~Rosemary~“Ow!” I winced a little when his sharp fingernails scrapped my palm as he dragged the phone from my hand.“You wicked man, did you have to be so rough?” I shouted, looking at the tiny cut on the root of my thumb.Angel shoved his phone into his pocket. He looked at me. “Did I hurt you?”I opened my palm. “You beat up your minion for torturing me. Yet, you do the same.”“Who says I beat him up?” He walked to the table and picked up the lid of the plate on it.“I know you did! No matter how many times you try to deny it, you can’t fool me.”Suddenly, he turned around. “What would you like to have for lunch!”“Steak!” I blurted. “I want the ribeye steak that my husband makes!”Angel paused. “Err… Well, since your husband is not here, you would have—““I wanna go home!” I yelled. “Stop trying to fatten me up for slaughter! I want no part in the sick game you are playing, okay? Get this handcuff off me and allow me to go home!”With his hands in his pockets, Angel gazed at me. H
~Rosemary~Oh, no!My hand trembled as I pulled it away from Angel’s face. I held my breath again when I saw the red palmprint on his cheek.What did I just do?Angel slowly looked at me. His hand slipped off my waist. Still looking at me, he pressed his jaw.When I heard a cracking sound it made, I shuffled back.Why did you do that? Rosemary!!!“I’m sorry. I didn't... I didn't mean to slap--”Before I could finish my apology, Angel turned away and walked out the door. I heard the rattling of keys afterward.What just happened?I stood fixed on the spot, staring at the closed door. Why didn't he react? I just slapped him, didn't I?Biting my fingernails, I went back to sit on the bed. I kept going over the moment I slapped him. His eyes hadn't darkened like I expected, but he had frowned. I expected him to strangle me. But he didn't. Why?*****The next morning, I woke up at the sound of rattling keys. I had fallen asleep while sitting. So, it was no surprise that my back ached li
~Rosemary~Wait, what! Is that…is that what the collar is about? He bought it because he wants to make me his…his…I trembled at the mere thought of it.“You perv, I am a married woman! Even if I wasn't, I would never look in your direction, let alone be your sex toy!”“Really?” Angel winked and then opened his arms wide. “I have lost count of the many women who want a piece of me. I am good looking, some might even say, devilishly handsome…”Oh, God! Could he be any more arrogant?More than my hatred for his arrogance, I hated that he was right. He was handsome. Too handsome.He chuckled. “You know I am right.” “No, you are not!” I frowned.He pointed at my face. “You know, beneath that frown, I can see attraction for me.”“What?” I scoffed. “You are out of your damn mind!”“I love my husband, Gerald. He's the most handsome man in the world. You don't even come close!”“Is that so?” He smirked, coming closer once again.I ran to the other side of the room. “Yes! I would rather die
~Gerald~“Boss, I was just about to call you.”“Speak,” I said, pressing my phone on my ear.Elvis took a deep breath before replying, “The operation went on smoothly. The cops are currently in the drug house. Some of Angel’s men and the workers managed to escape, but a few others were arrested because our men bundled them up.”“Good, good,” I muttered. “Did you leave the message I told you to?”“Yes, Boss. I just sent you the photo.”At that statement, I moved the phone away from my ear and opened the latest email Elvis sent me. I smirked, looking at the inscription of the letter G on a heap of cocaine on the floor.After my last call with Angel, I knew that he was going to capitalize on my weakness and that wasn't going to be good for both me and Rosemary. I decided to strike him where it’s gonna hurt. So when Elvis found one of the drug houses that Angel’s mafia was commissioned to protect earlier today, I instructed him to send some of the men there. They tore the whole place do
~Gerald~I dropped the gun and shoved it in my pocket. Walking over to the bedside, I called out, “Ma’am, are you all right?”The old woman’s eyes glistened as I pointed the flashlight at her. She whimpered, shaking like a leaf.I raised my hands. “Don’t be scared. I am not here to hurt you.”“Who did this to you? Angel?” I asked, looking at the handcuff around her wrist.She shook her head and shifted back on the bed in fear. Still, she didn't utter a word.“I came here for my wife. Have you seen her? She's this tall, beautiful, slim-thick, and…”When the woman shook her head even harder, I frowned. “You haven't seen her? How about you speak to me?”She shook her head again.Was she mute?I signed the question respectfully. But to my surprise, she just shook her head again.What was happening? Did Angel make her swear to silence? Or was this yet another ambush?After seeing a switch on the wall, I turned on the light and looked around carefully. I found an en-suite bathroom and searc
~Gerald“Get closer!” I commanded Elvis, the binoculars still over my eyes.Elvis shouted back, “Hold on tight, boss!”I did as instructed. The chopper slanted a little and picked momentum. I took a deep breath as the distance between us and the ship got shorter and shorter.“Keep it steady now! I think we are close enough!”As soon as I said that, Elvis steadied the chopper. I took out the small megaphone from a compartment and spoke right into it. “Come out, you bastard!”“I know you are in there!” I added, staring down at the deck of the ship.A couple of seconds later, a tall and muscular figure appeared. He was holding a megaphone too. “Oh, Gerald. Now I am not sure you love your wife like you claim you do. How can you come out here after everything I told you?”“Let her go!”“Tsk, tsk, tsk! How many times do I have to tell you that it doesn't work that way?” Angel asked, shoving one hand in his pocket as he walked to the railing. I shouted louder, “I am not going to leave here
~Gerald~“Gerald, wake up! Save me!”My eyes flew open as soon as I heard that voice. I looked in the distance and saw an image of her.Rose? I said in my mind. What are you doing here?“Shhh!” She pressed a ginger on my lips after swimming over. “You have to swim to the surface. If you don't, you can't save me.”I blinked.But I don’t want to leave you here…“You aren't. Go up!”I glanced at two gunshot wounds on my shoulders. When I looked back at Rosemary, she was smiling. “What would you do if you have no hands?”Kick fiercely! I answered, still in my mind.“What would you do if the love of your life was in that ship?”“Go up there to save her!” I finally shouted against the salty water.As if charged by a new burst of energy, I clenched my fists as hard as I could and began to kick my feet.I wasn't so sure if it would work, but it did.The light that had grown faint a while ago began to shine more brightly. I looked down into the water again, but Rosemary wasn't there anymore.
~Rosemary~“You could have gotten yourself killed!” I buried my face in his cheek. “But I am so happy to see you, Ger. I missed you so much.”He squeezed me tighter. “I missed you too.”I cried like a baby as we held onto each other. Although the atmosphere was still very cold, I felt warmth from the inside out.Just a few minutes ago, I thought I was going to die. But here I was in the arms of the man I loved the most. And he risked his life for me.“Thank you, Ger. Thank—”“Shhh… I did this for us. How could I live with you in captivity?”I held on to his shirt as he pulled back. When he looked at me, I smiled through the tears.“Let’s get you out of here. It’s still not safe.”“You are hurt!” I exclaimed when I noticed the bloodstains on both of his shoulders.“It's nothing. One of the bullets went through. I will get the other one out soon, so don't worry.”“Oh, my God!” I covered my mouth, staring at one of the wounds. “I am sorry.”“Don’t be. I should be the one saying sorry.”H
~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