She was going to take it all back.
Her parents were easy. Blood was thicker than water. When she returned, they showered her with all their love. But that wasn’t enough. Everything Quinn had belonged to Rosalie.
And her efforts had paid off. She had systematically won over everyone who had ever liked Quinn.
But that wasn’t enough either.
Chase was a good catch, but Rosalie had seen Julian five years ago. That handsome, aristocratic man was the only one worthy of being her partner. Her parents had been pushing for her to marry Chase, but she looked down on him. To get rid of him and to make her parents give up, she had manipulated him into marrying Quinn.
Then she had found a contact email on the Apex Group’s website and, after three long years of careful communication, had finally gotten Julian’s private account. She had meticulously crafted a persona, and now, she was on the verge of success.
She had heard that Julian was cold and distant, uninterested in women. But when they chatted, he was just like any other man, sweet and considerate, making her laugh. He had offered to send her gifts more than once, but to maintain her image, she had always refused, which had only improved his impression of her.
Rosalie played the long game. She wouldn’t trade a watermelon for a sesame seed. Once she was Julian’s girlfriend, what couldn’t she have?
Seeing Chase’s name on her phone, Rosalie felt a flash of annoyance. The man was married to her sister, yet he still clung to her like a leech. Compared to Julian, Chase was even more pathetic.
“Chase, what is it?” she asked, her voice still a sweet, gentle melody.
Hearing her voice, Chase felt a wave of self-pity, saying, “Rosalie, I think I did something wrong, but it wasn’t my fault!”
Rosalie patiently asked, “What happened?”
“Have you heard of Maddox Dixon?” Chase said. “He wanted Quinn. You know how powerful his family is. I couldn’t afford to offend him. What was I supposed to do? I had to send Quinn to his room. I couldn’t let my family go bankrupt because of her, could I?”
“You…”
Rosalie was stunned.
And beneath the shock, a secret thrill, a smile she couldn’t suppress. She took a deep breath, trying to control her joy.
She forced her voice to sound stern.
“How could you do something like that? So, in the end… you let her… she slept with him?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t entirely my fault!” Chase pleaded. “Rosalie, don’t be mad. She’s my wife, and I’ve never touched her. So what’s the difference if another man does? Doesn’t everyone who gets married have sex? I had no choice!”
From a woman’s perspective, what Chase did was disgusting. But since it had happened to Quinn, not to her, Rosalie felt nothing but glee. She wanted Quinn to taste the pain she had once endured a hundred times over. It seemed some things were never meant to be Quinn’s. She had stolen Rosalie’s happiness, and now, it was all coming back to her.
“That’s horrible!” Rosalie yelled. “Chase, I never thought you were that kind of person!”
Being reprimanded by her, Chase felt awful.
“Rosalie, don’t say that. I had no choice. What would you have done in my position?”
“Quinn is your wife! How could you do that?”
“She’s my wife, but I have no feelings for her!” Chase declared passionately. “Rosalie, if you were my wife, I would die before I let something like that happen!”
Rosalie reveled in his words but said, “Quinn is my sister! How could you do that to her? How is she now?”
“She’s determined to divorce me,” Chase said, full of regret. “I should have never married her. If it wasn’t to make you feel at ease…”
“So now you’re blaming me?”
“No, no,” Chase said quickly. “You were worried about our parents and about Quinn being sad. I was the one who offered to help. I don’t blame you. But, Rosalie, I want a divorce…”
Rosalie frowned. She was afraid he would cling to her after the divorce. He was a distant relative of Julian’s. If Julian found out he was involved with her, it would tarnish her perfect image.
“I told you back then that Quinn was a good person,” Rosalie said. “Why couldn’t you love her? And if you get a divorce, what about my parents’ reputation?”
“I…”
Chase was speechless. He liked Rosalie, so he naturally respected her parents.
“And I told you, you married my sister, and you will always be just my family.”
“Rosalie, I regret it. I don’t want to be your family,” Chase yelled, on the verge of tears. “Rosalie, just give me one chance.”
Rosalie would not let him entangle her.
“It’s impossible between us. I’ve only ever seen you as a friend, like a brother. Chase, you have only one option now. Go to Quinn, beg for her forgiveness, and convince her not to divorce you.”
“But I want a divorce too…”
“What good will a divorce do you? It will affect the company’s stock, and the board will have an opinion. My parents, as well as your parents, will never agree…”
Everything Rosalie said was true. Chase was silent.
“This is your fault,” Rosalie continued. “But what’s done is done. You should convince Quinn that a divorce would only make things worse. If this gets out, how will she be able to face the world?”
“I never liked her in the first place,” Chase said. “And now that she’s been with another man, I can’t be with her. Rosalie, I’m divorcing her!”
Rosalie was furious. She was so close to winning over Julian. Once she married him, she would take over the Sterling family. Chase was a distant relative, and Quinn was her sister. The two families would be connected. If they divorced and Chase started chasing her, it would be a scandal. What if Julian misunderstood?
Therefore, she couldn’t let them divorce! But no matter how she tried to persuade him, Chase seemed determined this time.
She had no choice but to soothe him, “I know this is hard for you. But really, you and Quinn are both victims. Chase, can’t you, for my sake, just take care of her for the rest of your life?”
Chase was torn. He had married Quinn on an impulse, listening to Rosalie. But marriage was a lifelong commitment, not something that could be sustained by impulse and a sense of duty. He still loved Rosalie. And now that Quinn had been with another man, he was a cuckold. How could he possibly accept her back? Even if he was the one who had put the horns on his own head. But what could he have done? He couldn’t afford to offend the Dixon family.
Now everyone was blaming him. He didn’t love Quinn. Why should he risk his family’s fortune for her?
After a few seconds of silence, Chase said, “Rosalie, I know I was wrong. I’ll accept any punishment from you. But I really can’t live with her anymore. I love you…”
Rosalie was secretly pleased about what had happened to Quinn, but Chase’s declarations of love were starting to annoy her.
She snapped, “Chase, that’s enough. Don’t say things like that. You marry my sister. If you keep this up, I don’t know how I can ever talk to you again.”
That got him.
“Rosalie, don’t ignore me!”
Rosalie knew she had him wrapped around her finger, saying, “This is all so sudden. I have to go comfort Quinn. I’ll talk to you later.”
She hung up and immediately called Quinn.
Quinn knew Chase must have called Rosalie. Chase had never hidden his devotion to her sister. Quinn laughed. She finally understood that when you were truly speechless, you laughed.
She answered the phone.
Rosalie’s voice was full of anxious concern.
“Quinn, where are you? How are you? Are you okay?”
Quinn felt no surprise, only a weary sense of resignation. She knew Chase had tattled to Rosalie.
“Chase told you?”
“Yes, he told me. How could you not tell me about something so big?”
“What good would it have done?”
“It’s true that what Chase did was wrong. I’ve already told him off. But it was an emergency, so he had no choice.”
“So he can do something like that just because he has no choice?”
“Quinn, what’s done is done. Let’s not argue about whose fault it is. I know you’re upset, but we’re not going to judge you. You don’t have to look down on yourself. I know a woman’s purity is important, and being touched by another man can feel like a fate worse than death, but we have to move on, right?”
Quinn laughed again. This was how Rosalie always “consoled” her. It sounded like concern, but every word was a subtle dig, designed to make Quinn feel small and worthless. The old Quinn would have wallowed in self-pity. But now, she saw Rosalie for who she was and would no longer be manipulated.
“First of all, this was not my fault, and I will not take the blame for someone else’s mistake. Second, I am the victim. Chase is the one who is despicable. Why should I look down on myself? They’re the ones who should be ashamed!”
Rosalie was taken aback. This was not the Quinn she knew. This was not a good sign.
“Quinn, you’re right,” she said quickly. “Of course, it’s their fault. But this happened to you. No matter what, you’re tainted. If this gets out, people will care about your reputation and your honor…”
“Why should I care what other people think? And if they condemn me instead of the perpetrators, then there’s something wrong with them.”
Rosalie was at a loss for words.
“Quinn, no matter what, women are always the ones who lose out in situations like this. If you get a divorce, it will cause a huge scandal. Our parents won’t be able to handle it.”
“Rosalie,” Quinn said with a smile, “if you and our parents really cared about me, you would be condemning Chase for his despicable actions, not telling me to swallow my pride. Do you really care about me?”
“Of course!” Rosalie insisted. “I’m your sister. I want you to be happy more than anyone!”
“Then support my divorce. Because that’s the only way I can be happy.”
Rosalie was running out of arguments.
“But don’t you love Chase? What happiness is there without him?”
“Even if I did love him before, after this, after seeing who he really is, how could I ever love a monster?”
Rosalie persuaded again, “Quinn, you have to consider Chase’s position. He was wrong, but the Dixon family is powerful. He can’t afford to offend them. He can’t risk his family’s entire business. It would be like throwing an egg at a rock.”
“Even if he had just shown a little bit of the courage to throw that egg, I wouldn’t be this disappointed. But he didn’t. He didn’t even ask me. He just sent me to another man’s bed. He is despicable, cowardly, and spineless. How could I ever find happiness with him?”
Seeing Quinn so resolute, Rosalie knew she was in trouble.
“Quinn, many marriages look perfect on the outside but are a mess behind the scenes. Everyone makes mistakes. Chase called me, and he said he’ll be good to you from now on. He’ll make it up to you. Just give him another chance.”
Quinn was tired. She didn’t want to talk anymore.
“It’s impossible. Don’t say another word. My mind is made up.”
Rosalie was angry, barking, “Don’t you care about Mom and Dad’s feelings? If this gets out, how will they face their colleagues at the university?”
“Do they care about my feelings?” Quinn retorted. “Is their reputation more important than my entire life’s happiness?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.