Prologue
"Why did you go there, dad? She doesn't love you and neither do you. Let her go, dad," said a thirteen year old Axel McAllister, agitatedly. He was worried about his dad Allen McAllister, who lay wounded on the bed after engaging in a fight over his ex-fiancée.
Axel's mom abandoned them after giving birth to him to marry another man. He hated his mom. His dad was the only family he had. It was his dad who had brought him up since he was born, taking care of him like no mom ever could. So, it was quite likely that he would panic when his dad was released from the hospital with two broken ribs and lots of bruises.
Why couldn't his dad see that Rosalie Edwards wasn't worth the trouble? His dad didn't love her at all and Axel himself hated her too. She never made an effort to even meet him. His dad's marrying her would have been such a bad idea. Thankfully she eloped with her boyfriend.
"Axe, I thought she'd be a good mom to you," said his dad.
"I don't need a mom. I have you, dad. That's enough for me. Please dad, she's got a boyfriend too. She's betraying your trust. Can't you see that?" Spoke Axel in earnest.
"You're right. I'll meet her and break off the engagement. Are you happy now?" Asked Allen as he lay down in a comfortable position on his bed. He was in pain from his broken ribs and sore injuries. He shouldn't have gone to Rosalie's workplace to talk to her best friend Allison. His brothers had accompanied him too.
Allen saw red when he heard that his fiancée, Rosalie Edwards was pregnant with her boyfriend's child. She had fled with her boyfriend while she was still engaged to him. He couldn't take in the betrayal. When his brothers attacked Allison's car in retaliation and anger at what she told them, she called her boyfriend. A fight broke out. He didn't love Rosalie nor did he desire her. He had just thought she was a decent girl who would be an ideal wife to him and a good mom to Axel. But she broke his trust.
"Yes dad, I'm happy. But I won't let you go anywhere now. Once you're healed, you can hunt her down and break off with her," said Axel.
"Yes my little grandpa. Now go and finish your homework before your soccer practice starts," said Allen and Axel nodded and left his dad's bedroom to do as asked.
Allen heaved a deep sigh, as he rested his head on the pillow. He never imagined in his worst possible dream that Rosalie would betray him. As much as he had seen her in the last few years, he had presumed that she was a decent girl with strong principles.
Her father Gregory Edwards worked as a financial advisor at his firm McAllister and Sons. Rosalie's stepmother Jennifer Edwards was having an illicit affair with Allen's older brother Gary who was a widower. She invited Allen many times at their house for dinner to arrange a marriage alliance between him and Rosalie, her step daughter.
He initially wasn't interested in a girl eleven years younger to his thirty-six year old self but afterwards decided to go along with it. Maybe that was his destiny. It was going alright. He hardly ever met her, and when he did, he never felt the urge to speak to her or to kiss her. They were formal brief meetings but he was trying to adjust to her. He didn't want to die a lonely man.
His first marriage to Rebecca Dawes was arranged by his parents for business benefits. There was no love involved and when she gave birth to their son, he wanted to make the marriage work but all hopes were dashed when she slapped a divorce to marry her lover. He was left with a newborn baby to take care of all alone.
Thankfully his mom helped him with Axel. It was she who inspired him to consider Rosalie as Axel's mom. Now that chapter was over and he lost his trust in women in general. He would steer clear of women and spend the rest of his life with his Axel.
Heaving a sigh, he closed his eyes. The effects of painkillers were making him sleepy.
For nearly two weeks Allen wasn't fit enough to do anything. He simply called his private investigator and asked him to look for Rosalie. He informed Allen after a week that Rosalie was staying at her boyfriend's house in Travis Springs in Hays county, Texas. It was a 3 hour drive away from Houston.
When he felt better, he drove down to Travis Springs to break off the engagement and end it all with Rosalie Edwards.
He reached her house as specified by his private investigator and rang the doorbell. When no one answered, he waited and repeatedly rang the doorbell. A dust storm was brewing up in the distant horizon but it was nothing compared to the turmoil he was feeling inside. If anything he ever hated with a vengeance, it was betrayal and he faced it twice already. He climbed into his car and waited for Rosalie to return home. It was obvious that no one was at her house.
After an hour's wait, a car stopped inside the huge gated compound and a man who might be her boyfriend opened his car door and climbed down, glaring at Allen's car. He helped Rosalie out and the both approached the main door. Rosalie went inside while he faced Allen's car.
Allen got down and walked towards him, his whole body, trembling with anger. They could have spoken to him instead of eloping together. He was a man of position and they made a joke out of him. His image was shattered. His confidence and trust in women in general too.
"Who are you? How long have you been fu*king my fiancée, you son of a bit*h?" he yelled at Rosalie's boyfriend.
"Mind your language, McAllister. Who's your fiancée? Rosie is my love. We have loved each other since we were fifteen. You think she would have married you? Never," said her boyfriend calmly.
"She's mine. I was marrying her. You abducted her against her will. You took advantage of her and got her pregnant. I had honoured her," said Allen, angrily.
"That's all untrue. She's mine. Her soul is mine. She offered herself to me. She wanted to have my babies. I'm the one who gets to marry her. You were only buying a trophy wife. Did you love her ever? No. You fu*k your mistress every day behind her back," said her boyfriend, calmly.
A strong gust of wind blew up bringing loose dust and tree leaves and twigs along with it.
"I do like Rosalie. What mistress are you talking about?" Allen asked and then seeing the wind blowing he said,"Can we go inside and talk?"
Her boyfriend nodded and led the way inside. They closed the door and sat in the living room. Rosalie was sitting on the sofa and listening to their conversation, outside.
"I'm Jaden Meyers. Rosalie and I know each other and have loved each other for the last ten years," said Jaden.
"Oh, I like Rosalie too. I wanted to marry her. I want to hear it from Rosalie who she likes," said Allen turning towards Rosalie. The truth was he didn't like Rosalie much but he couldn't say it aloud in front of her boyfriend and again cause a fight.
Jaden looked at Rosalie and she looked back at him. "I love Jaden, Mr McAllister. I never agreed to marry you. My parents forced me to," she said softly.
Allen's face fell. "Oh, I see. So you never ever liked me?" He asked and she shook her head. She was forced to marry him? But Jennifer had informed him that Rosalie wanted to marry him. Jennifer wanted some monetary gift for arranging a mom for Axel and he had agreed.
"We never connected Mr McAllister. You were always too busy with my step mom to even talk to me," she said and Allen just stared at her. She was right. They never had a proper talk too. Her step mom was manipulative, always asking about the fund transfer whenever they met.
"You both have betrayed me. Rosalie you have betrayed my trust," he said, shaking his head in disapproval.
"So have you Mr McAllister, " said Jaden.
"How so? I've never betrayed anyone, " Allen said with conviction.
"You were engaged to Rosalie, yet you were busy fu*king your mistress behind her back," said Jaden and Allen looked offended. He never had a girlfriend or any relationship whatsoever for the last 13 years of his life. He was busy with his company and his baby son whom he brought up single-handedly.
"What utter rubbish are you talking about? I can't stoop so low," yelled Allen, angrily.
"I have proof," said Jaden calmly.
"Show me what proof you have," said Allen.
Jaden took out his mobile and showed him the pictures of Jennifer with a man. His jaws dropped. Why was he showing him pictures of Jennifer and his brother Gary?
"See, you and your mistress, aka Jennifer, Rosalie's stepmom have been spotted together many times in and out of hotel rooms," said Jaden and Rosalie glared at him.
Allen was at a loss of words. He simply stared at them to register what they were saying.
Then when he regained his composure, he said in a firm voice, "That's not me. That's my oldest brother Gary with his fiancée Jennifer. That's how I met Jennifer, your stepmom. She was dating my brother. Now that the divorce is through, they would get married soon," said Allen, calmly. How dare they slap allegations against him for hiding their own betrayal?
Jaden and Rosalie stared at him with their jaws dropped. "You're not marrying Jennifer?" They chorused.
"Good heavens, no. I've always liked Rosalie and wanted to marry her," he said looking at Rosalie. "I guess she loves you and you both have future plans together," he said.
"Yeah, we'll plan our wedding before our babies are born," said Jaden and Allen looked at them with sad eyes. Maybe he was never destined for love like they were.
"Congratulations to you too. Maybe I'm not meant to be loved by anyone. God bless you Rosalie. Have a happy life," he said getting up.
"The storm is blowing outside Mr McAllister. Please stay till it subsides," said Rosalie.
"I can't see you with him. I need to leave," he said and went towards the door and walked out into the storm.
He couldn't see the love they had without feeling jealous and deprived. Looking at Jaden he was reminded of their betrayal again and again. He had to go out of there.
