Chapter 4: Chapter 4 Countdown to Divorce--D30
"No. We’re not getting divorced."
Ryan’s response came fast, firm, and utterly unyielding.
Rose had not seen that coming.
Her steps faltered, and she froze where she stood, so stunned that she forgot to even turn around.
Evan was the first to react, his face a mix of disbelief and outrage.
"Ryan, what did you just say? After everything she’s done, you still—"
Ryan didn’t bother answering him.
He bent down and picked up the document that had somehow slipped from his chest to the floor.
Then he walked straight to Rose, placed it back into her hands, and spoke in a tone so calm it sounded less like a personal decision and more like a business resolution.
"If I remember correctly, our marriage contract still has thirty days left," he said evenly. "I need that time to let the public attention die down. And to formally announce the cancellation of Samantha’s engagement to Ethan."
Rose lowered her gaze to the document now back in her hands, and in that instant, everything clicked into place.
This wasn’t about refusing to let her go. It was about protecting Samantha.
As long as Rose remained his "wife," there would still be a layer of plausible deniability shielding them from the worst of the scandal.
But if they divorced now, the rumors would solidify into something far uglier—an undeniable, public disgrace.
If Samantha’s engagement were dissolved first, and only then the divorce followed, it would be easy enough, in time, for them to end up together without raising quite as many eyebrows.
A neat plan. Cold. Calculated. Effective.
Rose understood, and with that understanding came a quiet clarity. There was nothing left for her to fight over, and no reason to linger in the ruins.
As long as the marriage ended in the end, as long as she could take her daughter and build a life on her own terms, that would be enough.
"Fine," she said. "Thirty days. I’ll be waiting."
She didn’t wait for a reply. Turning on her heel, she walked out, and this time, no one tried to stop her.
Behind her, Samantha watched Ryan’s profile, her gaze heavy with something complicated and difficult to name.
—
That night, Rose met her closest friend, Diana, at a restaurant beneath her apartment building.
After hearing the whole story, Diana let out a long breath of relief, only to slam her hand on the table the next second, anger flashing across her face.
"Thank God you’re finally getting divorced," she said, lowering her voice but failing to contain her fury. "But he actually wants to drag this out for that woman? Thirty days? Has he completely lost his mind?"
Rose couldn’t help but smile at her indignation, though the smile carried a trace of bitterness that hadn’t quite faded.
Diana reached out and placed a hand gently over hers, her tone softening.
"At least... at least you never told him about Ariel. And thank God you didn’t go through with signing over your shares."
Rose stirred her coffee absentmindedly and gave a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
"I was foolish," she admitted. "If Hale found out I almost signed them away, he’d be beyond disappointed. I have a habit of letting people down, don’t I? Again and again."
"That’s not—"
Diana barely had time to protest before Rose’s phone buzzed. A video call lit up the screen.
The caller ID read: Hale.
Surprised, Rose accepted the call. The moment the screen came alive, she froze.
Hale stood there, as expected—but beside him was a small figure, bouncing on tiptoe, trying to squeeze into frame.
"Mom!" Ariel’s voice rang out, bright and full of excitement.
Rose’s eyes stung instantly, though she kept her voice steady.
"Sweetheart, why are you still awake this late?"
Hale smiled, his tone warm. "She insisted on seeing you before bed."
Diana leaned over, catching sight of the screen, and let out a quiet, amazed laugh.
"You’ve grown so much!" she said, waving. "Hi, Ariel."
Ariel’s eyes lit up as she studied her. "Aunt Diana! I really have been growing!" she declared proudly.
Diana laughed, nodding solemnly as if confirming a serious matter. "Good. Then I’ll bring you a present next time."
"Really? Yay!" Ariel beamed and immediately launched into an enthusiastic list of everything she wanted.
Hale watched the exchange with a faint smile before his gaze shifted back to Rose, his expression turning more serious.
"I’ve heard everything," he said.
Rose’s breath caught slightly, and for a moment, she didn’t know what to say.
"It’s a good thing," Hale continued, his voice softening in a way that carried quiet conviction. "Rose, you may not fully realize it, but you’re exceptionally gifted. You were never meant to be confined to that house, tied down by people who don’t deserve you. You need to remember what truly matters. And I believe you already know the answer."
Rose felt her throat tighten, her eyes burning again.
"I do," she said quietly.
Ariel, who had only half understood, suddenly raised her hand as if making an important announcement.
"I know too! Ariel is the most important!"
Her innocent declaration instantly broke the heaviness in the air. Rose didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, while Diana burst out laughing beside her.
Hale chuckled as well, shaking his head with indulgent affection. "That’s right. Our Ariel is the most important."
Then he shifted back to business.
"I called to tell you—you don’t need to come to California anymore. Stay in New York. Caleb wants you back at Grand Sage to lead the core intelligent healthcare project. It’s a rare opportunity, and it’s exactly what you love."
He spoke as if the matter were already decided. "I’ll arrange for Ariel to return to New York as soon as possible."
Ariel was already cheering beside him, waving her hands excitedly. "Mom! I’m going to New York! I’m going to New York!"
Diana nodded in agreement, her tone firm but encouraging.
"Hale is right. You’ve spent enough years bending your life around other people. It’s time you lived for yourself. This city is big enough for all of you—why should you be the one shrinking yourself because of a man who never knew your worth?"
Sensing the hesitation still lingering in Rose’s expression, Hale added, his voice growing more resolute,
"I know what you’re thinking. But you don’t need to run anymore—not for anyone, not for anything. You don’t have to give up opportunities that allow you to truly shine. You and your daughter don’t need to keep hiding. If anyone should leave, it’s them."
Rose looked at her daughter’s radiant smile on the screen, then at the steady, reassuring expression on Diana’s face.
Something inside her finally loosened, as though a weight she had carried for years had quietly settled into place.
"Okay," she said softly.
For the first time in a long while, the word felt certain.
Hale let out a breath, clearly relieved.
"Good. Then it’s settled. There’s an intelligent healthcare symposium in three days—consider it your first step back into the field. You must attend. Caleb will be there as well."
"Alright," Rose replied.
Yes. It was time.
Time to turn her focus back to her career.
And time to become the kind of example her daughter deserved.
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