Rose Ashford: No Longer The Oppressed Wife.

CHAPTER ONE:

“I need you to exchange rooms with Lillian,” Jasper said. “She complained about feeling too lonely at night.” 

Rose froze, her fingers still around the pen she’d been using to write. She lifted her gaze from her book to meet her husband’s eyes. 

She couldn't have heard right. “I… I don't understand.”

His face hardened. “What’s so hard to understand? Lillian will start sleeping with me in our bedroom tonight, and you take the guest room.”

“But I’m your wife.” Her voice shook a little. “It makes no sense that Lillian gets to share our bedroom with you.” 

Jasper Thompson shot to his feet, his eyes blazing with anger. “Why do you always have to be so difficult and selfish even after all the sacrifices Lillian made for us? She was willing to be our surrogate and even refused payment, the least we could do is make her life easier.”

Making her life easier by making mine harder?! Rose wanted to yell that in his face but held back, her nails digging into her palm. 

She knew from experience that matters concerning Lillian never went in her favor. 

Her husband and her in-laws were always on Lillian’s side. 

Sometimes, even Rose felt like she was being unreasonable and unfair to Lillian who had selflessly decided to be their surrogate. 

Sadly, Rose had suffered too many miscarriages—nine of them in five years.

Nine. 

Chronic Endometritis. 

A persistent inflammation of the uterine lining that made it difficult for an embryo to implant properly and remain stable.

That was the doctor’s diagnosis. 

Rose had suggested adoption, but Jasper's parents forbade it. Then Lillian had stepped in and saved the day—or in a more literal sense, their marriage.

At first, everything was great. Lillian was the most supportive and Jasper had been the most understanding. They were all happy, it felt like those years when all three of them hung out in high school and college. 

But things went downhill after the first month. Rose was pushed aside for Lillian’s sake. She was ignored and disrespected… it no longer felt like this was her home or her family. 

Last week, she’d caught a terrible fever and needed to go to the doctor’s but Jasper had taken Lillian to go shopping because somehow, it was far more important than Rose’s health.

“I’ll spend the night with her until she falls asleep and then I can return to our bedroom,” Rose suggested quietly.

Jasper laughed. A harsh, cruel one. 

Of course, she’d suggest that. 

He knew Rose had always been jealous of Lillian, but he'd had enough of her nonsense.

“I don't know why I thought you'd be reasonable,” he sneered. “I’ll have the maids move your things, it’s not like I needed your permission to get things done in my own house.”

Rose couldn't understand why her husband was behaving this way. The issue was about Lillian being lonely at night, wasn't it?

They could find other solutions. Hell, her suggestion wasn't bad. Why was he hell-bent on changing her room permanently? 

It wasn’t fair.

“I can't let another woman move into my matrimonial bed.” 

“Another woman?” Jasper repeated those words like they left a bitter taste on his tongue. “That ‘other woman’ is doing what you can't do!”

His words broke Rose’s heart in a million pieces and the tears she had been holding, flowed freely. 

“That’s… that’s not fair,” she whispered tearfully. “How could you say those words to me?”

A flicker of guilt crossed Jasper’s face and he looked away for a brief moment. “You made me say it. You were being stubborn.”

Rose said nothing. She stared at the man she'd loved almost all her life as tears kept rolling down her cheeks.

This man used to love her. 

This man would have never blamed her for having miscarriages.

He would've never placed another woman above her. 

Her heart hurt, her chest felt so tight, and it felt like she was going to pass out. 

Where was the man she’d fallen in love with? 

Jasper approached her, wiping her cheeks gently. “I should have controlled my anger. What I said wasn't fair to you,” he admitted. “But I need you to understand me.”

Understand? 

That's all she’s ever done. Even when it inconvenienced her, hurt her, broke her—she chose to understand! 

“…I’m only going to share a room with her for the next six months when the baby arrives,” he continued calmly. “Please, understand that Lillian needs us right now and we should do whatever we can to make this work.”

It was clear to her that no matter what she said or how she felt about this, Jasper’s mind was made up.

Rose gave a slight nod in defeat and he smiled, clearly happy to have persuaded her into such a ridiculous arrangement. 

“But I have two conditions,” she said firmly.

His smile fell. “Rose—”

“Only two,” she insisted. “And then you and Lillian can share a room.”