How Could He Humiliate Her Like This?

Rosalyn was taking a break in the pantry when she overheard several colleagues gossiping excitedly.

"Did you hear?! Eric Hammond, Cromwell's most eligible bachelor, is getting married!"

"Yeah! I mean, I was shocked when the announcement came at midnight, and I couldn't sleep after that. It really begs the question… who's the lucky gal?"

She knew Eric, having met him a few times, and on each occasion, he had helped her.

The first time was when Rosalyn's car had a flat tire, and he just happened to pass by and helped her change to a spare.

The other occasion was when she was having dinner with a client—the man got a little drunk and was about to get handsy with her, but Eric took her away, protecting both her dignity and the contract.

There were actually more instances, but her memory of those was fuzzy.

Either way, that meant she owed the man quite a few favors.

She ought to send a congratulatory present for his wedding, even if he might not remember her.

"When is he getting hitched?" Rosalyn asked as she made herself a cup of coffee.

"Just next week—the same day Mr. Grant's getting married!"

Rosalyn's hand twitched, splashing the coffee and scalding her own hand.

Still, she quickly recovered and told her colleagues, "Take your time."

As she left, she could still hear them talking behind her.

"Why would you mention Mr. Grant's wedding? You know Ms. Jones is hurting."

"Poor Ms. Jones, staying with Mr. Grant for so many years, and everything she's helped him achieve is now going to some other woman."

"Urgh, men are just the worst. But Mr. Hammond's different—he's so loyal, sticking with the one he's had a secret crush on for ten years…"

-

In the afternoon, Rosalyn got a call from Carl. "You're coming with me later."

"Yes, Mr. Grant."

Rosalyn didn't bother to ask where they were going, because she would have to go either way.

It was just pointless to ask, and at this point, she would rather not talk to him if she could help it.

She closed the checklist of tasks to be handed over, cleaned her desk, and soon joined Carl.

His car stopped outside Quayle Mansion once more, and Zoe was skipping happily toward Carl before throwing herself into his arms, giving him a large smooch on the cheek.

Carl remained composed throughout, even smiling as he took her hand. "Get in."

As Zoe did, she looked at Rosalyn and said, "We're going to the wedding boutique to try out dresses, Ms. Jones. You should pick a bridesmaid dress while we do."

So she just wanted Rosalyn to witness their happiness ahead of the wedding.

As Carl and Zoe got into the backseat, Zoe leaned completely on Carl like she had not a single bone in her body, purring, "Did you see the news, Carl? Eric Hammond is getting married, and on the same day as us! Don't you think he's doing it on purpose, to steal our thunder?"

Eric and Carl were both giants in the city of Cromwell, but Eric had both power and money, while Carl only had money.

Still, Carl softly assured Zoe, "Don't worry about it. Everyone will be watching you when that day comes."

Rosalyn glanced at him in the rearview mirror, not quite remembering when he had ever been this protective of her feelings.

"Oh, you're the best, Carl! I really regret that we had to miss the past seven years."

Zoe pursed her lips, as if saddened, but soon beamed as brightly as the sun. "But I'm lucky that you were loving me throughout all those years! Thank you, Carl!"

As she leaned toward Carl to kiss him, Rosalyn turned away.

Even if she had completely stopped loving Carl and had given up on him, the lingering pain still hurt.

That was when Zoe suddenly asked, "By the way, you've been with other women during that time, right?"

Rosalyn's heart skipped a beat at the sensitive question, her fingers shuddering as she held her phone.

She looked up at the rearview mirror again, and their eyes met, as if he noticed her looking.

But even as he looked into her eyes, he was assuring the other woman beside him, "No, don't listen to hearsay."

However, Zoe smiled. "I mean, it's fine even if it's true—all men have needs, right?"

Her magnanimity really broke Rosalyn's perception of people, though she could also tell that Zoe was just humiliating her on purpose.

After all, Zoe's eyes were glued to Rosalyn.

"Let's stop talking about that," Carl said evasively just then.

"Why not? Did you fall in love?" Zoe asked stubbornly.

"No," Carl replied. "Sex and love are separate for men."

That left Rosalyn's heart clenching—he had just admitted that she was a tool he used to satiate his libido.

He had cause not to love her and not to marry her, but how could he humiliate her like this?

I'll Need a Groom Too

As Zoe tried on her wedding dresses, she finally dispensed with her innocent appearance and revealed her true nature.

Sneering at Rosalyn, she asked, "So, do you finally understand your place, Ms. Jones?"

However, Rosalyn's heart was already too numb to feel anything. "What's so impressive about you, dumping Carl when he's out of luck, and returning when he succeeds?"

"So what?" Zoe shrugged, at once smug and pompous. "He loves me, so he's going to marry me. Sure, you slept with him while he overcame a dark period of his life, but he still ended up leaving you."

And that was the truth.

Rosalyn refused to play the jealous game with her or compete with their abilities to keep a man.

Instead, she asked bluntly, "Why are you telling me all this, Ms. Quayle?"

Zoe replied bluntly. "I don't ever want to see you again after my wedding."

Rosalyn suddenly burst into dazzling laughter.

She was going to leave—but she wouldn't let anyone chase her off.

So, she didn't humor her boss's future wife and instead asked provokingly, "In that case, why don't you ask Carl to tell me to leave?"

Zoe's eyes narrowed murderously. "You still think Carl loves you, don't you?"

Rosalyn snorted.

No! She no longer held any fantasies after Carl took her ring and gave it to Zoe.

"That's a beautiful bridal gown, Ms. Quayle. Your wedding is going to be perfect."

And with those words, Rosalyn stepped out of the dressing room.

Carl had already changed. He looked sharp in his dark suit and appeared soft-spoken with the frameless glasses over his nose.

Just like when Rosalyn had first met him, she wondered how there could be a man this good-looking.

Now, he looked even more handsome—he was eye candy that would send any maiden's heart racing.

But if Rosalyn could turn back time, she'd never talk to him in that bar and would keep her distance.

While she couldn't change her past, if she could choose her future, she wished he wouldn't be there in her future.

Carl walked up to her just then, pointing at the wedding dresses up front and said, "Go on, pick whichever you want."

For what? To stop his wedding?

She wasn't that childish!

"I'll need a groom too, Mr. Grant," she scoffed. "Perhaps you have one available?"

Carl's expression darkened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Rosalyn brushed her fingers on the wedding dress fabric as she mused, "Just suddenly thought that I should get married too."

"Are you doing this on purpose? I told you—"

Before Carl could finish, the dressing room door opened, and Zoe stepped out.

Even Rosalyn paused when she saw the million-dollar dress.

She had once imagined that she would be dressed in white too, with Carl by her side.

But it was ultimately just a dream, and the bubble would always inevitably burst.

"Don't I look pretty, Carl?" Zoe asked, once again an innocent, guileless maiden around him.

"Yes. You're the fairest of them all," Carl replied.

He had told Rosalyn those same words before.

Roses don't wither in a single day—that certainly applied to love too.

And Rosalyn's love for Carl died because of his words and actions.

"Don't I look pretty, Ms. Jones?" Zoe asked Rosalyn just then and came over to pull her along. "Come on, you have to pick a wedding dress too—I'll tell Carl to buy it for you when you marry."

She had no idea what Zoe had in her hands, but she felt her arm hurting, like a needle was stabbed into her, and instinctively shook Zoe off.

Even as Zoe cried out in panic and fell backward, she didn't forget to grab Rosalyn so that she fell as well.

"Zoe!" Carl exclaimed as he came running, catching Zoe just in time.

On the other hand, Rosalyn slammed her head painfully atop the cold floor tiles with a loud thud.

The entire bridal boutique seemed to quake even as the world spun around her, and she heard ringing in her head.

Still, she somehow remembered Zoe's question—did she still hold on to hopes that Carl still loved her?

And now, she had her answer.

I Could Only Save One

If anything, Rosalyn was lucky for not getting a concussion despite that nasty fall.

However, the lump on the back of her head was real and could be distinctly felt if touched.

While she was touching it, she wasn't looking where she was going and bumped headlong into someone.

"Sorry… Mr. Hammond," she said as she looked up and saw the familiar face.

Eric Hammond was wearing a grey silk shirt and a tailored suit, accentuating the elegant lines of his body from shoulder to waist.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

He was tall—the top of her head only reached his chin, so he naturally saw the lump on her head.

"I'm fine." Rosalyn took a step back, withdrawing from his hand.

He slid it into his pocket without missing a beat, his dark gaze studying her as he asked, "Do you need help?"

"I'm fine," Rosalyn repeated, and then remembered something. "Oh, congratulations on your wedding!"

He stopped looking at the lump just then with a mysterious twinkle in his eyes. "Likewise."

Likewise? What?

Was she supposed to celebrate being dumped by the man she loved for seven years as he married another woman?

Wait, she was going to get married too, and on the same day as well… so 'likewise' did make sense.

Rosalyn glanced at him again and said, "Goodbye."

With that, she was gone.

-

The fall was not completely terrible for Rosalyn—she could now take sick leave to pack her things.

Carl owned the house where she lived, and they had both lived together until three months ago.

He moved to Maple Park after Zoe returned, and this place had become her bachelorette pad.

Even so, Carl's personal effects were everywhere—his socks were in the shoe cupboard, his clothes in their shared closet, and the bar was filled with his favorite stock of alcohol.

Even the blanket he used was left on the couch.

Rosalyn never moved any of it for the last three months, as if Carl would return if she didn't.

But now, she understood.

Neither she nor those things would see the day he returned.

So she packed her things while leaving his untouched, gathering everything from decorations, trinkets, clothes, and other daily necessities.

When Carl arrived, he immediately noticed that something was wrong but couldn't put his finger on what it was.

He stopped coming since he got together with Zoe and was surprised to find the place unfamiliar.

Rosalyn was surprised that he came too. "Yes, Mr. Grant? Does Ms. Quayle need something else?"

Carl stared at her pale face and asked, "How's your head?"

"I won't die," she replied brusquely.

After she got hurt, she had to go to the hospital on her own because he was hugging Zoe.

Because Zoe was scared.

Rosalyn was only human—even if he was heartless, and she wouldn't beg for his sympathy, she still had a temper.

She had been with him when he was down and out.

Even if there was no love involved, he should at least show some loyalty to a comrade whom they had fought to build an empire with.

But when she got hurt, he had told her to go to the hospital on her own.

Carl strode up right then, pulling her into his arms and brushing her hair off the lump, touching it.

It hurt so much that she cringed and pushed him away.

Carl reached for her hand again nonetheless. "Why didn't you get that checked? We're going to the hospital."

Rosalyn quickly avoided him. "The doctor said it's a blood blister. What, am I supposed to drain the whole thing at the hospital?"

It would only shrink as the bad blood was slowly reintegrated.

Carl grimaced, feeling pained for her. "Look, Rosie… It's not like I didn't want to save you. It just happened out of the blue, and I could only save one…"

He could only save one, so he saved the one he loved.

Instincts truly reflected the heart as they said, and Rosalyn understood even without him telling her.

"She's your fiancee—I understand," she said, hanging her head and unable to stop the tears welling up in her eyes.

"Rosie…"

But before Carl could explain, his phone rang.

Seeing the number, he silenced it and said, "Just get some rest—someone else will handle the wedding, but you have to be there on the day of."