~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
~Rosemary~“Susan, I won't be able to come see you for a few days,” I said, sitting on a chair close to her bed.She stopped knitting the blue yarn in her hand and looked at me with her face falling. “Why? Are you planning on forgetting me again?”“No, no.” I shook my head. “I going to be out of town for a while. But I will send you flowers every morning as always.”She dumped the ball of yarn to the side. “I want you, not flowers. I know that might sound cheesy, but you know what I mean. I want you to be my daughter-in-law again before I die.”I sighed. “You look tired, Susan. How about you get some rest?”“But I just woke—”Susan tried to disagree, but I already pulled the blanket and gently forced her to lie down. After kissing her on the cheek, I grabbed my bag and walked out.Out of nowhere, a strong hand grabbed my arm and dragged me to the side. “Hey, what—”“Shhh!” Max ordered, pushing me against a wall.I shook off his grip. Looking up at him, I frowned deeply. “Have you for
~Rosemary~“Hey, sis!” Days later, I was driving out of my hotel when I heard Amani’s voice. I slowed down and saw her leaning against a car that seemed brand new.“What are you doing here?” I asked, parking on the side of the road.Amani walked over majestically. “What else would I be doing here? I came to see you of course.”She glanced at the gate. “But it seems you already instructed those buffoons not to let me in.”“That’s right.” I nodded with my hands still on the steering wheel. “After your silly husband came here and caused a scene, I had to take drastic measures. Now, tell me, what the hell do you want? You should know by now that I don't like seeing your face.”Amani smiled. “I am not here to fight with you today. I came here with a proposition.”I raised a brow at her.She came closer and continued, “I will allow you and Max to fake getting married before that wicked woman dies. But only on one condition... You will have to give me Gerald for that period.”“You want me t
~Gerald~The words I had wanted to say were knocked back to the back of my throat. I froze, my hand still on the doorknob. The moment she spoke, it was as if the whole world was at a standstill.Damn! She’s so sexy!Although I had seen her in a bikini and a towel before, there was something about this robe. Swallowing hard, I looked at her nipples which were peeking out of the lacy fabric. I looked down and when I saw the thigh-high slit, I gasped.“You have been out all day. What took you so long?”When Rosemary stood up and began to walk over slowly, my breathing ceased. My eyes traced her slim-thick body.Damn!!!My head suddenly felt so full. When she reached out and touched my chest, I felt like melting. “Anyway, come on in. I have something to tell and show you.”I shoved my hands in my pockets and pinched my thighs, trying to stop the blood that was flowing to my dick now. “Ermm…I really want to, Rose.”I looked away from her nipples and struggled to keep my eyes on her face.
~Rosemary~“Rose! What are you doing here? Did you come to help me?”I had just arrived at Bella’s daycare for the bake-off when Henny came running towards me. He had a little chef hat on his head and a white apron. Seeing him after so many days made my heart sing.I squatted and opened my arms wide. After hugging him tightly, I said, “I missed you so much, little man.”“I missed you too.” He adjusted his hat. “Did you come to help me?”“Actually, Bella’s Mom invited me to help them.”“Oh…” Henny dropped his head and pouted. “Everyone else has their mommy and daddy, but I have no one here. My pop tart isn’t going to come out great.”I felt a pang of pain in my heart. Holding his face, I made him look at me. “Your mom isn’t here yet?”Henny shook his head. “No, she's not coming. And my grandma can’t come. She went to the hospital again today. I don’t know why she can’t play with me or take me to the park anymore.”He sighed noisily and lowered his head again.Looking at his cute little
~Rosemary~The shopping bag in my hand fell to the ground. I gripped the woman’s wrist and pulled, but her fingernails continued to sink into my neck. “Please, let me go!”“Are you Rosemary Beckett or not?” she spat in my face. “I have been looking for you for years. You ruined my life. Now, I am going to have my revenge.”I coughed. “I don't even know you…I have never seen you before...”“Shut up! Die!” A sharp pain traveled to my head as she pressed even harder. I felt the air leaving my lungs and blood rushing to my head.In the blink of an eye, my back hit the hood of a car. I pushed with all my might, but she was like a rock.Her red eyes flared as she glared down at me. I quivered, still pulling at her wrists. “Please, don't kill me!”“Die, bitch! Die!”I coughed. After drawing a quick breath, I screamed as loudly as I could, “Somebody help! He—”“Hey!” someone called from a distance.And before I could blink, the scary woman was kicked off. I slipped down the hood of the car i
~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