Chapter 2 Countdown

Back at her desk, Roselyn set the documents aside, reached for her phone, and took a picture of the divorce agreement.

She sent the image to Jenifer Riley, Adrian's mother.

The day after she received her diagnosis, Roselyn had already met with Jenifer to talk about ending the marriage.

For a long time, Jenifer had wanted Adrian free from this relationship so he could finally marry the Hudson heiress and secure the backing of a powerful family.

Now that Roselyn was terminally ill and her time was uncertain, Jenifer only grew more eager to remove her from the Riley family.

She had made a clear offer. If Roselyn could get Adrian to sign, thirty million would be given as compensation.

A reply came through almost at once. "Understood."

After that, Roselyn slipped both the medical report and the divorce papers into her bag. She then opened her drawer and took out a resignation letter she had prepared two days earlier.

The choice had already been made, so there was no reason to hesitate. It needed to be done properly.

Holding the letter along with a set of completed documents, she made her way to the finance director's office.

Gerald, the finance director, was a middle-aged man with glasses, who carried a calm and scholarly air.

The moment Gerald saw the paper she handed him, his expression changed, and concern quickly followed.

"Ms. Hudson, are you leaving?"

Over the years, Roselyn had been the one he relied on the most. Her presence had kept Gerald's position steady.

Once Roselyn was gone, nothing would feel certain anymore.

A small nod came from Roselyn. "Yes. Thank you for everything you've done for me."

Since the marriage had never been made public, almost no one knew Roselyn was Adrian's wife.

Gerald leaned forward and lightly caught her sleeve. "If this is about your pay, I can talk to management. A raise and a promotion aren't out of reach."

A small smile formed on her lips. "It's not about that."

"You're really going through with this?"

"Yes."

Once she chose to walk away from Adrian, staying in his company no longer made sense.

The certainty in her voice left Gerald with nothing more to say.

With a quiet sigh, he picked up his pen and signed the letter.

After setting it down, Gerald looked up again. "What should I write as your reason for leaving?"

Roselyn met his gaze and spoke firmly. "Health reasons. Work can wait. Life can't."

Surprise showed on his face, and he didn't press further.

Both the resignation and the divorce would take one month to complete.

When that time passed, she would finally be free.

That evening, Roselyn returned home. She walked over to the calendar she had bought the day before, tore off the first page, crushed it in her hand, and threw it away.

The fresh page showed July 1st in bold red. By August 1st, one month later, she would walk out of this house for good.

Donna, the housekeeper, approached with a plate of fruit. Her eyes landed on the calendar resting on the table. "Ma'am, what made you buy this? It looks... old-fashioned."

A faint smile appeared on Roselyn's face. "It's easier this way. I want to see the days pass. My birthday's coming up, so this helps me keep track."

Donna looked puzzled.

A phone could have done the same thing.

Hardly anyone used something like that anymore.

Donna held back whatever questions lingered in her mind. She placed the fruit on the table, then quietly headed back to the kitchen.

Just before stepping fully inside, she stopped at the doorway. "Ma'am, I almost forgot. I called Mr. Riley earlier. He said he's tied up with a business dinner tonight and won't be coming back."

Roselyn reached for a grape and ate it. "Alright, noted."

The response caught Donna off guard.

In the past, news like that would've set Roselyn off. She would've called again and again, trying to confirm where he was.

Nothing ever slipped past her. She had to know every detail.

There was even a time when she secretly installed tracking software on Adrian's phone.

Later, for reasons unknown, Roselyn ended up in the ICU after slitting her wrist.

Now, she remained completely calm without questions or any reaction.

That quiet felt wrong.

A ringing sound broke the silence as the phone on the coffee table lit up. Roselyn glanced over. Stefan Hudson, her cousin, was calling.

Roselyn picked it up, and his voice came through, careful and measured. "Hey, Roselyn. You done with work? Am I catching you at a bad time?"

Roselyn's gaze dropped to the sliced apple in her hand. "I'm free. Just got back home. What's up?"

A short pause followed before Stefan continued, "I just got promoted, and my salary went up too. Mom and Dad were talking about you earlier. They want you to come have dinner with us."

Roselyn didn't hesitate. "Alright, I'll come."

"I'll swing by and get you," Stefan said.

Once the call ended, Roselyn stood up and went to change.

Before leaving, she told Donna she wouldn't be home for dinner, then stepped out of the villa.

Donna stayed where she was, watching her leave, though she kept her thoughts to herself.

She still believed Roselyn hadn't let go of Adrian. Someone like her wouldn't stay silent for long.

Something was bound to happen.

...

As she walked, Roselyn glanced at the message Stefan had just sent on WhatsApp.

His car had stalled from running out of gas, and he told her to wait for a bit.

Roselyn replied with a short "Okay."

Stefan was three years older than her. At twenty-seven, he was still unmarried, which had his parents constantly worrying.

Whenever marriage came up, he would brush it aside and refuse to take it seriously.

Roselyn didn't keep in touch with most of the Hudson family, but things were different with her uncle, Frank Hudson's household. Since they never had a daughter, they had always treated her as one of their own.

Back then, when Roselyn's mother walked away from the divorce with nothing, it was Frank's family who stepped in to help them.

To Roselyn and her mother, they were the closest family they had.

After passing through the main gate of the residential area, Roselyn waited for a few minutes before her phone rang again.

"Roselyn, traffic's bad right now. I've got a friend nearby, so I asked him to come get you," Stefan said.

Before he could finish, a black Bentley stopped right in front of her. The driver lowered the window, revealing a face she hadn't seen in years.

Still holding the phone, Roselyn hesitated before replying, "I think... he's already here."

The man had defined features, dressed in a black shirt with the sleeves pushed up, showing his forearms.

Kevin Wheeler looked at her, and his thoughts drifted back to five years ago.

At that time, Roselyn used to trail after him with her books, calling his name and asking him to explain things.

Time had changed her. That earlier version of her was gone, replaced by someone more composed.

Now, Roselyn stood there in a fitted lavender dress, her hair tied into a high ponytail. There was unease in her eyes, and she looked noticeably thinner.

Kevin's gaze deepened as he looked at her. "Get in."