All Chapters of Roses to Me and Ruin to You: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1 The Beginning

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

Chapter 2 Drifting Apart

That night, Alistair did not come home.He didn't send a single message or make a single call. I didn't chase him, and I didn't ask.…The next morning, I arrived at the office early.Alistair was the CEO, while I was the head of R&D.In five years, our company had grown from a garage startup to an office in the heart of the CBD, yet our relationship had drifted farther and farther apart.The first phase of the new drug's development was complete, so work was relatively light for now.Holding my coffee, I opened the divorce agreement my lawyer had sent—just as Alistair walked into my office."Maria twisted her ankle getting out of the car last night," he said. "I stayed with her a little longer. By the time we were done, it was too late, so I just found a nearby hotel to stay the night."I nodded, my eyes still on the divorce papers, and replied casually, "I know."After all, we were about to get divorced. Who he slept with, or where, was none of my business. There was no n

Chapter 3 He Brings Her Home

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

Chapter 4 She Inches In

The guilt in his eyes deepened and deepened.At last, urged on by Maria's soft reminders, Alistair responded, "We'll visit your mom tomorrow. Then, we'll straighten things out in front of her."I turned away without a change of expression. Straighten things out, he said? Well, he could deal with my lawyer instead.The moment Maria appeared in that house, I no longer had any interest in discussing divorce with him at all.…Early the next morning, the people my mentor had sent to pick me up arrived ahead of schedule. Before leaving, however, I still needed to go to the company to retrieve a photo of my mother and me. I wouldn't let that photo fall into Maria's hands.…The moment I stepped into the workplace, my colleagues looked at me strangely.By the time I reached my own office, I understood the source of the uneasy atmosphere—Maria was sitting inside my office, staring at me with a provocative smile."Winnie," she said, "it looks like we'll be working at the same company

Chapter 5 She Goes Missing

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

Chapter 6 Someone New

Maria hadn't expected that Alistair wouldn't feel even the slightest bit of sympathy for her, but knowing she still had to rely on him, she softened her attitude."Is something bothering you? You can tell me—I'll listen."Alistair ignored her and summoned the HR manager. "Did you approve Winnie's resignation?""I… I didn't, Mr. Yates."Seeing how frightened the HR manager looked only made Alistair more irritable.A few colleagues nearby couldn't help speaking up."Ms. Stone has both ability and experience. If she wanted to leave, why would she need approval?""Exactly. The Yates Group practically runs on Ms. Stone. There wasn't even a formal employment contract back then—resignation is just a formality."Their words dragged Alistair back to the company's early days."Everything I have is yours, Winnie," he said. "Why sign a labor contract?"And so, I had carried the title without real authority for years.Without an official company seal, many things had been inconvenient.

Chapter 7 She Leaves

"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

Chapter 8 Why I Hate Roses

That despair rising from the depths of Alistair's heart left him almost unable to breathe. As I left in such a hurry, I didn't clean up the trash on the table.Alistair found my delivery envelope in the trash can. I hadn't had time to cross out the sender's address—Aurelia Medical Institute.The next second, his assistant sent him a message. 'Mr. Yates, we have confirmed that Mrs. Yates bought a ticket to Aurelia this morning. The Medical Institute's official websites shows her employment information."Without hesitation, Alistair stood up and booked the earliest flight to Aurelia.…The moment I saw Alistair, I was annoyed. I got the chance for a brand new environment, only to run into someone so unpleasant.I tried to pretend I hadn't seen him, but he blocked my way.After only a few days apart, he looked much more worn out. His clothes were messy, almost unbecoming.On guard and clearly irritated, I asked, "What do you want?"My cold attitude stung him.The hands hanging

Chapter 9 His Defense

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

Chapter 10 The End

Alistair shakily struggled to his feet.Thinking of the package from the Medical Institute he'd seen earlier, he knew I wasn't lying. "I'll be back, Winnie."After leaving those harsh words behind, he left.I pulled Harry over and helped him treat the wound on his face. "There's no need to joke like that next time.""It wasn't a joke," he said. "I really do like you, Winnie."Faced with Harry's sudden confession, I froze. My mind went blank. After hastily applying the medicine, I fled in embarrassment.Right now, I had no interest in love or romance at all.…For the next few days, I stayed on guard whenever I went out, afraid Alistair might appear again—but he never did. Maybe the warning had worked.After harassing me, he was urgently called back by his company. The Yates Group had fallen into trouble. Relying on her so-called special privileges, Maria insisted on interfering, making the situation even more chaotic.When Alistair returned, she threw herself into his arm

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