Chapter 2 So You Do Know I'm Oliver's Wife

The study was only lit by a faint lamp, casting a dim light on Rosanna's face, which showed a mix of deep sorrow and strong resolve.

She had said the word "divorce" with all the strength she had left. She had lost all hope in the marriage.

Oliver looked at her, his gaze intense. "Rosanna, do you even realize what you're saying?"

"Yes." Rosanna dropped her gaze, the nervous tremor in her voice betraying her emotions. "I want a divorce."

Oliver's attractive face was filled with mockery as he lit a cigarette, letting the smoke swirl around him.

His sharp features became even more striking in the haze, while his dark eyes showed no emotion.

Rosanna pushed down the bitterness inside her. "It's better for us to separate now than stay in a marriage without love."

"My assets will always be mine because of the prenuptial agreement. If we divorce, you won't get a penny." Oliver took a long drag from his cigarette.

Her voice was flat, barely above a whisper. "I know."

The truth was, she had been crushed by disappointment after disappointment in this marriage until nothing was left but despair.

Oliver's boundless indulgence toward Millie had already crushed the budding affection she had felt for him.

"Three years ago, the Marshall Group's new energy project in Qegan was placed in Jiford as a wedding gift for you. That investment, worth over a hundred million dollars, helped Preston become the head of the local government in Jiford." Oliver's eyes turned cold. "Now, the project still hasn't made any profit, and you're ready to divorce me?"

Rosanna's face twitched, his words hitting a nerve.

Preston Burton was her stepfather. Three years ago, the Marshall Group's huge investment had given him the boost he needed to beat out three other candidates for his current position.

Deciding to divorce wasn't easy; it was something she had thought about for a long time.

Even though she missed the rare times when Oliver showed her kindness, the thought of him beating someone hard for Millie broke her heart.

She couldn't take it anymore.

"You and Miss Rogers can be together now. I won't stand in your way." Rosanna managed a smile, hiding all the reluctance and pain she felt.

"Millie and I never felt like you were in our way." Oliver casually blew a few smoke rings.

Rosanna noticed that he still spoke Millie's name with so much affection, like it was the most important thing in the world.

But for Rosanna, his tenderness only came during their most intimate moments; outside of that, he always addressed her in a distant tone.

She clenched her jaw. "I've had enough of living like this, being treated with no respect."

"Seems like you've forgotten how you became my wife," Oliver said, his eyes full of mockery. "Do you really think you have any right to talk about respect with me?"

Rosanna was immediately reminded of that humiliating, rainy night three years ago.

A rush of hurt and humiliation flooded her heart.

"You knew exactly what this marriage would be from the start, but you still schemed to get married to me, and Preston got his position because of me. So, if I don't want a divorce, you could only listen to me and bear all this. I don't care if you are treated with respect or not," Oliver continued, noticing her silence.

Rosanna's body shook a little, and her face looked completely drained of color.

So, in Oliver's mind, their marriage was nothing more than a business deal.

At first, she had felt the same way. But after two long years of marriage, she had slowly started to believe this marriage might turn into something real.

She realized she shouldn't have let herself think that way.

Luckily, whatever feelings that had started to grow in her heart could still be crushed now.

Oliver stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and walked away.

A few moments later, Rosanna heard the shower running in the bathroom.

At that moment, her heart sank into complete despair.

In their three years of marriage, they had never gone for a walk, watched a movie, or even had a quiet meal out together like normal couples.

The only time things ever felt close between them was when they were in bed.

The first two years of their marriage had been full of silent treatment and cold shoulders.

It wasn't until the third year that things had started to change a little.

Oliver had begun showing her a bit of patience and gentleness, something he had never done before. He would say a few kind words during the holidays or surprise her with small gifts.

Slowly, without realizing it, she had started warming up to him, trying to care about him and learn what he liked.

She wasn't used to housework, but she still learned to make different kinds of breakfast for him.

Since their lives barely crossed paths outside the bedroom, breakfast was her only chance to keep him around a little longer.

Even though she knew it was silly and kind of sad, she still couldn't stop herself from doing that.

But Millie always came along to crush those tiny hopes she had.

If Oliver cared about her even a little, why would he still be hiding their marriage from everyone?

Once Oliver finished his shower, he walked straight into the guest room next door to sleep.

Rosanna was exhausted from lack of sleep, but she still got up early and made Oliver his favorite coffee before heading to work.

She worked as a financial news anchor at Qegan Television.

The station wasn't as popular as it used to be because of new media, but her talk show still had high ratings, making her kind of a local celebrity in Qegan.

After clocking in and walking into her office, Rosanna began to feel weak.

She opened her drawer, grabbed the cookies she had prepared in advance, and ate a few, finally feeling better.

She gained weight pretty easily, especially around her face.

To stay camera-ready, she had to follow a rigid diet.

Every day, she ate plain food like boiled eggs, veggies, and lean meat. She was very thin for her height.

She had low blood sugar, so she always needed a bit of sugar to make it through the day.

With about twenty days to go before Christmas, her workload had tripled.

She already had a live broadcasting show, Financial News, twice a week and recorded talk shows to prepare. Now, she also had to join rehearsals for the Christmas gala.

While having lunch in the cafeteria, she overheard some coworkers gossiping and found out Oliver's fight in the club had gone viral.

Her hands shook as she picked up her phone to check the social media.

Online, people had painted Oliver and Millie into a fairytale-he, the charming trillionaire; she, the pitiful Cinderella.

Many people who knew nothing about the truth were already pushing for Oliver to marry Millie.

Rosanna's appetite vanished after just a few bites of the carefully measured lunch.

After clocking out in the evening, she stopped by the pharmacy to buy the morning-after pill.

She took her time, carefully picking the one with the mildest side effects.

But just as she was about to pay, she ran into Oliver.

He wasn't alone. Millie was with him.

Millie sported a dramatic bandage across her forehead and visible scabs on her hand.

That soft, pitiful look she wore was enough to stir any man's desire to protect.

Millie and Oliver walked into the pharmacy together, laughing and chatting. They looked like a loving couple.

It wasn't the first time Rosanna had seen them together like this, yet she still felt pain in her heart.

"Oliver." She kept her voice level, swallowing her emotions as she greeted him stiffly.

Oliver barely acknowledged her, his eyes falling on the pill box. "Take more than one; I don't want any surprises."

His words cut through her like a blade, but with Millie standing there, she had no choice but to keep her composure.

"Don't worry. There won't be," she replied, managing a stiff smile.

People often said that children were the result of love, but to Oliver, they were nothing more than unwanted surprises.

Or maybe it was just her children he saw that way.

If it were Millie's children with him, things would likely be very different.

"Fancy seeing you here, Ms. Williams," Millie said to Rosanna with sugary politeness. "You know, too much of that kind of medicine can mess with your hormones. Even the best brands can bring menopause knocking earlier than you'd like."

Though Millie knew Rosanna was married to Oliver, she still addressed her as "Ms. Williams" every time she saw her, never acknowledging her as Oliver's wife.

Rosanna knew it was Oliver who gave Millie the nerve to act this way.

She thought if Oliver and Millie were such a happy pair, why hadn't Oliver ended their marriage and made Millie his wife already?

After all, three years had passed since they had gotten married; whatever leverage Preston had once held over Oliver had long since lost its bite.

Rosanna didn't have the energy to talk to Millie. She turned to pay for the medicine.

"Oliver drank too much last night and felt awful all day today," Millie said to Rosanna. "Shouldn't you have taken better care of him as his wife?"

The words grated on Rosanna's nerves.

She turned slowly and met Millie's smug gaze. "So you do know I'm Oliver's wife, Miss Rogers..."