Chapter 4

I usually never made the first move. It was always David who reached out to me. But today, for the first time, I was the one taking the initiative. David, who was in the middle of a meeting, paused and said to the people in the room, "Hold on a second, my wife is calling." He stepped outside and answered the phone.

I watched him as he stood there, looking every bit the professional in his suit. He was no longer the carefree young man I once knew. The years had shaped him into someone more composed, more steady. It was like time had left no mark on him at all.

When he saw me standing there on the street, his expression shifted. His hair was slightly tousled, and as soon as he spotted me, his smile faded. His face turned serious.

"Rose, what happened?"

I showed him the scratches on my palm and pretended to sound weak. "I was hit by a car."

"But the driver... she insulted me, belittled me with money," I added, pouting and making a show of distress. Normally, I wouldn't play these games, but today, I lowered my voice and acted like I was on the verge of tears. "I can't stand this humiliation."

David rushed to my side. He got out of the car, saw the driver shielding me, and immediately hurried over. Grabbing my hand, he barked, "Who the hell hurt you?"

From the other side, a meek voice replied, "I didn't do it on purpose..."

I felt David tense up, and the corner of my lips curled into a faint smile. The driver began to explain what had happened.

"Our madam just finished afternoon tea and was waiting for me. This young lady, she has quite the temper, bumped into my wife and then called her old and ugly, a gold-digging bitch!"

The driver didn't know who Edith was, but he knew David was deeply in love with me and wouldn't tolerate me being disrespected. He ranted about Edith's insults, and I could feel David's grip on my hand tighten, his body visibly trembling.

That's when I decided to escalate things.

"This girl called me a barren hen," I said, staring straight at Edith. "She said my husband would eventually leave me, that I have a bitter face and will never find happiness."

As I spoke, my eyes locked on Edith's face, watching her expression shift from arrogance to humiliation. She looked like she wanted to shrink away, to hide. I couldn't help but find it amusing. She was nothing but a shameless nobody.

David had never seen me like this, and it clearly tore him apart. When he looked up, the tenderness he once had for Edith was gone. His face darkened, a storm brewing, and he glared at Edith.

"You called my wife old and ugly?" David's voice was ice-cold as he stared her down. "You said I would leave her?"

Each word he spoke dripped with fury, and his anger was palpable.

"And you called my wife a hen that can't lay eggs?" His voice was deadly serious now as he stepped toward Edith. "You've got some nerve."

Edith recoiled, finally tearing up as she stammered out excuses, claiming it wasn't intentional. She placed a hand over her stomach, trying to win sympathy as she said she was carrying a child.