PIECES

Part 6

Rose's POV

I kept sipping my juice, appearing calm and relaxed, but deep within me, my mind was in a turmoil...

"Hey! Are you alright?" My mother's voice snapped me out of my thoughts...

"I'm okay" I said forcing a smile, not sparing her glance...

My mom pulled out the chair next to me. She placed her hand on my shoulders...

"Rose, you know I'm your mother. Tell me, speak to me. What's going on? Why are you sad?" My mother asked, worry evident on her tone...

"I'm okay. I just need some rest." I said, not wanting to bother her...

"Rose, you're pregnant and you don't need any sought of stress. If you have something bothering you, why don't you just tell me?" She said...

I let out a heavy sight before saying...

"Well, Abel would soon be discharged from the hospital. We'll have to move out of this house"

"Why?" My mother asked before nodding

"Oh! I understand"

"Rose, I know you must be going through a rough time, but I'll always be here to support you, okay. You still have me" my mother said and I smiled.

"I already rented an apartment. Please help me do the parking. We need to take away everything that may force him to think. I'll go upstairs now" I said and walked away...

Though I wasn't looking at my mother, I could feel her gaze fixed on me. I didn't even want to imagine what was going on through her mind. I just wanted to be left alone...

*****

The next morning, Roy was making breakfast when he heard the door open, followed by the sound of footsteps...

He made way to the living room and there stood his beautiful sister...

"Ann, you?" He raised a brow, surprised...

"Yeah" Anna smiled approaching him...

"Please have a sit. I was making breakfast before you came. Let me quickly round up with it so we eat together" Roy said and made way to the kitchen, while Anna patiently waited...

Before long, Roy set the table, casting glances at his sister, who appeared dull...

He couldn't shake off the feeling something was bothering her. Was it wedding giters?

"Come, let's have breakfast" Roy said, casually glancing at the woman...

His words snapped Anna back to reality. She made her way to the dinning room, pulling out a chair for herself, served her food and ate casually. Once they were done with breakfast, she cleared the table, washed the dishes before retiring to the living room, where Roy was seated, waiting for her...

She sat on the sofa accrossed him, lazily glancing at him, no one saying a word, building an awkward atmosphere...

"What's bothering you?" Roy finally asked, breaking the silence, noticing her distress...

She looked at him, sighing before saying...

"Well, I..." She hesitated before continuing...

"I went out for dinner with Rose, Abel's wife yesterday"

"Okay..." Roy said, making room for her to continue...

"Well, she wants me to help her pretend to be her husband's fiancee until he regains his memories"

Roy stared at her, studying her expression, before reluctantly asking...

"So, why are you telling me?"

"Well, because I need your advice" Rose said, looking helpless...

"We both know your mind is already made up, else, you wouldn't have even come here. I'm hundred percent sure you came here for something else. Spill it!" Roy said, his gaze cold...

"Fine..." Anna said, realizing he saw through her thoughts...

"Actually, I want you to help me talk to Kevin. If I bring it up, he'll think I'm still in love with Abel and probably won't agree, or get mad at me. But you're a doctor. If you explain it to him, hell definitely understand"

"So you want me to talk to Kevin about letting you act as Abel's fiancee, is it?" Roy raised a brow...

"Yes" Anna replied, nodding her head...

"So what happens to your wedding? I mean, you won't expect him to permit his newly wed wife to hang around her ex just like that, do you?" Roy asked and watched his sister's brows furrow slightly...

He stared at her, as if trying to read her mine before asking...

"I hope you're not planning on postponing the wedding?"

Anna, upon hearing his question, stared at him looking like a pitiful kitten...

"Anna!" Roy called out his voice raised...

"Can't you help your sister with this little favor? It's gonna last for just six months. Promise..." Anna said, taking her brother aback...

Was she really willing to postpone her wedding because of her ex? A married man at that?

With this though in mind, Roy felt a wave of frustration wash over him...

He did his best to remain calm, but deep within he couldn't help but mock at the woman he had known to be his sister...

"I won't be a part of this. Do you realize what you're about doing?"

"Hey Roy! You promised to be a good brother to me right? I haven't really asked you for much, and now that I'm asking for your support, won't you help me?" Anna asked. Seeing the hesitant look on her brother's expression she quickly added...

"Abel has always been there for me, and you know it. He has always been willing to help and stand by me. You very well know I'm in this position today thanks to him. Despite abandoning him in the most delicate situation, he didn't come back for revenge later on. Please understand me..." She pleaded...

Roy looked at her, his gaze cold enough to send shivers down her spine. It took everything in her not to faint. She was scared to the core...

He let out a mocking laugh, seeming to remember something...

"Now that you're mentioning it, why did you break up with Abel?"

Anna didn't think much about his question and simply replied...

"Because, his company was at the verge of collapsing and of course I didn't want to spend the rest of my life struggling..."

"Really?" Roy raised a brow, his tone filled with sarcasm...

"Yeah" Anna nodded though she felt something was off...

Roy let out a mocking laugh leaving the girl at a lost for words...

"Was that the reason you broke up with Abel or ...."

Roy asked, intentionally dragging his last words...

Anna was puzzled and couldn't help shake off the feeling that her brother knew something...

"Roy, what do you know?" Anna asked, curious...

"Did you really intend keeping this away from your brother? Didn't it even cross your mind that I may find out someday? Why did you decide to paint yourself the villain, meanwhile you're just doing all this for his sake? You decided to carry out the test later on after your break up and what was the outcome? Don't you think someone was behind it?"

Roy asked watching his sister's puzzled expression before adding...

"Well, even if no one was behind it, I wouldn't agree to this, cause it's obvious you're looking for a way to get back with Abel. You definitely are still in love with him and are seeing this as a golden opportunity to get closer to him..."

Upon hearing this, Anna snapped out of her thoughts, kneeling infront of her brother...

"I promise Roy, no feelings attached. I just want to help him. It's true that it's because of those results that I left him. But, he had so many dreams and I couldn't be the one to ruin them right? Had I known it was the doctor's mistake, I wouldn't have left him in such a broken and desperate state. Please, I just want to be there for him. I abandoned him once, I don't want to do that again. Moreover, his wife is expecting and has been nothing but kind to me. Can't I help them this once? Please Roy"

Roy looked at the woman at his feet who was about tearing up. He wanted to refuse but immediately shrugged it off...

"Fine! I'll do it. But remember my words. If this doesn't break you now, it'll definitely shatter you later. I just hope this whole thing won't shatter your heart into pieces. Remember no matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to join the pieces of a shattered glass. Be careful"

Roy warned.

Anna couldn't help but feel hurt from within, though she managed to mask her feelings...

He agreed to help her right, well that was the good thing. At least Kevin wasn't going to blame her...

*****

"What? Are you out of your mind? Have you gone nods? Are you sick?" Laura lashed out unable to hold back her frustration...

Rose just got off the phone with Anna who agreed to help her. She was beaming and when her friend asked her the reason behind her smile, she confessed how she had begged Anna to help her husband recover. Laura couldn't believe what she was hearing. Good thing they were in Abel's office, else, she would have been utterly embarrassed...

"Laura, what's with all the insults?" Rose asked obviously displeased with her friend's sudden outburst...

"Really? Are you asking me that? You just made the most foolish decision ever. I don't even know how I became friends with you. How could you be this dumb and clueless? Don't you have any brain? Really?..."

"..."

"Maybe you don't know, but Anna and Abel's relationship isn't what you think. Anna didn't have to impress him the way you you did. Infact, Abel fell for her naturally and you've experienced the way he treats and respects her. We both know that Abel married you not out of love but out of gratitude. His heart belongs to another woman and you're trying to push him into the hands of that same woman? Anna may be kind hearted but if she becomes heartless, then you'll understand what a glass goes through when it's shattered on the floor..." Laura explained in gritted teeth, before adding...

"You'll definitely get hurt from this. If not sooner then later. Be careful!..."