Lahat ng Kabanata ng Roses to Me and Ruin to You: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

I zoned out in front of my mother's tombstone for three hours.Today was her birthday—and also the tenth anniversary of her death.Red roses were the symbol of my parents' love.Yet ten years ago today, my father watched with his own eyes as Maria Granger handed a red rose to my mother—an act that shattered her spirit completely.Red roses became my taboo.And ten years later, on this very day, my husband brought the woman who caused my mother's death, carrying those same red roses, and dealt me a fatal blow.Fireworks bloomed in the distance like a rain of light. That was Alistair Yates' celebration banquet, held to mark the successful development of a new drug.I had led the research team—six months of relentless effort and 180 days of sleepless nights, yet at this moment, it all felt like Maria's victory proclamation.After saying goodbye to my mother, I stood up and left. That was when Alistair's call came through.On the phone, the man's voice was thick with alcohol. "T

Only then did I realize that the garage Alistair and I had rented when we first started our business had long since been demolished. And the stall we used to visit every day just to save a dollar had already turned into a bakery.That was when I finally understood—things change, and so do people.Even the beautiful memories I once cherished had been erased by time.My phone rang. It was my mentor.There was a hint of hesitation in her voice as she began, "Winnie, your application to join the 707 confidential research project was approved yesterday. I need to confirm this one last time—have you truly thought this through?"This mission will take at least five years. Without you, the company you and your husband built could easily collapse. Will your husband agree?"I stepped forward, leaving that familiar street behind, and answered firmly, "I'm getting a divorce."…Because the classified project was about to begin—and because I wanted to leave as soon as possible—I arranged fo

At 5:00 PM, Alistair—dressed entirely in black—stood at the entrance of the cemetery.To show his sincerity, Alistair even wore the cufflinks I had given him, fastening them carefully at the cuffs of his suit.As he adjusted his sleeves, he glanced casually at his watch. It was 5:10 p.m.His movements paused. He looked again toward the far end of the cemetery.I still hadn't appeared.Though puzzled, he waited patiently.During that time, he kept happily texting Maria, completely forgetting that he had come to pay respects to my mother, forgetting that Maria was the very person responsible for her death.He knew I was always punctual.Even when half an hour had already passed beyond the agreed time, it never occurred to him to worry that something might have happened to me on the way.If it weren't for the company's dependence on me, he probably wouldn't even bother pretending to care.It was raining that day. The cemetery, located near the outskirts, was the first place the

"Help Winnie with the items! Why aren't you greeting her? Call her name!"I couldn't help but laugh."This brat never listens. He always walks around with a sour face. I don't even know if he'll manage to find a girlfriend before I die. With that personality, what girl could possibly put up with him?"After giving a few more instructions, my professor left. Harry led me to the dorm that had been assigned to me. It was a one-bedroom apartment with a living room—very spacious.He acted completely at ease, helping me make the bed, then picking out the roses from the congratulatory bouquets the seniors had left at the door. "I'll take care of these for you.""How did you know I don't like roses?""When you were tutoring me before, one of my mom's friends gave her a bouquet of roses. I saw you frown. I figured you probably didn't like them."Hearing his explanation, I froze for a moment.Just because he saw me frown once?Someone actually remembered a detail like that after so ma

Alistair wasn't ignorant of the truth. He would make excuses for Maria each time I brought it up."She was still young back then, so she didn't understand her actions," he claimed. "She'd feel jealous that her father has another daughter. All these years she's been full of guilt—why can't you just forgive her?"I looked at Alistair as he waited for my answer, and suddenly felt a sense of release. Those who understood someone would always do so, but on the contrary, those who didn't would only find fault."I told you on our wedding day—if you ever wanted a divorce, all you had to do was give me a rose."The moment you made me walk down a road covered in roses and reconcile with the person who caused my mother's death, we were done."The affair is one thing. It's all the favoritism you show to Maria. So, tell me—am I your wife, or is she?"Alistair froze, and only after a long moment did he speak. "Winnie, I… I just wanted there to be more people in this world who love you. Isn't M