~Rosemary~I sat up immediately, my eyes widening. “What did you just say?”“I’m sorry, Rose. Forgive me for everything I did to you.”I had heard her the first time. But hearing a repeat shocked me to the bones. Amani was apologizing to me? My twin sister, who could do no wrong was apologizing? Wait? Did the world come to an end? Was I imagining things?Under my shocked stare, Amani continued to fiddle with her fingers. “I have caused you so much pain, Rose. I shouldn’t have put honey in your food. I did it out of spite because Susan likes you better.”I already know that! I thought, shaking my head.“Nothing justifies everything I have done,” she added, lifting her head.Was she about to cry?With tears in her eyes, Amani looked at me. “Trust me, I want to be a good mom to Henny. But every day, I think I am becoming as wicked as our mother.”“What are you on about? Our mother was nice to you!” I stated, feeling irritable.She sighed. “I know. However, that doesn’t mean I didn’t see
~Rosemary~I watched with my mouth open as Henny got out of the car with a small suitcase. He placed it on the floor and looked up at Gerald. “Why do you drive so slowly, mister? It was hard staying still for so long.”“Henny!” I called out. “How did you get in there? Does your grandmother know you are not at home?He smiled at me. “Of course, she does. She told me to give you this note.”When he held out a piece of paper, I snatched it immediately. It was a typed note that read: Hey, Rosemary. Don’t be surprised when you see Henny there. I want him to spend some time with you. Don’t tell Mommy, okay?“How…why…what am I…” I couldn’t even form a complete sentence.Shivering, Henny hugged himself. “I’m cold. Can we go inside?”When I saw that his face was turning red, I picked him up immediately. Then said to Gerald, “Please, get the bags.”“Okay,” he replied, squinting at Henny.Thunder struck loudly outside. I made everyone a cup of hot chocolate and we sat in the living room with the
~Rosemary~“Wake up! Rose! Wake up!”The world seemed to be shaking under me as I opened my eyes abruptly. I looked to my side, only to see Henny jumping on the bed. “It’s time for breakfast!” he said, smiling.When the bouncing stopped, I sat up, pushing my hair away from my face. “Breakfast? It’s morning already.”“Yes, look!”When Henny pointed behind me, I looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand. He was right. But how come my alarm didn’t go off?Henny came close. “It was making so much noise. So, I turned it off earlier.”Oh, that explains it then.I got out of bed and headed to the window. Drawing open the curtain, I gasped. Holy… The sky was pitch black and cloudy. Another storm was coming and it looked like it was going to be worse than last night’s.I drew the curtain back. Then turned down, “What would you like to have for breakfast?”“Eggs, waffles, and bacon!” he said excitedly, taking my hand.“Wow, those are my favorites. I will make them ASAP, okay?”“You don’t hav
~Rosemary~“No, I didn’t kidnap him. He—““How then do you explain him being here?” Amani cut me off aggressively. “I have been looking everywhere for him. Susan has been on my neck to return him to her house despite the storm. Do you have any idea how many lies I had to come up with? I even put out an anonymous missing person flyer. Yet, he was with you all along!”I let go of the umbrella and it fell backward. “It’s really not what you think, Amani. I would never kidnap a child, let alone my sister’s. Henny came here by himself.”Amani chortled. “He came by himself? You really expect me to believe that? One moment you are threatening to report me to CPS, and the next moment, he goes missing and I find him in your house. How can a child who is barely four years old make his way to your house by himself!” My shoulders slumped lower. I didn’t know what to say anymore. It was evident that she wasn’t going to believe me. And honestly, I couldn’t blame her. No average toddler would run aw
~Rosemary~Two weeks later.“Don’t do it, Rose. He's a good man. And you are going to regret it!”I stopped short at the front door and read Sabrina’s newest text. She had been trying to change my mind ever since I told her about my decision.“My mind is made up, Sab. I can't keep holding on to something that will never be mine. I did that with Max. Never again.” After texting back, I immediately turned off my phone.I took a deep breath. Holding the big brown envelope in my hand tightly, I finally walked into the house.“Hey! I was begging to wonder what was keeping you.”Before I could close the door behind me, I saw Gerald walk out of the kitchen with mittens on his hands. There were beads of sweat trickling down his toned arms and forehead.I shook my head and blinked hard.Stay focused, Rosemary. It’s now or never.Hardening my heart, I walked over and held out the envelope. “Please sign this.”As soon as Gerald took the envelope from me, I began to ascend the stairs, unwilling t
~Rosemary~Celine? Who’s that? I wondered just as Gerald’s eyes flew open.Breathing heavily, he turned to look at me. His eyes were red and filled with fear.I hugged him tightly and stroked his hair. “Don’t worry. It’s just a nightmare. I’m right here, okay?”He rested his head on my bosom and inhaled shakily. “Thank you.”Gradually, his breathing steadied. I continued to stroke his hair until I felt his grip around my waist loosen. Staring at his sleepy face, I wondered what kind of nightmare could have shaken up a man who was always so calm and collected. And who was Celine?My thoughts kept me awake the entire night while Gerald slept peacefully in my arms. At dawn, I made him breakfast, left him a note, and left for work while it was drizzling.I met up with Sabrina at noon. Without wasting time, I told her what happened last night. She shook her head, helping herself to a slice of cheesecake. “I don’t think it’s something you should be worried about.”“But he mentioned anothe
~Rosemary~My heart dropped to my stomach as I collapsed back to the couch. I couldn’t recognize Susan now. She used to have a head full of hair. Her hair used to be long and thick, but now, it seemed to have fallen out in clumps. I couldn’t even count the bald spots…“No, Susan!” I cried, reaching out my trembling hands. “You can’t die. You can’t die!”Susan blinked back tears. “Trust me, I don’t want to. But my health is deteriorating fast. I have stage-4 breast cancer. Days ago, my oncologist told me that chemo failed. They have exhausted all their options. I really don’t think I will be able to survive this.”“Nooo!” I buried my face in her hands which I was clutching tightly. “How could this happen to you? You are the nicest woman I know. I’m so sorry for not keeping in touch all these years. I thought you were doing okay. Recently, Max told me you were hypertensive. He didn’t mention you had cancer.”Susan patted my head. “Max doesn’t know yet, neither does Henny. I haven’t bee
~Rosemary~I put down the pen in my hand. As I stood up from my desk slowly, the phone in my hand felt so cold. “What did you find?”“Very little, ma’am,” he replied. “And this is a first for me. I only found that he was orphaned at an early age, but I couldn't get anything on his parents or the people that raised him. There are no childhood photos nor records of him being in an orphanage either.”I sat on the armrest of a couch nearby. Until now, I didn’t know anything about Gerald’s past aside from the fact that he was the boy I saved years ago. I had never thought to ask after his parents since our marriage was a fake one. But since things were getting pretty serious…“Is that all?” I inquired after a long pause.The private investigator continued, “Indeed, he graduated top of his class from MIT. I saw his name on the school’s system. However, none of the people who graduated that same year and took the same course remember ever meeting him. It’s as if he was a ghost.”I took anoth
~Rosemary~A year later.“Are you nervous? Getting cold feet?”I blinked when I heard that voice. Sitting in front of the mirror, I looked at Sabrina who was styling my hair. “No, I am not nervous.”She sighed and stared straight at me. “So why have you zoned out more than three times since I started doing your hair? Something else bothering you?”I shook my head slightly. “I was just...just thinking about how different today would have been if my mom, dad, and Amani were here.”“Ugh!” Sabrina gagged. “How can you think of those fools on such a beautiful day?”My head lowered and I inhaled deeply.“Come on, girl. Forget about those folks. It’s not your fault that they were jerks. You have kept your mom out of your life for a year. Don't allow her into your heart again.”I raised my head. Then nodded. “Okay. I won't.”It had been more than a year since Amani committed suicide with the large dose of fentanyl she had on herself when she was arrested. And it had been seven months since my
~Rosemary~I pricked up my ear after Gerald removed the call from speakerphone and then said a few words. Although I didn't hear anything more, I was fairly certain it had to do with me.“I am coming with you,” I said as soon as he ended the call.Gerald shook his head. “No, you can't. Let me handle this.”“You are not the boss of me.”I took a deep breath, realizing that I was getting worked up. “I’m sorry. I—”“It’s fine. I can only imagine how you must be feeling now. But you don't have to follow me to the station.”“I do. And I want to. I want to look her in the eye and ask her why she did that to me. I also want to see Max and Amani. I want all of them to know that despite everything they did to me, they cannot break me.”Gerald stared at me, and I saw more reluctance in his eyes.“She deserves that much, Gerald,” Elvis chipped in. “After all she has been through recently, she deserves to look at her enemies in the eye.”Gerald said to him, “Stay out of this. Please.”“I know you
~Rosemary~Gerald’s head shot up as soon as I spoke. His eyes lit up and then, I felt his body crushing mine.“You are back!” he said, kissing my face. “What took you so long?”He pulled back and held my face. “Oh, my God! You scared the shit out of me. Don't do that again, okay?”I chuckled. “Okay, Mr. Beckett.”“I was so worried about…” His words trailed off. “Wait, what did you just call me?”I shrugged, “Mr. Beckett?”“You…you remember me?”I nodded. “I remember everything, Gerald. I am sorry that—”Before I could finish speaking, he knocked the breath out of me with a hard kiss. I smiled against his lips and then parted mine.Until now, I didn't know how much I had missed his lips on mine. As always, it felt like heaven. I held his strong arm despite the pain in the back of my hand due to the IV needle.“Catch your breath,” Gerald said, pulling back after like a minute.“What?” I chuckled again.“I’m not done yet. Just breathe.”I did as he said. And the second I was no longer g
~Gerald~“Seize them!” I roared the second I kicked the door open.All six of my men matched in and surrounded Max and Amani. They struggled but were pinned down within seconds.I squatted by the door, seeing Rosemary lying down.“Baby!” I scooped her up.She smiled at me. “You are here.”When she coughed out blood, I held her face. “Shh! Don't say anything. Let’s get you to the hospital.”“Wait!” Rosemary reached out and held my face. “I’m sorry for not believing you. Sorry, I realized too late.”“No! It’s not too late.”“I’m afraid it is.” She smiled again. “If I were to come back to this world again, I’d love to be your woman again. I would love to know love like you love me. To love you and be loved by you, Gerald. Just by reading your words, I realized that you are the man I always dreamed of having as a child.”She rubbed my face. “Promise me that we will meet in another life? Promise me that you will look at me the way you are looking at me right now.”“No! I can't promise you
~Rosemary~It was already past closing hour for most jobs, but my lawyer agreed that I come in to start the process. On the way, my phone dinged.A notification from the doorbell camera had just come in. I opened it and saw the live footage of Amani’s car pulling up in the driveway of Max's house.What’s she doing there? And immediately I just left too.I watched as Amani got out of her car. Max showed up from the inside. They spoke for a while. I thought they were arguing again. But then…“Oh, my God!” I screamed the second Max kissed Amani.“Ma’am,” said the taxi driver. “Are you okay?”I covered my mouth, shaking as Amani and Max made out on the porch. They looked like they wanted to gobble each other up. Max even grabbed her ass and squeezed it. Then they staggered into the house, still not letting each other go.“Ma’am, is anything the matter?”Hearing the taxi driver’s voice again, I raised my head. “Please, can you take my back? I will pay double.”He looked at me through the r
~Rosemary~I couldn't stop thinking of what Gerald said to me about proposing a prenuptial agreement. He sounded so sure that Max wanted me for my money. But Max was a billionaire, right?Right?I took out my phone and searched for the name of Max’s company. A few headlines came up.The first one: Brix Cars to get new CEOThe second: Max Smith resigns from the CEO position. Would this mark the end of the family’s hold on the company?The third: Brix Cars reportedly plunges into 30 billion-dollar debt.My jaw dropped lower with each headline I read. I had no idea that Max’s business was suffering this much, let alone the fact that he was no longer the CEO.Why didn't he tell me? Did this mean Gerald was right?Well… there's only one way to find out.I pulled out my phone and called the number saved under legal. “Erm… I’d like to draft a prenuptial agreement.”*****“What’s this?” Max frowned the second I handed the document to him.I kept my distance, a little scared. “Since we are goi
~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