Chapter 3 That's Settled

Rosanna stood firm, her eyes locked on Millie with the unwavering resolve of a woman facing the one who had come between her and her husband.

She said, "Miss Rogers, as Oliver's employee, you clearly know about my relationship with him. Yet, you persist in crossing the line and provoking me. Are you really foolish, or are you doing this deliberately to achieve something?"

"I'm sorry, Ms. Williams. Oh, I meant Mrs. Marshall," Millie said, hastily correcting herself with a flustered look as she pressed her hand to her lips. "I made a mistake. Please don't take it to heart."

She wore a look of such fragile innocence, looking very pitiful.

Rosanna didn't fall for it. She knew exactly what Millie was doing-putting on a pitiful act to gain Oliver's sympathy. "I'm not worthy of your apology," she said with sarcasm. "You're clearly the one who deserves sympathy here-poor you, always the victim."

"Oliver, Mrs. Marshall's still upset with me... Maybe it's about what happened last night at the club," Millie said to Oliver. "Could you help me explain things to her?"

Her sugary tone made Rosanna's skin crawl.

Rosanna glanced at Oliver.

Oliver took a slow drag of his cigarette, his face cold. "There's nothing to explain," he said.

"I just worry she'll blame me for coming between you two, thinking I am the other woman," Millie said, her intent clear.

Without a flicker of hesitation, Oliver said, "Millie, go get my medicine. Don't waste time talking to people who don't matter."

It was clear that in his eyes, compared to Millie, Rosanna was just a person who didn't matter.

Rosanna suppressed the bitterness and anger in her chest and quietly walked out of the pharmacy without saying a word.

Inside the car, her hands trembled as she gripped the wheel. It took her two failed attempts before the engine finally started.

Over and over, she told herself not to get angry.

Three months ago, a routine checkup had revealed a tiny two-millimeter lump in her left breast. She was due for a follow-up appointment tomorrow morning.

Curious and a little anxious, she had asked Leah, who was also her gynecologist, why someone her age would develop something like that.

Leah had responded with certainty that most illnesses stemmed from stress and anger. And in Rosanna's case, she believed that always getting angry because of Oliver was the reason for her illness.

Rosanna had brushed it off at the time, calling it nonsense, but deep down, a part of her agreed.

Because if she were honest with herself, the past three years had been nothing short of suffering for her. She had been angered by Oliver too many times.

If her feelings for Oliver had remained as distant as they had been three years ago, none of this would've hurt her. But the problem was that somewhere along the way, she had started to care about him.

As the sky grew darker, she found herself driving with no destination in mind, just letting the road take her.

That was when it hit her-aside from Nexus Villa, she had no place to go in the entire city of Qegan.

Nexus Villa, her so-called home with Oliver, belonged entirely to Oliver. Before the wedding, he had made her sign a prenup, giving her only temporary rights to live there. And with the way Oliver treated her, every time she entered Nexus Villa, she felt less like a wife and more like a tenant.

Going back now would just mean walking into another silent, empty house. Oliver was rarely there anyway, spending most nights out at social events and not coming back until morning.

To keep herself from feeling lonely, Rosanna made working overtime her daily routine.

She buried herself in work every evening just to avoid the emptiness that waited for her at home. If it weren't for the need to get the morning-after pill today, she would probably still be sitting in her office now.

Eventually, she made her way back to Nexus Villa. But as soon as she opened the door, the sharp smell of cigarette smoke hit her.

Oliver stood near the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room, speaking into his phone.

With his back turned, he stood tall and composed. His voice, though low, carried a gentle warmth she had never heard before.

"Dr. Griffiths said it won't leave a scar on your forehead. But if you're still worried, I can take you to Klenridge the day after tomorrow to see an expert. Even if a scar remains, I don't mind..."

Rosanna remembered the white gauze on Millie's forehead from earlier. She didn't need to guess; it was clear Oliver was talking to Millie on the phone.

Whatever small relief she had felt upon seeing him home evaporated. She quietly put her handbag and coat away and walked straight to the bathroom.

After washing her face, she was applying some moisturizer when she noticed Oliver appear at the door.

"At eight tomorrow, my mother's friend is arriving in Qegan. I need you to pick her up at the airport," Oliver said flatly.

Rosanna sighed inwardly. Whenever Oliver approached her voluntarily, it was about requesting her to do something.

"The person is an old friend of my mother's and also one of her business partners. Take a couple of days off and show her around the city. Whatever you spend, I'll cover it." Without waiting for a response, Oliver turned and walked straight into the study, assuming she had agreed.

Rosanna's chest tightened. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she went to the study and said, "Get someone else to do that. I have other things I need to do tomorrow."

Oliver didn't even look at her. "Everything's already arranged. Karl will handle the driving and meals. You just need to keep her company and make conversation."

His eyes never left the computer screen. He didn't take her earlier words seriously at all.

Staring at him, she felt anger rising in her chest. "I have a doctor's appointment for a follow-up tomorrow morning."

"A follow-up for what?" Oliver asked.

"I already told you. They found a nodule in my left breast during my last checkup. Tomorrow's the time for a follow-up."

"It's just a small nodule. Waiting two more days won't change anything," Oliver replied, still staring at his screen.

Rosanna clenched her jaw. "I waited so long to get this specialist appointment. I'm not rescheduling."

Oliver didn't even blink. "You and my mother always have a strained relationship. If you can get along with her friend, maybe things will improve between you two."

His tone had no room for negotiation. "That's settled."

Rosanna opened her mouth to protest, but the firm look in Oliver's eyes silenced her. After a long pause, she said, "Fine."

After returning to the master bedroom, she touched her cheeks and realized they were already wet with tears.

Her phone rang just then. She glanced at the screen, recognizing the number, and declined the call without hesitation.

A moment later, another number from the city of Jiford appeared on the screen. Without even blinking, she blocked the number.

That night, Oliver remained in the study. Not once did he step into the master bedroom.

When Rosanna woke the next morning, Oliver was already dressed, ready to leave for work.

He looked a little tired, with dark circles under his eyes suggesting he probably hadn't slept well last night.

Still, the fatigue did little to dull his sharp features or the quiet elegance in the way he moved.

"Karl will be waiting for you in the garage in thirty minutes," he said, checking his watch before glancing briefly in her direction.

It was a fleeting look, barely enough for her to catch before it was gone.

As he reached for the door, she couldn't help but say, "Miss Rogers is better at playing hostess than I am. Maybe you should let her do this."

Oliver stopped but didn't turn to look at her. "You're still my wife. If Millie were sent to entertain a family guest, it would only confirm the rumors of us having a relationship extending beyond the professional."

So that was it. He was using her to protect Millie's reputation.

He must have known that people who were aware of his marital status had already been gossiping about the incident at the Zero Club last night, where he had beaten someone up for Millie.

As he closed the door behind him, a gust of cold wind swept in, sending a chill down Rosanna's spine.

On the way to the airport, she asked Karl Price, Oliver's assistant, how Oliver intended to deal with the growing rumors about him and Millie online.

But Karl just gave her that slick smile of his and played dumb.

No matter how much she pressed, he kept his lips sealed about the matter.

At the airport, she and Karl waited until nine. Then, Karl got a call, and after a brief conversation, he frowned. "Change of plans," he said to Rosanna. "She has postponed her trip. She'll be coming to Qegan next week."

A wave of anger hit Rosanna, but she quickly masked it. She didn't want to lose her composure in Karl's presence.

Karl then drove her to the hospital. After checking in, she noticed a long line, at least a dozen patients before her.

With no other option, she waited.

After receiving the breast ultrasound results, she couldn't make sense of the images, but the text was clear-the nodule in her left breast had grown to 2.5 millimeters.

Panic crept in. Just three months ago, it had only been 2.0 millimeters.

That extra half millimeter felt like a warning bell, and it rattled her.