Chapter 5
Over the next few days, Rose stayed in the hospital all alone.
Once she was feeling a bit better, she checked herself out and slipped away quietly that same night.
She went back home and packed all her documents.
As she was about to leave, her gaze drifted to the wedding photo hanging in the entryway, and her expression shifted ever so slightly.
The next second, there was a loud crash.
Rose brushed the dust off her hands without a care. When she looked up, the frame was shattered by a rock, and others couldn't make out their faces anymore.
She didn't rush to leave. Instead, she turned and walked into the room, gathering up every single thing in the house that held memories of her and Nathan.
There was the diary she'd secretly kept for seven years, every thoughtfully prepared surprise from him, faded movie ticket stubs, and countless photos they'd taken together.
She stuffed everything from her seven years with Nathan into a cardboard box and carried it out to the yard.
The evening breeze swept through as she set it all ablaze without a second thought, burning everything to ashes.
Just like her relationship with Nathan, it all turned to ash and drifted away with the breeze.
Once everything was done, Rose drove to the cemetery for a final goodbye to her mother before she left.
She carried a bouquet of her mother's favorite lilies and laid them gently before the headstone. "Mom, ever since you left, no one has ever truly loved me."
She forced a weak smile, and in that moment, all her fake strength melted away, leaving only pain and fragility. "Mom, I'm leaving. I'm going to leave this city and all those who've only brought me pain."
She spent the whole night by her mother's grave, her fingers lingering on the stone, as if making a final farewell.
But as Rose was about to turn away, something unexpected happened.
A van screeched to a halt beside her, and several masked men stormed out, wielding clubs.
"Who are you? Who sent you?" Rose felt her chest tighten as a surge of anxiety flooded her mind.
"Who sent us? That's none of your damn business." The leader stepped forward, a twisted grin on his face, showing he wasn't the least bit intimidated by her warning.
He added, "Rose Bennett, huh? Don't blame us for what happens next. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for crossing the wrong people."
With that, the men rushed her, fists and clubs raining down on her like a storm.
"No. Stay away from me. You can't do this to me!" Pain exploded through Rose's body as she curled up in front of her mother's grave, desperately trying to shield her head.
Amidst the men's mocking jeers and cruel taunts, Rose bit down hard on her lip, her cries for help and resistance swallowed by the howling wind.
She never could have imagined her life would come to this.
Rose struggled to stay conscious, but her mind was growing hazier by the second.
Finally, everything went dark, and Rose collapsed, her strength completely drained.
The sky was shrouded in dark clouds, and rain started to pour down relentlessly.
Huge raindrops slapped against her face, and Rose snapped awake, the pain overwhelming her senses.
Before she could see what was going on, her hand shot to her pocket. The necklace was still there.
She felt a tiny bit of relief, but before she could catch her breath, something worse hit her.
The necklace was there, but it was broken in half.
Rose froze, a flicker of confusion in her eyes. Then her heart twisted in agony, her eyes wild with heartbreak and desperation.
"Why?" Rose kept murmuring. She dragged herself out of the mud, but the next moment, she stumbled and fell hard against her mother's headstone, barely holding herself together.
The rain poured down harder.
Rose stared at the battered, ruined headstone. The last trace of color faded from her face. She looked utterly hollow.
With her hands trembling, Rose pulled out her phone, wanting to text the man whose number she hadn't touched in forever.
But as soon as the screen lit up, the first thing she saw was headlines about Nathan and Violet.
On the first day, he showed up with Violet at a high-profile event.
On the second day, he knocked a spoiled heir flat when the guy tried to make a move on Violet, making it clear she was under his protection.
On the third day, he bought out the entire auction, snapping up every item to see her smile.
Scrolling through the news about Nathan and Violet, Rose glanced at her broken necklace. Her heartbreak overflowed. She couldn't hold it in anymore and screamed out loud.
The whole graveyard seemed to drown in her despair and helplessness. Rose completely lost it, crying so hard that she coughed up blood and finally passed out right there.