Chapter Five: Meeting Rose

Chapter Five

Rosa's POV

At the office today, I was promoted to the position of a Manager. I felt happy hearing those words. Manager of Nulec Company. My heart raced with excitement, and I couldn't help but whisper to myself, “Wow, I’m the new Manager of Nulec Company.”

But even this achievement couldn’t silence the storm in my mind. I decided I needed a vacation—not just to celebrate, but to escape the constant threats I’d been receiving from an unknown caller. A part of me hoped the break would help clear my head and give me the courage to see my son, David, after two long years.

As much as I loved Donald, the man I was about to marry, I couldn’t shake the fear of losing him if he ever found out about David. My heart ached at the thought of jeopardizing our wedding ceremony, yet I kept telling myself it was for the best—for now. I called Donald to inform him about the promotion despite I'm still furthering my education. Donald was happy for me and called me a lucky champ. "You deserved it babe!" Donald said joyfully. " I'm going on a vacation babe, I will spend two days." He congratulated me and wish me a save trip.

At the airport, something unexpected happened. I met a woman who seemed to carry a heavy burden, just like me. Her name was Rose. Funny, isn’t it? I’m Rosa, and she’s Rose.

“Hey, nice meeting you,” Rose said, her laughter loud and infectious, though it didn’t quite mask the sadness in her eyes.

“You too,” I replied, smiling.

Rose in her late forty, chubby and beautiful in and out the few time we spent with each other. She told me a lot about marriage and what she is going through presently. She married a very rich man but there's no happiness in her home even after giving birth to a child for her husband.

“Marriage is no easy task,” she said suddenly, her tone shifting. “My husband beats me like I’m some punching bag. I’m so tired of it all. Honestly, I’m not even sure why I stay.”

Her words hung in the air, heavy and unsettling. I wanted to comfort her but didn’t know how.

“I’m about to get married,” I said cautiously. “Donald isn’t like that. He’s... he’s a good man. The kind of man every woman dreams of marrying.”

Rose gave me a knowing look, her expression tinged with skepticism. “If you say so, Rosa. Just... be careful.”

We exchanged numbers after the flight and went our separate ways, her words echoing in my mind.

On my way to see the woman who had been caring for David, memories from my past crept in, pulling me into a dark place I had tried to forget.

“Rosa!” my stepmother’s voice thundered through the house. “You wicked girl! Come here and wash these things for me. And make sure you clean every corner of this house! Rubbish!”

I jumped at her command, rushing to do everything she demanded. But it was never enough. When she returned from wherever she went, she beat me mercilessly, the pain and humiliation sinking deeper into my soul each time.

One day, I couldn’t take it anymore. I ran out of the house with nothing but the clothes I had on. My father never came looking for me, and my stepmother probably didn’t care.

Life on the streets was brutal, and it wasn’t long before I found myself pregnant because I was raped severally on the street. At twenty, I gave birth to my son, David—my handsome, precious boy. He was the one bright light in my dark world. But I knew I couldn’t give him the life he deserved while struggling to survive.

I left him in the care of a kind woman—a woman I believed was sent by God—so I could go back to school and start working. Every month, I sent money for David’s upkeep, pouring all my love and hope into my future.

Then, by luck, I landed a job at Nulec Company and met a handsome CEO of Hilly's company. He saw something in me that I hadn’t seen in myself for a long time. I knew I couldn’t let this opportunity slip through my fingers.

“Madam, we’re here,” the driver’s voice snapped me back to the present.

“Oh, okay,” I replied, pretending I had been paying attention.

When we arrived at the house, my heart pounded in my chest. The door opened, and there he was—my David.

“Hey, Ma’am!” he said, his face lighting up with a smile that could melt the hardest of hearts. Before I could respond, he ran to me, wrapping his little arms tightly around my waist.

“I missed you, Ma’am!” he said, his voice full of joy.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I held him close. “I missed you too, my sweet boy,” I whispered, my heart aching with both love and guilt. "It's your birthday David, I got a lot of things for you and grandma."

For a moment, the chaos of my life faded away, and all that mattered was the warmth of my son’s embrace who doesn't know I'm his real mom.