Chapter 3

****Damien****

Rain poured heavily as I drove home, the rhythmic sound of water hitting the windshield echoing in the quiet car. It had been a long day at work, and I was grateful that Max had finally found me a new secretary. My wife had fired the last one—not that it was a surprise. She had her reasons, but lately, it felt like she was battling her own demons.

I sighed, gripping the steering wheel tighter as I drove through the dimly lit streets. Things between us had been strained for months. We fought constantly, about things that didn’t even matter. I tried to be patient—I knew she was struggling. But so was I.

I spotted a small flower shop up ahead and decided to stop. Maybe a gesture, however small, would help ease the tension. Her favorite—red roses. They always made her smile, and their deep crimson matched the shade of lipstick she loved to wear.

I parked the car and stepped into the shop, shaking off the rain as the bell above the door jingled. Madam Olivia, the elderly shopkeeper, greeted me with her ever-warm smile.

"Mr. Cross," she said, her voice cheerful despite the gloomy weather. "It’s nice to see you again."

"Good evening," I replied, forcing a polite smile.

"Let me guess," she said with a teasing grin. "Red roses, as usual?"

I chuckled softly. "Yes, please."

She giggled, already moving to gather the bouquet. "You must really love your wife. Red roses every time you visit," she said, arranging the flowers with care.

I didn’t respond right away. Love. It was such a complicated word now. There were days when I questioned if love was enough to fix what was broken between us. But I love my wife more than anything she was part of me and will always be.

Madam Olivia handed me the bouquet, and I paid her before heading back to my car. The rain hadn’t let up, but I hardly noticed as I sat behind the wheel, staring at the roses in my hands.

I sighed again, setting the bouquet down carefully on the passenger seat. The house wasn’t far.  After thirty minutes of driving, I finally got home. Entering our estate, the bright lights shone brightly, guiding me as I drove into my compound.

Finally, I was home. I stepped out of the car, grabbed the red roses, and walked straight to the door. To my surprise, it wasn’t locked at all.

The lights in the living room were still on. She was home. I picked up the roses, stepped out into the rain, and walked to the front door.

Scarlett was sleeping peacefully on the couch i couldn't help it but watch her sleep like a baby she gently opened her eyes perhaps she felt another presence around that woke her.

"Damien" she said sitting up properly then she stood up and gave me a light hug.

"I got this for you" i said handing over the flowers to her and she took it with a small smile.

Me and Scarlett have been through so much together. Twelve years of ups and downs, love and pain. She was my college sweetheart, the one who stole my heart and never let it go.

I leaned down and kissed her forehead softly, pulling her close into a tight hug. "We’re going to get through this phase, Scarlett. But we have to try again," I whispered gently.

She scoffed, shifting out of my embrace, her eyes blazing with tears.

"That’s the problem, Damien. That’s exactly the problem," she said, her voice breaking. "I’m the one hurting the most. I’ve had two miscarriages. Two, Damien. And now you want me to try again? To watch my sweet, innocent babies die all over again?"

"No, sweetie, that’s not what I mean," I said, my voice pleading. "Just... try to understand me."

Her lips quivered as more tears streamed down her face. "Oh, I’m trying, Damien. I’ve been trying. But you don’t get it. I’m scared. I can’t do this anymore. You want us to try again, and then what? When I finally get my hopes up, they come crashing down all over again. Do you even know what that feels like?"

I didn’t know how to respond, how to make her feel better, or how to fix what was broken between us. All I knew was that I didn’t want to lose her.

"Look at us. We’re broken," I said, my voice trembling. "But I don’t want to keep living this way. I still want us to try and build our family together."

I reached out for her hand, but she stepped back, putting more distance between us.

"Or maybe I don’t want this!" she shouted.

"Maybe I never wanted to be a mother! I’m tired, Damien. I can’t give this to you—it’s tearing me apart!"

Before I could respond, she turned and ran upstairs, leaving me standing there in silence.

My eyes fell to the roses i took it, now feeling like a cruel reminder of everything slipping away. My chest felt heavy with pain as the thought echoed in my mind: Can I really fix this?

A heavy knock on the door broke me out of my spiraling thoughts. I set the roses down and walked to the door, wondering who could be there at this hour.

When I opened it, I was surprised to see Ivy, my new secretary, standing outside in the pouring rain. Her soaked figure trembled slightly as she offered me a faint smile.

"Mrs. Thompson?" I said, confusion and curiosity creeping into my tone.

"I’m so sorry for bothering you so late," she said quickly, her voice nervous. "But I forgot to run some important information by you. Tomorrow’s meeting with Emmy Fisher has been canceled, and I wanted to let you know."

She shifted uncomfortably. "I was going to email you, but I don’t have your email address. So I... I took it upon myself to stop by and tell you in person. I hope I’m not intruding."

I stood there for a moment, taken aback by her dedication. "You don’t need to apologize," I said finally. "I really appreciate you taking the effort to inform me. I’m impressed with your work ethic, Miss Thompson. But... how did you find my home address?"

Her eyes darted away nervously. "Um... I overheard you mention it in passing once. I wasn’t entirely sure it was correct, but I took the risk. I promise it wasn’t my intention to eavesdrop, sir. I just take my job seriously."

I nodded slowly, "Well, thank you, Miss Thompson. Most people wouldn’t take risks like that for their work."

The rain poured down harder, soaking her further. I hesitated for a moment before stepping aside. "Would you like to come in? The rain’s getting heavier. I can introduce you to my wife."

Her eyes widened slightly, and she hesitated, but eventually, she nodded. "Thank you, sir. That would be kind."