Rosalie gritted her teeth, and her hands started trembling. She was smiling, yet her eyes began welling up with tears. She quickly arranged the flowers and put down the scissors, not bothering herself with her final outcome of her arrangement. “I’ll head home now and prepare for the divorce tomorrow.”“You don’t need to go home,” Sebastian said, sensing how upset she was. He didn’t feel good letting her go back home, where she was bound to be alone.Even if Theodore was there, he would probably be nasty to her.“He said he’ll be bringing the resident register to the clerk’s office. You don’t need to go home. I’ll take you there tomorrow. It’s not far from here.”“That’s not such a great idea,” Rosalie said with a forced smile.She couldn’t bring herself to smile genuinely.“Why not? You were planning to stay here for a few days. Don’t let this change your plans. That man isn't worth it.”Sebastian strongly believed that Theodore wasn't worthy of Rosalie’s love. Still, he also
“Although I was disappointed time and time again, I always clung onto some vestige of hope…until last night. He picked up her call and left, no matter how much I begged and tried to stop him.”“I was so angry, I secretly followed him. I saw how anxious he was about Cynthia. He grabbed her hand and promised her that as long as she survived the operation, he’d marry her.”Rosalie laughed. “He said it so easily, as if he had no wife. But that’s not entirely false. Since he doesn’t even love his wife, what’s the difference whether he has one or not?”She calmly narrated the situation, but the desperate hopelessness in her voice was enough to break one’s heart.“Rose, he’s not a good man. You’ll find a better man in the future,” Sebastian said, looking deeply at her.Rosalie shut her eyes. “I’ve known him for a decade. In the one year we were married, I’ve always thought of him as a decent man. One who always strives to be better at work, and is sensible in all things. He treated m
Rosalie wiped the tears away from her face, and shook her head. “No need, but thank you.”“Okay. If, someday, you ever want me to beat him up, tell me. I’ll be ready to do it.”Sebastian was itching for a fight.Rosalie nodded. “Okay.”But that day would never come. Theodore would be nothing but a stranger after their divorce. She didn’t intend to ever see him again after that.No matter what Theodore did from then on, or how his relationship with Cynthia would progress, it had nothing to do with her.Everything that was bound to come to an end would end. When that time came, all the pain she was feeling right now would go away. She might need some transition time, but she would get better.“I want to be alone for a while. May I?” Rosalie said weakly, her tone melancholic.Sebastian stood up. “Call me if you need anything.”Rosalie nodded.After Sebastian left, she laid down weakly on the bed, all alone. She looked ahead, her eyes empty and soulless as they glazed over. -
“She went back to her room to rest, and I felt bored alone at home. Of course I had to go out for some fresh air! I’ve returned now, haven’t I?” Yvonne retorted, slightly upset.Sebastian was always only fierce to her, and never to Rosalie.Sebastian shook his head, feeling hopeless. The logic his sister displayed was almost non-existent.“Don’t touch the food,” Sebastian warned before returning to the kitchen.Yvonne put her bag down, and followed him. “Seb, where’s Rose?”“She’s in her room.”“I’ll go find her.”“Stand right there,” Sebastian called out to her solemnly. “Don’t bother her.”“What’s the matter? Is she made of glass, so fragile that she’s untouchable?”Sebastian was being overly protective of Rosalie. He shouldn’t be treating his own wife like this, not to mention another man’s wife.“Something happened, and she’s very sad right now. Don’t bother her,” Sebastian said. Rosalie was probably feeling very emotional right now. Any careless word might just make he
Rosalie’s husband seemed to be such a horrible bastard, they weren’t even willing to identify him.“Also,” Sebastian reminded Yvonne, “don’t go to her with so many questions. If you upset her, I won’t spare you.”Sebastian shot his sister a warning look when he issued his threat. He even pointed his ladle at her, as if he would hit her on the head with it if she dared to disobey him.Yvonne took a few steps back. Pouting, she muttered, “Fine, I won’t ask! Why are you being so fierce? You actually look pretty happy to me.”Sebastian’s face turned cold upon hearing her ridiculous words. “What did you say?” “I said that you look happy to see her getting a divorce with her husband.”“Yvonne Carter, are you asking for a beating?” Sebastian said solemnly. “If you are, just ask me for one directly. I won’t go easy on you.”“I’m telling the truth,” Yvonne said gleefully. “Don’t think that I can’t tell how secretly happy you are.”Sebastian felt embarrassed at being seen through by Yvo
Yvonne knew that Rosalie wasn’t in a good mood, and probably didn’t feel like chatting.“Dinner’s ready. Let’s head down for some food.” Yvonne held her arm enthusiastically.Rosalie nodded.Yvonne could sense how terrible Rosalie’s mood was. She probably really loved her husband. Otherwise, even if she wasn’t glad about the divorce, she wouldn’t be this upset.When they reached the dining hall, they could see the table filled with delicious food that was great for pregnant ladies. They didn’t look greasy, and smelled great. “Rose, quick! Take a seat.” After serving the pot of soup which was the last dish, Sebastian removed his apron and put it aside.Rosalie stared at the whole table of food, and exclaimed in surprise, “Sebastian, did you make all this yourself?”“Yeah,” Yvonne said before Sebastian had a chance to speak. “Seb prepared all the food tonight. This is my first time seeing him cook like this. It’s so rare! I really lucked out because of you, Rose.”Sebastian
"Vonnie, let me ask you something.""What's up?""Is it that obvious that I...like her?"Yvonne, the cheeky girl, figured it out in a heartbeat. Was she just too sharp, or was he too eager?"Are you kidding? You think you're being subtle?" Yvonne shot back."I'm asking you, okay? No need to flip out on me." Sebastian furrowed his brow. "Just answer my question."Yvonne replied, "Yep, you're as clear as day. One glance, and I could tell there was something off between you two.""Something off between us?" Sebastian propped his chin on the table edge. Then, he turned around, his expression somewhat awkward. "So, do you think it's just me who's off, or..."He paused, looking a bit embarrassed, but there was an urgency to know the answer.Yvonne had never seen her brother so flustered in all her years. It turned out that even the mighty CEO of Skycrest Enterprise could be at a loss when he liked a woman."It's just you," Yvonne replied bluntly, knowing exactly what Sebastian was asking. "C
"Of course," Yvonne said, trying to please him as she hooked her arm around his. "My dear brother, you're so handsome and charming. You know how many women like you, right? You're not oblivious to that." "If it's not the one I want, what's the use even if there are ten thousand?" Sebastian sighed desolately. "What I want, I can't have. So, it's all meaningless." Seeing Sebastian sighing like that, Yvonne comforted him. "You're feeling down right at the beginning, which isn't like you at all. Don't worry. Your little sister will cheer you up!" Sebastian turned his head away. "Are you saying you really support me?" "Of course, you're my brother. Why wouldn't I support you?" "Even if she's been married before and is carrying another man's child, you don't think there's anything wrong with that?" Sebastian himself certainly didn't think there was anything wrong. He didn't have outdated, closed-off thinking, but he didn't expect his family to be as open-minded. "So what? You l
Theodore lay on the bed, unable to fall asleep. He felt a fire burning in his heart, his mind unable to stop thinking about Rosalie.Whether his eyes were opened or closed, all he could see was her.Frustrated, he flipped to his side to pull out a drawer and retrieve a bottle of pills. He couldn't calm himself down without medication.Just then, his phone rang. Theodore picked it up and saw the name on his phone screen—it was Aurora.He flung his phone aside.It kept ringing, irritating him greatly. Eventually, he answered the call. "What do you want?""Theo, save me! Save me, quick!"Shock registered on Theodore's face. "What happened?""He's chasing after me… Can I go find you? I really have nowhere else to go! I'm so scared!""Who's chasing after you? Where are you right now?""I…I'm now at… It's so dark, I can't tell. I'm hiding in a small alleyway right now. As I came here, I think I walked past a bar called Endless. I took a right turn and ended up in this alleyway. I'm
Aurora collapsed on the ground, overwhelmed by the sudden force. Her head was pounding and she cupped her red, hot cheeks with her hands. "What…what did you do? Why did you slap me?" she asked, stunned. Yerick looked down upon her, his towering figure dark and frightening in the night. "Are you taking me as your hitman, ordering me around as you like?"It was enough that she ordered him to kill another. How dare she ask him to kill Rosalie?! She was digging her grave!"I didn't mean that," Aurora said agitatedly. "I'm just so scared! We're on the same boat, so we should help each other out.""Help each other out?" Yerick crouched down and pinched her chin. "Tell me, then. What have you helped me with so far? Why do you think I arranged for you to be by Theodore's side and allowed you to get to know him? What do you think is my motive?""I…I don't know!" Aurora said with trembling lips. The man before her was way too frightening, his eyes ghostly as he chuckled. "But I'll do wha
Justin brought the baby home and saw Rosalie spacing out before the kitchen counter. She didn't even realize they were home."Mama," Steve called out to her.Rosalie heard him and turned to look at them. "You're back."She took Steve from Justin's hands and held him in her arms."Rose, are you alright? What did Theodore tell you?" Justin asked. "Aurora felt guilty and made Angie her scapegoat. Angie has been nabbed by the police," Rosalie replied.Justin frowned. "Angie surely wouldn't be a sitting duck. She'll expose Aurora.""That's not wrong," Rosalie said. "The problem is, Aurora is too good at putting up a facade. Theodore doesn't trust Angie and he said he'll investigate things and find out if Aurora was involved. At the end of the day, he refuses to believe that Aurora is capable of something like that. He subconsciously thinks that Angie was solely responsible.""That sounds like something he would do," Justin concluded. "Last time, I could tell he's very protective of
Theodore turned around. "Is there something else?"Justin walked over. "Do you want to hold him? He seems eager to hug you."Theodore paused. Then, he gave a helpless smile at the corner of his mouth."No, you take him upstairs." The more he held Steve, the harder it would be to let go. He didn't even know why he felt such strong emotions for Steve. Perhaps it was because Steve was Rosalie's child, and thus, he couldn't help but care for the baby.Seeing this, Justin didn't insist. He was about to leave when suddenly, Steve started crying in his arms. Steve stretched out his hands toward Theodore, trying to reach him.Hearing the cries, Theodore's heart tightened. He turned around and saw Justin trying to soothe the child."Steve, what's wrong? Are you hungry? I'll take you back right away."Steve continued crying, louder and louder, and Theodore felt as if his heart were being squeezed. His feet felt like they were nailed to the ground, and he couldn't move.Justin took a few steps b
"And what about you?" Theodore countered. "Rose, when will you finally see what kind of people are around you? Sebastian's two-faced, pretentious, and full of lies. Justin has blood on his hands, with numerous enemies. He's like a ticking time bomb, and both of them will only bring you disaster."Rosalie sneered. "And how much disaster have you brought me? Do you think the mental torment you've caused me isn't enough?"Theodore gave a bitter smile. "Rose, do you want me to die to make up for the harm I've caused you?""No, I just hope you won't bother me anymore. I have my own life now. Whether it's good or bad, it has nothing to do with you. Once upon a time, Grandma was the last connection between us, but now that she's gone, we have nothing left."She avoided Theodore's gaze. "You should go now."Theodore clenched his fists. "If this is what you want, then I understand. I'll stay away from you in the future and won't bother you again, because, as you said, we have nothing left."Wi
Theodore was about to speak, but then he remembered he had important matters to discuss today and couldn't be sidetracked by Justin."Rose, I have something important to tell you. Let's talk privately.""If you have something to say, just say it," Rosalie replied. She knew he wanted Justin to leave, but she didn't mind if Justin knew what was going on.Theodore gave Justin a cold glance before continuing, "This matter concerns Grandma. I don't want anyone else around. It's something that should only be discussed between the two of us.""He's not an outsider," Rosalie replied without hesitation. "He can know about Grandma's matters too."Seeing the two of them about to argue, Justin immediately said, "I'll take Steve out for a walk and come back later."With that, Justin left.Rosalie quickly said, "Justin, you don't need to…""It's fine," he interrupted her. "I'll take him downstairs for a walk."With that, Justin left with Steve.Rosalie took a step back and said to Theodore, "Come in
Aurora looked incredibly sorrowful, completely unlike someone who was acting. Theodore, for a moment, didn't know whether he should believe her or not.When Rosalie had first told him, he had only defended Aurora, completely ignoring Angie.Now, with Aurora telling him that it was Angie who killed Rebecca, Theodore couldn't be 100% certain that Aurora was not involved in this matter.It felt like a layer of mist had been added, blurring his vision and preventing him from seeing clearly.After a long while, Theodore released Aurora."Get better first," he said, turning to leave.Suddenly, he heard some movement behind him. Turning around, he saw Aurora stumbling toward the window in the ward. She forcefully pulled open the window and jumped straight down.Theodore's brows tightened, and with rocket-like speed, he rushed forward. He grabbed her from behind and pulled her back from the window ledge. "What are you doing?!""Theo, let me die! I don't want to live anymore. Just pretend I kil
Theodore took out his phone and called Aurora, but she didn't answer the phone.He turned to the bodyguard and asked, "When you took Angie, was Aurora not at home?"The bodyguard nodded. "Yes, only Angie was at home. Aurora wasn't there."Theodore furrowed his brow. Was Angie telling the truth? Had Aurora fled in fear of being caught? He clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking.Could Aurora really be this kind of person? Had he misjudged her character all along?"Find her. I want to know where she went."A few hours later, Theodore's subordinates brought news of Aurora's whereabouts. She had booked a hotel room.Theodore led a group of people to her hotel room and knocked on the door forcefully, but there was no response.The staff member opened the door with a room key, and the group entered. Aurora was indeed in the room, and she was lying on the bed.Theodore strode over."Aurora!" he shouted, but as he got closer, he noticed that she was motionless. An empty pill bottle was on th
Hearing the recording on the phone, Angie was horrified and nearly fainted."No, that's not how it is! It's not like that!" she cried in fear.Angie tried to get up from the floor, but the two men behind her pressed her down firmly, keeping her kneeling on the ground."It's not like that!" Angie shouted. "Aurora's framing me! She's setting me up!""She's framing you?" Theodore sneered. "Didn't you admit that you killed my grandmother?""I… It wasn't me!" Angie's agitation intensified. "Aurora is clearly using me as a scapegoat! She tricked me into saying those things! This is all fake!"Angie finally realized that Aurora had planned to make her the scapegoat from the very beginning, wanting to rid herself of any involvement. It was so sinister—recording conversations and twisting the facts. How despicable!"Fake?" Theodore seized her face with one hand, gripping it so tightly that her face nearly contorted. He gritted his teeth and harshly demanded, "Are you saying Aurora did this?""Y