Chapter 14
Maxwell agreeing to a divorce out of the blue really caught Rosemary off guard. But it was something she’d been dying for, right?
With a victorious grin, che said, “Thanks for giving me the green light, Mr. Templeton ”
Then she spun on her heel and left that vibe–killing place behind.
Back home that evening, Rosemary tossed all the documents she’d need in the morning into her bag. But when she caught sight of their photo, she zoned out for a second.
This was their only pic together in three years of marriage. She stared at the expressionless dude in the photo, a pang of hurt starting to creep up on her.
At least it was finally curtains for this soul–sucking marriage. No more sitting in an echoey living room every night, eyeballing the clock on the wall, wondering if her hubby would come home, or getting all fluttery over his accidental touches, only to realize she’d been foolishly sentimental.
Rosemary took one last look at the photo, and then nonchalantly slid the certificate into her bag.
The next day, she was up at the crack of dawn, after a night of tossing and turning in a half–sleep daze.
Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, she faced her pale, haggard reflection, with two telltale dark circles under her eyes. To look a bit more alive, Rosemary dolled herself up with a heavier makeup job.
Fearing traffic, she left early, but the roads were clear, and she barely hit any red lights before reaching the place.
Checking the time, she was an hour early. It seemed even God thought their divorce was the right move, letting her breeze through rush hour to her destination.
In the peak of summer, the 8 a.m. sun was scorching. Rosemary found a shady spot to wait in. That was when she got a message from Yolanda, “Rosemary, need me to tag along?”
She cracked a smile and replied, “Nah, it’s not like I’m heading to a brawl. I can handle a divorce solo.
No sooner had she sent the message than a call came in from the Templeton villa. Only Wendy would call from that number, and it had to be about Pearl.
Rosemary frowned, not really in the mood to answer. With the divorce just around the corner, she didn’t want any last–minute curveballs.
As she hesitated, the call dropped. She breathed a sigh of relief, but then Wendy was on the line again.
Rosemary’s frown deepened. A repeat call? Must be something urgent. A wave of anxiety hit her, and without overthinking, she answered, “Wendy, what’s up?”
“Mrs. Rosemary Templeton, Mrs. Pearl Templeton just passed out while eating breakfast! Hurry over to the hospital; the doc needs a family member to sign off!” Wendy sounded close to tears.
Rosemary’s face tensed up as she bolted to hail a cab, replying, “Got it. Keep cool; I’m on my way!”
Half an hour later, the car parked outside the hospital. She dashed into the emergency room, a familiar route by now.
Upon seeing her, Wendy rushed over, clutching Pearl’s shawl, “Mrs. Pearl Templeton fell asleep in the tub last night, probably caught a chill, and that’s what kicked off the fever.”
Ever since Pearl had Maxwell, she’d been so delicate, getting sick at the drop of a hat, and always in a big. unexpected way. Even a fever could send her knocking on death’s door.
Rosemary held her breath, wiped the sweat from her face, and asked, “Did you call Maxwell?”
Wendy shook her head. Rosemary wasn’t surprised. Maxwell’s always swamped with work, and Wendy had
gotten used to calling her for anything important. But with the divorce imminent, Maxwell needed to be the go–to guy from now on
“Wendy, call Maxwell now.”
Before she could finish, the doors to the emergency room swung open, and the doctor stepped out, “Family of Pearl’s?”
Rosemary hurried forward, “That’s me. How’s she, doc?”
The doctor gave her a once–over, “Patient’s out of danger for now, brought back from the brink, but she’s unconscious. I suggest a full–body checkup to be sure.”
Rosemary’s heart skipped a beat as she glanced at Wendy, who was already heading back into the ER.
Rosemary queried, “Doc, is there something wrong with her health?”
“Can’t say for sure until we get the results. Arrange the tests as soon as you can.”
After the doctor left, Rosemary could tell something was off.
Pearl was later moved to a regular ward. Rosemary stayed by her side while Wendy went back to make some healing soup.
Seeing the weakened woman on the bed, Rosemary tidied her messy hair. She took Pearl as her mother; no matter what happened between her and Maxwell, she’d keep visiting the old lady.
Lost in thought, Pearl woke up. She always had low blood pressure and was prone to fainting, so waking up in a hospital was nothing new.
“Rosemary, sorry to be a bother again.”
“Pearl, it’s no bother. Are you feeling okay anywhere? I’ll get the doctor.”
Pearl gripped her hand, shaking her head, “It’s the same old thing. I’ll be fine in a couple of days.”
Her eyes landed on Rosemary’s made–up face, and she asked with a smile, “You look so pretty today, Rosemary. You should doll up like this more often. Got a date with Maxwell?”
Rosemary rarely put on such a polished look; naturally beautiful with great skin, she was a knockout at that
moment.
She didn’t want to worry Pearl by saying she was actually going to finalize her divorce with Maxwell, so she stayed silent.
Pearl took her silence as confirmation and was over the moon, “I’m fine now. You go have fun with Maxwell. Wendy will be here soon; she can take care of me.”
Rosemary held her hand, “Pearl, since you’re here, let’s just do a full checkup. It’ll give me and Maxwell some peace of mind.”
At the mention of tests, Pearl instinctively shook her head, a tad resisting the advice. Before she could event utter a word, Rosemary’s phone started buzzing. A glance at the screen showed it was Maxwell calling.
Rosemary answered, about to speak, when she heard a man’s voice on the other end, barely containing his anger, demanding, “Rosemary, are you pulling my leg?”
Chapter 15
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