5
The moment he saw the car, her father narrowed his eyes. For a moment, he paused at the edge of the driveway, staring at the darkened glass. Rosa felt heat crawl up under her skin. She took in and released deep breaths before she reached for the handle of the door. She took one last swipe of her face with the back of her hand before she stepped out of the car, straightening her coat as she walked towards him.
“Rosa,” he said, sounding a bit surprised in a way that never reached his face. Rosa thought for a moment that he might he might walk towards her but after a beat, he hoisted his shoulders and pointed at the gates instead. “Come in.”
She could tell by the way he kept his shoulders that she wasn't really welcome here.
The stones on the driveway dulled her shoes as she followed him up the drive. Her thoughts came flooding in as she walked behind him. Should I just tell him everything? Start small? Or should she start with the facts or the feelings?
When they got to the front door, he nudged it open and strode inside in silence. Leaves trailed behind him as he went for the door, while Rosa followed him into the cold perfumed house.
The sitting room remained as it had always been. The floorboards gleamed, the furniture was spaced for aesthetic appeal rather than relaxation, and a vase of lilies was placed on the coffee table. She found her mother seated in one of the armchairs with a magazine in her lap.
“Rosa,” her mother said, sounding polite as though she had just seen an acquaintance from the other side of the room. “What a surprise.”
Her mother's eyes quickly roamed over her, sizing her up. “How is Kevin?” She asked it, as if it were the most normal question in the world. “I heard…” she cocked her head, “Party rumors.”
The look in her mother's eyes turned into a glare as Rosa hesitated.
“Well, you know how people talk,” her mother continued. “There was… a scene about your infidelity. I just thought it was insane, you know,” she said. She hesitated for a second as if choosing her words carefully before she spoke again. “Kevin's reaction...well, he is very passionate. That kind of excitement tends to make people overreact.”
Rosa’s jaw tightened. “Excitement?” she repeated. Her mother raised a hand. “ I'm not entirely letting the guy off, but you do know how these things go.”
Her father remained rooted by the door, with his hands in his pockets. Though his expression was unreadable, Rosa caught the swift look he and her mother shared with one another. She inhaled deeply, as the words fell off her lips. “I left him.”
There was a brief silence before her mother spoke. “You left?” Her mother asked flatly.
“You have no idea what I had to face with him. The constant pressure. The insults. His mother is treating me badly every single day. And then—” her voice choked with five years of rage, “I walked into his office and caught him being intimate with Sandra.”
Her parents said nothing. For a brief moment, she believed that by revealing his true identity to them, he would somehow make everything all right.
But then, lines appeared between her father's brows. “Rosa, we are worried about you,” he said evenly.
“In a marriage… You can't just walk away. Kevin’s family is important. Perhaps they will take you back if you play your cards right.”
Rosa felt her stomach turn. “Take me back?”
“He made a mistake, Rosa. Men do that a lot. You can't lose your position because of a single misstep.” Her mother said in the most calming voice Rosa had ever heard.
“One mistake?” Despite her effort to keep it steady, Rosa's voice rose.
“That wasn't a mistake, it was a choice. And it wasn’t just that. It was also in the way he treated me and also allowed his family to treat me.”
“You can put more effort into it,” her father said. “These are problems that can be managed. It’s about strategy.”
“Strategy?” Rosa felt the heat rise in her face as she watched them. “It's my life we are talking about here and not a business deal.”
Her mother's eyes softened, “Do you think I had it easy with your dad? Marriage takes patience. Sometimes, you just have to take it easy.”
Rosa’s throat burned. “You mean I should have given in and borne all of that?”
“We are saying,” her father answered quietly “that walking away now can close certain doors of opportunities that you won't be able to open later.”
Rosa shook her head, as she struggled to put out her words. “You want me to return to a man who never respected me? A man who humiliated and cheated on me?”
Her mother sighed. “Now we are not telling you to go back. We are just telling you not to make decisions that can haunt you later.”
Rosa felt her eyes blur again but she straightened herself as she took in a deep breath. She wasn't going to break, certainly not in front of the. “I can never trust him again.”
Her father turned his gaze to look at the door and then met her gaze. “Think about what you’re doing. Kevin’s family has influence. More than you can realise and that matters.”
Her mother placed her hands in her lap. “If you want to work it out, we will help you do that. If you don't…” she trailed off, looking cool. “Good.”
Rosa felt a heavy impact land on her chest. She had allowed herself to drive down here with the hope of maybe finding some kind of solace. But instead, all she got was the same cold detachment she had grown up to know before now.
“I am not going back,” Rosa said. “Not now. Not ever.”
Her father’s brow rose. “You’re being rash. Emotions often clutter our judgements.”
“This is not mere emotion,” she said, as her hands curled in her lap. “This is about my survival. And I am not going to forgive him.”
Here mother shifted slightly in her seat. “You actually believe that ending your marriage is going to make life any better? Have you thought of how unsafe you'll end up without all the security you have enjoyed?”
Rosa let out a toneless laugh. “Security? Are we talking about the same security you bought for me when you forced me to marry him?”
Her father clenched his jaw. “We gave you a chance that most women will never get. Whatever minor debts Kevin may have accrued were nothing compared to the possibilities of his position.”
Rosa’s chest tightened. “You got him out from under his debts and sold me in the bargain.”
Her mother’s lips pressed together. “You were never sold. You were… matched. Good pairing.”
Rosa glanced between them, in hopes that they've seen the mark their words have done to her. Even if it was to be in a glimpse of compassion. But there was none.
“I am done,” she muttered. Her father eyed her suspiciously, leaning back. "You seem to be sure about that. Well then, hold on tight for what comes next.”
Rosa’s thoughts stirred uneasily within her. She had been brought up in privilege, but there was no such thing as unconditional comfort. She knew even as a child that in love there would always be a condition. She grew up to be taught how to act right, do well, and make choices her family could be proud of. Kevin was one of those choices. Luna, her parents had called it. A partnership for them. And a chance for her to be queen someday.
And Rosa was so young and naive enough to think she might love it. Kevin had been so charming then. He gave her all his attention when she spoke. And now she knew better.
She was suddenly brought back to reality as her mother's voice reached her. “Sulking over the past is not going to get you anywhere. You should concentrate on your next steps.”
“Whatever happens, I can go on living without him,” Rosa said, quietly but steadily.
Her father’s expression didn’t change. “We'll see how long that lasts.”
Rosa didn’t bother answering. She sat a little deeper into a seat and allowed the gravity of their words to hang heavy in the air for a moment before she thought of breaking the tension. “I heard that there will be a full moon ball, next week.”
Her mother’s gaze flickered briefly. “Yes. It's the biggest gathering of the season.”
Rosa hesitated. “Will Kevin be there?”
Her mother gave her a small smile. “That depends. Although you should go through. You know how to show your face. Just to make sure that they stop saying stuff about you.”
“I'm really not int—” Rosa began to talk, but was shushed by her mother.
Her voice sounded a bit too casual as she added, “We can discuss it when we see each other at the
Full moon ball next week. You’ll attend, won’t you?”