Chapter 5

~ROSE~

°Five years later°

“You did what? You fired three workers?” Chloe's sharp voice rang through the call.

I winced and moved the phone away from my ear. I wasn’t ready to go deaf from her shouting.

“Your new company just opened yesterday, and this is already happening? What will people think?” Her tone grew sharper.

I set the phone down on the table and continued folding the small clothes in my hands.

“Those useless workers bullied Princess. I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t checked the CCTV footage.”

Normally, nothing like that would’ve happened, but I had left her in their care while I went for a meeting.

“Seriously? And here they were, crying about how unfair you were for firing them without reason!” Chloe snapped again.

“Just let it go. Princess is fine now.”

I put the phone back to my ear while I continued packing everything into the bags. I was preparing to move back to Rochester for the other company's branch launch.

With silence on Chloe’s end for a while, I managed to finish packing. Then I heard her voice again, this time softer and more worried.

“Do you really have to go back to Rochester?”

I knew she would ask this, but I still nodded. “Yes.”

It’s been three whole years since the worst moment of my life.

Life hasn’t been perfect, but I’ve worked hard to become a better version of myself since that accident. Not only did I survive, but I also carried my pregnancy to full term and ended up inheriting the entire Guzman empire.

During the pregnancy, I worked relentlessly to manage and grow the companies entrusted to me. Exhaustion wasn’t an excuse. Sleepless nights, skipped meals, endless work, that became my routine. 

It was finally time for me to return. I needed to expand our company into another city to help it grow.

My past wasn’t going to hold me back.

“Alright, alright, I have to go. My flight’s this evening.” I ended the call before Chloe could reply. If I let her talk longer, she’d just keep trying to convince me not to go.

But I was still going. Chloe might not understand, but I knew this was the right move. Going to a place like Rochester would mean a lot for the company’s growth, and I wasn’t going to miss that chance.

Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. I owed it to the people who had helped me get this far not to fail them.

With nothing else to do, I scrolled through my phone while waiting for the kids’ nanny to bring them home from school. It was already closing time.

My mind drifted back to Chloe. She had been the only friend who stood by me through everything, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

A sound at the door made me set my phone down and look up. I didn’t need anyone to tell me, the kids were home.

…

“Mommy!”

“Oh, my sweethearts!” I gasped, spreading my arms wide as my adorable daughter ran straight into them.

“Hug me,” she said, her long eyelashes curling as she eagerly climbed onto my lap.

I wrapped her in a warm embrace, then turned to my other two children, Peter and Paxton.

“My babies,” I cooed, watching them focus on loosening their school ties before coming closer.

“Mommy,” they called in unison after changing out of their uniforms. Even though they were still little, I had to admit, their voices were surprisingly sharp.

I gently patted their heads and asked, “Where’s your nanny?”

My eyes were on the door. Only the children came in but I've not seen their nanny.

Just then, the door suddenly opened, revealing their nanny holding a paper bag stuffed with junk food. 

I don't need anyone telling me it was for the children. I pouted, wanting to stop her, but I shrugged it off. We would be leaving for an entirely new place the kids were unfamiliar with, and I could just let them have their fun today by having those junks.

“Nanny’s back with goodies for us!” Princess squealed happily, sliding off my arms and rushing to her.

Peter and Paxton followed quickly, all three of them grinning as their nanny shared the snacks.

Seeing them so content filled me with warmth. Every single day, I felt grateful that I kept them. Without Princess, Peter, and Paxton, all those years would have been nothing but wasted.

“Alright, let’s get you changed for the flight,” their nanny said, and the children obediently complied after finishing their snacks.

I watched them change neatly, then handed over my phone to keep them busy. We still had 30 minutes before heading to the airport.

Barely minutes later, Paxton’s voice broke the calm.

“Mommy, when are we going to meet Daddy?” he asked, his eyes shining with curiosity.

My body stiffened for a second before I forced a smile. “Why do you ask?”

It wasn’t common for them to bring up their father. If they did, there was usually a reason behind it.

Princess’s eyes watered as she whispered, “Mommy, just tell us the truth… Daddy doesn’t want us, right?”

A lump formed in my throat. They had mistaken my hesitation as refusal, and in a way, they weren’t wrong.

Before I could fumble with an answer, their nanny quickly cut in.

“Come on, let’s hurry up. We’ll be late for the airport.”

I glanced at her gratefully, knowing she was helping me escape the question.

The kids dropped the matter and followed her out. Carrying our luggage, I trailed behind, my mind still stuck on their words.

I always knew one day they’d ask about their father, but I never thought it would be this soon.

The heaviness weighed on me, but I pushed it aside. There was no time to dwell on it now. We had to make it to the bus station and reach the airport on time.