Wife my

Rosalie’s grip tightened over her phone, feeling miserable. Her heart. broke thinking about tears streaming down Rebecca’s old, wrinkled. face.

She had been keeping Rebecca company all this while, but she didn’t. even realize what Rebecca was feeling. And yet, Theodore did.

Perhaps she had misunderstood him all along. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about Grandma, he simply didn’t show his concern as explicitly as she did. He had never been an expressive person.

Her palms started sweating. “Are we going to just keep dragging things out?”

“I promise you that I’ll keep my distance from Cindy.”

Rosalie found that laughable. “Keep your distance? I can’t just turn a blind eye to what you two have already done!”

“Nothing happened between us!”

“Don’t bother explaining yourself. I saw it clearly with my own eyes.”

The image of them in the resort made pain pulsate through Rosalie’s heart.

“What you saw may not be the truth.“”

“What’s the truth, then?” Rosalie demanded. “Was it not true that your and Cynthia were locked in an embrace? Was it not true that you and her were lying on the same bed? Do you think I’m a three–year–old child?”

She said it so flatly, as if emphasizing even a single word would exhaust her.

Theodore remained silent.

Yet, when he reached a junction where he was supposed to go straight, he chose to turn right instead.

Rosalie recognized that it wasn’t the usual route back home, and immediately asked, “Where are you going?”

Theodore didn’t answer her, and continued driving until he stopped the car in front of a bungalow.

He unbuckled the seatbelt and stepped out of the car, before going to the other side and opening her car door. “Come out.”

“Where are we?” Rosalie asked.

Theodore ignored her question once more, and repeated himself. Come out.”

Rosalie stepped out of the car. Theodore slammed the door shut, grabbed her hand, and brought her into the bungalow. He knew the passcode, and walked straight into the building right after keying it in.

A middle–aged female servant greeted them the moment they stepped in. “Mr. Spencer, you’ve come.”

“Is Cindy back?”

“Ms. Zeller isn’t back yet.”

“All right. Go back to your tasks.”

Theodore led Rosalie to the hall, where she sat down on the couch.

Rosalie looked around her. So this was where Cynthia lived.

“Why did you bring me here? Are you trying to tell me that you and Cynthia are so close, you even know the passcode to her house? Does she also know the passcode to our house?”

No wonder she felt uncomfortable the moment she stepped in.

The female servant served them two cups of water, which she placed on the coffee table before taking her leave.

“Why in the world did you bring me here? Tell me, or I’m leaving.”

Rosalie was about to stand up, when Theodore grabbed her arm. ” Wait… Wait here for a moment.”

“Why?”

“I have something to tell you.”

“I have nothing to say to you,” Rosalie said, bent on leaving. However, Theodore’s grip on her arm was way too tight. She had no choice but

to sit back down on the couch.

After over ten minutes, a sound came from outside the hall.

“Ms. Zeller, you’re back. Mr. Spencer is waiting for you inside.”

“Theo’s here?” Cynthia exclaimed in excitement.

Yet the moment she walked into the hall, her gaze landed on Rosalie

and the smile froze on her face.

What was this woman doing here?!

“Cindy, you’re back.”

“Theo,” Cynthia said as she walked over to him excitedly and put down her bag. “What are you two doing here?”

It was good enough that Theodore was here. Why did he have to bring.

Rosalie?

Theodore pointed to the couch opposite him. “Sit down.”

Cynthia felt uneasy. She wanted to sit next to Theodore, but since he made it clear where he wanted her to sit, she had no choice but to do

as she was told.

Her fingers intertwined nervously as she asked, “Theo, what’s going

on?”

Theodore said, “Explain to Rose what exactly happened at the resort

the last time.”

Cynthia looked at the two of them in disbelief, her gaze pausing at Theodore as shock registered in her eyes. “Theo, why did you bring this up out of the blue?”

Did Theodore bring Rosalie here to make her explain to Rosalie about that? Did Theodore consider her feelings when doing this, and gave

Rosalie a chance to humiliate her?

Rosalie found it ridiculous, too. “Why are you making her explain things to me? I really don’t understand what’s going through your

mind.”

“It’s simple, really,” Theodore said. “You don’t want to hear me out, and even if you do, you won’t believe me. In that case, I’ll have Cindy explain things to you. Both of us will tell you clearly what exactly happened.”

“I have no time to waste on you guys,” Rosalie said as she stood up

to leave.

Theodore refused to let her leave, and tightened his grip on her arm. No one is leaving until we make things clear between us.”

He was being absolutely serious.

“Come on, tell her,” Theodore said as he looked at Cynthia. “Tell Rosel exactly what you told me the last time.”

There was frustration in Theodore’s tone.

Cynthia never expected things to turn out like this, and instantly felt

anxious.

She couldn’t possibly put forth an explanation that differed from what she told Theodore before! If she did, he’d expose her immediately.

She could only grit her teeth and explain, “The last time Theo brought

me to the resort…”

Under the authoritative aura that Theodore was exuding, Cynthia had to tell nothing but the truth. She said whatever she told him to Rosalie, not daring to change her words one bit.

After Cynthia said her piece, Rosalie remained silent for a long while.

She had approached the topic with distrust. How could nothing have happened between them?

But when she saw the fury in Cynthia’s indignant eyes, she believed Cynthia’s words. Had something really happened between them, Cynthia would be all smug about it and wouldn’t look so indignant.

Rosalie had to admit that she was shocked.

However, she didn’t believe that Cynthia spiked Theodore’s coffee with sleeping pills to let him have a good rest. She had surely done it to take advantage of him!

In other words, it was likely that Theodore had never been intimate with Cynthia. Otherwise, why would Cynthia stoop to doing something

like this?

The thought made Rosalie feel rather happy.

The dark clouds that had gathered in her heart dissipated, letting in a ray of sunshine.

The next moment, another thought came to mind. She wanted to say something, but Cynthia was still around and she didn’t want the

woman feeling all smug.

With a fake smile, Rosalie held Theodore’s hand and said, “I’m sorry for misunderstanding you. Now that I know that nothing happened between you two, I feel more reassured.”

Rosalie then smiled at Cynthia. “Ms. Zeller, please don’t do this again. He’s a married man, after all. It’s not a good idea, as much as you think it is for his own good.”

“…” Cynthia wanted to say something more, but she swallowed her words upon meeting Theodore’s cold gaze.

Weren’t the two of them on the verge of getting a divorce? What was Rosalie doing, putting up an act like this?!

hapter 173

“Oh, yes,” Rosalie went on, as another thought came to mind. “On our way here, Theo told me that we won’t be getting a divorce for the time being.”

She didn’t want Cynthia feeling too happy.

Cynthia looked as though lightning had struck her on the head, and her eyes widened in shock.

*Theo…”

Theodore turned to look at Rosalie. “Wait for me in the car, will you? I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Sure, take your time to talk,” Rosalie said, as she stood up to leave the hall. She didn’t want to stay here with the two of them, anyway.

After Rosalie left, Cynthia immediately stood up from her seat and sat next to Theodore. She grabbed his arm, and asked, “Theo, what exactly is going on? Is she the one who’s stopping you from divorcing her?”

“No. Rose wants the divorce, but this time, I was the one who told her that I’m not going through with the divorce,” Theodore said calmly. “Why not?” Tears immediately fell down Cynthia’s cheeks. “Why are you saying something like this? Didn’t your grandmother give you your resident register? She’s already agreed to the divorce, so why aren’t you going ahead with it?”

“Grandma isn’t in good health. She’ll be upset if Rose and I divorced. Even if I did divorce Rose, I can’t marry you. You’ll find yourself shortchanged anyway. It’s a better idea to take things slow.”

“Why should we take things slowly? Do you know how long I’ve been

waiting for you to get a divorce? Now that you have your resident. register, nothing’s stopping you from getting a divorce. And now, your don’t want one. What do you take me for? Why do you always have so many excuses?”

Cynthia was very much upset.

Theodore furrowed his brows and said coldly, “Are you saying that my concern for Grandma is an excuse? She’s so advanced in her years. Is

it wrong of me to think for her? Or you don’t see her as your grandmother, which explains why you don’t care what she thinks, and you still think that she was the one who stopped your operation?”

The chill in Theodore’s voice frightened Cynthia.

“Theodore, why are you being like this? Your grandmother insists she

wasn’t the one who did it, but…”

“No buts,” Theodore cut her off, not wanting her to say anything more.

He was giving her a chance to hold herself back, for he was sure he wouldn’t like what she was about to say.

“Since Grandma says that she wasn’t the one who did it, she’s definitely not the culprit. Grandma would never lie,” he said firmly.

He trusted Rebecca that much.

Theodore didn’t pursue the matter or look into it, precisely because he was worried that his grandmother might end up being the one who. did it.

He wouldn’t be able to turn against Rebecca…but if she was really responsible for it, he couldn’t possibly pretend it never happened. Now that he knew that she wasn’t the one who did it, he felt much better.

“Theodore, you…” Cynthia was so furious, she could hardly speak.

“All right, case closed. You’re not in good health, and you should take care of yourself. As for things between Rose and me, we’ll talk about it in the future. Also, from now on, don’t call me unless there’s an emergency.”

With that, Theodore stood up to leave.

Rosalie was seated in the front passenger seat, waiting for Theodore. She scrolled through her phone out of boredom, until he stepped into the car and slammed the door shut.

She looked quietly at him.

“Since the air has been cleared, don’t talk about what happened at the resort again,” Theodore said.

Rosalie stared at her phone screen, and said casually, “Not that talking about it changes things.”

Theodore furrowed his brows. “What do you mean by that? Haven’t we already made things clear to you?”

hapter 174

“Yes, you have,” Rosalie said, as she locked her phone screen and put

it aside.

She turned to look at him.

“So what if nothing happened between you two? The facts remain: you switched your phone off, and brought her on a holiday. You asked me for a divorce, and clamored to marry her. You rush to her defense each time something happens. It doesn’t really make a difference whether you two had sex or not.”

Whatever it was, she and Theodore could never return to the past. He was entangled with Cynthia, and it was pointless no matter how hard

Rosalie tried.

Theodore gripped the steering wheel so tightly, the veins on his hands tensed up and even popped.

Rosalie was showing off in front of Cynthia not because she was glad that they weren’t getting a divorce, but simply because she was trying to provoke Cynthia.

Theodore sat there unmoving and didn’t start the car, but Rosalie didn’t rush him either. She picked her phone up, and started scrolling

again.

She opened and closed a couple of apps, realizing that none of them really piqued her interest. She was merely passing time.

After a long time, Theodore finally stepped on the accelerator and drove off.

Halfway through the journey, Rosalie received a call which reduced her into a bundle of nerves.

“I know, I’ll be there right away!”

She then turned to say to Theodore, “Quick, send me to Delta Hospital.”

“What happened?” Theodore rarely saw Rosalie so panicked.

“Something happened to Stephanie. Hurry!”

Seeing Rosalie flaring up at him made him feel like they were a real married couple, one that was married for many years. It felt pretty

good.

Theodore switched on the GPS, and turned the car around at the next

junction. When they arrived at the hospital, Rosalie hurried to the. ward. Stephanie was lying on the bed, her forehead wrapped in gauze.

Rosalie rushed forward, and sat along the bedside. “Steph, are your okay?!”

“I’m fine. Why are you here?”

“I received a call from the hospital and heard that you were injured, so I rushed over.”

“Oh, that must be my colleague,” Stephanie said with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. You’re my emergency contact, which is why they called you.”

“It’s fine. It’s right that they called me. How did you get injured? Who hit you?”

“I’m fine,” Stephanie reassured Rosalie again, as she sat up on the bed. “I just ran into a very bad–tempered patient and got into an argument with him. I didn’t expect him to turn violent.”

“Are your injuries very severe?” Rosalie asked worriedly.

“No, they aren’t. Thankfully, I was able to take leave today. I can be

23

+25 BONUS

discharged after some rest.”

“Where’s the patient who hit you?” Rosalie asked, anger lacing her voice. “No matter the reason, it’s wrong of him to hit you. That’s simply too much!”

“The police took him away. I’m fine, really,” Stephanie said. She looked at the man who appeared at the door.

Theodore leaned against the door frame, his arms folded across his chest, looking rather laid–back. Stephanie wasn’t a close friend of his, and he naturally wasn’t as concerned about her as Rosalie was.

“What’s he doing here?” Stephanie asked in hushed tones.

“We were in the same car, and I asked him to drive me over when I received the call from the hospital.”

“Oh, so are you two going to get a divorce today?”

Rosalie had been updating Stephanie about what had been going on over the past few days, which was why Stephanie was in the know about it.

The mention of divorce made Rosalie feel a little awkward, and she stammered, “Well… I…”

Seeing Rosalie’s expression, realization dawn upon Stephanie.

“Impossible… Did you two…”

She was about to say something, when she realized that Theodore was still around. She immediately kept her mouth shut.

Theodore could sense that the two women wanted to chat in private, and his presence made it inconvenient for them to do so.

So he said, “I’ll go grab a bottle of water.”

After he made an excuse and left, Stephanie finally said, “Are you two not getting a divorce?”

Rosalie smiled awkwardly. “I’m afraid that’s the case. We’re not getting a divorce for the time being.”

“You can’t be serious!” Stephanie said with a helpless look. “You two aren’t getting a divorce after going through so much? Are you two thinking straight?!”

Even she felt tired from just hearing about what was going on. And now, they were deciding not to go ahead with the divorce.

If this were a drama series, she’d definitely be cursing as she watched.

“Grandma isn’t in good health. She says she’s fine with us getting a divorce, but she’s in fact very upset about it. I don’t want her to be sad, so we decided to delay it,” Rosalie said.

“Until when are you going to delay it? You can’t possibly suffer for someone else’s happiness. Didn’t you tell me about Theodore and Cynthia having a rendezvous in the resort? Why aren’t you getting a divorce when they’ve already done something like that?! I really take my hat off to you!” Stephanie said sarcastically.

“Steph, that was a misunderstanding. They’ve cleared the air. They didn’t have sex,” Rosalie explained the situation to Stephanie.

Stephanie scoffed. “That woman is capable of anything. Was that a

desperate attempt of hers because Theodore refuses to be intimate with her?”

“Steph, things between Theo and I are very complicated. It’s not a clear–cut situation. As much as I want the divorce, I have to bear with

the current state for Grandma’s sake.”

Stephanie sighed. “You silly girl. I really wonder how long you can bear with this.”

“Theo told me that he’ll keep his distance from Cynthia.”

“Trust you to believe what a man says,” Stephanie said, her lips curled in a sneer. “He just wants his cake and eat it too.”

“Steph, Theo isn’t like that.”

“Why are you still speaking up for him when he’s gone to such an extent with Cynthia?”

“L…”

Rosalie didn’t know what she was thinking, either. Theodore and Cynthia had gone so far. Yet in the depths of her heart, she still

trusted that he wasn’t a man who would fool around with other

women.

However, she found it difficult to explain herself to Stephanie. It was natural that outsiders were unable to understand the decade–long relationship she shared with Theodore.

The funny thing was, Rosalie seemed to be the third party in Theodore and Cynthia’s eyes.

“Are you going to tell him about it?” Stephanie asked as she caressed Rosalie’s belly.

“I…” Rosalie said with hesitation. “I’m not sure yet. I was so certain that we’d be divorced. I never expected things to turn out this way.

Rather than telling Theo, I prefer telling Grandma about it. She’s been wanting grandchildren for the longest time, but I’ve been keeping this from her. I feel very guilty about it.”

Stephanie sighed again. “Seems to me that you’re living your life for Grandma. Perhaps you might be freed only after she passes away.”

Stephanie immediately slapped her palm over her mouth the moment those words left her.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it. I wasn’t cursing her.”

Rosalie shot her a faint smile, knowing that it was but a passing remark. “It’s all right. Grandma is indeed advanced in years. Maybe Theo and I might delay the divorce all the way till she passes on.”

The thought of Grandma leaving her made Rosalie very upset. If she had a choice, she would rather be unhappy her entire life if that meant Grandma could enjoy a long life in good health.

Stephanie saw the misery on Rosalie’s face, and knew that Rosalie wouldn’t be much happier even if she remained married to Theodore. Dragging things out like this was detrimental for all parties, yet Rosalie was insisting on doing so solely for Grandma’s sake.

What a silly girl she was!

“Will you continue being husband and wife with Theodore? Or will you two only be married in name, and put up an act for Grandma?” Stephanie asked.

“I have no idea. We currently sleep separately, and that might continue.”

“What if he goes off finding Cynthia? You can’t let that woman take advantage of the situation.”

“But I can’t be intimate with him right now. Our marriage is in shambles right now, and I’m pregnant, so…”

A ligged his suboty cupidded sutad

“Where is that woman? Where’s the nurse named Stephanie Carter?!”

The door was shoved open with a loud bam, and a middle–aged

couple charged in.

“Stephanie Carter! You’re Stephanie Carter, aren’t you?!”

Upon seeing the woman on the bed, the couple rushed forward and forcefully yanked off the sheets.

“What are you doing?!”

Rosalie shoved the woman aside and stood in front of Stephanie’s bed, her face all tensed up.

“Scram!” The middle–aged man shoved Rosalie roughly to the floor.

“Argh!” Rosalie wrapped her arms protectively around her belly.

“What are you doing?!” Stephanie leapt out of her bed, and held Rosalie up from the floor. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Rosalie said, feeling no discomfort in her belly.

Upon seeing the fierce couple approach them, Rosalie hurriedly pulled Stephanie behind her. “What do you two want?”

“This nurse caused my son to be taken away by the police. I’ll teach you a good lesson!”

The couple was hot–tempered, and completely unreasonable.

“Don’t act rashly,” Rosalie said, standing firm. “Your son’s been taken away. Do you want to be taken away too? Let’s talk things through civilly.”

“What’s there to talk about? This nurse is at fault for havin

poor attitude and insulting my son. My son just pushed her a bit in the heat of the moment. What’s wrong with that?”

“I did not insult him,” Stephanie said with a trembling voice. “I was very busy, and I did speak in a curt tone, but I did not insult him.”

“I don’t care! You’re the one who landed my son in this mess, you bitch!”

The couple pounced at her right there and then.

Rosalie hurriedly pulled Stephanie toward the door. However, the middle–aged man acted fast and grabbed Stephanie’s arm just in time to drag her back into the ward.

“Ahh!” Stephanie shrieked.

The medical staff along the corridor rushed over upon hearing the commotion, and saw the chaos in the ward.

Stephanie was being pressed down on the floor, and Rosalie hurried over to her. She wrapped herself around Stephanie, yelling, “Stop, you two!”

“Rosalie, leave! This has nothing to do, so hurry up and leave!”

Rosalie was pregnant. It would be terrible if she ended up getting hit by them.

Yet, Rosalie refused to leave, staying on top of Stephanie and keeping her in her tight embrace.

Some of the male doctors rushed forward and pulled the violent

couple aside. The man shook off the doctor’s hold, grabbed a vase from somewhere, and smashed it in Rosalie’s direction.

Smash!

The vase broke into pieces on the fle

Rosalie hugged Stephanie tight and shut her eyes, but she didn’t feel any pain.

The room was eerily silent.

Rosalie turned around and saw a towering figure standing right before her, blocking her from the vase aimed in her direction.

Just then, security guards rushed over and nabbed the couple, dragging them out of the ward. The corridor was filled with their shrieks.

Rosalie finally let Stephanie go. “Are you all right?”

Stephanie was pale as a ghost. She shook her head. “I… I’m fine.”

Rosalie stood up, and rushed to Theodore. She turned his body around, and saw that his forehead was covered with blood.

“Theo.”

She lifted a trembling hand, and cupped his face in her palms. Even her voice was shaking.

Theodore saw the tears welling up in her eyes and suddenly grabbed her arm, pulling her into his embrace. “Are you hurt?”

He anxiously but carefully checked her body, for fear he might hurt her further.

“I’m fine,” Rosalie said with a shake of her head. She wiped the tears from her face, and pointed out, “You’re injured.”

“It’s nothing major,” Theodore said, finally feeling assured enough to pull her back into his tight embrace once more. He tightened his arms around her, as if worried that he might lose her anytime.

One of the doctors did a check–up on Theodore, treated the wound on his forehead, and diagnosed him as suffering from a slight

concussion.

Rosalie sat by Theodore’s bedside. Grabbing his

asked with concern, “Theo, does it still hurt?”

hand tightly, she

“I’m fine, it doesn’t hurt. You silly girl. Why did you act as a shield for

someone else? What if you got hurt?”

Theodore’s brows were furrowed as deep concern–remorse, even- filled his eyes.

“She’s not just someone else. She’s my friend,” Rosalie explained.

“But you’re my wife. I care only for you.”

“Theo…” Rosalie felt tears welling up in her eyes again as they fell down her cheeks. She didn’t expect Theodore to be the one to appear at that critical moment and rush to her defense.

Right when she was feeling utterly disappointed with him, he

protected her so self–sacrificially by blocking the attack with his own body. He disregarded the wound on his forehead, and was instead

more worried about her.

She felt really conflicted about this man before her, struggling between feelings of love and hate for him. She really had no ideal what to do with him.

“What’s the matter?” Theodore sat up on the bed, tenderly cupping her face in his hands and wiping the tears from her face with his thumbs. “Why are you crying?”

Did he speak too harshly and frighten her?

Somehow, perhaps due to her pregnancy, Rosalie felt very emotional. She hurriedly wiped the tears on her face away, and said, “I was just…. scared that something might happen to you.”

He popped out from nowhere, and blocked the attack for her. What if the middle–aged man had been holding a knife, or an even more aggressive weapon instead of a vase? What would she do, then?

Although things had blown over, Rosalie still felt remnant fear pulsing through her veins.

“All right, don’t cry now,” Theodore said. He held her face against his chest, comforting her as he would a child. He rubbed her back gently, and said, “It’s all over. I’m fine, and it’s just a superficial wound. It’ll close up in a matter of days.”

His gentle, soothing voice sounded in her ear; it felt like warm sunshine on a winter day, bringing inexplicable warmth to her soul.

It felt as though they were still a loving couple, and all those terrible. things that happened recently never happened before. He doted on her, protected her well, and was deeply in love with her.

Rosalie wiped the tears away from her face, and stood up from his arms. “Theodore, why did you rush to protect me? What if the man was holding a knife?”

The more she thought about it, the more frightened she was.

“You’re my wife. I can’t just stand idly by and see you get hurt.” He caressed her head in a doting fashion. “No matter what happens, I’ll protect you.”

Rosalie’s eyes grew red as she stared at the man before her.

Suddenly, everything that happened between them replayed in her head like a silent movie.

Why was this man always like this, making her feel hopeless one

moment and then hopeful the next?

+25 BON

However, the fact remained that Cynthia was still standing in between

them.

“What?” Theodore held Rosalie’s hand upon seeing her in a daze, feeling rather worried.

Rosalie stood up. “Get some rest. I’ll go see Stephanie.”

Before Theodore could say anything, Rosalie turned to leave.

Rosalie walked out of the ward, only to find Stephanie wiping tears away from her face. She hurried toward her and called out to her. “Stephanie.”

Stephanie looked up. “Rose, how’s your husband doing?”

“He’s all right. You must be very frightened,” Rosalie said as she held Stephanie’s hands.

“I’m fine, it’s just… What rotten luck today! Thank you for coming to my aid.”

What Rosalie did just now warmed her heart amidst the fear she felt earlier.

A friend in need is a friend indeed. Stephanie personally witnessed. Rosalie shielding her with her own body despite her pregnancy. Such a friend was a friend Stephanie was determined to keep her entire life.

“Don’t be so polite with me. We’re friends! Of course we should help. each other out. They’ve been taken away by the police and will pay the price for their actions. I’ll also speak to Theodore and see if he can keep them behind bars for longer. They are utterly unreasonable,” Rosalie said with fury.

“Rosalie, did you cry?” Stephanie saw the redness in Rosalie’s eyes.

Rosalie chuckled awkwardly.

“It must be because of your husband,” Stephanie surmised. “At first, I had some reservations about your him. From what I saw today, my perspective of him has changed. No matter what, he was willing to protect you at the most critical moment. Very few men are capable of doing that.”

“Yeah, it’s just a pity…” Rosalie sighed. “I feel very conflicted. I can’t deny he’s good in some areas, but he and Cynthia…”

She smiled bitterly.

“If I hadn’t married Theo, we might be as close as siblings and I wouldn’t feel so miserable. Theodore would simply be a good man to me, and his relationship with Cynthia would be none of my business. The only mistake that happened was that I married him and became pregnant with his child.”

Rosalie looked down, and caressed her belly.

In this world, there was no such thing as a perfect life or a perfect

husband.

“Rose, are you really never going to tell him about the baby? You

should know that your stomach will only grow bigger. You won’t be able to hide this for long if you’re not getting a divorce,” Stephanie said.

“Yeah, I won’t.”

Rosalie didn’t tell Theodore about it at the start because she thought they were going to get a divorce, and that she would leave after that

But now that they weren’t getting a divorce for the time being, which might be the case for the next few months or even years, she knew the truth would be out sooner or later.

“Rose, you better think this through. If you’re not getting a divorce, I suggest you tell him about it. If he found out about it himself, you might be in for another fight.”

“What if he doesn’t want the child?” Rosalie said, worried.

“You’re so silly,” Stephanie said. “This child belongs to you, too. So what if he doesn’t want it? If you insist on giving birth, he can’t do anything about it. If he forces you to have an abortion, just run far away. Would he really search for you to the ends of the world just to force you to abort the baby? What’s more…”

After pondering for a moment, Stephanie went on, “He might want this child, for all you know. He might be very happy to hear the news, and decide to cut things off with Cynthia for good and live with you the rest of his life.”

Rosalie’s heart ached. “Steph, don’t give me hope. I might just take it seriously.”

She no longer dared to hold out hope in her heart. Being hopeful and then having her hopes dashed would thoroughly break her heart.

+

“I just want you to give things a chance. The worst case scenario would just be you leaving him. You two are staying married only for the time being. Who knows what will happen in the future? You really won’t be able to keep your pregnancy under wraps for longer.”

What Stephanie said made sense.

Rosalie nodded. “Okay, I’ll think it through.”

At night, Rosalie returned home with Theodore.

They had dinner outside, and were ready to wash up and retire for the night. After helping Theodore back to his room, Rosalie grabbed her bag and turned to leave.

However, Theodore grabbed her arm. “Where are you going?”

“Wash up and get some rest soon. I’m going back to my own room.”

“Rose, this is your room.”

Rosalie looked down at his hand enveloping hers. “We’ve been sleeping separately.”

She remembered the night before, when she went to Grandma’s to steal the resident register. She did sleep with Theodore, but that was only because she thought that was their last night together.

She didn’t expect them to continue being together and dragging things out.

“We’re not getting a divorce for now, right? There’s no need to sleep in separate rooms, then. Come back and sleep in this room,” he said in all seriousness.

Rosalie’s heart raced. She retracted her hand after mustering up her courage, and said, “That’s not a very good idea. Not getting a divorce for now is just temporary. Get some rest and sleep early.”

She insisted on leaving.

Theodore stared at her retreating figure, and sighed. Suddenly, he took a few steps back, covered his forehead with his hand, and groaned.

Rosalie rushed back to hold him. “What’s with you?”

Theodore leaned weakly into her embrace, and panted. “I’m fine, go rest. I’ll be fine by myself.”

He stubbornly but gently nudged her away as he stumbled to the bed and collapsed on it.

“Theo. ”

Rosalie hugged him from behind, and slowly helped him onto the bed.

It seemed as though Theodore couldn’t even sit straight, and had to lean his head against her shoulders.

His breathing was labored as he said, “Leave…leave me. I’ll be fine after lying down for a while.”

His tone was stubborn, yet sounded a tinge pitiful.

He claimed he wanted her to leave, but his body lay pliantly in her arms like a lifeless rag doll. His arms seemed to have a will of its own as they gently held the hem of her shirt and tugged it back and forth.

His mouth and his body seemed to be two separate entities–one an adult, one a child.

Seeing him like this, Rosalie couldn’t bear to leave. What if something happened to him in the middle of the night while he was all alone in his room?

“The doctor instructed you to rest well these few days. Turn in early.”

She felt that Theodore had been through many things in the past few days. He got into a car accident, suffered from gastric problems, and now, he had gotten his head hit.

She wondered if the heavens were punishing him somehow. If that

were the case, it was certainly sufficient punishment. He didn’t do anything grievously wrong in the first place, anyway.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

Theodore looked up piteously at her. “Aren’t you going back to your room?”

“I’m not. I’ll stay here and keep you company.”

Rosalie gave in, not bearing to just leave him like this and go back to her room.

Theodore smiled, the corner of his lips tinged with smugness. He

grabbed Rosalie’s hand, his thumbs gently caressing the back of her hand.

“What about tomorrow night? Will you go back to your room

tomorrow night?”

“I…” Before Rosalie could answer him, he grabbed her hand nervously.

A powerful and authoritative CEO of a huge company, now looked nothing more than a little boy trying to have his way.

Since they weren’t getting a divorce for now, Rosalie didn’t want them to keep being at loggerheads with each other. That was no good for her baby, either.

She was even considering finding a time to tell him about her

pregnancy, which made it even more crucial that there was peace between them for now. They couldn’t possibly be sleeping separately when she told him that she was pregnant.

She should find a suitable time to relay the truth to him gently, while she was in his arms.

“I’ll sleep here tomorrow night, too,” she finally said.

The baby would want his father’s company, too.

“What about the night after?”

Theodore pushed his luck like a little child asking for candies, and he wanted more of it every day.

“That too.”

“What about the night after that?” he pursued relentlessly, like haunting phantom.

a

“I won’t go back to my room to sleep. I’ll move my things here and sleep with you.”

He was asking so many questions, it made her blush. She swept her slightly warm cheeks with the back of her hand.

“Really?” Theodore said in disbelief, looking doubtfully at her.

“Of course. Why would I lie to you about this? Lie down first and get some rest. I’ll go to my room and grab my sleepwear.”

“All right. You have to come back, okay? I’ll wait for you until you come back before I sleep.”

He finally released her hand and laid down on a bed, looking like an abandoned child.

Rosalie smiled helplessly, suddenly feeling like a mother. She was in fact one already the moment she became pregnant. Perhaps she. could treat Theodore like a child, and practice being a mother.

Rosalie didn’t bring many things from her room. By the time she

returned to Theodore’s room with her things, she realized that he

wasn’t inside.

Rosalie unpacked her things. She saw that the door to the washroom was open, and the shower was on–he was probably taking a shower.

The doctor said his wound shouldn’t be exposed to water.

Rosalie felt worried, wondering if Theodore was being careful enough. She tip–toed to the door, and saw him throwing his clothes on the floor. She immediately turned around, her face blushing so red it felt

like it was on fire.

Suddenly, she heard a groan from inside the washroom.

Rosalie turned to see Theodore collapsed on the floor. In a fit of anxiety, she barged in and exclaimed, “Theo, are you all right?!”

She helped him up and his body crumpled weakly in her arms once

more.

He said piteously, “Rose, my head is spinning.”

He furrowed his brows, his tall and strong stature forming a stark contrast with his weak and vulnerable posture.

Rosalie trusted him, and took him seriously. What’s more, he had gotten hurt because of her.

She hugged him tight, and asked, “Should I bring you to the hospital. for a check–up?”

The doctor said that he had a mild concussion, but it didn’t seem mild

in the least to her.

“It’s all right. I’ll be fine after some rest, but I can’t shower by myself.”

He looked pitifully at her, his intentions clear as day.

Rosalie blushed even redder. Although they were husband and wife, it

didn’t change the fact that she felt very shy each time she saw him

naked.

“All right, I’ll help you shower. Can you stand straight?”

Those were the words that Theodore wanted to hear from her. That she would help him with his shower.

Rosalie didn’t notice the smug look that flashed past his face.

She helped Theodore up from the floor and stood under the shower head to feel the temperature of the water. Drops of water landed on her shirt, slowly wetting it.

Theodore stood up straight, and saw her figure through her wet

clothes. His gaze turned hot as he said, “Take your clothes off. They’re all wet.”

Rosalie wiped the water from her face, and shook her head shyly. “I’ll shower you first.”

She felt much too embarrassed to be naked before him while he was naked.

Theodore didn’t force her. He simply stood right there obediently; letting her rub soap all over him, rinse him, and dry him.