Chapter 5

Lucas jolted. He whipped around to see Rosalie pass out, her face ashen. He immediately ran to her and carried her, rushing her to the hospital. … Rosalie opened her eyes amid some noise as pain coursed through her. She saw Lucas speaking to a doctor. "My wife is pregnant, and she's four months along now. Remember to be careful with her medication." Rosalie was wheeled into a clinic to be tended to. A nurse lifted her shirt and was confused by her flat belly. "Four months along? Has he remembered wrongly? She doesn't even look pregnant!" The nurse turned to check with Lucas again, but Rosalie stopped her. "I had a miscarriage. Could you keep this a secret? I want to tell my husband in person." The nurse didn't know what had happened, but a miscarriage could never be good news for any couple. She respected Rosalie's decision. No anesthesia was used while tending to Rosalie's wounds, so she was in so much pain that she almost passed out. She was drenched in sweat, and each second felt like torture. She was taken to a hospital ward after everything was taken care of. Lucas stood by her bedside and kept apologizing. "Why didn't you tell me that you were burned so badly, Rosie?" Rosalie's jaw was sore from clenching it tightly for an extended period. She felt like her leg was on fire. Her temperature rose, and she forced out, "You left… too quickly." "It's all my fault. I'm sorry." His guilt deepened, and he stuffed his hand into hers. Her sharp nails punctured his skin, drawing blood. She watched the droplets mingle as she slowly fell asleep. It was late at night when she woke up again. She blearily opened her eyes to see Isabelle. The latter said, "You were burned, too. I'll take care of Rosie, so go get your wounds tended to." "No. I'm worried she'll be upset if she doesn't see me when she wakes up. I'll deal with it tomorrow," Lucas said. Isabelle raised her voice. "I told you to go now! Don't play the fool with your body, Lucas!" His furrowed brows unfurled at her words. He held her hand and said, "Stop denying the truth, Isabelle. You've always had feelings for me, haven't you? Admit it, and I'll dump everything to be with you. We can pick up where we left off, alright?" She realized she'd said the wrong thing and hastily pulled away. Lucas couldn't help laughing at her panic. "Look. I won't push you. I have plenty of time to wait for you to cave. Now, I'll do as you say and get myself checked." With that, he hurried off, his footsteps light. Rosalie had been with him for three years. As far as she remembered, he'd always been in control and domineering. No matter how angry she got or how ridiculous a joke she made, he would coax her like she was a child. He was always rational, mature, and calm. In hindsight, he seemed to always have a mask on. He'd never shown her his true colors. She thought that was just what he was like, but it turned out he had moments when he would lose control. Lucas would get mad because of Isabelle's frostiness toward him. He would also be overjoyed when he noticed her concern for him. He would listen to her every word like an infatuated young man because she was his beloved. Rosalie had never seen this side of him. That was why she stared at him dazedly as he left. She met Isabelle's gaze when she returned to her senses. She noticed the hint of panic in the latter's eyes and broke the silence. "Where's Lucas, Aunt Isabelle?" Isabelle was relieved to see that she seemingly hadn't heard her conversation with Lucas. "He went to have his wounds dealt with. Let me know if you feel uncomfortable, okay?" Rosalie was still agonized from the pain of the burns, but she endured it and shook her head. "I'm fine. You should get some rest." Isabelle didn't leave. Instead, she poured Rosalie a glass of water. After a few more words of concern, she asked, "Did you hear anything before you fainted yesterday, Rosie?" Rosalie faltered before meeting her gaze head-on. "No." She lied through her teeth. It was partly to dispel Isabelle's doubts and partly to tell herself to forget what she'd heard. She was going to thoroughly disappear from Isabelle's and Lucas' lives soon, anyway.