Chapter 3
With Noreen in my arms, I returned to the guest bedroom and asked Aaron to call a private doctor to give her a rabies vaccine.
Noreen told me that over the past year, Elliott had poured all his love and attention onto Vanessa and Bobby—who was still a fetus at the time—and had never cared for her.
Behind his back, Vanessa had been scaring Noreen. Several times, Noreen went to him to tell him the truth, but Vanessa always called her a liar, and he always believed Vanessa.
It was also Elliott and Vanessa who had told Noreen that I had been killed by villains.
Every day, Noreen would cry while clutching my photo, refusing to let Rocky come near it—even if it meant she’d get bitten instead.
After a long time, I finally soothed Noreen to sleep. Looking at the tear stains on her face, I felt torn.
When I had told her we were leaving, she hadn’t said a word. I knew she still couldn’t bear to leave Elliott.
Though he despised her for being a girl he believed was destined for nothing great, she still craved his fatherly love deep down.
Should I give Elliott a chance for Noreen’s sake?
Lost in thought, I was suddenly pulled into a warm embrace, the potent, creamy odor of milk from someone who had recently given birth washing over me.
“Rosa, you’re still alive. This is wonderful. I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you safe and sound.”
Elliott kissed the back of my neck. “I promised Ralph I would protect Vani and preserve his bloodline. At the time, she was pregnant with my child and had severe morning sickness. I had to stay by her side, which is why I couldn’t come to your rescue immediately.
“Later, I used all my resources to look for you, but I only received news of your death. It shattered my heart.”
Doing my best to suppress the nausea rising within me, I pushed him away and asked flatly, “What about now? I’m back. Are you still going to marry her?”
He looked at me helplessly. “How is that possible? You are my only wife. The wedding is just a formality I must go through with her. We will not get a marriage certificate.
“I have to give her and Bobby a proper status to prevent them from being criticized.
“It’s all for show, Rosa. You and I are the real couple. You’ve always been so understanding—I know you won’t mind this, right?”
So, he still planned to keep me as his late wife, to let me endure a lifetime of humiliation?
Consumed by lust, he began to tear at my clothes. “Rosa, Vani has given birth to my son. Now we must hurry. I want a son of ours, too.”
The faint milk stains on his trousers were still visible. Along with the sickly trace of Vanessa’s perfume, it was a revolting testament to exactly what they had been doing.
A wave of nausea hit me. Just then, a knock came at the door—it was Vanessa’s maid. “Mr. Elliott, Ms. Snider is having trouble breastfeeding. Perhaps someone upset her today. Her milk has stopped, and she’s in agony—her breasts are hard as rocks. She’s weeping from the pain, and Mr. Bobby is starving. Would you please come and take a look?”
Instantly, Elliott shoved me away. My leg, which had been broken before, buckled beneath me, and I crashed to the floor. But he simply turned a blind eye.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier? You’re so useless!” he snapped.
“Vani won’t breastfeed him again. Hire a wet nurse—no, hire several! I won’t let her feel a moment’s pain. And of course, I won’t have Bobby going hungry ever again!”
He hurried out, leaving me stunned and alone on the floor.
When he had first brought Vanessa home, I had just given birth to Noreen. The news enraged me, and soon after, I, too, was struggling to breastfeed. The pain in my breasts was so immense that I writhed in agony on the bed.
I begged him to find a wet nurse, but he refused. “Rosa,” he said, “I’m the gang leader. As my wife, you need to be strong. This pain shouldn’t be a thing to you.
“Besides, I don’t trust outsiders. What if they’re spies sent by my enemies? I won’t jeopardize Vani’s safety for this.
“I’m not getting a wet nurse for you. You’re gonna have to breastfeed Noreen. Rosa, you’ve always been so understanding. You’ll just have to bear it.”
But now? It seemed he was willing to say yes to everything, just so that Vanessa could feel better.
Since when did he stop using her full name and start calling her “Vani”? Since when did he tacitly agree to the servants treating her as his rightful wife?
What did that make me?
“Mommy, don’t cry.”
Before I realized it, Noreen had woken up. She climbed out of bed and gently stroked my cheek.
Only then did I feel the tears streaming down my face.
She held me tightly, her voice trembling as she said, “Mommy, this is the hundredth time Daddy has abandoned us for Vanessa.
“I’ve made up my mind. Let’s leave. I don’t want Daddy anymore.”
It turned out that Noreen had known everything all along. She had simply chosen to give Elliott a hundred chances.
Now, he had finally exhausted every last one, shattering her final shred of hope in him.
I hugged her back, smiling through tears. “Alright. I’ll take you to leave.”
