Chapter 1 Chapter 1-2

"Apologize or break up?" Rose’s husband, the man she loved for thirteen years, caught another woman’s waist in front of her.

She had married Judson Roach for seven yearsYet they never celebrated their wedding anniversariesOn the night of their seventh wedding anniversary, she wanted to celebrate it at least once.

However, on the exact same day, her husband and another woman hit the headlines.

"Judson Roach picked Lillian Stewart up at the airport! What a lovely couple!"

Lillian was Judson's new lover.

Everyone suggested that he should try to win her back.

Yet they had no idea that he was married.

And Rose never thought that Judson would take Lillian to their wedding house.

Lillian cried and pulled him, saying, "Judson, Rose claimed that I stole her jewelry, but I didn'tShe didn't believe me... You saw that she slapped me..."

Rose bit her lip. "Judson, it's the butterfly brooch..."

"I don't care about any brooch." Judson looked at Rose coldly. "Even if someone does steal from you, still, it's not a reason to get physical

Rose, you are so spoiled."

He always said she was spoiled because Rose was adopted by the Roach family.

Her parents died because of the Roach family.

Guilty, the Roach family remembered the kindness and not only adopted her but also made her Judson's fiancée.

When she was young, she was naïve and fantasized.

However, as she matured, she was compelled to confront reality due to its harsh nature.

Judson never wanted to marry herHe was forced to marry her.

She retorted as a fury came to her heart, "Yes, I slapped herSo what?"

If Lillian didn't give her the brooch back, she would hit Lillian every time they met!

That brooch was the gift Judson sent her but he forgot it!

Judson looked at Rose with a chill in his eyes. "I'll give you a chance to apologize to herOtherwise, forget about being the daughter-in-law of the Roach family."

Rose was instantly desperateShe heard herself asking Judson, "What if I say no?"

"You can try to break off the marriage." There was no warmth in his eyes.

“Judson, today is our anniversary…You…”

“I don’t care about it

Apology now! You shouldn't talk to Lilian like that.”

Rose's eyes turned cold. "Should I remind you that I have been living with the Roach family for thirteen years, and I was you rightful fiancée?

Perhaps the sneering look on her face was too obviousAnyway, Judson’s face darkenedHe grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to his room.

"The Roach family spoils you indeed! Lilian, you go home first!"

Without waiting Lilian’s reply, Judson pushed Rose into the bed and shut the door.

Great pain came from the place where he pinched her, making Rose bite her lip at once.

She couldn't help but let out a soft whimper.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and her complexion paled with the evident pain she was experiencing.

Judson frowned, and his eyes darkened...

She had been dragged into his arms.

"No..." Rose tried to break away.

"Aren't you short of money?" Judson spoke coldly, "I have some business to attend to laterDon't waste my time."

She felt humiliated, yet she didn't stand a chance to resist.

Following passionless and joyless intimate, Judson rose from the bed, apathetically dressed, and then casually tossed her a card.

Rose only felt more pain from the bruises and abrasions on her body

She was in a car accident last night and almost died.

She didn't want him to catch sight of her wounds, fearing he might misconstrue her as feigning misery to persuade him to remain once more.

She was silent, which was weirdSeeing that, Judson inexplicably felt irritated.

"It's for your sister's operation, don’t forget to apology to Lilian." he explained it for the first time.

"No need," she said calmly.

He was buttoning his shirt, and he pausedHe looked at her coldly.

Rose explained, sounding calm, "The surgeon is out of the country, so she can't have surgery for a while."

It was all over.

The previous night, Jenifer Mauer had fallen gravely ill, and she found herself with no alternative but to unabashedly head to the club where he was enjoying himselfShe arrived in tears, desperate to see him, hoping to plead with him to prevent the surgeon from boarding the departing plane and to save Jenifer.

Yet he didn't even see her

He asked his men to give her two options, breaking up with him or getting lost.

Always two options.

Rose took a deep breath, she had enough of it and said in a deadpan tone, "Let's get a divorce."

Rose had invested thirteen years of effort trying to earn Judson's love, yet she failed.

Judson frowned and said impatiently, "Rose, this isn't funnyJust an apology."

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and said solemnly, "I'm seriousI'll call a lawyer to draft the papersI want nothing from you."

Judson's expression became gloomy at Rose's words, "I'm busy and don't have time to argueI'll forget this conversationGrandpa's turning eighty next month," he informed her before he headed out. "Keep the card aside."

Judson left immediately.

He always left after a fightThey would go into a cold war until Rose caved in.

Rose had decided to give up on Judson and finally realized how humble she was beforeJudson wouldn't even take the time to make peace with her.

But this time was different.

Rose wouldn’t take the time to wait for him

She left.

She took nothing with her but a new selfShe left her despair and the bank card behind.

From now on, she would live only for herself.

Breaking up with Judson meant she had to live on her own from now onTameka Roach, Judson's mother, gave her pocket money regularly every month, and Judson's grandparents would also give her allowances every now and then.

Yet considering the current situation she was in, she couldn't accept any money from them anymore.

By the time Rose came back to her senses, she had sent out several application letters already.

The phone in Rose's pocket rang.

She quickly took it outHer efforts in searching for a job appeared to have yielded results.

Yet seeing the company name on the letterhead, she froze for a moment.

It was Flourish Media.

The interview was scheduled for 1:00 this afternoon.

Rose rushed to the interview without stopping.

Flourish Media was one of the top news media groups in the country, and all journalism students were proud to be admitted to Flourish Media after graduation.

Rose's academic performance in that year was quite excellent, and her graduation work won the one and only special prize of that year.

Therefore, right after she graduated, she got an offer from Flourish Media.

However, to become the "perfect woman" in Judson's eyes, she buried her future with her own hands.

Then he taught her a lesson in his ruthlessness

Without money or a career, women had no dignity or status.

"MsEdwards, from your resume, you are best at social news, but we are currently recruiting journalists in the direction of entertainmentI do not know whether you..."

"Entertainment journalism is goodI can manage it."

"Then when can you start?"

"Now."

Rose needed money, a decent job, and the strength to never look back.

Before she had finished the entry process, she saw a gentleman outside waving at her.

Her heart missed a beat when she saw him.