Chapter 1

Rosalie Baker was 22 years old when she married Lucas Stone—he was 32 years old. His age wasn't the only big thing about him. He was big everywhere else, too.

Throughout their three years of marriage, he seemed to have endless tenderness for her. He gave her everything she wanted, no matter how outrageous it was. He treated her like a princess, but that didn't apply when they made love at night.

He didn't stop despite her crying and pleading with him. She knew he had plenty of money and love, and it was all hers.

Then, everything changed when her father, Vincent Baker, died. She called Lucas 99 times, but he rejected her each time.

The next second, she received a photo from her best friend. "Isn't this your precious Luke, Rosie? I saw him on the streets of Partes with his arms around another woman."

Rosalie checked the photo, feeling like she'd been dunked in ice-cold water when she saw the faces of the man and woman in the image.

The man was Lucas, and the woman was Isabelle Granger, her aunt.

…

Lucas only came home three days after Vincent's passing. The moment he entered the house, he saw Rosalie on the couch, her eyes red and bloodshot. She looked haggard and fragile.

His guilt surged, and he hurried forward to pull her into his arms. "I had to fly to Partes for an urgent meeting, Rosie. I'm sorry I didn't answer your calls because of the time difference. That's why I missed the funeral. It's all my fault. Let me make it up to you, okay? Is there anything you want?"

Rosalie quietly listened to him, her face devoid of emotion. Instead of responding, she pulled two documents from her bag and flipped to the last pages before handing them to Lucas. "These are the two things I want, Luke. Sign them."

Lucas sighed in relief. He quickly grabbed a pen and signed the documents.

Rosalie's eyes became redder at his lack of hesitation. "You didn't even look at the documents. Aren't you worried I'm asking for something extravagant?"

He wrapped his arms around her again. "We're married, Rose. What's mine is yours, and everything I have will belong to you and our baby once it's born. You can have anything you want, okay?"

As he spoke, he leaned down to press his ear against her belly so he could listen to the baby. "You're going for a prenatal checkup today, right? How has our baby been doing? How about I go with you?"

Rosalie stayed silent. She didn't say yes or no, but Lucas took that to mean yes. He helped her into the car.

The atmosphere on the way to the hospital was glum, and neither of them spoke. Lucas wanted to break the silence, but his phone suddenly rang.

"I'm back, Lucas. I want to see you."

Rosalie was so close to Lucas that she clearly heard Isabelle's voice on the other end of the line. She clenched her fists tightly.

The next second, Lucas hung up and said, "I have some work to attend to, Rosie. Can you go for your checkup yourself?"

She didn't expose his lie. She got out of the car and hailed a cab amid the chilling breeze. Memories of the past overwhelmed her as the scenery outside zoomed past.

A few years ago, Rosalie had gotten in a car crash. It had been a hit-and-run, and none of the passersby dared save her for fear of being implicated. She'd lain in a pool of blood as the life had eked out of her. Thankfully, Lucas had passed by and saved her like an angel from Heaven.

That was the day she'd fallen for him at first sight—a man ten years her senior. Luckily, he'd felt the same about her. They'd gotten married after a year of dating.

Perhaps it was because he was older than her, but he seemed to have boundless patience. They'd never once argued after marriage, and he'd never missed a birthday or anniversary.

In life, he was constantly considerate of how she felt—except when it came to making love.

Rosalie didn't know why he had such good stamina when he was already in his 30s. She'd spent many nights bursting into tears and pleading with him to stop, but all he'd done was laugh and kiss her until she was breathless.

"I'm only like this because I love you, silly. The more I have of you, the earlier you'll bear me a child."

And so, he filled her up each night. Finally, she conceived in their third year together.

Three days ago, Vincent had suffered a stroke. When Rosalie had rushed to his side, she'd heard him constantly asking for Lucas and wanting to know when the latter would arrive. He wanted to see Lucas one last time.

Everyone knew he wanted to leave Rosalie in Lucas' hands before he breathed his last breath and tried to reach Lucas. Alas, nothing had worked. Rosalie had dialed Lucas' number until her battery went flat, but all of her calls had gone unanswered.

Just like that, Vincent had passed away with regrets.

Rosalie had initially thought Lucas was busy… until she received that photo from her best friend after dealing with Vincent's funeral.

She couldn't understand why a man who was supposed to be her husband had had his arms wrapped around Isabelle, her aunt.

Her mind had been a mess as she'd finally mustered the courage to enter the study, which Lucas had always forbidden her from stepping foot in.

Rosalie's blood had run cold the moment she'd opened the door—the room was filled with things that had to do with Isabelle.

Photos lined the walls, and love letters were well-preserved. There were also countless unsent gifts and a thick journal detailing Lucas' love for Isabelle—it was ongoing.

Rosalie learned the truth after thumbing through the journal. Lucas had only dated two women in his life. One was her, and the other was Isabelle.

He and Isabelle had been a college couple, and their relationship had been a passionate affair that had lasted a decade. When his love for her had been at its peak, they'd traversed oceans and forests together, even sharing a searing kiss at the foot of a snowy mountain.

When his hatred for her had been at its peak, he'd shattered jewelry worth millions of dollars for her. He'd even cast aside his pride after their breakup to fly abroad and plead with her to give him another chance. Then, upon learning that she'd started a new relationship, he'd plied himself with so much liquor that he'd had internal bleeding.

All the emotions Lucas had experienced in the first half of his life had been linked to Isabelle. As for why he'd gotten together with Rosalie, it was because he'd wanted to find a stand-in for Isabelle after they'd broken up. That was why he'd set his sights on Rosalie—she was Isabelle's niece and resembled her closely.

That was why he'd orchestrated the hit-and-run to make Rosalie fall for him at first sight. That was also why he'd made love to her so hard every night—he wanted to impregnate her.

It wasn't because he wanted a child that looked like Rosalie. No, he wanted a child that looked like Isabelle.

Rosalie felt like she'd been struck by lightning when she learned the truth. She'd broken down.

Lucas' love, doting, and tenderness had all been lies. He'd thoroughly tricked her!

She was young, but even she knew one had to clean up one's heart before allowing someone else to settle down there. Besides, she would never be anyone's stand-in. She was Rosalie Baker, and she was one of a kind.

Lucas had lied to her from the very beginning, so she'd returned the favor by lying to him once, too. She hadn't told him the truth earlier—the documents he'd signed were actually a divorce agreement and a surgical abortion consent form.

Rosalie wasn't anyone's substitute. She didn't want a man whose heart didn't beat for her.

She walked into the hospital and handed the consent form to her attending physician. "I want to get an abortion."

Chapter 2

Three hours later, Rosalie returned home while clutching her belly. After a day's rest, she looked at herself in the mirror and shakily picked up a lipstick when she saw how ashen she looked. She applied some light makeup to make herself appear normal, but sweat continued to bead on her forehead from the pain.

She wrapped a throw around herself as she curled up on the couch and summoned the butler. "Box up all the jewelry and bags in my wardrobe and sell them to an auction house. All the proceeds are to be donated to the impoverished."

Lucas happened to enter the room at that point. He was taken aback when he heard her words. "Rosie, why are you suddenly selling those things?"

Rosalie lowered her eyes and avoided his gaze. "I'm donating them because I don't like them anymore. It'll be a huge favor to those impoverished children."

Fortunately, Lucas didn't think too deeply of this. He approached her and held her, saying, "Well, it's a good deed. I'll take you to an auction house in a couple of days, and you can pick a few things that you like. We'll slowly fill the emptied shelves again, okay?"

Rosalie didn't answer his question when she heard him talk to her like he was coaxing a child. Instead, she switched the subject. "You're done with work?"

"Yeah. I know things have been hard for you lately, so I'll spend the next week at home with you and the baby, okay?" He reached out to touch her belly, but she stopped him.

He looked down and noticed that she seemed skinnier than before. He frowned slightly and was about to ask her about it when her phone rang.

Rosalie answered the call when she saw that it was from her uncle, Eugene Granger. "Rosie, your Aunt Isabelle returned to the country yesterday. We were talking about gathering at the Granger residence for a meal. Do you want to join us?"

"I'm not feeling well, so I'll—"

Lucas snatched the phone from her before she could finish. He said, "Rosie and I will be there."

Rosalie's chest clenched when she saw how excited he was for the gathering. She couldn't help being reminded of the 99 unanswered calls she'd made before Vincent's death.

It turned out Lucas was the type who would jump at every opportunity to see the person he truly loved. He couldn't care less about what she wanted or that she was still hurting from losing her father. All he wanted to do was follow his heart and run to his beloved.

Lucas only realized he'd acted out of line after hanging up and seeing the look on her face. He held her cold hand and explained, "I know you're not in the best of moods, Rosie. But you're pregnant and can't wallow in your misery for too long. I'll take you home to see your family. That'll help lift your spirits."

Rosalie curled her lips without responding.

…

Lucas and Rosalie arrived at the Granger residence at 7:00 pm. Before they entered the house, Lucas gave Rosalie a gift. "I heard from Eugene that you and your aunt haven't seen each other in years. That's not an excuse to forget your manners, though."

In the past, Rosalie would've found his actions considerate. Now, however, she knew he merely wanted to use her as an excuse to give his beloved a gift.

She didn't expose him and instead headed into the house, where the atmosphere in the living room was lively.

Isabelle was chatting with someone, but she turned when she heard the noise at the door. That was when she saw Rosalie and Lucas, who was holding her hand.

She was taken aback. Then, she asked hesitantly, "Rosie, who is this?"

Rosalie didn't answer. She didn't know what to say, anyway.

Lucas didn't say anything, either. One of the relatives enthusiastically introduced everyone. "You were abroad for three years and didn't attend the wedding, so you have no idea, Isabelle. This is Rosie's husband, Lucas Stone. He's the CEO of Stone Corporation."

Isabelle swayed on her feet as a trace of astonishment flickered in her eyes. However, she'd weathered storms in the past and soon regained her composure. She stepped forward and held out a hand.

She and Lucas shook hands, speaking to each other as politely as if this were truly their first meeting.

Rosalie was the only one who sensed the subtle ambiguity between them. She handed Lucas' gift to Isabelle and said, "Welcome back, Aunt Isabelle."

"Oh, I'm not really back for good. I'll be returning to Irope after a month," Isabelle said.

Lucas' expression turned ugly as he listened to her words. She acted like she didn't notice and opened the gift with a smile. Her gaze turned admiring when she saw the glimmering necklace within. "You have impeccable taste, Rosie. I've wanted this necklace for ages."

Rosalie took in all of their reactions. She said calmly, "Luke picked it out. He's always had good taste."

…

Lucas barely ate anything during dinner. He piled Rosalie's plate high with food in between having drinks.

Everyone smiled knowingly when they saw that and started teasing them.

"You're lucky to have married such a wonderful man, Rosie! Look at how loving you two are!"

Rosalie forced a smile. She didn't touch the mutton and beef on her plate. Her morning sickness had been quite bad since conceiving, and she hadn't been able to stomach any meat.

Lucas knew that and had switched to a vegetarian diet with her for the past month. That night, however, that seemed to have slipped his mind.

He was too busy switching the dishes around so that all the seafood could be placed before Isabelle. After all, she'd always loved seafood.

Chapter 3

Lucas was drunk by the end of the meal. Everyone was worried about letting him and Rosalie leave in that condition, so they had them stay the night.

Rosalie summoned a few maids to help take Lucas to the bedroom. After showering, she turned off the lights and got into bed, leaving only the bedside lamp on.

Shortly after, Lucas opened his eyes blearily and pulled her into his arms. "You came back for me, Isabelle. Am I right?"

Rosalie stiffened. She didn't tell him he had the wrong person. She took a while to calm down before asking in return, "How about you? Who were you thinking about when drinking the bar dry?

"You, of course. It's always you, Isabelle. Don't you get that?"

Though that was the expected answer, hearing it still made Rosalie's heart twist painfully. Only then did she understand why Lucas had never had a sip of alcohol before her when he'd drunk himself into oblivion after breaking up with Isabelle.

He'd been afraid he would spill the truth under the influence. He'd been afraid she would discover his secret.

She clenched her fists tightly, finding it hard to breathe. In the end, she broke free of his hold and headed to the bathroom, where she spent two hours trying to regain her composure.

When she came back out, Lucas was missing. She opened the bedroom door to see the voice-activated light on the balcony flicker off.

Rosalie silently padded over and peered through the window to see Lucas and Isabelle standing outside. The darkness of the night kept his expression from view, but she could still hear his lowered voice.

"Didn't you tell me yesterday that you weren't returning to Irope anymore? Why have you now changed your mind?"

"What about you? Why didn't you tell me that you married Rosie?"

Lucas felt the flames in his heart burn brighter at Isabelle's calm tone. The remnants of his rationality shattered, and he grabbed her hands tightly. "Shouldn't you know best why I married her? She looks so much like you and is related to you by blood. Being with her is the only way I can see you without having to hide!

"I wouldn't need to repeat what I did a few days ago—fly to Partes and wait outside your building for hours just to sneak a glance at you!"

It turned out he'd gone to Partes solely for Isabelle. That explained why he hadn't answered Rosalie's calls. Her heart twisted, and she clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palms.

Isabelle didn't expect Lucas to really think that way. She mumbled, "You're nuts!"

"I am! I lost my mind the moment you decided to dump me. Don't you know that? I wanted you by my side, and even a stand-in who looked like you was enough to keep me happy for life!" Lucas snarled. He sounded so tormented and anguished that Isabelle was stunned.

After a long silence, she said, equally tormented, "Think about what you've done to Rosie, Lucas. You've been married for three years, and she's pregnant with your child. Don't you feel anything for her?"

He laughed mirthlessly. "She's just a stand-in, Isabelle. How do you expect me to fall for her? Even if I did feel anything for her, it would be because I'm looking at her face and thinking of you!

"Yes, we're about to have a baby. I've already come up with a name—Luis or Luisa. They're combinations of our names. That way, we'll be together forever!"

A chill ran down Rosalie's spine at that, and she could no longer hold back her tears.

Luis or Luisa, huh? What wonderful names.

She shut her eyes and thought about how insatiated Lucas had always been after marrying her. She also thought about how anxious he'd been after she'd gotten pregnant. She had to bite her lip hard to keep her cries of despair from spilling out.

The last bit of her strength left her, and she had to keep a hand on the wall to support herself as she stumbled away.

The sounds of Lucas' and Isabelle's voices faded. Before the bedroom door swung shut, Rosalie heard Isabelle ask, "Aren't you afraid Rosie will find out about this?"

Lucas answered, "She never will. Anyway, even if she does, she'll never leave me. She loves me too much!"

He was that confident she would never leave him, huh?

Rosalie placed a hand on her flat belly and grimaced. He was wrong—she would leave him. She would shatter the cage he'd built around her and soar toward freedom. She would never turn back.

Lucas didn't return to bed that night, and Rosalie woke up at the crack of dawn. She didn't disturb anyone as she headed home alone and grabbed everything she needed to get immigration paperwork done.

She received a call from Isabelle when she was done. "Can you accompany me to the cemetery today, Rosie? I want to pay my respects to your father and also visit Olivia."

Rosalie's mother, Olivia Granger, had passed away when she was young, so she didn't spend much time with her maternal side of the family.

She and Isabelle were only five years apart, but they weren't what people would consider close. Still, she couldn't say no since Isabelle wanted to pay her respects to her parents.

She got a bouquet and headed to the cemetery. When she arrived, she saw a sports car parked nearby. It belonged to Lucas.

He saw Rosalie and got out of the car to hurry to her. "Why didn't you ask me to come here with you?"

Chapter 4

Rosalie looked into Lucas' eyes. "Didn't you leave in the middle of last night? I didn't mention anything about coming here, Luke. How did you know I'd be here?"

He held her hand. "My stomach acted up last night. I headed to the hospital without bothering you because I saw you were in the bathroom. I came back this morning and heard from Isabelle that she wanted to come here with you, so I tagged along."

It was an almost flawless lie. Rosalie made a sound of acknowledgment without saying anything else.

A wave of bitterness and anguish washed over her when they entered the cemetery and stopped before two graves that were beside each other. The two people who loved her most in this world were gone.

Isabelle approached her at the sight of her tears and gently patted her shoulder. "Rosie, your parents may no longer be here, but you still have Luke. He'll care for you for life, and you guys are having a child soon. You'll have a new family."

She sounded so sure of it that it was almost as if she was making a vow on Lucas' behalf—that his and Rosalie's marriage would never end.

Lucas was quick to speak up after Isabelle. "She's right. I'll take good care of you and our baby, so don't be sad."

Rosalie only found his words mocking. He'd sworn to care for her for life not out of love or responsibility but because of another woman and his secret, selfish desires.

She swallowed her grievances and looked at her parents' photos on the gravestones. "Yes, I'll definitely have a new family."

It just wouldn't have anything to do with Lucas.

…

It started drizzling once they were done paying their respects. Isabelle and Rosalie sat in the backseat while Lucas drove.

Isabelle found the atmosphere to be a little glum, so she started a conversation. "I heard there's a new Etalean restaurant in the south of the city. Shall we try it out for lunch?"

Lucas immediately switched directions. "I heard the owner is an Etalean and that the food there tastes just like what you'd get locally."

"Really? The pizza I had in Partes…"

The two of them started chatting just like that. They talked about everything under the sun, from food to Iropean culture. They also talked about things they'd seen and heard about lately.

No matter what one party said, the other could easily continue the conversation. It never once went cold. They got along so well that they were almost like a couple who'd been together for years and shared everything with each other.

Rosalie smiled self-deprecatingly at that thought. Lucas and Isabelle had indeed been together for years—the places they'd gone, the things they'd done for each other, and how well they knew each other… A stand-in like her could never compare.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Lucas habitually handed the menu to Isabelle. She took it and was about to look through it when she remembered something and handed it to Rosalie. "You're pregnant, so you should have some dietary restrictions. You order, Rosie."

Rosalie randomly picked a few dishes. Lucas frowned when they were served. "You can't eat any of these. Have you forgotten what the doctor said?"

Isabelle looked at her and her belly, a trace of confusion flickering in her eyes. "Aren't you already four months along, Rosie? You don't look like it."

Lucas shot to his feet, wanting to go over to check on Rosalie. However, he accidentally bumped into a server with a food cart.

The cart toppled over, and everything on it spilled. Lucas instinctively shielded Isabelle from the food, but Rosalie wasn't as lucky.

A scalding broth spilled onto her leg, instantly making boils flare up on her skin. Her face twisted from the pain, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead.

She clutched the tablecloth tightly as the steam from the broth swirled upward. Then, she watched Lucas lift Isabelle into his arms and hurry off. Her heart sank into an abyss.

Things descended into chaos. The server hurriedly helped Rosalie to a safe spot. As soon as she left the restaurant, she saw Lucas and Isabelle arguing.

"I told you I'm fine! You need to get back in there and take care of Rosie!"

"Your hand is red after being burned! Why are you sticking it out? I can take you to the hospital first before coming back for her. Why do you have to be so stubborn, Isabelle? You were worried about me getting hurt earlier, too! You've never forgotten about me, have you?"

"So what if I haven't, and so what if I have? We're over, Lucas, and you've married Rosie! She's pregnant with your child!" Isabelle cried, sounding anguished.

Lucas' eyes reddened at that. "You know very well that she'll never mean more to me than you!"

That took Isabelle aback. She was about to say something when she saw Rosalie standing by the entrance. Her eyes widened, and her tone was panicked as she cried, "Rosie, what are you doing out here?"

Chapter 5

Lucas jolted. He whipped around to see Rosalie pass out, her face ashen. He immediately ran to her and carried her, rushing her to the hospital.

…

Rosalie opened her eyes amid some noise as pain coursed through her. She saw Lucas speaking to a doctor.

"My wife is pregnant, and she's four months along now. Remember to be careful with her medication."

Rosalie was wheeled into a clinic to be tended to. A nurse lifted her shirt and was confused by her flat belly. "Four months along? Has he remembered wrongly? She doesn't even look pregnant!"

The nurse turned to check with Lucas again, but Rosalie stopped her. "I had a miscarriage. Could you keep this a secret? I want to tell my husband in person."

The nurse didn't know what had happened, but a miscarriage could never be good news for any couple. She respected Rosalie's decision.

No anesthesia was used while tending to Rosalie's wounds, so she was in so much pain that she almost passed out. She was drenched in sweat, and each second felt like torture.

She was taken to a hospital ward after everything was taken care of. Lucas stood by her bedside and kept apologizing. "Why didn't you tell me that you were burned so badly, Rosie?"

Rosalie's jaw was sore from clenching it tightly for an extended period. She felt like her leg was on fire. Her temperature rose, and she forced out, "You left… too quickly."

"It's all my fault. I'm sorry." His guilt deepened, and he stuffed his hand into hers.

Her sharp nails punctured his skin, drawing blood. She watched the droplets mingle as she slowly fell asleep.

It was late at night when she woke up again. She blearily opened her eyes to see Isabelle. The latter said, "You were burned, too. I'll take care of Rosie, so go get your wounds tended to."

"No. I'm worried she'll be upset if she doesn't see me when she wakes up. I'll deal with it tomorrow," Lucas said.

Isabelle raised her voice. "I told you to go now! Don't play the fool with your body, Lucas!"

His furrowed brows unfurled at her words. He held her hand and said, "Stop denying the truth, Isabelle. You've always had feelings for me, haven't you? Admit it, and I'll dump everything to be with you. We can pick up where we left off, alright?"

She realized she'd said the wrong thing and hastily pulled away.

Lucas couldn't help laughing at her panic. "Look. I won't push you. I have plenty of time to wait for you to cave. Now, I'll do as you say and get myself checked."

With that, he hurried off, his footsteps light.

Rosalie had been with him for three years. As far as she remembered, he'd always been in control and domineering. No matter how angry she got or how ridiculous a joke she made, he would coax her like she was a child.

He was always rational, mature, and calm. In hindsight, he seemed to always have a mask on. He'd never shown her his true colors.

She thought that was just what he was like, but it turned out he had moments when he would lose control.

Lucas would get mad because of Isabelle's frostiness toward him. He would also be overjoyed when he noticed her concern for him. He would listen to her every word like an infatuated young man because she was his beloved.

Rosalie had never seen this side of him. That was why she stared at him dazedly as he left. She met Isabelle's gaze when she returned to her senses.

She noticed the hint of panic in the latter's eyes and broke the silence. "Where's Lucas, Aunt Isabelle?"

Isabelle was relieved to see that she seemingly hadn't heard her conversation with Lucas. "He went to have his wounds dealt with. Let me know if you feel uncomfortable, okay?"

Rosalie was still agonized from the pain of the burns, but she endured it and shook her head. "I'm fine. You should get some rest."

Isabelle didn't leave. Instead, she poured Rosalie a glass of water. After a few more words of concern, she asked, "Did you hear anything before you fainted yesterday, Rosie?"

Rosalie faltered before meeting her gaze head-on. "No."

She lied through her teeth. It was partly to dispel Isabelle's doubts and partly to tell herself to forget what she'd heard. She was going to thoroughly disappear from Isabelle's and Lucas' lives soon, anyway.

Chapter 6

Rosalie's wounds started scabbing after ten days in the hospital. Throughout that time, Lucas kept watch over her every day, bringing her food and drinks and helping to change the dressing for her wounds.

She slowly recovered, but he fell sick and burned up a fever for days. Since they were both down, Isabelle came to help. She drove Lucas and Rosalie home. She bustled back and forth, watching the maids prepare Lucas' medication one moment and helping Rosalie to change her bandages the next.

"Get all the rest you need, okay? Someone will bring you something for the baby later, so remember to take it," Isabelle said.

Rosalie agreed. However, she didn't take the concoction that was brought to her. She flushed it down the toilet.

After a few more days of rest, she could gingerly walk around. So, she got out of bed to head downstairs with her emptied bowl. She also wanted to bask in the sun for a while.

As she walked past the study, she heard the sound of something shattering inside. The door was ajar, so she peeked inside to see Isabelle standing there.

The latter was staring dazedly at the photos on the wall, her hands trembling by her sides. She looked conflicted.

After a moment, she returned to her senses and tore the photos off the wall. Then, she emptied the things in the drawers into a box.

Seeing that she was about to leave the room, Rosalie hurried to the balcony at the end of the corridor to hide. Soon after, Isabelle's figure appeared before the trash can at the door.

She threw all the gifts into the trash. The photos, love letters, and journal had been torn to shreds. Once she was done, she called Lucas and told him to come down.

They had a huge fight over the things in the trash. They were too far away, so Rosalie only vaguely heard the last few sentences.

"These things shouldn't even be in your study! What if Rosie goes in there and sees them one day?" Isabelle snapped.

"She doesn't have the key to the study, nor will she go in there without my permission," Lucas countered.

"How are you so sure? What if she does? Did you ever stop to think how devastated she'd be to see these things when she loves you so?"

"So what? Will that change the fact that you're the only one I've loved from beginning to end? Forget about everyone else, Isabelle. I only want you to answer me this—do you still love me or not? Say yes, and I'll immediately divorce her!" Lucas snarled.

Isabelle's expression changed drastically. She fled before hailing a cab and leaving.

Rosalie silently pressed a hand to her chest as she watched Lucas and Isabelle part on that note. Her heart was racing so quickly that it felt like it was about to leap out of her chest. It felt a little numb but wasn't that painful anymore.

It looked like the wounds on her heart were gradually healing. That was good.

Downstairs, Lucas retrieved everything Isabelle had thrown into the trash and brought them back to the study. After that, he locked himself inside for three whole days.

Rosalie knew he was putting things back as best as he could, so she didn't disturb him. She merely told the maids to bring him his meals.

…

When Rosalie was back to walking as normal, she met up with her friends for a few meals. After one meal, she was going to pay the bill when she heard a familiar name as she walked past the largest private room in the restaurant.

"I thought you wouldn't join us for this reunion when you're always so busy, Lucas. That's why I didn't invite you. Don't take it to heart, okay?"

"Come on. Why would Lucas miss this when Isabelle is here? Remember how everyone at Shorea University talked about them when they dated? Don't tell me you didn't know about it!"

"How's that possible? I witnessed Lucas buying tens of thousands of roses to confess his feelings to Isabelle on the field. I can still hum the songs he wrote for her!"

Rosalie listened quietly as she imagined Lucas strumming a guitar and confessing his feelings in a suit. No matter how she thought about it, it felt unnatural.

After some thought, she realized what was wrong. The man the people in the room had described was 20-year-old Lucas Stone, whose heart belonged to Isabelle.

He had nothing to do with Rosalie, so of course it felt unnatural to her.

Chapter 7

Rosalie laughed silently, not wanting to hear anymore. However, when she turned, she saw Isabelle exit the restroom. Her heart skipped a beat, and she reflexively turned to detour to the stairs.

She'd only taken a few steps when Isabelle called her name hesitantly, "Rosie, is that you?"

Rosalie ignored her and quickened her footsteps. She was about to turn a corner when Isabelle caught up with her and grabbed her hand. She didn't want to have anything to do with Isabelle there, so she tried to break free and leave.

However, Isabelle refused to let go. She said anxiously, "I know it's you, Rosie! You must've misunderstood something—I can explain!"

As they tussled, Rosalie struggled hard to break free. However, she used too much strength and swayed on her feet, about to fall down the stairs.

Isabelle's expression changed, and she hurriedly pulled Rosalie back. The latter leaned against the staircase railing, barely managing to stabilize herself. However, Isabelle lost her balance and rolled down the stairs, landing at the foot in a pool of blood.

Rosalie's mind went blank. Then, she hastily ran down to check on Isabelle. Just as she reached out, a force shoved her from behind, making her smack her head against the wall. Blood gushed out, quickly soaking her face.

She gasped from the pain and forced herself to keep her eyes open. That was when she met Lucas' murderous gaze. He lifted Isabelle into his arms and bolted out of the place, but not before leaving behind a threat.

"I'll make you pay tenfold if anything goes wrong with Isabelle!"

His footsteps faded, and Rosalie couldn't hear anything else. Her vision turned blurry. She felt a nerve in her head was being yanked on, throbbing painfully.

As the blood pooled, she slowly faded out of consciousness. Darkness shrouded her, and her body felt light. Soon, she passed out.

…

Rosalie didn't know how long she had been out. When she opened her eyes, she saw a doctor sigh in relief. "Thank goodness your willpower is strong enough, or you would've ended up brain-dead and in a coma forever."

She thanked the doctor and picked up her phone, which buzzed incessantly. She heard Lucas' panicked voice on the other end of the line when she answered the call. "Rosie, where are you?"

She was silent for a long time before telling him which hospital and ward she was in.

Ten minutes later, Lucas burst into the room, looking anxious. The first thing he did was ask how she was doing. "Are you badly injured? How's the baby? I was only that mad because I thought you pushed Isabelle…

"I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have done that without getting to the bottom of things. Can you forgive me, please?"

Rosalie could tell that Isabelle had woken up and told him what had happened, judging from his performance. He wouldn't look so guilty and uneasy otherwise.

She lowered her gaze and said weakly, "I'm fine. The doctor said I just need to rest for a few days."

Lucas thought that meant the baby was also fine. He finally relaxed and crouched, wanting to feel her belly to make sure everything was okay.

Rosalie stopped him with a question. "Are you and Aunt Isabelle college mates?"

His hand froze in midair. "Yeah, but we were in different majors. What's up?"

Her lashes fluttered as she watched him retract his hand. She said calmly, "Nothing. I just saw you two attending the same reunion.

Lucas' Adam's apple bobbed, and he awkwardly switched the subject. "Are you hungry? I'll get you breakfast."

Rosalie checked her calendar after watching him flee. She counted down the days—ten more sleeps before the divorce cool-down period was over.

She would soon be able to escape this marriage built on lies.