2

Chapter 2

Rosebud Martinez

“Are you alright, Rosebud?”

Mathew's faint voice echoed in my ears, followed by a gentle tap on my shoulder that had me snapping my eyes open.

I had expected to find myself in heaven with my parents when I opened my eyes, but I was mistaken. I was in our living room, with Mathew sitting beside me on the couch, and Megan sitting on the couch across from me.

“You are sweating, honey. Are you alright?” Mathew's eyes pierced into mine worriedly as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

“What is going on?” I muttered to myself, diverting my eyes to Megan. She was glaring hard at me at first, but the moment our eyes met, she pulled a worried look.

“Sis, are you alright? What's wrong with you?” She hurried over to sit beside me, holding my hand.

My gaze dropped to my hand, and I found my fingers curled around a brown file.

I swallowed nothing as I lifted my hand to my stomach. My baby bump wasn't there.

“Are you feeling pain in your stomach? Do you need to go to the hospital?” Mathew sounded worried, leaving me confused. Isn't this the same man who didn't just poison me, but left me to die a moment ago?

“What is going on?” Again, I whispered to myself. I was supposed to be dead. How come I was sitting here with these traitors?

I noticed my phone lying on the center table, and I quickly reached for it, unlocking it.

My jaw dropped when I saw what date it was. This was a year ago.

I lifted the file to my face, and everything started clawing back into my head. Yes. I remember this day. It was the day I gave everything up to become a housewife to Mathew. It was the day I gave Megan everything. The day my nightmare all began.

I was given another chance to live again!

“Talk to me, honey. Do you need me to take you to the hospital?” Mathew's voice cut through my thoughts, and I snapped my head to look at him.

My heart stung as memories of what he did to me clawed back into my mind. How he and this bitch betrayed me.

“Get away from me, you traitor!” I wanted to yell to his face, but I held it back, forcing a smile to my face as I stylishly retracted my hand from his grasp.

“I'm fine.” I muttered. I had no idea what was happening, but I couldn't let them suspect anything.

“Are you sure you are fine, sis? I could take you to the hospit—”

“I'm fine.” I resisted the urge to yell at her. If I didn't know her intentions already, I would've mistaken this for care, but these two are just a bunch of hypocrites that didn't deserve to exist amongst humans.

I looked at Mathew, my heart ached as memories of how far we've come all these years came clawing back into my mind.

Mathew and I met three years ago on my twenty-third-year birthday. We clicked, dated for one year, and got married afterwards. He barely had anything when we met. Just started a company of his own.

I was there for him all through, helping him secure contracts that earned him millions. All I ever wanted was to see him at the top. Doing well for himself, but what did I get in return? Betrayal.

‘It has always been me all along, Rosebud. The only reason Mathew married you was for your wealth’

My fingers clenched tightly around the file as Megan's words replayed in my head.

Before my father passed away seven years ago, he had willed seventy-five percent of his assets to me, and the remaining twenty-five percent to Megan despite her being an adopted child.

Megan's dad was my dad's driver before he passed away, and my dad had adopted her since she didn't have any family. That was twenty years ago when I was just six years old, and she was five at the time.

I treated her like my own sister because I saw her as one. I guess that was the mistake I made.

“Alright, honey. Since you are fine, we should proceed with the contract signing now.” Mathew rubbed my back gently, as he took the file from me and brought out the papers. They were papers for my company. The one I was supposed to give to Megan to give her access to manage the company on my behalf.

“All you need to do now is to sign the papers, honey.” He smiled at me like the loving husband he never was. How foolish of me to have fallen for this then?

“I changed my mind.” I said bluntly, picking up the papers.

“What!” Megan was the first to exclaim. Like her perfect plan had just been ruined. Oh, yes. I did ruin her plan.

“Wh…what do you mean?” Mathew stuttered, his eyebrows knitting together as he looked at me.

“I am not handing my company to Megan to manage for me.” I insisted, with finality in my voice.

He huffed as he shot to his feet.

“Where is that coming from, Rosebud?” He flared up, and I scoffed.

What a bastard! One second, I was ‘honey’, and now ‘Rosebud’ because I refused to do what he wanted me to?

I stood up once I arranged the papers back inside the file, and locked eyes with him.

“You do remember the agreement we had, right?” His jaws clenched tightly afterwards.

“Mathew,. you don't have to be too hard on Rosebud. Maybe she is finding it difficult to trust me.” Megan rose to her feet and came to stand in front of me, her eyes boring into mine.

“Sis…” she paused, and held my hands. My skin crawled in disgust.

“I know it's hard to trust me with such a huge company, but trust me, I'll do just well. This is for your own good. I'm already desperate for a nephew.” She pouted her lips, and chuckled.

If she could act this well, why not audition for a role?

“Come on, honey. We've already concluded this before now. You need to take some time off work…” Mathew changed his tone, placing his hands on my shoulders, his eyes boring into mine and a soft smile playing on his lips.

“You need to rest as much as you can. Your hormones need to be in place so you can carry our child. You can go back to work as soon as you give birth.” He added, trying to convince me. I'd have fallen for that already if I was still clueless of his intentions, but not anymore.

“I will think about it, Mathew.” I forced a smile as I shrugged his hands off my shoulders.

“I will be in my room.” And with that, I turned on my heel and headed upstairs to my room.

They took advantage of my naiveness and kindness. Now, I'm going to show them the monster that they created.

My phone screen lit up with a text as I strode down the walkway leading to my room, and I paused.

‘Boss, Hughes Corporate dinner is in three days. I'm dropping a reminder’.

A text from Maddie, my assistant came in.

My fingers clenched around my phone, and my jaws clenched tightly as I gazed at my phone.

I didn't get to attend this dinner back then because Mathew insisted that I rest at home, but I won't have him take that away from me this time.

‘Alright, Maddie. I'll keep that in mind’.

I replied to her text.

I threw myself on the bed once I stepped inside my room.

“You need to act fast, Rosebud.” I muttered, sitting up on the bed.

‘Hey, Josh. Prepare me a divorce agreement’.

I sent a message to my lawyer, tossing my phone away afterwards.

“I'm going to destroy you, Mathew. You two are going to regret ever messing with me.”