~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~Confusion immediately clouded Gerald’s face. He leaned away. “Err…where did you hear that name?”“From you,” I replied, hell-bent on getting an answer once and for all. “Who is she?”A crease formed between his thick eyebrows. “I don’t remember ever telling you that.”“You screamed her name in your sleep days ago. You were telling her not to leave you. Who is she?” I studied his expression, my chest thumping with anticipation.But Gerald turned away. “She’s no one.”“What!” I almost knocked down my glass. “She’s no one yet you said her name in your sleep? I thought we agreed to have a fresh start? If we are going to be doing this, don’t you think I deserve to know about your past? Was Celine your first love?”Gerald circled back to me. “Is that why you have been avoiding me? It wasn’t about you not having feelings for me, was it?”I shrugged. “Do you blame me? One moment, you are saying that you love me with every fiber of your being. And the next moment, you are screaming
~Rosemary~“Uh, what!” I exclaimed, my grip on her hand loosening. Someone, please tell me that I heard wrong.Max cocked his head and laughed awkwardly. “Mom, you are joking—”“I am not,” Susan interrupted with a firmer voice. “I want you two to get married on the 31st of next month. I have already contacted the family’s lawyer. He's drafting the divorce papers already.”“What!” It was Amani’s turn to exclaim now. She matched to the bedside; her face twisted in a disapproving frown.“What did I ever do to you, Susan?” she asked, looking down at the frail woman. “For close to four years, I have tried to soften up your heart because of the love I have for your son. Now, you want us to divorce so he can get married to Rosemary? This is injustice!”“Shut up!” Susan shouted, then coughed. “You are the last person that should be talking about injustice. Have you forgotten that you were the one who broke your sister’s marriage? I am only trying to right the mistake that my son made because
~Gerald~Staring blankly at nothing, I tapped my fingers on the leather couch. “I need something to distract the Smiths. It seems I have been too lenient with them, so his mother thinks she can just make demands that could mar my happiness. She did that once before, but I was only a helpless teenager then.”I stood up. “Now, I won’t sit back and watch her do the same thing again. I must act fast.”“What do you have in mind, boss?” Elvis asked.Rubbing my chin, I inquired, “If I remember correctly, you said that the Smith family’s subsidiary company, Brix Oil is one of the companies shortlisted for the motor oil supply program for 2025 and the deal is worth more than a billion dollars, right?”Elvis nodded. “Brix Oil is currently the most favored. On top of that, Amani seems to have got the senator overseeing the project in her palm. They constantly meet at her condo in Long Island for romps.”I smirked. “Which of the companies on the line-up is better than Brix Oil?”Once Elvis told m
~Gerald~Max gaped at us. Then suddenly, he laughed silently, pressing the bridge of his nose and shaking his head. “She’s yours? My God! You are such a good actor.What is he on about? I wondered, scowling at him.Max raised his head and looked at us with a smirk. “You don't have to act in front of me. I know that your marriage is fake!”“What!”He nodded. “You called me a loser when that should be you. Aren't you the one who married Rosemary for money?”I looked at Rosemary, only to see her eyes bulging from the sockets. She was just as shocked as I was.Max chuckled. “Don’t look so shocked. I have known for a while—-”“Get your facts right, Max!” Rosemary interrupted. “My marriage to Gerald is as real as it gets. And he loves me.”Max scoffed. “Love? You say that a man who signed a contract to be your fake husband for seven years loves you?”“How can you be so loud and wrong, Max!”“I see you are going to keep lying just to defend this pauper.”Nodding, Max took out a document and
~Gerald~I scrunched my nose, turning my head away in disgust. The hell!“Did you eat or drink right out of a sewer? Your breath stinks!”Max tightened his grip on my shirt. He roared in my face yet again, “I said, who the fuck are you? How did you know Brix Oil was going to crumble even before I did!”“Fuck off!” I roared back, pushing him away. I smoothed the wrinkles on my shirt and stood up. Looking at Max as he sat on the floor now, I laughed, “How do I know? Should that be part of your worries now?”“You have—”I raised my hand, and in an instant, he shut up. “Last I checked, you have far too many problems to deal with now. Brix Oil has crumbled, so there will be no more income from there. You still have to pay the employees off. You have a lot of gambling debts. Also, you have about 800 billion in total to pay several banks. You are worth only a few billions, so tell me, why are you bothered by my identity?”“How did you… how did you get to know such details?”I smirked. “You
~Rosemary~I took the wrinkled photo and stared at it. There were two people in the photo: a young boy who looked about twelve years old and a woman whose age I couldn't guess. While the boy was smiling brightly, the woman had very sad eyes and her smile could barely be seen. She had her hand wrapped around his shoulders and their clothes were obviously worn out. “This is Celine,” I heard Gerald repeat.“And this is you?” I asked, looking up at him.Gerald nodded. “Yes. I was 11 at the time. Almost twelve. And that woman is my mother, her name was Celine.”“Was?” He blinked, his eyes becoming misty. “She was murdered in cold blood a few years after that picture was taken.”“Oh, no!” I slapped my chest, looking back at the woman’s face. “She looked so young here.”“She was. She had me when she was about 17 or so. Also, she made me call her by her name for some reason.”Gerald held me. “But there you have it. Meet my mother, Celine.”I wiped the tear on my cheek. “I’m so sorry for you
~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