Chapter 78
Chapter 78
DAMIEN
* 23%
The numbers on the screen blurred slightly as I ran a hand down my face, exhaustion creeping in despite the strong cup of coffee sitting half–empty beside me. The deal I was reviewing was solid–logical, beneficial–but something about it wasn’t sitting right. Maybe it was the wording, the way certain clauses seemed to leave just enough room for interpretation.
I had learned the hard way that contracts weren’t just about what was written; they were about what wasn’t. And right now, something about this one felt off.
I leaned back in my chair, cracking my neck as I glanced at the clock. Almost noon. I had been buried in paperwork since morning, only pausing to answer the occasional phone call or sign off on a report.
This was the part of the job I didn’t mind. Numbers were predictable. Business was straightforward. There were no emotions, no complications–just logic, strategy, and execution.
If only life worked the same way.
I barely glanced up from my laptop when the door to my office swung open. I was in the middle of reviewing a contract, my mind too occupied to deal with whatever interruption was about to waste my time..
But then I saw them.
My parents.
I sat back slowly, my fingers still resting on the keyboard as I let out a quiet exhale. Of all the people I could have expected to walk into my office unannounced, they were at the bottom of the list.
My mother was dressed in her usual polished perfection–expensive pearls around her neck, a tailored dress that screamed wealth, her expression set in that familiar look of disapproval. My father stood beside her, tall and rigid, his jaw locked in that way it always was when he was about to lecture me.
This wasn’t a social visit. That much was obvious.
I closed my laptop and laced my fingers together on my desk, my voice calm but firm. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
My father’s lips pressed into a thin line. My mother huffed, shaking her head as if she couldn’t believe I had the audacity to act unbothered.
“You know why we’re here,” my father said, stepping forward.
I arched a brow. “Enlighten me.”
My mother scoffed. “Don’t play dumb, Damien.”
I turned my gaze to her, and suddenly, I remembered the last time she had walked into my home and paid Rosalie a visit The memory burned through my mind like wildfire–her sharp voice, the look of pure venom on her face, the tension that had crackled through the air before I had told my mother to leave my house.
1
Ah. So that was what this was about
My father folded his arms, his stance firm. “You had no right to throw your own mother out.”
1 let out a dark chuckle, standing up from my chair. Slowly. Deliberately.
“That’s why you came here?” I asked, tilting my head. “To scold me like a child?”
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Chapter 78
My mother’s eyes narrowed. “I told your father what happened. And he agrees with me. The way you acted was unacceptable.”
I let the words sink in for a moment before nodding. “Right” I turned to my father. “Did she tell you everything, though?”
His expression flickered with the briefest hint of hesitation. “She told me enough”
I scoffed: “Did she tell you that she stormed into my house–uninvited–to humiliate my wife?”
My mother rolled her eyes, “I did no such thing.”
“Really?” I shot her a pointed look. “Then what exactly did you do?”
“I spoke some sense into her,” she snapped. “And she had the audacity to get violent.”
A humorless laugh left my lips. “Rosalie got violent?”
My mother lifted her chin. “She attacked me.”
1 barked out another laugh, shaking my head. “You mean she defended herself after you pushed her too far?”
My mother’s face flushed with anger. “That girl is not fit to be your wife.”
I met her gaze, my voice calm but unyielding. “She is my wife. Now, tomorrow, and forever.”
Her hands curled into lists. “Over my dead body.”
The tension in the room thickened, pressing down like a weight. My father sighed heavily, rubbing his temples before finally speaking
“We didn’t come here to argue about this,” he said.
I raised a brow. “No? Then what, exactly, did you come here for?”
He exhaled. “There’s a family gathering this weekend. Your uncles and aunts will be there. We expect you to attend.”
I stiffened.
A family gathering. Another pointless event where I would be paraded around, criticized, and reminded–over and over again–of how much of a disappointment I was for choosing Rosalie.
I shook my head. “Not happening”
My father’s voice hardened. “That wasn’t a request, Damien.”
I held his stare. “I don’t care.”
My mother scoffed. “Of course you don’t. You never do. You’d rather play house with that girl than respect your own family.”
My jaw clenched. “You don’t get to talk about respect when you’ve done nothing but undermine my marriage since the day it happened”
“She isn’t good for you,” she spat. “She’s beneath you, Damien.”
I took a slow breath, gripping the edge of my desk. “I am not having this conversation again.”
“Well, you’re going to my father said, his voice firm. “Because you will attend the gathering. End of discussion.”
1 stared at him for a long moment, my jaw tightening
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Chapter 78
He wasn’t going to let this go.
I could refuse. I could stand my ground. But I knew exactly how this would play out–they would make a scene, they would keep pushing, and eventually, they would drag Rosalie into it.
And that was the one thing I wouldn’t allow.
Finally, I exhaled, my voice clipped. “Fine.”
My mother’s lips pressed together, her victory evident. My father gave a satisfied nod.
“Good,” he said.
Neither of them said another word before turning to leave, their presence like a storm finally rolling out.
As soon as the door shut behind them, I let out a slow breath and sank back into my
Frustration coiled in my chest.
chair.
Another family gathering. Another opportunity for them to rip Rosalie apart.
And I would have to stand there.
I dragged a hand down my face, my mind already racing.
I needed a plan.
Because one thing was certain–if they thought they were going to walk all over Rosalie again, they were dead wrong.
ROSALIE
I used to think silence was peaceful.
That was before I married Damien.
Now, silence felt suffocating. Heavy. Like a presence lurking in the air, waiting to consume me whole.
I stirred the pot absentmindedly, watching the steam rise in soft, curling wisps. The kitchen smelled warm–garlic, herbs, a hint of lemon. A comforting scent. A normal one. And that’s what I wanted: normalcy. Something steady. Something that
made sense.
Lately, everything had felt like it was slipping through my fingers.
The videos. The humiliation. My in–laws respect for me.
And then, Damien.
I swallowed hard, pushing that thought away as I reached for the plates. I didn’t want to think about how distant he had been, how every interaction with him felt like I was walking on thin ice. How sometimes, when I looked at him, it felt like he was looking right through me.
But he sent his mother away for me.
That had to mean something
Didn’t it?
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Chapter 78
字23%日
I exhaled and shook my head, forcing myself to focus, Dinner. That was all I needed to worry about right now. One thing at a time. One step forward. I set the table carefully, smoothing my hands over the tablecloth, adjusting the silverware even though it was already perfect.
The front door opened.
I straightened, my heart giving a small, hopeful jump.
Footsteps, Slow, measured. The way Damien always walked–calm, in control, untouchable.
I turned, watching as he stepped into the dining room. His tie was slightly loosened, his sleeves rolled up just enough to reveal the veins along his forearms. His hair was tousled like he’d run his hands through it a few times.
He looked tired.
And then I saw it–the shift in his expression when his gaze landed on me.
Cold. Distant
My stomach twisted.
“Hey,” I said softly, offering a small smile. “Dinner’s ready.”
Damien didn’t answer right away. He just looked at me for a second too long, like he was debating something in his head. Then, finally, he gave a slow nod.
“Okay.”
That was
was it.
Just okay.
I hesitated. “You had a long day?”
He pulled out a chair and sat down, reaching for his glass of water. “Yeah.”
One–word answers.
The distance between us felt bigger than ever.
1 bit my lip, trying to ignore the ache in my chest. “I, um… I made your favorite.”
Another pause. Another long, unreadable stare.
Then, a quiet, “Thanks”
I sat down across from him, my lingers tightening around my fork. My appetite was already gone, replaced by the sinking feeling that something was wrong
Had I done something?
1 thought things were getting better.
But now….
He was shutting me out again
I forced myself to take a bite, chewing even though the food suddenly tasted like nothing. “Damien,” I said carefully, watching him. “Did something happen today at work?”
1637 Tue 18 Feb NNO-
* 4251E
Bis in denched high as he cut in his food “No”
I “you
(frowned. “Ke you sure? You’ve been
“sale” herpes, his voice sharp. “Just let it g
broat
I stared at him feeling that al–sex–farmitur cting settle in my chest.
I adett go. I had tried to be patient. To not push. To give him spacË.
But bow much space did he need
How much longer was I supposed to pretend that this was fine?
- 1.
I lowered myork my hands curling image vece fatered for a second, but I pushed through “I don’t
His expression de’t change
Bike the bacheen bearde
Like bedn’t care
The rox of dinner passed in silence.
& again. I didn’t ask any more questions.
And Damien didn’t look at me once
By the time he finished eating, he stood without a word setting his plate in the sink before walking toward the stairs.
I saved true in my seat, staring at the empty space where he had just been
I had no idea how much longer I could keep pretending this was okay
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