, he almost forgot about it.Over the years, Theodore never failed to visit Justin on his death anniversary every year. Each time he visited Justin, he wished he would be able to see Rosalie, but that never happened.Theodore felt helplessly fatalistic.Rosalie would never appear.He knew Rosalie took with her a fragment of Justin's bones. No matter where she went, Justin would be there with her.Even if Rosalie didn't appear, Theodore had gotten used to visiting Justin.He had a glimmer of hope that Rosalie would appear, even if it were only a slight possibility.Theodore pressed a button on the telecom and said to his secretary, "Bring a cup of coffee in."Very soon, the secretary came in with a cup of hot coffee without sugar and placed it on the desk.Theodore closed the file in his h
Theodore wrapped all of them up in his long arms.Under the golden sunshine, the family of four was wrapped up in each other's embraces. Sunlight shone on them, encasing them in a warm, golden glow. Everything felt calm and peaceful. The children snuggled in their parents' arms, innocent smiles lighting up their faces. They could feel the warmth of the sunshine as they found the safest and warmest haven in the entire world in their arms.In the evening sun and gentle breeze, they finally found happiness in each other's embrace.-In the deep of the night, Rosalie had a dream.Both Justin and Grandma came to her in her dream.Grandma and Justin were playing cards, surrounded by beautiful birds and flowers. They seemed to be in heaven, having the time of their lives with a look of tender love in their eyes.Grandma was very happy that she had reconciled with Theodore.Justin told Rosalie, "Rose, I'm so happy to see you happy.""Justin, do you hate me?""Silly girl, why would
Theodore made Rosalie feel like love was possible once more, and gradually opened her up.Love was ever-changing with time and the experiences they went through.Rosalie missed Justin dearly, but she also learned to treasure the people around her and every present moment of happiness. She learned how to accept the past and treasure the present amidst all her relationships.Justin would be her one and only in her heart, but Theodore also found his place in her heart amidst the unique position Justin was in.This was how their affections and love for each other grew and changed with time.Justin was dead, and Rosalie couldn't keep living in the past. She would carefully preserve her love for Justin in a corner of her heart.She would spend the rest of her life loving Theodore and their children."Chelsea," Rosalie said as she pulled Chelsea over. "Your daddy loves you very much, but he didn't get to see you come into this world. But you must remember his name. He is Justin Lynch."
Theodore and Rosalie brought both children to Justin's tomb.Before they left, Rosalie said that she and Chelsea wanted to spend some time alone with Justin.Theodore brought Jake to the car to wait for them.Golden sunlight shone on the land, feeling warm and toasty and giving the earth a beautiful glow.Rosalie caressed the tombstone. "Justin, I'm sorry for not coming to visit for such a long time."The last time she came back was a few months ago, during which she snuck a peak at his tombstone.Rosalie pulled out a bone fragment. "That's because you're always by my side, which is why I think that I can bring you everywhere I go. You're not just here at this tombstone."Justin, Theo and I have reconciled. He did so much for me, even sacrificing his own life for me. I can't just stand idly by and do nothing about it. I can't bring myself to reject him ruthlessly again and again."You can say that I'm moved, or that I fell in love with him once more. He's just too good, and I c
Jake had so much fun today and was exhausted by the time he reached home. After his shower, he crawled into bed and fell right asleep without any coaxing whatsoever. Jake would sometimes sleep in the bedroom with Chelsea, and sometimes they slept separately.At night, when Rosalie went to Chelsea's room to tuck her in and tell her a bedtime story, she asked, "Chelsea, how was your day with Theodore?""Hmm, it was alright," Chelsea said. "But Mr. Spencer was so silly, he burnt the food. I only got to eat lunch very late.""Is that so?" Rosalie burst out laughing. "How silly of him indeed.""But Mr. Spencer is quite nice," Chelsea said. "I like him. He said that I can call him Daddy."Rosalie's eyes lit up. "Do you want to call him that?""I do," Chelsea said with a nod, "but I'll do that tomorrow."Chelsea yawned. She felt tired, too.Rosalie caressed her cheek. "Goodnight, my darling. Go to sleep."-Rosalie returned to her room, took a shower, and laid on the bed. Theodo
Their parent-child bonding efforts officially began the next day.Rosalie brought Jake to the theme park. In the beginning, Jake felt rather stiff and reserved. It was his first time alone with his mom, after all.As time went by, Rosalie's earnestness, concern, and gentle patience with him slowly opened him up.They sat on the carousel, drove the bumper cars, rode on the Viking ship, zoomed down slides, bounced on the trampolines, and sailed on mini-boats. They had a whale of a time.Jake was covered with sweat, but he was so happy, he didn't want the day to end.He had grown closer to his mom, so much so that he would jump into her arms, hugging her and asking for kisses.Rosalie did not hold back from expressing her love for him and even carried him on her back as they continued exploring the park.Jake was very obedient and came down very soon, for fear that Rosalie might get tired. They moved on to the next attraction hand-in-hand.Rosalie found out one thing from Jake, wh
Some time later, Rosalie realized that Jake was being rather sullen.Each time she asked him whether something was wrong, he would brush her away, claiming that he was fine before running off.It was a Saturday, and Rosalie didn't need to go to work. She was seated on the couch with a book when Chelsea ran over, her braids swaying behind her. "Mommy, can you give me a hug?"How could Rosalie say no to her adorable little daughter? She shut the book and said, "But of course. Come on over."Rosalie opened her arms, very willing to show Chelsea affection.Chelsea crawled up onto the couch happily, sitting on Rosalie's lap and diving into her embrace.Jake happened to see it all.Rosalie noticed Jake standing a short distance away and was about to say something to him when he ran off.The smile on Rosalie's face faded as a look of worry took over.At night, Rosalie put Chelsea under Theodore's care and went to Jake, wanting to speak to him alone."Jake, what's with you recently
A gentle breeze lifted the curtains slightly in the deep of the night.Rosalie laid in Theodore's embrace, panting slightly. Her cheek leaned against his chest, feeling his heart pounding heavily, and her cheeks flushed.She never expected this day to come between her and Theodore, yet everything happened in a flash. He went to bed with her just like that, bewitched and completely infatuated with her.Although they were once husband and wife and had been intimate countless times, this felt different from the last. Things felt more intense this time around."Rose, are you happy?"Although Theodore's liver had been doing well over the last three months of recuperation, he was still worried that his fitness level might be affected before his liver was fully recovered.Rosalie gave him a slight smile. "Of course, I am. You almost crushed me."Her face flushed the moment she spoke those words. She hugged Theodore tight, feeling safe and secure.She could sense that he was telling th
"Theo, have you had a woman over the past five years?" Rosalie asked very frankly.They weren't naive young men and women but mature adults with experience in this matter.Theodore was a red-blooded young man who had his needs. Suppressing his desires, which were absolutely normal, would only jeopardize his health.Theodore was getting angry. "Am I someone like that to you, going to bed with a woman I don't love just to satisfy my physical needs?""Aren't men all like that?" Rosalie said. She didn't mean it in a scornful way but simply highlighted it as a typical observation.Lonely men and women in the city were bound to seek companionship in some places and part ways after the night.Someone as powerful and influential as Theodore wouldn't even need to go searching for someone else. Women flocked toward him like bees to honey."Why can't I be an exception?" He was in no state whatsoever to find another woman over the past five years and would always deal with his sexual desire
Time flew by, and three months later, Rosalie was fully recovered and back at work.Her colleagues welcomed her back with a bash.Everything seemed to have returned to normal.To keep Jake company, Rosalie would go back to Theodore's house every day after work. She was practically living there.Rosalie and Jake's relationship had improved over time, and they were looking more and more like they were truly mother and son.Everything was going well.At night, the four of them sat around the dining table and chatted happily with each other.After dinner, Rosalie and Theodore sat in the living room chatting. She suddenly noticed a book on the table. It looked so familiar that it caught her eye.It was the book she had written. Over the past five years, not only was she busy learning and working, but she also managed to write the book she had conceptualized and even gotten it published. However, this book was only available in Briusian and not exported to Blencalgo.Rosalie's book