~Rosemary~
"I see that you can still read," he said between mouthfuls. "Sign it."
"What! You want to divorce me? How? Why?" I choked.
Max's lips turned up with disgust. "Why are you acting so surprised, Rosemary? You are not my type. I only dated you because I was bored and you wouldn’t let me be. I should never have married you. You disgust me. So, sign that and get the fuck out of my house!"
I gasped, seeing my whole world crumbling before my eyes.
Sure, I didn’t look my best now: I was unable to dress up nicely at home when I was pregnant before.
I chose what made me comfortable instead of making me look nice, though my body’s still kept in good shape.
Was Max avoiding me because of this?
But I never thought he would ask for a divorce.
Since he knew that I wasn’t his type, why did he have unprotected sex with me months ago? Why did he pester me to get pregnant because his mother was asking for grandkids? For Pete's sake, I was carrying his child!
"Max, is this a prank? Have you forgotten that I'm four months pregnant with your child?"
"Do I look like I give a fuck?" he growled, dropping his fork again. "I want a divorce, not you or your damn child!"
Seeing how he was glaring at me now, I remembered how he was smiling at his phone moments ago.
"Wait..." I could feel my blood pressure rising at this moment. "Is...is this because of Amani?"
At the mention of that name, Max's face changed. His grey eyes grew dark. Just when I thought he was about to get mad, he bursted out laughing. "I didn't know you were so smart, Rosemary. Yes, it's about Amani. She's the one I love, and the woman I should have married, not you. She has class, charisma, and the connections that I need. If only she hadn’t gone to California."
I twisted my face and clutched my chest as it tightened. My other hand squeezed the edge of the divorce agreement slowly.
Tears slipped down my cheeks as I screamed hysterically, "Why did you marry me then?"
Max shrugged. "Because of the sex? I mean, you are not the hottest woman I have been with. But your pussy felt so uhn!” He kissed his fingers and then frowned. “Now, it’s just…disgusting.”
What the hell? How could he say something so directly to insult me?
I felt a dagger drive into my aching heart again.
I couldn’t believe it was just about sex to him. Wasn’t he the one who said he loved me and wanted us to date?
I couldn't recognize the man in front of me. He was supposed to be Max—the man I had loved since I was just fourteen. He used to be a shy and thoughtful nerd. But I didn't know who this...this stranger was.
Just as I was about to argue, Max's phone rang. He raised his palm to me and answered the call. "Hello, love."
A female voice came from the other end. I heard her loud and clear as she said, "Honey, I am so lonely and scared. My belly aches. The baby won't let me sleep. I think he wants you here. Come over."
What the f…was this woman…
"Amani?" I screamed, knowing fully well that she was the only person who would speak so loudly on the phone to provoke me.
Max sprang to his feet and moved away from me. He said to the phone, "All right, my love. I'm on my way."
"That was Amani, wasn't it? She's pregnant for you too?" I asked in disbelief as soon as he got off the phone.
Max turned around. "Yes, so?"
"How could you cheat on me? And you cheat with her? My twin sister!”
Without an iota of remorse, Max grabbed his keys and uttered, "That's none of your business. Just sign those papers and leave before I get back."
At the sight of Max’s cold back, I had a gut feeling. He wasn’t just walking out. He was walking out on me… on our marriage.
No, I couldn’t lose him forever!
“Max! Wait!” I called out, running out the door.
Slipping my shoes on as quickly as I could, I noticed as Max got into his car and started the ignition. Then the car backed out in the driveway. I ran after it into the dark, quiet street.
Suddenly, I stubbed my toe on something, and my right ankle twisted.
“Max!”
Just as I called out to him desperately, a bright light came out of nowhere, blinding my eyes. I raised my hand to block it.
I heard a high-pitched screeching sound all of a sudden. Then I heard a loud bang. Something hit me from behind at the same time. I soon felt myself floating in the air.
My body soon crashed to the ground with a dull thud. I winced.
My bones cracked as a sharp pain traveled from my belly to the soles of my feet. I lay on my side, my vision blurry.
I felt something warm slip between my thighs. Grinding my teeth, I pushed my hand past my aching belly. I touched between my thighs, only to feel something wet on my fingers. I felt the ground become wet too.
"Max... help..." I cried, stretching my aching hand towards my husband's car which was now a speck of light down the road.
And then, everything went black…
~Rosemary~A beeping sound replayed in my head an annoying number of times. The air around me felt so cold that goosebumps pricked my skin.I opened my eyes slowly, only to be blinded by the light. When I opened them again, I saw a white ceiling.Where was I? Wasn't I at home? Was I lying down? Why? What happened to me?A dozen questions ran through my mind. I looked around, trying to figure out where I was. But nothing around was recognizable.Suddenly, my eyes fell on a heart rate monitor. It was what was making that annoying beeping sound. Oh, God! Was I in the hospital?"You are awake!" a voice suddenly interrupted my thoughts.I looked in the direction it came, only to find two smiling nurses walking through the door."Where am I? What happened to me?"The first nurse stood at the foot of the bed. "You got hit by a car. You've been in a coma for hours."Hearing that, my memory came rushing like a flood. I remembered running after Max in the dead of the night. I also remembered th
~Rosemary~"You are having sex with my twin sister while I just lost our baby?" Max raised his voice. "What else do you want me to do? How am I even sure the pregnancy was mine? We don’t meet often, after all.""It was yours! I never cheated on you, Max. And you know it!" I yelled, my chest tightening. The slapping sound got louder as Max roared, "I don’t care! Sign the divorce agreement and send it over. I'll send your belongings. Also, don't ever call this number again!"With that, he hung up.Tears blurred my vision as I stared at the phone screen in horror. What did I do to deserve such cruel treatment? It was as if history was repeating itself as I used to catch them having sex in our chemistry lab before, in high school. But this time, it was more painful. Max was inside my twin sister while I was battling for my life and that of our son. Worst of all, he was happy I miscarried and even accused me of cheating.He used to buy me flowers to beg for my forgiveness.How did he
~Rosemary~I woke up to find an unfamiliar ceiling above me. It took me a good minute to realize that I was no longer in Max's house. I touched my belly which was once warm with life. But now, it was just cold and flat. I choked on a sob, missing all the mornings I spent checking out my baby bump in the mirror.Although the last thing I wanted to do was to face Max and Amani, I knew that my mother wouldn’t have invited me in the first place if there wasn’t something important. I had to go to find out what it was.I went into the bathroom after dragging myself out of Gerald’s bed. Yes, I slept in his bedroom while he volunteered to spend the nights on his living room sofa. We were occupied by my luggages these days, sorting them and placing them well. It was tiring but better than attending the shitty party I was going to later today. Everything’s hard, but luckily, I had Gerald to be with me. I didn’t even know how to thank him.I scrubbed my body hard in hopes it would wash a
~Rosemary~I felt sick to my stomach when I saw Max grab Amani's butt and squeeze it. The intense kiss seemed to last for eternity. When they finally stopped, some of the guests whistled and clapped.Smiling mischievously, Amani wiped the red lipstick stain on Max’s lips and walked over to me slowly. At this moment, I couldn’t help but notice that her dazzled dress could have easily passed off for a wedding gown if it weren’t for the red color. Her blonde hair which was very similar to mine was curled and styled with tendrils falling over her cleavage. I felt she looked like a queen, but when she came closer to me and scowled, I held my breath.“I told Mom not to invite you. Why did you come? Do you intend to spoil my happiness like you did before?”Max came over and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Don’t worry, honey. She wouldn’t dare.”Then he shot me a glare.I shivered, feeling the lump in my throat return. Before I could come up with something to say, I heard the young women
~Gerald~The entire ballroom instantly went quiet. Even the soft music that was playing in the background abruptly stopped. I could feel many harsh stares on me. Regardless, I took off my suit jacket and draped it on Rosemary’s shoulder. I smiled when she looked at me with tearful eyes.“And who the hell are you to lecture us?” the older woman suddenly yelled.The younger woman who looked a lot like Rosemary snapped, “Why are you defending her? And who invited you to my party?”Max, whose face I knew all too well, echoed, “How dare you insult my fiancée and her mother? Who the fuck are you?”“I’m her husband!” I pulled Rosemary even closer, glaring at all of them. “She’s the woman I have loved for a long time."It was true.Rosemary Beckett was the woman I dreamed of every day for many years. Like it was yesterday, I could still remember the day she walked into my life.I was just seventeen years old at the time. On that fateful day, I just got off my cleaning job when I was accoste
~Rosemary~Time seemed to stop when my chest collided with Gerald's. Our gazes locked. I could see my reflection in his alluring eyes.Suddenly, we pulled away from each other. I ran my finger through my hair and looked away in embarrassment."Sorry," Gerald said softly.I waved my hand. "Don't be. Thanks for catching me."Oh, God! Why is my heart beating fast? And why can't I look at him in the eye anymore? That's normal, right? He's a handsome man. There's no way I am falling for him. I still haven’t gotten over Max."Your ankle twisted. Are you sure you are okay?" Gerald asked, glancing at my ankle.I pulled back my leg and waved. "I'm fine. It just hurts a little."Gerald nodded. After holding the door for me and getting behind the wheel, he asked, "Where to now?""Elmont. The house my father left to me is on the outskirts."Under my direction, Gerald drove us to my father's childhood home. It was a washed-up one-story building that stood surrounded by trees.The first thing I not
~Rosemary~"I can't believe I actually sold the house for ten million, now I can use this to start my own business!" I said to Gerald on the way home.He smiled. "Good things come to good people, Rosemary.""But this is just too good to be true!" I argued. "Why did that man spend so much for a dilapidated house? He didn't even inspect it himself!"Gerald kept his eyes on the road. "Rich people are full of surprises. I guess he has lots of money to throw around. You know, the fung-shui thing. Or maybe he just loves Elmont.""Maybe..." I muttered, still feeling a little strange."This calls for celebration!" Gerald declared when we returned home. "Let me cook you dinner.""I'll join you."I chopped the veggies while Gerald seasoned the chicken. At this moment, I couldn't help remembering my previous marriage. Although marrying Max had been a dream come true, life in his house was torture. I was always so lonely and sad.Max and I never did anything as a couple. He only came home to eat
~Rosemary~Three years. That's how much time had passed since I got divorced and remarried. A lot happened within that time. I had toiled day and night. However, I still couldn't believe I had achieved so much. I was no longer the broke and broken Rosemary Beckett. Now, I was a boss. After flipping stocks for a long time, I was finally able to buy a prestigious hotel located in the heartbeat of Manhattan. I also bought a bunch of other properties.Standing up from my desk, I adjusted the silver watch on my wrist and slipped into my red bottoms. I closed my laptop and then grabbed my phone and bag.It was just a few minutes past five, but I was leaving the hotel early today. I turned off the lights in the office when I got to the door. As soon as I walked out, a waitress in a black and white uniform came rushing from the left. She bumped into me. "Sorry, boss. I'm so sorry!" She bowed deeply."It's all right. Be careful next..." My words trailed off when I saw tears rolling down her
~Gerald~I slammed the door in his face. Before turning away, I listened as he stormed off, huffing and puffing about how I was making a huge mistake.“Before you say anything…” I began, looking at Elvis. “Get on the phone with the Russian mafia. I’m sure they would be pleased to know that Angel showed up here.”“No!”“What?” I exclaimed on the way to grab a glass of water.Elvis shook his head. “I don't think it’s a good idea to get involved in the battle between Angel and them. Time and time again, this has always ended with a bloodbath. It was hard enough for you to stay alive all these years despite having many enemies. I can't watch you get involved in a mafia war just because you want to take Angel down.”I sighed. “What do you suggest I do then?”“I suggest we wait. We wait for them to locate Angel and take him out. Since he's roaming without a care in the world, that should be pretty easy.”I shook my head with uncertainty. As far as I knew, Angel was much more powerful than m
~Rosemary~“Boss, are you okay? Boss!” Elvis ran to me as soon as the phone dropped from my hand. He made me sit on the sofa and peered down at my face.His tone changed. “Gerald, are you okay? Should I call the doctor?”I shook my head, clutching my chest. It was as if I was going to have a heart attack. But I knew going to the hospital won't help me.“Was that Rosemary on the phone? What did she say? Why are you like this?”I looked at him. “I don't know what to do, man. She’s getting married to Max again.”“What! How…but your divorce hasn't being finalized. You didn't sign the divorce papers, did you?”“I didn't. But now that she doesn't remember me or the love we shared, I’m afraid Max would make her drag me to court for the divorce. He's manipulating her big time.”I went on to tell him about the wedding photo Rosemary found and how she accused me of faking it and planting it in Max’s house.“This is getting out of hand. Should I tell the boys to take him out?”I groaned. “No. T
~Rosemary~“H-how is this… how did this…”I couldn't believe my eyes at all. I stared at the woman standing beside Max. She was wearing a very beautiful wedding dress. Most importantly, she wasn't me!She looked like me, but she wasn't me. She was Amani. I was sure of it!“So it’s true? What that man said is true! Max divorced me so he could be with Amani?”The photo slipped off my hands. Taking a step back, I stared down at it. “They even had a wedding. But why did Max propose to me two days ago? And Amani was so happy for me!”What the fuck is going on? Who's playing me for a freaking fool!All of a sudden, the door opened. I turned and saw Max. His eyes widened at the sight of me. He looked at my feet, and his eyes widened even more.“Care to explain?” I asked, folding my arms.I was trying so hard to keep it together. Heaven knows I wanted to jump at him and scratch his face. Another part of me also wanted to just break down crying. This moment reminded me of the heartbreak I su
~Rosemary~Call me insecure, but something didn't sit right about this meeting. First, because Amani showed up here at night. And second because for as long as I could remember, Amani had a thing for Max.She even snatched him from me when we were in high school. It was a miracle that we got married. Was she trying to snatch him yet again?But seeing this beautiful ring now, I realized what a fool I had been. Why did I think that the puppy dating they had in school still meant anything to Max after all the love I showed him since Amani left for college?“Yes!” I screamed, putting out my hand. “I will marry you, Max Smith!”“Really?” Max asked, his eyes lighting up.I nodded vigorously. After he slipped the ring on my finger, I raised my hand and looked at it. The rock was much bigger than the one he gave me when we first married. By the looks of it, it was probably worth millions.“You shouldn't have!” I said, tearing up.Max pulled me into a hug. “You deserve the very best, my love.
~Max~The cold was biting hard. Standing on the lawn, I listened to Amani as she went on and on about her grievances.Just two weeks ago, she had asked for a divorce. I knew it was because of my current financial woes. It hurt a lot that she wanted to leave me. But I begged.I begged her like I had never begged anyone before. She was my life!“I will stay on one condition. Get me everything that Rosemary has,” she had said.At the time, I thought that would be impossible considering the fact that Rosemary hated my guts. But after I received that call ordering me to come to the hospital because my “wife” was admitted there, I thought maybe…maybe it wasn't impossible after all.Although I suspected that Amani had a hand in Rosemary’s accident, I didn't dare to ask her that or even tell Rosemary the truth. I was going to do anything to make Amani stay with me.She agreed to leave the house for a while so I could make Rosemary comfortable with me. The plan was to make her transfer all he
~Rosemary~My eyes zoomed in on Max’s puckered lips. It was as if I was having a nightmare in a horror film.“No!” I said, turning the other way.Max sniffed. “My love, what’s wrong?”Yeah, what’s wrong with me? I thought I loved him? Or did that man get into my head?“There’s no rush, okay?”I turned to see him smiling awkwardly. I sighed. “I’m sorry, Max. I just…”“I understand perfectly. You don't have to explain yourself. You have just been through something so traumatic. I shouldn't have made such a move.”Aw… He’s so understanding. Seeing his face, I felt even guiltier for thinking about that guy. Why can't I get him off my mind? This isn't fair!“But… I just want you to know that I love you, Rosemary. Although we have had our ups and downs and people have tried to break us apart, we are soulmates.”I nodded, remembering what he said about us having a fight and me getting deceived into divorcing him and remarrying someone else.“Ermm. What was our quarrel about again?”Max scr
~Rosemary~The man stared at me before taking the burger from me. He smiled. “Thank you.”“Don’t you ever get tired?” I blurted out. He chuckled. “What do you mean?”“Come, sit,” he added, tapping the space on the bench.I hesitated. I didn't even know this man, but here I was, sharing my lunch. There was something warm about him.“Don’t you ever get tired?” I asked again, sitting down on the edge of the bench.I turned, smiling. “I do, Rose.”“But you have been staying out here day and night.”He shrugged. “I wanted to make sure you were all right and I wanted a chance to talk to you. Max banned me from coming close to your ward.”I sighed, placing my hands on my knees. “My husband… I mean, Max doesn't like you. He says you are bad news.”He shook his head. “Honestly… I am not in the least surprised by his behavior.”“Because you are a gigolo who deceived me into marrying you?”He chuckled. But when I looked at his face, he looked sad.“Actually…” he began, turning to face me again.
~Gerald~Amani gasped. “Of course not! Why would you accuse me of such a thing?”I shrugged. “Maybe because of the fact that you have always been jealous of Rosemary and you have been shamelessly trying to get with me. Or the fact that you are the most evil person I know!”Amani slapped her chest. “That's mean, Gerald! I might not be perfect, but I would never push my own sister off a cliff!”“Oh, cut the crap! Do I have to remind you that you once put honey in her food, slept with her husband, and even stole her baby?”Amani rolled her eyes. “I don't know what you are talking about.”“Typical!”I sucked my teeth and began to walk away.“Wait! I have something else to say,” Amani stopped me.I frowned. “What is it?”“I was thinking..” Amani fiddled with her fingers like a little girl.“Get to the point. I don't have all day!”“Ermm… I was wondering if you could give me some money.”I scoffed. “I don't have money to give you.”“But I heard that you are a billionaire and you own several
~Gerald~“Rose, it’s me, Gerald. Can you see me now?” I uttered, pulling back so she could see my face.But Rosemary squinted even more. “Why are you in my ward? I don't know who you are, sir.”What! Did I hear wrong?I blinked, then shook my head. “Rose, you are joking right?”“I came as soon as I found out you were here. Why didn't you call me?” I added, sitting on the edge of the bed.Rosemary slowly turned her neck to look at me. “Why would I call you? I don't know you!”“Why do you keep saying that? It’s me, Gerald. Can't you see me?”She frowned. “Look, mister. As you can see, I am not in the right state to be arguing. I need to rest. Leave now before my husband comes and sees you here.”“What!” I sprang to my feet. “Rosemary, please you are taking this joke too far. I am your husband!”“No, you are not!”The second Rosemary raised her voice, I heard the door open behind me.I turned to see who it was.“Max? What the fuck are you doing here?”Max stood frozen at the door with a