The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Steven shot up. "No way!"

"So much has happened these past few days." I held his gaze. "First, Zachary is adamant about being with Jessica."

Steven, usually so calm and composed, now spoke with a tremor of fear in his voice, "He's just being foolish, honey. I've never crossed any lines. You can hate Zachary, and you can blame me, but you can't leave me."

His voice became almost pleading at the end.

Yet he was still shifting the responsibility onto Zachary, completely oblivious to the fact that my pain stemmed from his complicity and indulgence. He couldn't tell that the love I had for him over the years vanished at that moment when I fell down the stairs.

I continued, "And then I realized that even after you promised me you wouldn't contact her anymore, you two were still in close contact."

Steven opened his mouth, then closed it again. He was clearly caught off guard by the fact that I already knew done in secret.

His fists were clenched, and his expression was filled with pain.

the things

"At that point, I thought maybe I should just get a divorce to make things easier for you. But I was worried about

even learned to hurt himself. If I give in and let Jessica be

nodded eagerly. "Yeah,

I was pregnant. To give this baby a

when I

Steven suddenly fell silent.

do? He knew there was oil on the stairs and knew I would

had known everything

joke! This was the child I had raised so

Steven?

He was one of

and I've lost all hope for Zachary. There's nothing left in this home that I want to hold

would simply be Annalise Jamison. I didn't need any more burdensome labels. But I wouldn't spare those

seriously, "Didn't you say you liked Jessica? I'm stepping aside

the stairwell when Zachary told me Jessica