Chapter 3

~Rose~

I spent the next few hours wandering the streets, completely lost. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I had just divorced James.

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt this much if I had never loved him.

But I did. Deeply. And now my chest ached as I thought about all the madness I endured during our marriage, the times I obsessed over him while he was out chasing other women.

Eventually, my legs gave in and I decided to head home. At least there, I could find comfort… maybe even cry in my parents’ arms.

I forced a smile and dragged myself home, clinging to hope. But the moment I walked through the door, every bit of that hope vanished.

I swallowed down the sob rising in my throat.

“You divorced James Scott?” my father asked sharply.

“Dad…” I began, confused by his tone.

Slap!

The blow came out of nowhere. I hadn’t seen it coming, and my already frail body nearly collapsed.

Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to process what had just happened. It hadn’t even been five minutes since I told them about the divorce, and everything was already spiraling.

“Mom…” I turned to her with teary eyes, my voice trembling. “Dad just hit me.”

“Shut your filthy mouth and answer your father. Did you divorce your husband? Yes or no?”

I stared at them, stunned. Why were they acting like this? They had never looked at me with such disgust. It was like they wanted to rip me apart.

I shook my head, trying to calm myself. They probably just didn’t understand the full story. So I started to explain, from the beginning, about my so-called friend and how James betrayed me.

“Just shut it!” Dad barked. “I can’t believe we wasted our money raising someone this useless!”

My heart broke. Was I dreaming?

“None of this was my fault! It was James… and my friend,” I choked out.

“And so what?” they both snapped.

“I—”

“We survive off James Scott’s money!” Dad shouted. “Even if he didn’t give you much, he gave us. And all we asked was that you hold your marriage together. But no, you had to mess even that up! You’re a disgrace!”

My body shook violently.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry until there was nothing left. But what was the point?

Would they even care?

“Just get out, and never come back to this house! You're no longer of any use to me!”

Dad didn’t even spare me a glance. He turned and walked away as if I didn’t exist.

I was left standing with Mom. I looked at her, clinging to a thread of hope. She was angry, yes, but surely she wouldn’t throw me out too… right?

Wrong.

“What are you still doing here? Didn’t you hear what my husband said?”

My husband? Wasn’t he my father too?

She saw the confusion in my eyes and sneered cruelly.

“What? Did you really think someone like you came from us? A useless thing like you? Your real parents must have thrown you away the moment they saw what kind of failure you’d become!”

Her words pierced like knives.

“I hope you die a miserable death, for cutting off our only source of income! Now get out!”

I was so crying and a mess, that I didn't even hear mother words properly, before I was kicked out!

_ _ _ _ _ __ _

I broke down completely.

Tears poured from my eyes. I couldn’t believe all this was happening to me.

I saw it with my own eyes, my husband with another woman. Then, not long after, my own parents threw me out like I was nothing.

I wanted to scream. The tears weren’t enough. My chest felt tight, and I could barely breathe.

I felt completely alone. I’ve been through hard times before, but never like this. Never this kind of pain.

How did my life fall apart in just two days?

My vision was blurry as I walked down the street.

People were staring, I could feel it. I knew I looked like a mess, but I didn’t care.

My hands wouldn’t stop shaking. I didn’t have the strength to worry about what anyone thought.

Why me? No matter how hard I try to understand, it still doesn’t make sense. Everyone I loved had turned their back on me. What did I ever do to deserve this?

I cried out loudly.

But after a while, I wiped my tears. Crying wouldn’t change anything.

With my last savings, I booked a flight and ordered a cab to the airport.

I had to leave this city.

There was no point staying in a place where everyone I trusted lied to me, used me, and then walked away like I meant nothing.

If I stayed, I’d only keep hurting. I might even go crawling back to James, and I didn’t want that. Not anymore.

When the cab arrived, I sat in the front seat. I rolled down the window and rested my elbow there, letting the breeze touch my face.

The ride was going to take a while, so I closed my eyes. I needed to rest, even if it was just for a moment. Everything felt heavy inside me.

But not long after, I noticed the ride wasn't smooth anymore. It felt off. Shaky.

I opened my eyes, confused.

I hadn’t even said a word yet when I saw the driver’s worried expression. He kept glancing at the mirror.

So I looked too, and saw a white car right behind us.

No matter where our cab turned, the white car followed. Were we being followed?

Just when I tried to calm myself down, a blinding white light flashed in front of us.

It was a truck. A huge one, and it was swerving out of control.

My hands flew to my stomach. “Please be okay,” I whispered.

As if things couldn’t get worse, the white car behind us suddenly slammed into us. The driver lost control. He screamed.

My heart sank. Death felt so close.

No. Not now. Not like this.

My baby…

Tears ran down my face as the car flipped over. It kept turning and spinning.

None of this would’ve happened if my husband hadn’t betrayed me. If my parents hadn’t kicked me out.

I hated him.

I hated all of them.

Everything around me was spinning. My face felt pale. I could barely move.

I just kept praying in my heart.

Please, God…

“I don’t want to lose my baby.”

Please. Save my baby.