~Rosemary~“I was thinking. Maybe I could buy—” Suddenly, I was interrupted by my phone ringing. I took it out of my purse and frowned. Although the number was unsaved, I knew it far too well.“What!” I spat, bile rising to my throat.An annoying voice came from the other end. “Do you have any idea how much that fence cost me?”I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “Do you have any idea how much the land cost me? You tried to steal part of it. Yet, you have the nerve to be mad that I broke it down.”“Rosemary!” Max roared. “That land was supposed to be mine!”“But it’s not! I bought it with my hard-earned money. Now, if you would excuse me, I have to get back to checking the progress of the resort I am building—”“Listen, woman.” I heard his voice increase further as he said, “No matter how many resorts or hotels you build, you will never be more successful than me! You’ll always remain the poor little bitch I married out of pity and dumped!”These words were like a punch to my stomach. Once M
~Gerald~Nothing gave me more joy now than seeing Rosemary spit fire at Max. I saw his face drop as he let go of Amani and sat at the table close by.“You think just because I was stupid to give up everything to be with you, I would remain below you forever? Newsflash! I’ll come for everything you have. Brix Cars? That's going to be ancient history soon. Just watch!”That's my girl! I almost shouted excitedly, watching Rosemary with my hand under my chin. The fire in her eyes was the same one I had seen more than three years ago. Now, I was sure that I did the right thing by giving her a stake at Mounty and setting aside the money she “paid” for it. If I had my way, I would give her everything on the spot.“You’re such a braggart, sis,” Amanj suddenly spoke up. “You don’t know shit about cars. How stupid of you to buy shares in that company. Anyway, I won’t be surprised if Mounty goes under soon. Everything you touch dies.”Rosemary laughed, much to my surprise. “My dear sister, this
~Rosemary~All my pent-up anger came rushing to the surface now. I clenched and unclenched my burning hand as I slowly walked over to Amani who was staggering back. Glaring at her, I yelled, “Your betrayal cost me my baby, yet you never fail to rub it in. How dare you!”She stretched out her free hand. “Don’t come any closer, you bitch!”“What did you just call me?” I stopped.“Bitch!” she spat. “I said what I said!”I laughed, my rage boiling over. My eyes dimmed the next second. I took another swipe at her.“That’s enough!” Gerald suddenly said, grabbing my waist and pulling me away.I kicked the air and threw my hands. “Allow me! I need to beat the shit out of her!”Gerald carried me out of the bathroom without a word. I continued to struggle, but it was useless.“Why did you stop me from teaching her a lesson?” I panted with rage as soon as we got home.Gerald locked the door before turning to me. “I did it for your own good.”“For my own good?” I stamped my feet. “Amani has been
~Rosemary~“What the fuck are you doing here?” Max roared, his eyes shooting lasers at me.Susan slapped the table. “Language, young man! Why would you speak to a good woman in that manner? Besides, she’s my guest!”Noticing how Max’s face changed, I smiled faintly. Susan had always been the only one who stood up to Max. Once, she slapped him for not taking me to the hospital when I was sick. He acted right while she was around. But once she left, all hell broke loose.“Mom,” Max started in a much lower tone. “I already divorced her long ago. Why don’t you—““I never approved the divorce!” Susan cut him off. “In fact, I want you to divorce that promiscuous woman and remarry Rosemary ASAP! Remember the company is still mine. I can take it back whenever I want.”“Mom!” Max’s face turned red in horror.I opened my mouth to speak, but I swallowed hard. Susan had begun to shout again. She stood up and said with a tone of finality, “It’s either Rosemary or no one else. I won't be able to tak
~Gerald~I could spend forever staring at Rosemary now. Although she was looking at me as if she had seen a ghost, I couldn’t help marveling at her beauty as always. I inhaled shakily and held out my hand. “Can I have this dance, Ms. Beckett?”Rosemary smiled, but covered her mouth, tears brimming in her eyes. “When did you prepare all these, Gerald? And why?”Slowly, I walked over and took her hand. “Dance with me and I’ll tell you why.”She nodded.I led her under the skylight. And as the song played, I looked up at the stars. “I have always wanted to do this with you, wifey.”After dumping the bouquet on the sofa nearby, I slipped one hand around her thin waist, then made her place her hand on my chest.The mood was solemn and romantic, just as I had planned it to be. I was staring into Rosemary’s eyes as she did the same. I wanted to kiss her again, but there were steps to this thing. “Rose, has anyone ever told you that you are the most beautiful woman in the world?”I saw her c
~Gerald~I remembered all the pain I went through because of that family and how hard it was for me to get out of the hellhole they put me in. I thought all was well.Who would have thought the Smiths would pose a threat to my happiness…again! Aren’t they satisfied after killing my first love?I tossed the tablet aside. Grunting, I poured myself another glass and drank it in one gulp.“Boss, what’s wrong? Did the proposal not go as planned?” Elvis, who was already in his PJs when I arrived, sat on the leather couch opposite me.I set down the glass as gently as I could. Lacing my fingers, I stared straight at him and told him everything.Elvis looked so downcast by the time I was done. Out of habit, he rubbed his stubble. “Boss, the board meeting is tomorrow. Rosemary will be introducing herself formally. Do you still think it’s a good idea to allow her own a huge stake at Mounty? Should I halt the transfer of the shares you told me to gift her secretly?”I leaned back. “No, go ahead.
~Rosemary~“What are you doing here, Gerald?” I didn’t expect to see him here. I thought he went straight to work from wherever he spent the night. “Err…” he drawled, scratching his chin. “Oh, I’m rounding up the operating system for Waltz, so I came to report the progress a few minutes ago. How was your meeting?”“It was good.”“You two know each other?”At that question, I looked at John, one of the directors and a top shareholder I met back in the boardroom.Gerald spoke before I could, “She’s my wife, like I said.For a moment, I noticed his face darken. He continued to pull the card in John’s hand.“What a small world,” John said, still smiling at me.Gerald asked me, “Can you drop me off at work? I need to report something to my superiors ASAP.”“Okay, hop in.” I shrugged, unlocking the door.Why was he acting so strange? I thought to myself, seeing as he pushed John out of the way and got in.I found it even stranger when he didn’t say anything for a long time. Finally, I cle
~Gerald~“Ugh!” I groaned with displeasure, my hand freezing midair just as I was about to take the first bite of my sandwich.I looked towards the door. “Who is it?”No one answered.Maybe I heard wrong because I was expecting Rosemary home. I shrugged and brought the sandwich to my mouth again.Ding! Ding! Immediately the doorbell rang again, I dumped the sandwich on the plate and stood up. Who could that be? Rosemary has a key. Or did she leave it at home?I walked briskly to the door. When I peeped through the hole, I didn’t see anyone. “Who’s there? And how may I help you?”I heard the shuffling of feet. However, the person didn’t say anything. The ring camera didn’t capture anyone either. That’s strange…I thought as I unlocked the door. I staggered back a second later, almost losing balance. I tore off the person who had just jumped on me. Looking at her face, I frowned. “Amani? What are you doing here? Can’t you take a hint!”My voice was harsh and raised, but this stubborn
~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