Rosalie’s grip tightened over her phone, feeling miserable. Her heart broke thinking about tears streaming down Rebecca’s old, wrinkled face.She had been keeping Rebecca company all this while, but she didn’t even realize what Rebecca was feeling. And yet, Theodore did. Perhaps she had misunderstood him all along. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about Grandma, he simply didn’t show his concern as explicitly as she did. He had never been an expressive person.Her palms started sweating. “Are we going to just keep dragging things out?” “I promise you that I’ll keep my distance from Cindy.”Rosalie found that laughable. “Keep your distance? I can’t just turn a blind eye to what you two have already done!”“Nothing happened between us!”“Don’t bother explaining yourself. I saw it clearly with my own eyes.” The image of them in the resort made pain pulsate through Rosalie’s heart.“What you saw may not be the truth.”“What’s the truth, then?” Rosalie demanded. “Was it not true t
Cynthia felt uneasy. She wanted to sit next to Theodore, but since he made it clear where he wanted her to sit, she had no choice but to do as she was told. Her fingers intertwined nervously as she asked, “Theo, what’s going on?”Theodore said, “Explain to Rose what exactly happened at the resort the last time.”Cynthia looked at the two of them in disbelief, her gaze pausing at Theodore as shock registered in her eyes. “Theo, why did you bring this up out of the blue?”Did Theodore bring Rosalie here to make her explain to Rosalie about that? Did Theodore consider her feelings when doing this, and gave Rosalie a chance to humiliate her?Rosalie found it ridiculous, too. “Why are you making her explain things to me? I really don’t understand what’s going through your mind.”“It’s simple, really,” Theodore said. “You don’t want to hear me out, and even if you do, you won’t believe me. In that case, I’ll have Cindy explain things to you. Both of us will tell you clearly what exact
“Oh, yes,” Rosalie went on, as another thought came to mind. “On our way here, Theo told me that we won’t be getting a divorce for the time being.”She didn’t want Cynthia feeling too happy.Cynthia looked as though lightning had struck her on the head, and her eyes widened in shock.“Theo…”Theodore turned to look at Rosalie. “Wait for me in the car, will you? I’ll be there in a few minutes.”“Sure, take your time to talk,” Rosalie said, as she stood up to leave the hall. She didn’t want to stay here with the two of them, anyway.After Rosalie left, Cynthia immediately stood up from her seat and sat next to Theodore. She grabbed his arm, and asked, “Theo, what exactly is going on? Is she the one who’s stopping you from divorcing her?”“No. Rose wants the divorce, but this time, I was the one who told her that I’m not going through with the divorce,” Theodore said calmly.“Why not?” Tears immediately fell down Cynthia’s cheeks. “Why are you saying something like this? Didn’t yo
“Yes, you have,” Rosalie said, as she locked her phone screen and put it aside. She turned to look at him. “So what if nothing happened between you two? The facts remain: you switched your phone off, and brought her on a holiday. You asked me for a divorce, and clamored to marry her. You rush to her defense each time something happens. It doesn’t really make a difference whether you two had sex or not.”Whatever it was, she and Theodore could never return to the past. He was entangled with Cynthia, and it was pointless no matter how hard Rosalie tried.Theodore gripped the steering wheel so tightly, the veins on his hands tensed up and even popped.Rosalie was showing off in front of Cynthia not because she was glad that they weren’t getting a divorce, but simply because she was trying to provoke Cynthia.Theodore sat there unmoving and didn’t start the car, but Rosalie didn’t rush him either. She picked her phone up, and started scrolling again.She opened and closed a couple
Theodore could sense that the two women wanted to chat in private, and his presence made it inconvenient for them to do so. So he said, “I’ll go grab a bottle of water.”After he made an excuse and left, Stephanie finally said, “Are you two not getting a divorce?”Rosalie smiled awkwardly. “I’m afraid that’s the case. We’re not getting a divorce for the time being.”“You can’t be serious!” Stephanie said with a helpless look. “You two aren’t getting a divorce after going through so much? Are you two thinking straight?!”Even she felt tired from just hearing about what was going on. And now, they were deciding not to go ahead with the divorce.If this were a drama series, she’d definitely be cursing as she watched.“Grandma isn’t in good health. She says she’s fine with us getting a divorce, but she’s in fact very upset about it. I don’t want her to be sad, so we decided to delay it,” Rosalie said. “Until when are you going to delay it? You can’t possibly suffer for someone el
“Where is that woman? Where’s the nurse named Stephanie Carter?!”The door was shoved open with a loud bam, and a middle-aged couple charged in.“Stephanie Carter! You’re Stephanie Carter, aren’t you?!”Upon seeing the woman on the bed, the couple rushed forward and forcefully yanked off the sheets.“What are you doing?!”Rosalie shoved the woman aside and stood in front of Stephanie’s bed, her face all tensed up.“Scram!” The middle-aged man shoved Rosalie roughly to the floor.“Argh!” Rosalie wrapped her arms protectively around her belly.“What are you doing?!” Stephanie leapt out of her bed, and held Rosalie up from the floor. “Are you okay?”“I’m fine,” Rosalie said, feeling no discomfort in her belly.Upon seeing the fierce couple approach them, Rosalie hurriedly pulled Stephanie behind her. “What do you two want?”“This nurse caused my son to be taken away by the police. I’ll teach you a good lesson!”The couple was hot-tempered, and completely unreasonable.“Don’t
One of the doctors did a check-up on Theodore, treated the wound on his forehead, and diagnosed him as suffering from a slight concussion.Rosalie sat by Theodore’s bedside. Grabbing his hand tightly, she asked with concern, “Theo, does it still hurt?”“I’m fine, it doesn’t hurt. You silly girl. Why did you act as a shield for someone else? What if you got hurt?”Theodore’s brows were furrowed as deep concern—remorse, even—filled his eyes.“She’s not just someone else. She’s my friend,” Rosalie explained.“But you’re my wife. I care only for you.”“Theo…” Rosalie felt tears welling up in her eyes again as they fell down her cheeks. She didn’t expect Theodore to be the one to appear at that critical moment and rush to her defense.Right when she was feeling utterly disappointed with him, he protected her so self-sacrificially by blocking the attack with his own body. He disregarded the wound on his forehead, and was instead more worried about her.She felt really conflicted abou
A friend in need is a friend indeed. Stephanie personally witnessed Rosalie shielding her with her own body despite her pregnancy. Such a friend was a friend Stephanie was determined to keep her entire life. “Don’t be so polite with me. We’re friends! Of course we should help each other out. They’ve been taken away by the police and will pay the price for their actions. I’ll also speak to Theodore and see if he can keep them behind bars for longer. They are utterly unreasonable,” Rosalie said with fury.“Rosalie, did you cry?” Stephanie saw the redness in Rosalie’s eyes.Rosalie chuckled awkwardly.“It must be because of your husband,” Stephanie surmised. “At first, I had some reservations about your him. From what I saw today, my perspective of him has changed. No matter what, he was willing to protect you at the most critical moment. Very few men are capable of doing that.”“Yeah, it’s just a pity…” Rosalie sighed. “I feel very conflicted. I can’t deny he’s good in some areas,
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