When He Kneels Begging My Forgiveness, I've Already Fled Far Away

Rosamond Henson was the most renowned defense attorney in Astoria, boasting a win rate of ninety-nine percent.

No one expected that intimate photos of her and a client would flood the internet overnight.

An anonymous source claiming to be a firm insider alleged that she had no real legal talent at all, that every case she'd ever landed came from sleeping with her clients.

She denied it immediately, insisting the photos were doctored and the accusations fabricated.

No one believed her.

Especially after reporters caught her husband, Bryce Delgado, on camera. The sorrow in his eyes and his careful refusal to comment convinced the public it was all true.

Within hours, the internet was drowning in vitriol aimed at Rosamond.

When she watched the interview clip, her expression remained as composed as ever. But in a corner where no one could see, her hands trembled.

Every one of those intimate photos had been edited from her private pictures. Pictures only Bryce had access to.

She drove straight to Delgado Group headquarters. She needed to hear from Bryce himself why those photos had been leaked.

And why he hadn't cleared her name in front of the cameras.

She had just reached the office door when a familiar voice stopped her cold:

"Mr. Delgado, are we really going to keep paying people to attack Attorney Henson online?"

"The hate is everywhere already. If she finds out we're behind this, won't she be furious?"

It was his assistant, Brian Finch.

Bryce's tone was clipped with impatience:

"She has no one to blame but herself. She hoards every resource and refuses to give younger lawyers a chance."

"Olympia's been at the firm for ages, and Rosamond hasn't handed her a single case. A little lesson was overdue."

"If Rosamond finds out Olympia was behind this, you know how she is. She never lets anything go. She'd destroy Olympia."

"Besides, Rosamond is obsessed with her work. The only way to get her to stay home where she belongs, by my side, is to take her career away from her. I can't give up either of them..."

"Start planting more stories about Rosamond. Keep her too busy putting out fires to trace any of this back to Olympia. If she does figure it out, tell her someone beneath me acted without my knowledge."

Brian nodded:

"You really do care deeply for Miss Galloway, going to such lengths against your own wife for her sake."

"Then again, if Attorney Henson hadn't forced her way in and pressured you into marrying her, you and Miss Galloway could have been together openly this whole time."

Bryce said nothing. His silence was confirmation enough.

Rosamond's hand, raised to knock, shook so violently she couldn't control it. The shock tore through her like a physical blow.

So it had been Olympia all along. And Bryce had approved every bit of it.

He must have given Olympia her private photos. Let her doctor them. Let her frame her.

All because Rosamond hadn't handed over the Pinnacle Corp case the way Olympia wanted.

What Brian said. Bryce's heart belonged to Olympia?

But he had told her, to her face, that Olympia was just the girl next door. Like a little sister.

He had been lying to her all along.

The color drained from Rosamond's face. In that instant, it was as if ice water had been poured over her from head to toe, soaking through to the bone. Her heart went cold with it.

She clenched her jaw, forcing the tears back by sheer will.

She had just turned to leave when the door swung open. Brian stared at her, wide-eyed:

"Attorney Henson, what are you doing here?"

Bryce heard the commotion and stepped forward, reaching for her hand:

"Rosa, how long have you been standing there?"

Guilt flickered across both their faces, terrified she had overheard.

Rosamond forced the faintest trace of a smile:

"Just got here."

Bryce exhaled, the tension leaving his shoulders almost imperceptibly. He shot Brian a look. Brian caught it, nodded, and slipped out of the room.

Rosamond pretended she hadn't noticed the exchange. She let Bryce lead her by the hand into his office.

She looked at him, swallowing the storm raging inside her, and said quietly:

"I saw your interview this morning."

A flash of panic crossed Bryce's eyes, but he recovered quickly:

"I'm sorry, Rosa. I know you want to ask why I didn't speak up for you."

"The interview this morning was supposed to promote a company product. The whole thing caught me off guard. I didn't know how to respond without making it worse."

Rosamond cut him off. Her voice wavered:

"So you chose to say nothing at all?"

"Because of your silence, the whole world thinks it's true now. You're the one who wanted those photos taken. Why won't you admit it?"

Bryce's voice dropped:

"Rosa, I'm the CEO of this company. If people found out I have that kind of... preference, what would they think of me?"

"Stop making a scene. I know you're innocent. Isn't that enough? Why do you care what strangers think?"

Rosamond almost laughed:

"What they'd think of you? Do you have any idea what they're saying about me right now?"

She held on to her last shred of hope, locked her eyes on his, and spoke each word with deliberate weight:

"Bryce. I'm asking you. Please. Hold a press conference and clear my name."

"If this isn't dealt with now, my career is over."

Bryce glanced at her, something conflicted stirring behind his gaze.

After a few seconds of silence, he took her hand. His voice turned soft, almost tender:

"Rosa, why don't you just... resign?"

Rosamond stared at him in disbelief as he continued:

"My business is big enough now. You don't need to work. Use this as your exit. Come home. Be my partner behind the scenes."

"Mom's been asking when we're going to have kids. You could focus on that."

"As for the firm and all the clients you've built up, you can hand everything over to Olympia. She's smart and capable. She'll do a great job."

Rosamond's heart shattered into countless pieces, each one sharp enough to steal her breath.

This was the man she had defied her parents to marry.

His childhood sweetheart had smeared her name and destroyed her reputation, and his answer was to give that woman everything Rosamond had built.

Her mother had been right. Bryce Delgado was not a man worth trusting with a lifetime.

She thought of the immigration documents her mother had sent her the night before. And finally, the decision settled into place.

She would leave the country with her parents.

As for Bryce Delgado, she was done.

Rosamond lifted her gaze to Bryce, searching his face as though she could see straight through to whatever was left of his conscience. Her eyes were bleak with despair, but her voice held steady, grief and resolve wound tight together.

"Absolutely not. I will never give up my career."

"If you won't help me clear my name, then I'll find the evidence myself."

Even if she had to leave, she would leave with her reputation intact.

She turned without waiting for his reaction and walked toward the door.

She didn't make it two steps past the threshold before she saw Olympia Galloway.

Olympia stood in the hallway holding a box of pastries, her gaze sliding over Rosamond with undisguised satisfaction, her tone bright with the kind of cheer designed to cut.

"Oh, Attorney Henson, you're still here? I came to see Bryce. I wanted to thank him personally for renewing the retainer with our firm this year."

The words drove into Rosamond's chest like a cluster of needles, each one small enough to ignore on its own, unbearable together. She turned to Bryce.

"You already signed a new contract with the firm? Why didn't I know about this?"

Olympia pressed a hand to her lips in exaggerated surprise.

"You really didn't know? It just happened. Delgado Group's secretary signed the renewal with the firm a few minutes ago."

"But it doesn't matter whether you knew or not. Bryce specifically requested that I replace you as their lead counsel. Delgado Group's affairs have nothing to do with you anymore."

Rosamond's heartbeat faltered. She stared at Bryce, unable to process what she was hearing.

"Is what she's saying true?"

Bryce pulled Olympia behind him, shielding her as though Rosamond were the threat.

"Rosa, Olympia isn't like you. She needs this retainer to establish herself at the firm."

"You have plenty of cases. You won't miss this one. Besides..."

His gaze flicked over her face, his tone flat, almost clinical.

"Your PR situation still isn't resolved. If the company keeps you on as counsel, it reflects poorly on us."

Rosamond studied his face and realized, for the first time, that the boy she remembered no longer existed behind those eyes.

Perhaps this had always been who he was. Perhaps the Bryce Delgado she thought she knew had never been real.

She still remembered the day they first met. She had been proud and solitary by nature, and her classmates had made her pay for it.

They spread rumors with gleeful abandon: her money came from a sugar daddy, her designer bags were gifts from a patron, even the awards she'd won in competitions were bought with her body.

She became the entire school's favorite target.

Back then, Rosamond believed the truth would speak for itself. She refused to dignify the lies with a response.

But the rumors only grew. Those people started showing up at her classroom door to hurl insults to her face.

Not a single classmate spoke up for her. Even her teachers believed the accusations and wanted to suspend her pending an investigation.

It was Bryce who stepped forward.

He didn't just vouch for her. He went out of his way to obtain a recording of the very people who had set her up.

In that moment, Bryce Delgado had been nothing short of a god in her eyes.

And now he was standing with the people smearing her name, helping them do it.

Worse, he knew she'd been framed, and he was using the frame-up as his excuse to hand everything she'd built to the woman who had orchestrated it.

Rosamond's breathing turned ragged. She felt as though the ground had been pulled from beneath her, her body swaying, barely upright. She dug her nails into her palms hard enough to leave marks, forcing herself not to show a shred of weakness in front of Olympia.

She was about to argue her case when her phone rang. It was the managing partner.

"Rosamond, what the hell did you do?!"

"Pinnacle Corp's confidential files have been leaked. All of them. Do you have any idea what this is going to do to the case?"

"Pinnacle says you were the only person who had access to that data. Their people are here at the office right now demanding answers. Get back here. Now."

The color drained from Rosamond's face. She didn't spare Bryce or Olympia another glance before rushing out.

Olympia watched her retreating figure, a mocking smile curling at the corner of her lips.

"Bryce, you promised you'd help me. Right?"

Bryce looked at the expectation shining on Olympia's face and nodded without thinking.

Rosamond barely made it through the firm's doors before Harold Lawrence, Pinnacle Corp's executive, was in her face, jabbing a finger at her.

"You still haven't explained those photos, and now our files have been leaked? Attorney Henson, are you trying to destroy Pinnacle Corp?!"

"We trusted you with that classified data because we believed in you. Is this how you repay our trust?!"

"Is this your idea of professional ethics? Did you cut a deal with opposing counsel to take us down?!"

"I'm telling you right now, if this isn't resolved, I will make sure you never work in this industry again!"

Rosamond swallowed everything churning inside her and kept her voice level.

"Mr. Lawrence, I give you my word. I will get to the bottom of this."

"But please believe me. I did not leak those files. Give me time, and I will find out who did..."

Before she could finish, a voice cut through the room.

"No need to investigate. I know exactly who leaked them."

Rosamond turned and found Olympia standing right behind her, a laptop cradled in her arms.

"Attorney Henson, I've always looked up to you as a role model in the profession. I never imagined you were this kind of person. Colluding with opposing counsel for personal gain, deliberately leaking Pinnacle's files."

"You don't deserve to call yourself a lawyer."

Rosamond locked eyes with her, her brow drawn tight.

"Olympia, if you're going to make accusations, you'd better have proof."

"I have never colluded with opposing counsel, and I have never leaked Pinnacle's files."

Olympia let out a cold scoff.

"Of course you'd deny it. But lucky for us, I have a witness."

The words had barely left her mouth when the door swung open and Bryce walked in, crossing the room to stand before everyone.

"I can testify. Pinnacle's files were leaked by Rosamond."

The moment those words left his mouth, the last shred of warmth in Rosamond's heart vanished without a trace.

She never imagined Bryce would go this far for Olympia.

A sharp sting flooded her eyes. Her throat locked tight, and she forced herself to stay standing.

Bryce glanced at Rosamond, a flicker of guilt crossing his face.

"I apologize for my wife's conduct. I'll personally bear all losses suffered by Pinnacle Corp. Please... forgive her."

Before he even finished, Harold Lawrence hurled the stack of documents straight at Rosamond.

"Personally bear it? With what?"

"Forget the lawsuit involving two hundred million dollars in claims. Pinnacle's stock price tanked today alone. How exactly do you plan to cover that?"

"Henson, and you had the nerve to call yourself some undefeated attorney. What a joke! You'll be hearing from my lawyers."

Tears pooled at the rims of her eyes. Her throat was raw and parched. She clenched her jaw so hard her teeth ached, every breath a trembling sliver of pain. Rosamond's voice shook as she spoke.

"Mr. Lawrence, I'm begging you, trust me just this once. I swear on my career, I had nothing to do with this."

"Give me two days. I will find the truth."

Harold cut her off, his patience spent.

"Rosamond Henson, you really have no shame."

"Your own husband already admitted it, and you're still trying to weasel your way out? Instead of groveling here, you'd better start thinking about how you're going to handle the investigation."

He shoved her aside and stormed out.

Managing Partner Winslow fixed Rosamond with a vicious glare.

"Rosamond, do you have any idea how much trouble you've brought down on this firm?"

"Well? How do you propose we fix this?"

Rosamond turned and looked around. Every single colleague was pointing, whispering, their voices carrying just enough to reach her.

"So Rosamond's been sleeping with clients to land her cases. Guess that explains a lot."

"She always looked so prim and proper. Turns out she's been playing all kinds of games behind closed doors. Poor Mr. Delgado, marrying someone like that."

"I always said there was no way someone that young could be that good. Dirty tricks, obviously. Disgusting. Can't believe I've been working alongside her."

Rosamond stood trapped between Winslow and Olympia, forced to absorb every whisper and sneer.

Olympia's lips curled upward, her eyes bright with undisguised mockery.

Rosamond looked at Winslow. She had always been composed, but now her voice was nothing but tremors.

"Garrett, we've worked together for years. You don't trust me either?"

Winslow looked at her, then at Olympia, and spoke in a low, measured tone.

"Rosamond, the evidence is right in front of us. I'd be a fool not to believe it."

"This isn't just about Pinnacle needing answers. The firm needs answers too."

Olympia smiled faintly.

"If you ask me, Garrett, the simplest solution is to let Attorney Henson leave the firm."

"It's the only way to keep her from dragging the rest of us down."

The words hit Rosamond like a physical blow. She couldn't believe Olympia intended to destroy her completely. She opened her mouth to speak, but Bryce cut in first.

"That works. I'll compensate Pinnacle and the firm for their losses on her behalf. But I have one condition."

"After she's gone, Olympia takes her position."

Winslow considered this for a moment, then nodded.

"Fine. Rosamond, for the sake of our years together, I'll let you resign on your own terms."

Bitterness surged through her chest.

Just like that, in a handful of sentences, they had decided her fate.

Not the husband she had devoted herself to. Not the colleague she had trusted with her life. Not a single one of them had spared a thought for how she felt.

All they wanted was to push her out the door fast enough to make room for Olympia.

Something seized Rosamond's heart and squeezed. The bitterness spread through her veins like poison. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Her face was white. She bit down hard on the tip of her tongue, the sharp pain forcing her mind back into focus.

"On what grounds are you convicting me without hearing my side?"

"You all know perfectly well who's really behind this. Don't even think about pinning it on me."

"Pinnacle wants to investigate? Fine. I'll cooperate fully. But until that investigation is complete, I am not leaving this firm."

She reached for her phone.

Olympia hadn't expected that. A flash of panic crossed her eyes, and she looked at Bryce with a silent plea.

In the next second, Bryce snatched the phone from Rosamond's hand and smashed it against the floor.

"Rosamond, enough! Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough already?"

"Stop making a scene. Come home with me quietly, or things are going to get worse for everyone."

He was threatening her.

Winslow stared at Rosamond, his voice flat and detached.

"Rosamond, whether you stay at this firm is no longer your decision. If you won't resign, I'll have no choice but to terminate you."

"And when that happens, your reputation in this industry will be finished."

A chill settled deep inside her.

She looked at Winslow, the man who had once fought beside her, who had been both mentor and friend. He wore a different face now.

When she first joined, this firm had been a failing practice on the verge of shutting its doors. She had worked around the clock, hunting down cases, building connections, pulling it back from the brink and growing it into what it was today.

Back then, Winslow had taken her hand and told her the firm was as much hers as his. That they would watch it thrive together.

But somewhere along the way, he had changed. And now he was siding with outsiders to force her out.

For the first time in her life, Rosamond felt completely lost.

Without her realizing when it happened, Olympia had turned every person around her. Rosamond was truly, utterly alone.

Rosamond's throat felt stuffed with cotton, dry and raw.

Her fingers curled slowly into her palms, and her chest seized as though something had clamped down around her heart, squeezing until the air refused to come.

After a long silence, she looked at Bryce and Garrett, her voice low and steady:

"Fine. I'll resign from the firm."

She wanted to see exactly how far the firm would get without her.

Bryce visibly relaxed when she agreed.

He reached for her hand:

"Rosa, don't worry. Even if you're not practicing law anymore, I can take care of you."

Rosamond's expression didn't change. She sidestepped his hand, swallowing the pain, her tone flat:

"I don't need you to take care of me."

He'd already made his choice. There was no point pretending to care now.

Bryce's throat bobbed. He stared at Rosamond, dazed. The love that once filled her eyes had been replaced by something vast and empty, and it stung like looking into the sun.

His chest tightened with a dull, suffocating ache.

Why? He'd always loved Olympia, hadn't he? He'd only married Rosamond on impulse, out of spite.

Now Olympia had achieved her dream. She'd gotten what she wanted, taken Rosamond's place. He should be happy.

So why did the look of disappointment in Rosamond's eyes cut so deep?

It was probably just responsibility.

That was how Bryce consoled himself.

Right. Responsibility. He had married her, after all. Helping Olympia scheme against her like this was, admittedly, unfair.

But it didn't matter. They were still husband and wife. He'd make it up to her later.

The thought loosened the knot in his chest for a moment. He was about to say something when Olympia cut in:

"Bryce, come shopping with me."

"I'm about to get promoted, so I should pick up some gifts for my team."

Bryce glanced at Rosamond:

"Rosa, Olympia's still new in town. I need to look after her."

Rosamond's voice was even, the sorrow in her eyes fading into something blank:

"It's fine. Go."

Bryce blinked. Normally, whenever he mentioned spending time with Olympia, Rosamond would argue with him.

No matter how many times he insisted they were just friends, she never believed him.

Why was she so agreeable today?

He looked into her calm, unreadable eyes, and an inexplicable unease crept through him.

He started to explain without thinking:

"Don't worry, I'll come straight home after we're done. I won't be long"

Before he could finish, Olympia turned to him with a wounded expression:

"Bryce, I know you're worried Attorney Henson will get the wrong idea. It's okay, I can go by myself."

She managed a tight, brave smile:

"I'm used to being alone."

She turned and walked out, leaving behind a lonely silhouette.

Bryce's face crumpled with sympathy, and he hurried after her.

In his mind, Rosamond was the wife who would always forgive him. Whenever they fought, she'd find her own way to let it go without him having to lift a finger.

Olympia was different. She was high-maintenance. One wrong move and she'd sulk for days, exhausting everyone around her.

So he'd rather disappoint Rosamond than risk upsetting Olympia.

Rosamond stood rooted to the spot, motionless. Her entire body had gone rigid and cold. Sweat beaded along her spine. She bit down hard on her lip, but it did nothing to stop the chill spreading through her.

She watched the two of them leave and let out a bitter, quiet laugh.

She must have been blind all these years, believing Bryce actually loved her.

How had she forgotten? Every single time she and Olympia clashed, Bryce had taken Olympia's side. Every single time.

She cast a cool glance at Garrett and said quietly:

"You've wanted me out of this firm for a long time, haven't you?"

Guilt flickered across Garrett's face. Before he could respond, Rosamond cut him off:

"You got what you wanted."

"I hope you won't regret today's decision."

Without waiting for an answer, she walked to HR alone to process her resignation.

When they learned she was leaving, the HR staff were stunned. They'd watched Rosamond pour years of her life into this firm. No one expected her to leave so suddenly.

But given the rumors circulating the past two days, the shock faded quickly, replaced by quiet sympathy as they looked at her.

Rosamond clenched her fists, forcing herself to ignore the pitying glances. Once the paperwork was done, she walked out of the firm for the last time.

Back home, she called Martha Henson first:

"Mom, I've decided. I'm emigrating to the States with you and Dad."

Martha Henson paused for a beat, then her voice brightened:

"Really? You've finally come to your senses. Your father and I were so afraid you'd be stubborn and insist on staying."

"Don't worry, sweetheart. You can still practice law overseas. You don't have to chain yourself to one firm."

"What about Bryce? Is he coming with you, or staying behind for now?"

Rosamond's voice dropped:

"Mom, I think I need to get a divorce first."

"Could you and Dad help me with the immigration paperwork?"

"And Bryce's company... have Henson Group pull its investment. Once the divorce is final, I won't have anything to do with Delgado Group."

Bryce had always believed he'd built Delgado Group on talent alone. Fine. She'd let him prove it. Without Henson money behind him, she'd see how long his empire lasted.

Martha was surprised, but she'd always respected her daughter's decisions. She didn't press for details, only offered careful reminders:

"Your marriage is your own business. Your father and I won't interfere. We'll have our lawyers handle the investment withdrawal."

"If anything comes up that you can't handle, tell us."

Her mother's words thawed something in Rosamond's frozen chest, just slightly.

She nodded:

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll take care of it."

She'd barely hung up when a message came through from a colleague:

"Attorney Henson, we want to thank you for everything you've done for us over the years, so we'd like to throw you a farewell party."

"We've booked a villa on the south side of town for tonight. We're planning a get-together, maybe stay the night. Are you free?"

Rosamond had planned to slip away quietly, but these colleagues had always been good to her. After tonight, she might never see them again. She couldn't bring herself to refuse.

After a long moment of thought, she agreed.

She packed up a few things at home and rushed to the villa.

What she hadn't expected was Olympia.

Olympia stood in the center of the crowd, her fingers laced through Bryce's, her gaze landing on Rosamond with a glint of smug provocation:

"Attorney Henson, I never thought you'd actually show up to my promotion party."

"I knew Bryce wouldn't lie to me."

Rosamond instinctively looked toward the colleague who had sent her the message, only to find the woman staring at Bryce with guilt written all over her face.

That told her everything she needed to know.

Bryce had actually gone this far for Olympia. The man who had always been too proud for deception had learned to lie.

The grief in her chest was a steel needle, piercing her heart one slow millimeter at a time.

Bryce walked up to Rosamond, his voice low and flat.

"Today is Olympia's promotion banquet. She's still young, and some people at the firm might not respect her authority. You're here to lend her credibility."

Rosamond swallowed the bitterness rising in her throat, gave him one look, and turned to leave. But Bryce seized her arm.

"Rosamond, what do you think you're doing? If you walk out now, where does that leave Olympia?"

"You're her sister-in-law, for God's sake. Would it kill you to show a little generosity?"

Sister-in-law?

That was the exact excuse Bryce had used to force her into hiring Olympia at the firm in the first place.

Whenever Rosamond clashed with Olympia, he dragged out the same line, insisting she was the elder, the one who should yield.

Even now, he still hadn't exhausted that card.

Rosamond couldn't take it anymore. She wrenched her arm free.

"I'm no sister-in-law of hers!"

"Have you forgotten? Not once, from the very beginning, has she ever called me that."

She turned to leave without waiting for his reaction, but something caught her eye: the bracelet on Olympia's wrist.

Rosamond's heart slammed against her ribs.

That bracelet was part of her dowry from her mother, the only keepsake her late grandmother had left behind.

Rosamond closed the distance to Olympia in three strides and grabbed her arm.

"Where did you get this bracelet?"

Olympia let out a shriek, struggling wildly.

"Attorney Henson, what are you doing? Let go of me!"

Rosamond's voice was ice, her entire body radiating cold fury.

"I asked you a question. Why is this bracelet on your wrist?"

Before the words had fully left her mouth, a hard shove hit her between the shoulder blades, and a sharp pain tore through her arm.

She lost her grip on Olympia and went tumbling down the steps.

Bryce had Olympia in his arms, his frigid gaze fixed on Rosamond where she lay.

"Rosa, don't push it. I gave that bracelet to Olympia."

Rosamond's leg had struck the edge of a step. The pain was blinding, as if the bone had cracked.

Hearing those words, she forced herself upright, both hands pressed hard against her chest, and every humiliation she had swallowed over the years finally erupted.

"That was my mother's dowry to me! What right do you have to give it away? Give it back!"

Irritation creased Bryce's brow.

"It's just a bracelet. Olympia liked it, so I let her have it. What's the big deal, Rosamond? You're being incredibly petty."

Olympia put on a wounded expression.

"Bryce, since Attorney Henson doesn't want me to have it, I'll just give it back. Please don't fight over me."

Bryce stroked Olympia's hair, his voice soft with affection.

"Don't worry about it. I gave it to you, so it's yours. She's always been stingy. Just ignore her."

Rosamond's eyes were bloodshot.

"Stingy? Do you honestly think I don't know how much you've given her over the years?"

"I let everything else slide, but not this bracelet. If you won't return it, I'll call the police. It's my dowry. You had no right to dispose of it."

Bryce hadn't expected a reaction this fierce. For a moment, he just stood there.

Olympia had taken a liking to Rosamond's jewelry before, and every time he had simply let her have it.

Rosamond had never once made a scene. Why was this time different?

Seeing the dark resolve on her face, he finally relented.

"Fine. Stay and see Olympia through the rest of her promotion banquet, and I'll give the bracelet back."

Rosamond looked into his unyielding eyes and accepted, because she had no other choice.

She knew Bryce. Once he set a condition, he never went back on it.

The fact that he was willing to return the bracelet at all was already a concession.

When Olympia realized Bryce truly intended to give the bracelet back, a flash of venom crossed her eyes as she looked at Rosamond.

So Bryce still had some feelings for Rosamond after all. She would have to find a way to make him despise her completely.

The party began. Rosamond sat and watched as Bryce attended to Olympia's every need at the table.

Picking out the best dishes for her. Peeling shrimp for her.

Refilling her tea. Pouring her water.

A bitter ache spread through Rosamond's chest.

He had never done any of those things for her. Not once.

She had always assumed it was simply his nature, that he was too proud to bother with small gestures like these.

Now she understood. She simply wasn't worth the effort.

It didn't matter anymore. She had made her peace with it.

All she had to do was endure until the banquet ended, take back her grandmother's bracelet, and walk away, leaving Bryce to Olympia for good.

She would never insert herself between them again.

After a few rounds of drinks, the air inside felt suffocating. Rosamond slipped out alone to clear her head.

She had barely reached the pool when a hand closed around her arm.

Olympia stood there with a half-smile that wasn't quite a smile.

"What's Attorney Henson doing out here instead of inside? Couldn't stand watching me and Bryce together? Thinking of running?"

"I suppose it makes sense. You only got him because I went abroad. Now that you see how devoted he is to me, it must be unbearable."

"You really are shameless, you know that? He obviously doesn't love you, yet you cling to him like a barnacle. If I were you, I'd have been gone a long time ago."

Rosamond glanced at her, expression blank.

"I am leaving. Just not yet."

"I'm still waiting for you to return my bracelet."

Olympia ran her fingers along the jade on her wrist, a glint of malice in her eyes.

"And what if I said I have no intention of giving it back?"

Rosamond's voice was ice-cold.

"Then I'll have no choice but to call the police."

Olympia laughed, sliding the bracelet off her wrist as she did.

"Oh, right. How could I forget? You're the famous Attorney Henson. Getting a little bracelet back can't be that hard for you."

"But then again..."

She glanced at Rosamond, then slowly extended the hand holding the bracelet out over the swimming pool.

"What if this bracelet just... disappeared? Calling the police wouldn't do you much good then, would it?"

Rosamond's eyes locked onto Olympia's hand, every muscle in her face pulled taut.

"You wouldn't dare."

Olympia's expression twisted with malice.

"Wouldn't I? It's just a bracelet. Your own husband gave it to me. Even if I accidentally broke it, what are they going to do, throw me in jail?"

Her fingers began to loosen.

Rosamond lunged forward and grabbed her arm.

"Don't!"

"Whatever you want, I'll give it to you. Just give me the bracelet back!"

It was the last thing she had of her grandmother's. She would not stand by and watch it be destroyed.

Olympia's smile widened, bright and vicious.

"That's more like it. When you're begging someone, you should act like it."

"Now get on your knees. Maybe if I'm in a good mood, I'll give it back."

Rosamond stared at her, stunned. She hadn't imagined Olympia would stoop to this.

When Rosamond didn't move, Olympia raised the bracelet over the water again.

"I'll count to three. If you're not on your knees, it goes in."

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

"I'll kneel!"

Rosamond clenched her jaw, stripped herself of every shred of dignity, and sank to her knees on the cold tile.

Olympia burst out laughing.

"Oh my God, I never thought I'd see the day. The great Attorney Henson, so proud, so untouchable, kneeling at my feet like a dog."

"Rosamond, I told you a long time ago. I'd take everything from you. Do you believe me now?"

"Your husband, your career, all mine. And now your dignity is under my heel. What do you have left to be proud of?"

"If you know what's good for you, you'll crawl away from Bryce and never come back. Otherwise, I'll make things so much worse."

Grief, humiliation, and fury crashed through Rosamond all at once. She forced herself to hold still, to not fight back.

"Fine. Now can I have the bracelet?"

Olympia held the bracelet out to Rosamond with a careless flick of her wrist.

Rosamond's eyes lit up. She reached for it.

The next second, Olympia yanked her hand back and flung the bracelet into the pool.

It hit the water with a small splash, sending ripples fanning outward.

Rosamond froze for half a heartbeat, then threw herself in after it.

She'd forgotten she couldn't swim.

Olympia watched Rosamond thrashing in the water and turned to leave.

But a shout rang out from somewhere behind her. Her eyes darted, calculating, and she jumped in after her.

The freezing water swallowed Rosamond inch by inch. Just as her lungs were about to give out, someone hauled her to the surface.

She barely had time to gasp before Bryce's palm cracked across her face.

"Rosamond, you've gone too far! You know Olympia can't swim, and you pushed her in? Are you trying to kill her?!"

Olympia sobbed in Bryce's arms, her voice thin and trembling.

"Bryce, please don't blame Attorney Henson. It's my fault. I shouldn't have shown my face around her and upset her..."

Cold seeped through every cell in Rosamond's body. She was shaking so hard she could barely form words.

"I didn't push her. She threw my grandmother's bracelet into the pool. I went in to find it."

"I don't know why she ended up in the water."

Before she could finish, Olympia cut in.

"Attorney Henson, I know you don't like me, but you can't just make things up like this."

"Bryce already promised to return the bracelet to you. Why would I throw it away right in front of you?"

The crowd was buying every word. Rosamond pressed on, desperate.

"She really threw it in. Send someone down to look. If it's not there, I'll apologize to her on the spot."

She turned to find a staff member.

Bryce stopped her.

"Rosamond, when did you become such a liar?"

Something cracked inside her. Even someone as strong as Rosamond felt the sting of being accused again and again of things she hadn't done.

"Bryce, I have never lied. If you don't believe me, just wait until I get the bracelet out of the water..."

The words died on her lips. She stood frozen, staring, the shock plain on her face.

Because Bryce had just pulled her grandmother's bracelet from his jacket pocket.

He looked at her, his expression heavy with disgust.

"This is your grandmother's bracelet, isn't it?"

"Olympia gave it to me before the party even started. Asked me to return it to you. I didn't think I'd need it as evidence."

"Rosamond, you keep saying your grandmother loved you more than anyone. But now you're using her bracelet as a prop to frame Olympia."

"You are a complete disappointment. Since you care so little about this bracelet, let's put it out of its misery. At least then you can't use it to hurt anyone else."

Something dark and final crossed his face. He hurled the bracelet at the ground.

It shattered into pieces, just like her heart.

"No!"

Rosamond dropped to her knees, scrambling across the ground like a woman possessed, gathering every fragment she could find.

Bryce glanced down at her with flat, empty eyes.

"Pathetic."

Then he gathered Olympia in his arms and walked away.

Rosamond clutched the broken pieces to her chest and wept. She wept until she couldn't breathe, couldn't see, couldn't feel the shards slicing her palms open, blood running between her fingers.

"I'm sorry, Grandma. I'm so sorry..."

"It's all my fault. I couldn't even protect the one thing you left me..."

In the darkness, her phone screen flickered to life. A message from her mother.

Rosamond, your immigration paperwork is finalized. Your father and I will be waiting for you at the airport the morning after next.

Something stirred in the numb wasteland of her chest.

She could finally leave.

Rosamond stumbled back home and packed her things like a marionette, every movement hollow and mechanical.

All she wanted was to leave this place that had given her both boundless joy and unbearable pain, and never come back.

But the moment she reached the door, several bodyguards seized her and forced her into a car.

Rosamond fought with everything she had.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!"

She was no match for them. They dragged her to the hospital and threw her to the ground.

Every bone in her body screamed on impact. She forced herself to lift her head, and there stood Bryce, his face dark as a storm.

He stared down at her, his voice cutting through the sterile air.

"Satisfied now?"

"How did I end up with a wife this vicious? You'll stop at nothing to get rid of Olympia. Aren't you afraid of what's coming for you?"

Rosamond frowned, unable to understand what he was talking about.

Bryce caught the confusion in her eyes and scoffed.

"Don't tell me you didn't know Olympia has a clotting disorder."

"You heartless woman. You deliberately scratched her wrist underwater. She's still bleeding and they can't stop it."

"You're a lawyer, Rosamond. Don't you know that killing someone means paying with your life?"

Rosamond rushed to defend herself.

"How could I have scratched her? Have you forgotten? I can't even"

Bryce cut her off before she could finish, impatience carved into every line of his face.

"Olympia got hurt because of you. You're going to take responsibility."

"Take her in. Draw her blood. However much Olympia lost, that's how much comes out of her."

A deafening buzz filled Rosamond's skull. She never imagined Bryce could be this unhinged.

Her chest caved inward, as though something had clamped down on her lungs and refused to let go.

The bodyguards closed in. Rosamond thrashed against their grip.

"Bryce, this is illegal!"

"You can't do this to me!"

Bryce walked over and crouched in front of her. His fingers seized her chin, tilting her face up. His eyes were pure malice.

"Now you want to talk to me about the law?"

"Why didn't you think about consequences when you were hurting Olympia?"

"Take her in."

They dragged her into the operating room. She fought every inch of the way, and none of it mattered.

The needle slid into her vein, cold as ice, and the pain tore through her as though it had pierced her heart.

She felt her blood leaving her body. And with it, the last trace of love she had ever held for Bryce Delgado.

She told herself to endure it. He wouldn't actually let her die.

But the minutes crawled by, and no order came from outside to stop.

Rosamond felt herself being hollowed out. Her body grew so weak she couldn't even keep her eyes open.

A bitter ache rose in her chest.

Was she really going to die here today?

She wasn't ready. She had been so close to starting over.

Meanwhile, in the hospital corridor, a doctor stood before Bryce, sweat dripping from his forehead.

"Mr. Delgado, your wife has already had 1500cc drawn. She's at her absolute limit. If we continue, something will go very wrong."

Bryce barely glanced at him.

"How's Olympia?"

The doctor hesitated, stammering.

"Miss Galloway, her wound is quite deep. She's still in emergency treatment."

Under Bryce's withering stare, the doctor wiped his brow and forced the words out, his voice shaking.

"But rest assured, Miss Galloway is no longer in critical danger."

Only then did the edge in Bryce's gaze soften, just barely.

The doctor ventured carefully.

"Then... your wife..."

Bryce considered this for a moment, his tone flat.

"Keep going. Draw the full 2000cc."

"If I don't teach her a lesson this time, there's no telling what she'll do to Olympia next."

The doctor opened his mouth to protest, but under the weight of Bryce's stare, the words died in his throat.

Rosamond woke in a hospital bed.

She was so weak she couldn't sit up.

She reached for her phone to call her mother and knocked over the glass of water on the nightstand.

A familiar hand appeared, offering her a cup of warm water.

Rosamond forced her eyes open. Bryce's face filled her vision, inches away.

He propped her up and brought the cup to her lips.

"I know you're still upset, but you went too far yesterday."

"If I didn't teach you a lesson, how would I face Olympia?"

"Come on, don't be angry. I'll take you to visit your parents in a couple of days. That should make up for it, right?"

Rosamond listened to his magnanimous tone and, for the first time, felt a wave of pure disgust at herself.

How pathetically small had she made herself, that Bryce Delgado believed a visit to her parents was a grand enough favor to offer?

Grand enough to cancel out having 2000cc of blood ripped from her body.

When she didn't respond, Bryce took her silence for surrender. He smiled and ruffled her hair.

"I knew my Rosa would be a good girl."

"The person you should really be thanking is Olympia. She knew perfectly well you scratched her on purpose, and she still chose not to press charges."

"So to show your gratitude, don't you think you should hand over all your professional contacts and resources at the firm to her?"

Rosamond was so furious she almost laughed. No wonder he'd shown up to "take care of her" today. He'd come to collect her professional resources for his precious childhood sweetheart. She sat rigid on the hospital bed, not moving a muscle, forcing down the emotions threatening to erupt from her chest. After a long silence, she lifted her gaze to meet Bryce's eyes and spoke, each word deliberate: "My resources. I'd sooner throw them in the trash than hand them to her." Bryce hadn't expected such defiance. His expression darkened instantly. "Rosa, I suggest you think this through. You've already resigned from the firm. Those contacts are useless to you now." "You hurt Olympia. Compensating her with them is the least you can do. Don't be so petty." A sharp pain lanced through Rosamond's chest, and for a moment the world narrowed to nothing but that ache. Olympia had spread lies and framed her, costing her everything she'd built at the firm. These two had shattered her grandmother's keepsake. Last night, they'd nearly killed her on the operating table. And now Bryce was telling her she needed to hand over her professional network to Olympia on a silver platter, to atone for crimes she never committed. What a joke. Rosamond's lips twisted into a cold, humorless smile. "Why should I compensate her?" "Give me one reason." The words had barely left her mouth when Olympia burst into the room, tears streaming down her face. She grabbed Bryce's sleeve, her eyes brimming with wounded innocence. "Bryce, please don't upset Rosamond because of me. I know she hates me. Of course she'd refuse to share her resources." "Rosamond, this is my fault. I shouldn't have come between you two. Hit me, yell at me, I can take it. Just please don't be angry with Bryce. He works so hard running that company all by himself." "I'll go. I'll leave and never bother you again..." She made a show of struggling toward the door. But for someone so desperate to leave, her eyes kept darting back to Bryce, and her feet hadn't moved an inch. Rosamond watched the performance with cold detachment. Not a ripple of emotion stirred inside her. Bryce, however, pulled Olympia into his arms, his voice aching with tenderness. "Olympia, you've done nothing wrong. Why would you leave?" "She's the one being difficult. Don't worry. I'll get those resources for you today." He turned to Rosamond, his face like a storm cloud, and his voice cut through the room: "Since you insist on being unreasonable, I see no reason to spare your dignity." "Rosamond, don't forget. The final draft of your thesis is still in my hands. If you won't cooperate, I'll have no choice but to release it for everyone to 'study.'" Rosamond's eyes went dark. Her voice rose. "You wouldn't dare."

Her fingers curled inward, nails biting into her palms. Something tightened around her heart like a wire, and a suffocating pressure flooded her chest.

That thesis was the culmination of years of work with her advisor. It was their shared achievement.

She'd never guarded herself against Bryce. She never imagined he'd turn it into a weapon.

Whatever warmth remained in Rosamond's heart went cold.

She'd misjudged him. She could accept that now.

When she looked up again, her eyes were empty. Completely, utterly empty.

"Fine. I'll hand the resources over to Olympia. But I want to watch you delete every copy of that thesis with my own eyes. And you'll sign an agreement guaranteeing you'll never leak it."

Bryce shrugged, unbothered.

"Sure. No problem."

"I'm not that low."

He studied Rosamond's composed expression, and a flicker of unease stirred in his gut for no reason he could name.

She wouldn't divorce him over this, would she?

The thought lasted barely a second before he dismissed it entirely.

She loved him too much. She'd never leave.

He'd just have to sweet-talk her afterward. That would fix things.

With that settled in his mind, his gaze toward Rosamond softened a fraction.

"Come on, Rosa. Don't sulk. From now on, just stay home and be a good wife."

"Once you've recovered, we'll start trying for a baby. It's what my mother's always wanted."

"Oh, and since you're going to be a full-time homemaker, I'm bringing my mother here from back home. She was thrilled when she heard you'd agreed to have children. Make sure you treat her well."

Rosamond thought of Bryce's mother, Layla Delgado, and a wave of revulsion washed through her.

Layla had always adored Olympia. The moment she learned Bryce had married Rosamond instead, she'd treated her like a homewrecker who'd stolen her son from his true love.

The woman's tongue was vicious, and her real goal had always been to break Rosamond down.

Washing her feet. Waking at five in the morning to cook for her. Being forbidden from eating at the same table.

In the early months of the marriage, Rosamond had swallowed more humiliation than she could count.

Thankfully, Bryce had sent his mother back before long. Otherwise, Rosamond wasn't sure how much longer she could have endured it.

Bryce noticed her silence and frowned with displeasure.

"My mother has some old-fashioned ideas, sure. But she's still your mother-in-law. Grin and bear it."

"Her train arrives tomorrow at three. Make sure you're there to pick her up."

Rosamond laughed to herself. A bitter, silent laugh.

Funny how she'd never noticed what a devoted son Bryce was.

He opened his mouth to say more, but his phone rang. His assistant's number.

She couldn't make out the other end of the conversation, only catching fragments: "pulling out"... "leaving the country."

Bryce barked a few quick instructions to Olympia and rushed out of the hospital.

The second he was gone, Olympia dropped the act.

She swept a triumphant look over Rosamond, her voice dripping with contempt.

"Rosamond, oh Rosamond. A wife reduced to this. How do you even show your face?"

"If I were you, I'd have had the sense to leave a long time ago."

Rosamond glanced at her, her tone flat and unbothered.

"And I never imagined a mistress could be this shameless about it."

Olympia's face twisted with rage. She fixed Rosamond with a vicious glare.

"Don't get cocky. Mrs. Delgado arrives tomorrow, and she happens to adore me. Once she's here, your life will be a hundred times worse than it is now."

"Look forward to it."

With that parting shot, Olympia swayed out of the room on her heels.

Rosamond watched her go and let out a quiet, scornful breath. Layla Delgado was a force of nature. Olympia, did you really think you'd fare any better under that woman's roof?

But none of that was Rosamond's problem anymore. She looked away, picked up her phone, and called her mother, asking her to send someone to the hospital.

She didn't dare tell her parents about the night before. She said only that she'd fainted from a fever.

Noel and Martha were skeptical, but Rosamond held firm, and in the end they didn't press further.

Early the next morning, Rosamond sent everything she'd prepared to her lawyer, blocked Bryce's number, and boarded a plane without looking back.