Chapter 43
ROSALIE
ALIE
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The house was far too quiet, the kind of silence that made my skin itch. I paced the living room, phone in hand, glancing at the screen every few seconds. The argument with Damien from this morning replayed over and over in my head. I wanted. to shake the memory loose, but it stuck like a bad tune.
Why had I let it get so heated?
I sat down for a moment, trying to call him again. The line rang twice before cutting off. I stared at the phone, my frustration mounting. Was he ignoring me, or was he just busy with work? Either way, I couldn’t shake the heavy feeling sitting in my chest.
A knock at the door interrupted my spiraling thoughts. For a moment, my heart leaped with hope–it might be Damien. Butr as I approached the door, I saw Charlotte’s familiar silhouette through the frosted glass. I opened it to see her standing there, all smiles, with my father right behind her, his face clouded with disapproval.
“Charlotte?” I asked, confused. “Dad? What are you both doing here?”
“We needed to check on you,” Charlotte said, brushing past me into the house. She glanced around, her sharp eyes taking in every detail. “Where’s Damien? Still busy at work?”
My father stepped inside after her, his heavy footsteps echoing. “I tried to reach his line earlier today but it’s unreachable.” My father added, crossing his arms.
I shut the door behind them and turned, suddenly feeling cornered. “He went to work,” I said hesitantly. “And you probably weren’t able to reach him because we had a fall out this morning. He left afterwards. No calls or text from him since.
“And after the argument you two had this morning, you’re just sitting here doing nothing?” my father snapped, his voice sharp.
1 bristled a
at his tone. “I’ve been trying to call him,” I said defensively.
“Tried calling? That’s all?” He scoffed. “Rosalie, you’re his wife. Fix it! Or do you not care about your marriage at all?”
His words hit like a slap. “You very well know I was forced into this hell of a marriage so don’t ask me if I care or not because you know the answer!” I shot back. “I am trying my best to endure Damien’s obnoxious attitude but it’s not that simple-
“Not simple?” he interrupted, his face growing red. “What isn’t simple about treating your husband with respect? Instead, you’ve made a fool of yourself and him!”
“What are you even talking about?” I asked, already dreading the answer.
He glared at me. “Those pictures. The ones circulating everywhere. You looked like a drunken mess. Who would believe that you’re the wife of Damien Hale?”
Heat rushed to my face as the shame settled in. “You’ve seen them?” I asked quietly.
“Everyone’s seen them!” he bellowed. “Do you realize how humiliating this is? For you, for Damien, for this family?”
Charlotte, who had been quiet up until now, sighed dramatically. “Honestly, Rosalie, I have to agree with Dad. Those pictures… they don’t exactly scream elegance. I mean, you looked…” She trailed off, feigning hesitation before adding, “Well, let’s just say, not like someone married to a man like Damien Hale.”
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Chapter 43
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I clenched my fists at my sides. “You’re one to talk.” I snapped, turning to her. “You’re the one who convinced me to drink in the first place! You cajoled me into it, and then you disappeared the second I got drunk!”
Charlotte gasped, her hand flying to her chest like she’d been mortally wounded. “Excuse me? I didn’t force Rosalie. I suggested one or two to help you relax because you were upset. But you’re the one who went overboard. I even tried to stop you, but you wouldn’t listen!”
you
drink.
“That’s a lie!” I shot back.
Her expression hardened, her pitying smile dropping. “You always have to blame someone else, don’t you? Maybe if you took responsibility for once, you wouldn’t be in this mess.”
“That’s enough,” my father barked, his voice slicing through the tension. He turned his glare on me. “Charlotte’s right. You need to start taking accountability, Rosalie. This is all on you–your carelessness, your foolish decisions. If Damien decides to walk away, he’d take every single thing he has bestowed us and we will be left bankrupt and penniless again. And when that happens, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”
His words cut deeper than I expected. Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. “You don’t understand,” I muttered weakly.
“What’s there to understand?” he snapped. “You’re a disappointment, Rosalie. You’ve embarrassed your husband and dragged this family’s name through the mud.”
I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. They spilled down my cheeks as my father shook his head and walked toward the door.
“I can’t stay here and watch you ruin everything,” he said before stepping out and slamming the door behind him.
The sound echoed through the house, leaving me standing there in stunned silence.
“Rosalie…” Charlotte’s voice was soft now, almost soothing. She walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder. “I know this is hard, but Dad’s just worried. He doesn’t mean to hurt you.”
I shrugged off her hand, glaring at her through my tears. “He doesn’t understand. Neither do you.”
Charlotte sighed and stepped back. “Look, I’m trying to help you. If you want Damien to forgive you, you need to show him that you’re serious about fixing things. Make it up to him. Do something thoughtful, like preparing a nice dinner tonight. Apologize properly,”
I sniffed, wiping my face with the back of my hand. “Do you think that’ll work?”
“It’s worth a shot,” she said with a small smile. “You know Damien more than anyone–he probably appreciates effort.”
I nodded slowly, the idea sinking in. Maybe she was right.
Charlotte pulled me into a quick hug, her voice low as she whispered, “I believe in you, Rosalie. You can fix this.”
With that, she pulled away, grabbing her bag and heading for the door. “I’ll leave you to it. Good luck.”
As the door clicked shut behind her, I sank onto the couch, my emotions swirling. I wasn’t sure if Charlotte’s suggestion would work, but at this point, I had nothing left to lose.
THIRD PERSON POV
As Charlotte stepped out of the mansion, the door clicked shut behind her, and the smile she’d plastered on her face melted away, replaced by a cold, calculating expression. She glanced at her car parked in the circular driveway, catching a glimpse
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Chapter 43
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of her father already seated in it, but made no move to get in. Instead, she lingered by the steps, her hands slipping into the pockets of her tailored coat as her lips curled into a smirk.
“So, Rosalie thinks she can win Damien over with a simple dinner?” she murmured to herself, her voice low and laced with disdain. “How naive.”
Her gaze drifted to one of the large windows of the mansion, where Rosalie’s silhouette could still be seen inside. The girl looked small and pitiful, pacing around like a lost puppy.
Charlotte scoffed. “She doesn’t deserve him,” she continued, her voice gaining a sharp edge.
She turned on her heel, her sharp heels clicking against the pavement as she began to pace, her thoughts tumbling over one another. “I’ll stand as a bridge between the two of them. No matter what it takes, I’ll keep them apart.”
Charlotte’s smirk deepened as she imagined Rosalie’s growing despair, her futile attempts to salvage a marriage that she was determined to destroy.
“I’ll do everything possible to wreck their perfect little fairytale,” she said, her tone dripping with malice. “After all. Damien deserves someone stronger, someone better. Someone who understands him. Someone like me.”
With that, she strode toward her car, her steps confident and deliberate as she slide into the driver’s seat.
“Let’s see how long she lasts,” she thought to herself, a glint of satisfaction flickering in her eyes as she started the engine and drove away.
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