49. Rosenna
Chapter forty-nine
Rosenna
P ulling up outside of Gavin’s family home, my heart raced in my chest as I stared blankly ahead. Cars were parked in the driveway, and I was sure our happy families were mingling inside, waiting for their children to arrive.
My skin crawled at the thought of facing everyone head-on. I was growing more nervous by the second.
Stepping outside of the car, I held Beckham’s hand as he assisted me. I squeezed it gently as he looked down at me, waiting patiently for me to get my thoughts in order. After a moment, I sighed as I looked over my shoulder.
“I should probably go in first, see how things are and ease you inside without seeming too suspicious.”
Beckham placed a small kiss on my forehead. “Trying to push our relationship under the rug, Flower?” he teased.
I shook my head. “No... it’s not like that. I-I already told my dad Gavin and I were having problems. I just don’t want him to assume the worst if my client walks in with his arm around my waist as a first impression.”
“So you want me to come in after a few minutes... give or take if your ex-husband hasn’t already sent the video of us committing adultery?”
I shooed him away. His lips held the tiniest of smiles, and my heart fluttered, knowing I was the reason for it.
He wrapped his annoyingly sexy arms around my waist as he tilted his head. “Regardless of what you told your father or what happened with Gavin, I just want you to be okay, Flower. If you won’t be able to handle them after the rough morning you had, we can leave.”
“Can’t exactly back down now though... It’s almost over. I should just suck it up and get it over with, right?”
“You should prioritize your mental health and protect your peace.”
“If I did that, I would have never ended up in your studio in the first place... Or gone back time and time again,” I recalled, remembering how I tried to protect the peace that was my marriage by trying to stay away from this man. How wrong I was to think I would ever succeed...
In response, Beckham placed a small kiss on my collarbone, and I giggled, trying to push him away.
His phone rang after a moment, and he looked down at it before letting out a sigh.
“Perfect timing… I’ll be inside in a minute.” He placed another kiss on my lips before holding the phone to his ear and speaking to what sounded like one of his father’s financial advisors.
I had little time to ogle the perfect man before me as he stepped away, his shoulders tensing sexily as he practically barked orders into the phone. If I was feeling frisky, I’d pull him into the backseat and let him take his frustration out on me as he spoke into the phone, but now was not the time to embrace the horny masochist he made me into.
Now was the time to face my parents and in-laws head-on. Approaching the door, I pushed it open and bit my lip as voices were heard in the dining room. As my heels clicked against the floor, my mother was the first to notice me, standing by my father obediently as he spoke to Gavin’s father.
Their eyes found their way over to me, and a smile graced my father’s lips. Nancy’s gaze found me next, then Patrick’s.
“Rosie, sweetie, so good to see you.” My father grinned, and I sent him a forced smile before nodding as he pulled me into a rather uncomfortable side hug. This was all a front for Gavin’s parents—he’d never had done that otherwise—but I allowed it, for now, then let him lead me properly inside.
Gavin and I both didn’t have siblings or many close cousins, so the closer I got to the dining room, the more I became rather confused by the woman sitting at the table holding her infant son. She seemed rather nice on the surface and was extremely beautiful as she sent me a smile. I sent her one back as a feeling of unease settled in the pit of my stomach.
“Oh, and this is Grace and her son Cory. She’s a friend of Nancy,” my father clarified.
I cleared my throat. “It’s nice to meet you.”
She smiled. “Likewise.”
“I hear the art exhibit with Vincent Garcia’s son was a complete success, Rosenna,” said Patrick. “So glad everything turned out well.” He tipped his wine glass towards me.
I bit my tongue as I nodded. It wasn’t like he’d warned me about stretching myself too thin or anything just a few months ago.
“I’ve been wanting to meet the man ever since I walked into her gallery. I’m hoping to meet him at least at some point before flying back home,” my father said, looking over to me.
“You’ll meet him soon,” I remarked.
Nancy finally spoke, souring the somewhat tranquil mood.
“Where’s Gavin? I hear, apparently, you both have been having problems? I would think you’d at least try to show up with your husband to alleviate any assumptions that we could make.”
“He’s still getting ready at home,” I said, the words sounding bitter.
“A good wife wouldn’t leave her husband to get ready on his own. Such a shame you didn’t pick up any redeeming qualities from Elise,” she remarked—while my mother sat silently, sipping water instead of the wine that filled my in-laws’ and father’s glasses.
My jaw clenched in irritation. I could only imagine why my mother didn’t have a wine glass like everyone else. She wasn’t a big drinker, but my father kept her under his thumb. Little things, like making her drink water instead of the wine being served to the entire table, were him using his subtle mind games to control her.
Clearly I had picked up a few qualities from her, given the way I’d endured Gavin’s treatment all these years. Whether or not those qualities were “redeeming” was still up for debate.
My expression seemed to catch my father’s attention, as he let out a small chuckle to ease the growing tension. “What Nancy means, honey, is just that we’re all just concerned about you and Gavin. It’s a delicate time, and we want to support you both. Especially since talks of you having a child have been going round.”
My mind almost went blank as thoughts of just an hour or so ago surfaced, reminding me of how my world crumbled before me as I was made aware of Gavin’s plethora of illegitimate children.
If I was crazy, I would have given in to the insane thought of Grace being a part of that list, but my memory of the birth certificate names was foggy.
And no wonder. I was practically running on endorphins alone, trying to block the pain of my entirely fucked reality. But my father’s words still stung, so much so that I could barely even form a sentence.
The front door opened, and I listened as footsteps approached.
I could feel his presence as he entered and stood a respectable distance behind me.
My father spoke, confused. “Why, this is unexpected. Rosie, you didn’t tell us you were bringing a guest.”
Beckham walked past me to shake my father’s annoyingly outstretched hand.
“Beckham Garcia. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hart.”
My spine pulled a bit straighter as a smile graced Beckham’s lips. Any outsider would have seen it as a friendly gesture. However, it made my skin crawl, knowing how fake it was as his sadistic eyes gave it away.
“Mr. Garcia,” my father replied with a smile, his gaze shifting between the two of us. “The pleasure is mine. Rosie, you should have informed us about your newest client joining us for brunch.”
“Rosenna extended the invitation a week or so ago, but I didn’t give her a set answer. My meeting for this afternoon was canceled, and I thought I might drop by. I hope I’m not intruding.”
My father shook his head. “Not at all, Mr. Garcia. We’re delighted to have you.” However, I could immediately tell something was off. Nancy seemed rather put off by Beckham’s presence, as was my father and Patrick.
Looking at their expressions, I had to silently thank Beckham, knowing he had prevented this get-together from turning into the intervention to “fix” my marriage with Gavin.
Patrick spoke after a moment. “Actually, maybe you could help us out downstairs. Eric and I were debating what wine to pull from the cellar. Maybe you could give us a hand.”
Beckham shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”
As my father and Patrick headed down, Beckham followed after them, not sparing me a glance; however, my heart fluttered again as he shamelessly ran his hand over my waist while he squeezed past me.
I would have sent the back of his head a glare. Yet, I was more concerned about whether any of the other women had noticed.
Thankfully, Nancy was helping Grace with the baby. However, as my eyes met my mother’s, my heart sank to my stomach: her eyes were locked directly on me.
Her gaze was scrutinizing as she took a sip of water, and as hard as I tried to make my face seem emotionless, it was pointless as she could see right through me.
Maybe I was overthinking this. Maybe she didn’t see anything.
As if she had read my thoughts, her gaze softened, and she looked away as if nothing had happened. And I, instead, stared at her, confused by her actions. However, my thinking was cut short as Nancy bitched once again.
“I can see why you have no time for your husband, Rosenna,” she began.
My mother and I snapped our eyes over to her as my breath hitched.
“I-I’m... I’m sorry?” I asked, my heart racing.
“Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? Of all the things you could be—a bad wife, a lousy cook, a disrespectful daughter-in-law—I never thought you’d be a gold digger. That’s the only reason you went out and found a random billionaire’s son to provide artwork for your gallery, right? I can only assume you were able to get him as a client by spreading your legs for him.” Nancy’s gaze pierced through me.
I felt as though the world would swallow me whole.
My mother, who was usually... well... who was always silent, placed a hand on my lower back.
“Nancy, that’s quite enough,” she interjected, her voice soft and low but laced with a steeliness I’d rarely heard from her.
Nancy’s eyes narrowed momentarily at us.
I placed my clutch on the table. “Who are you to make assumptions about who I am? All I’ve ever done is try to please Gavin and you. Nothing I ever do is good enough for you.”
“Obviously, someone is to blame for that. Do you think it should be the man who provides for his wife or the wife who couldn’t be bothered to value who he is?”
“Nancy—” my mother began, and Nancy glared at her as the rage inside of me started to build once again. Grace, who seemed to be in the middle of this, was quiet.
“Elise, my son deserves better than a woman who would put her business endeavors over him and their future prospect of growing a family.”
“And you don’t think I deserve better than him?” I asked. The atmosphere thickened. Tears threatened to come to my eyes. “That I don’t deserve to be demeaned every time I have an opinion? That I don’t deserve to build a career for myself because he wants me to make a home for him? That I don’t deserve to be told the truth of our marriage and how it’s been a disaster since we made our vows?”
Nancy’s face hardened. “This is absolute nonsense. I would have expected your daughter to at least learn some respect for her mother-in-law, Elise.”
“You mean the misogynistic, sexist, and shallow mother-in-law, right?” I asked, moving to take a step toward her. However, my mother had a death grip on the back of my dress, holding me in place.
“Am I supposed to be offended by my son’s lazy wife hurdling insults my way?”
“Am I supposed to be silent and obedient while you tear me down for the hundredth time? If Beckham wasn’t here, I could only imagine how much more intolerable you would be.”
“And if that man weren’t here, I would only assume you would be preparing to arrive with your husband.”
My father returned.
“Seems as though the two of you have already run into a bit of an issue,” he muttered, voice laced with anger and glaring right at me.
Beckham and Patrick were back too.
Patrick said, “Why don’t we all take a trip to the patio for a breather? I’m sure that would calm things down a bit.”
But I couldn’t help myself. It was now or never. As if the words were burning to exit my mouth, I sputtered:
“Gavin and I are getting a divorce.”
Beckham
Passing by my flower, I had to hold in my smile as her body trembled slightly at my touch.
The tension between us even in this intense environment was undeniable, inescapable, but I had other matters to attend to for the time being.
Eric Hart . The man who raised Rosenna. The man who failed her.
They had some similarities, though she was the spitting image of her mother while Eric seemed to cast his shadow over her in other ways.
Following her father down the steps of Gavin’s family home, we entered the basement that resembled a small luxury lounge, a man’s sanctuary, a place where deals were made over fine wine and smoke-filled conversations.
Patrick walked over the wall of wine, looking at it inquisitively. “Any requests?”
Eric looked over to me with a smile. “You’re our guest, Garcia. Please, by all means.”
Leaning against the bar, I looked over the average collection. “The 1980 Chateau would be a modest start to brunch.”
Patrick gave an approving nod, reaching for the bottle as Eric observed me with quiet interest.
“You sure know your wine, Garcia.”
I could only give a hint of a smile as I responded truthfully, “Rosenna knows better than me.”
Seeing her face light up at my collection as she picked out what would go well with our dinner was enough for me to keep an overstock of her rather expensive favorites.
Eric’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes at my comment. Seemed I’d struck a nerve. His fingers twitched around the glass Patrick poured him, but he hid it well. Probably didn’t like that I knew his daughter’s tastes better than he did.
“Don’t let Nancy hear you,” Patrick mused. “She’ll go on again about how your daughter is a certified drunk.”
My mood darkened, my hand tightening around my glass. Eric, on the other hand, let out a chuckle.
“Why do you think I never let Elise drink? If she did I wouldn’t know what to do with her.” He laughed. Patrick joined in.
I was silent.
When their laughter had died down, I took a slow sip of my wine, deliberately unimpressed as Eric pursed his lips.
“So,” he continued, switching gears, “tell me…what’s the son of a billionaire doing spending all his time making art? I assume your father would be grooming you for business.”
“When the time comes, I’ll inherit it. But for now, he’s shouldering the responsibilities.”
He smirked. “You know when I was working at the firm, I had Gavin right by my side to make sure he knew exactly what to do when it was time to pass it down to him. I guess the times have changed, huh?”
My fingers tapped against my glass once, my eyes never leaving his. “Well, Gavin and I are different in many ways… Rosenna will be the first to tell you that. ”
Eric’s expression stiffened just slightly. “Oh, is that right? Well… you seemed to have my daughter all figured out then.”
“I’ve done my due diligence to get to know her as a client .”
“A client,” Eric repeated, swirling his glass. “Well… she’s always been an impulsive one. Stubborn. You must have the patience of a saint.”
I smiled faintly. “‘Patience’ isn’t the word I’d use.”
His brows lifted. “No?”
“No,” I said smoothly. “I’m not the patient type.”
“Sounding more like Gavin by the minute,” Patrick muttered.
I could only let out another smirk.
Eric was silent. Then, slowly, he smiled—though it never reached his eyes. It looked as though he wanted to say more; however, a commotion of voices upstairs grew louder, cutting our conversation short. Taking the lead, Patrick made a move to the steps and I gave Eric a final lingering look before I followed suit.