Chapter 37
ROSALIE
The crisp night air brushed against my skin, but it did nothing to cool the fire burning in my chest. I’d stepped outside to escape the overwhelming atmosphere of the party and the suffocating weight of Charlotte’s words. But as I walked along the stone path, I heard voices–one sharp and heated, the other calm and measured.
I froze, the hairs on my neck standing on end. The argument was coming from the side of the house, just beyond the corner where the garden began. I crept closer, my heart pounding in my ears.
“Don’t act so innocent, Damien,” a familiar, sultry voice hissed. “You know you enjoy this game just as much as I do.”
Melanie.
I stepped around the corner just as she stormed away, her heels clicking against the cobblestones with an air of triumph. Her sapphire gown shimmered under the moonlight, and her lips–painted an unmistakable red–curled into a smug smile when she saw Inc.
“Well, Mrs. Hale,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “What a surprise to find you out here. Shouldn’t you be inside, the fun is in there and not here darling. What brought you out?”
I stood frozen, my eyes darting past her to where Damien stood a few meters away, his expression unreadable. The collar of his suit was slightly askew, and there–on his skin, just above the line of his shirt–was a smudge of red lipstick.
My stomach twisted, a nauseating mix of anger and heartbreak flooding my chest. Melanie noticed my gaze and let out a low, mocking laugh.
“Goodnight, Mrs. Hale,” she said, sweeping past me with an elegant sway of her hips. “Do try to keep your husband on a tighter leash,” She whispered just loud enough for only me to hear.
Her words sent a jolt of fury through me, and I whipped around to face Damien. He looked shocked to see me, his eyes widening slightly as he stepped forward.
“Rosalie,” he said, his voice low. “What are you doing out here?”
“What am I doing out here?” I repeated, my voice shaking with anger. “What are you doing out here, Damien? Or better yet, what were you doing out here… with her?”
“Rosalie, it’s not what you think-”
I didn’t let him finish. The sound of my hand connecting with his cheek was loud in the still night, the sting of the slap vibrating through my palm.
“You’re a fucking cheat!” I shouted, my voice cracking with the force of my emotions. “I hate you, Damien! I hate you!”
He didn’t flinch, didn’t even raise a hand to defend himself. He just stood there, his jaw tightening as he looked at me with an expression I couldn’t quite place.
“Rosalie, listen to me,” he said, his voice soft but firm. “I didn’t-”
“Don’t you dare try to explain!” I cut him off, my voice trembling with rage. “I saw the lipstick, Damien! I saw the way she walked away like she’d won some kind of prize. And now you want to tell me you didn’t do anything? Do you think I’m stupid?”
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Chapter 37
“No, I don’t,” he said quickly, his tone almost pleading. “She kissed me, Rosalie. I didn’t-
“Oh, please,” I scoffed, throwing my hear how
hands up in frustration. “She kissed you? That’s your excuse? Do you ev pathetic that sounds?”
“It’s the truth,” he said, his voice steady despite my accusations. “I didn’t kiss her back. I didn’t want her to-”
Then why were you out here with her in the first place?” I demanded, my voice rising. “Why did you spend the entire night glued to her side, ignoring me in front of everyone? If you didn’t want her, why entertain her at all?”
He opened his mouth to respond, but I didn’t give him the chance.
“You went to my family’s house and hit my father,” I said, my voice shaking with emotion. “You locked me up like a prisoner because I didn’t agree with your twisted idea of helping. And now you bring your mistress to a party, flaunt her in front of me, and expect me to believe that she kissed you and you had nothing to do with it?”
“Rosalie,” he said softly, his hand reaching out to me.
1 stepped back, shaking my head furiously. “Don’t touch me!” I snapped. “Do you have any idea how much I hate you right now? How much I hate myself for ever thinking you were capable of being anything other than this.. this cruel, selfish man?”
His face fell, the weight of my words clearly hitting him, but I didn’t care. I was too angry, too hurt to stop.
“You’re a liar, Damien.” I said, my voice cracking. “And I’ll be damned if I believe anything that comes out of your mouth ever again.”
I turned on my heel and stormed back toward the house, my vision blurred with unshed tears.
“Rosalie!” he called after me, his voice desperate. “Wait, please! Just listen to me!”
I didn’t stop. I didn’t turn around. His voice faded into the background as I pushed open the door and stepped back into the crowded room
The noise of the party washed over me, but I felt numb. My chest ached, my mind racing with everything I’d seen and heard.
1 hated him. I hated him for doing this to me, for breaking me down piece by piece. But more than that, I hated myself for even still caring.
I pushed my way back into the living room, the noise of the party crashing over me like a tidal wave. My chest was tight, and I could barely breathe. Tears stung my eyes, threatening to spill, but I kept my head down, unwilling to let anyone see how broken I felt.
I hadn’t gotten far when I heard a familiar voice call out, “Rosalie?”
Looking up, I saw Charlotte weaving through the crowd toward me. Her expression was a mix of concern and curiosity, her perfectly styled hair and designer dress immaculate as always.
“Rosalie, what happened?” she asked, her voice soft but edged with something I couldn’t quite place. “You look.. shaken.”
I bit my lip, unsure if I should say anything. But the weight in my chest was unbearable, and before I could stop myself, the words spilled out.
“It’s Damien.” I said, my voice trembling “I–1 caught him outside with her.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened slightly, though she quickly masked it with a look of feigned sympathy. “Her? You mean…
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I nodded, the tears finally breaking free and slipping down my cheeks. She kissed him. Charione She kissed him, and he just stood there. He tried to explain, said it wasn’t what it looked like, but how can I believe him? He’s been with her all night, ignoring me, and now this?”
Charlotte placed a hand on my arm, bet touch light but im “Oh Rouliese und with a sigh shaking her head. “I hate to say it, but I told you. Men like Damien, they don’t change. He’s always going to do what he wants, no matter how it affects you.”
Her words stung, but I couldn’t deny the truth in them. I wiped at my cheeks, my breath hitching “I don’t know what to do I admitted. “I hate him. Charlotte. I hate him so much, but I- My voice broke and I shook my head.
Charlotte’s expression softened, though her eyes gleamed with something I couldn’t quite name “You need to forget about him tonight” she said gently. “Let him wallow in his own mess. You deserve to enjoy yourself. Rosalie You deserve to be free, even if it’s just for a little while
I gave her a skeptical look. “How am I supposed to do that?”
Her lips curved into a small smile, and the gestured toward the crowd. “Have a drink” she suggested. “Or two. Let Joose Forget about Damien and his indiscretion. He’s not worth your tears?
I hesitated, but the idea of numbing the pain, even temporarily, was tempting “I don’t know, Charlotte, I murmured. Tm not really-
“Trust me,” she interrupted, her tone light and encouraging “Just one drink. You’ll feel better, I promise.”
Before I could protest further, Charlotte flagged down a waiter and grabbed a bottle of wine along with two glasses. She handed one to me, pouring generously before pouring for herself
“To forgetting,” she said, raising her glass with a sly smile.
I stared at the wine for a moment before clinking my glass against hers. “To forgetting” I echoed softly, taking a tentative sip The first glass went down quickly, the warmth spreading through me like a balm Charlotte refilled it without hesitation, her
mile growing as I drank again.
“See?” she said, leaning closer “Isn’t that better?”
I nodded, the edges of my pain starting to blur “It is I admitted, my voice lighter than before.
“Good” Charlotte said her tone almost triumphant. “Now let’s make sure you really enjoy yourself tonight”
She poured another glass, and then another. The wine flowed freely, and before long I felt a giddy warmth replace the weight in my chest.
Somewhere between the fourth and fifth glass, the room seemed to tilt slightly and I giggled at the sensation. “I feel weird” I confessed, swaying slightly.
“That’s the point,” Charlotte said with a laugh. “Come on, Rosalie. Let’s dance”
She pulled me toward the center of the living room, where couples swayed gracefully to the mus But I didn’t want to sway -I wanted to move. The beat of the must pulsed through me, and suddenly I was spinning my arms thing wide as laughter
bubbled out of me
“Rosalie!” Charlotte called, trying to keep up with me “slow down!”
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But I didn’t slow down. 1 twirled and swayed, my movements wild and uncoordinated. Heads turned, people whispering as they watched me, but I didn’t care. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt free.
The orchestra shifted to a livelier tune, and I seized the opportunity, grabbing a stranger’s hand and pulling him into an impromptu dance. He looked startled at first but soon laughed along with me, his clumsy steps matching my own
“Rosalie!” Charlotte called again, her voice mingling with the laughter and chatter around us.
I ignored her, too caught up in the moment. I laughed, I spun, I stumbled, and when the room tilted again. I clung to the stranger’s arm, giggling uncontrollably.
“Are you okay, miss?” he asked, his tone polite but uncertain.
“I’m better than okay!” I declared, throwing my arms up. “Im… free!”
The crowd around me chuckled, some clapping along to the music as I continued my chaotic performance.
But beneath the laughter and the wine–induced haze, a small, nagging voice whispered in the back of my mind, reminding me of Damien.
I shoved the thought aside, refusing to let him ruin this moment This was my night, my escape, and I wouldn’t let him take
it from me.
