Chapter 6

In his semi-conscious state, I told him, "We're breaking up." That was the most serious moment between us.

David knelt outside my door on a snowy night, his face still carrying a trace of innocence. He knelt there like a statue, unmoving, no matter how many times we called out to him. He stayed there for two whole days. In the end, my parents couldn't watch it any longer and made the decision for me.

"He's a good man. With that kind of persistence, he'll succeed in anything," my mom said, pleading for him. "I can see how sincere he is about you. I'm not asking for wealth or status, just that you find happiness. Give him another chance."

During those days, I couldn't sleep, tossing and turning, wondering if a prodigal son could truly turn over a new leaf. In the end, I softened. When I went downstairs and helped him up from the snow, he felt like ice. The moment I touched him, he collapsed into my arms. Before passing out, he forced a stiff smile and whispered, "Rose, I was wrong."

"Rose, in this lifetime, I only want you."

I snapped back to the present. David was no longer the same man. Maybe he had never truly changed; perhaps his flaws were just hidden, and even he had been deceiving himself into thinking he was pure.

As I packed my things, I got a friend request on TalkUs. I opened it to find a selfie of Edith as her profile picture. I ignored it, put my phone down, and continued organizing. But Edith didn't stop, she kept sending request after request, clearly full of herself.

[So what if you're Mrs. Scott? Everything in his family will be mine in the end.]

[I'll make sure you don't get off easy. Do you really think you can keep being arrogant forever?]

[By the way, every time he's with me, he doesn't use protection. He says he wants a child, one daughter who looks like me and a son who looks like him, so he can protect me.]

[Oh, and he also told me you can't get pregnant, so he's not even interested in trying.]

[I'm three months pregnant. Once my son is born, you'll be out. Just wait.]

Edith's words were provocative, meant to tear me apart. As I read through her long messages, I suddenly remembered what David had said to me.

"Sweetheart, what do you think about adopting a child?"

I recalled Edith being over two months pregnant. Suddenly, David pulled me into his arms.

"Honey, instead of letting you suffer, I've thought of a compromise. One day, I'll step down from the family business. How about we adopt a child and raise them as our successor? Then we can travel the world together. What do you think?"

David continued, "I promise, the child will be connected to you. I'll make sure we find the right one. If you don't like them, we won't keep the child."

David's eyes were full of energy, sparkling even in the dim light as he imagined how he and Edith's child would eventually be accepted into our home. He was already picturing the child growing up under our roof and how I would play the fool. He had no idea. The moment he suggested adoption, my heart shattered completely. Even the scent of his breath felt like needles, stabbing into me with every word. I clenched my teeth and pretended to sleep, acting like I hadn't heard a thing.

Only David remained lost in his fantasy, imagining the child growing up with us, us growing old together. The picture he painted was beautiful, but what he didn't realize was that I wouldn't be a part of it.

Meanwhile, Edith's insults kept coming: "Just a useless thing, thinking she's something special. At the end of the day, David's just soft-hearted. If it were me, I would've kicked you out long ago. A wife can't be more important than children."