Free Web NovelChapter 9: Chapter 9 A Marriage Stolen in Plain Sight
Rather than worrying about whether her husband would come home, Rose felt it would be better to focus on improving herself and providing a better life for her daughter, Ariel.
Today, Caleb was attending a panel discussion on smart healthcare.
Rose planned to stop by and join the event.
After seeing Diana off, she sent Caleb a message on Whats App, letting him know she was waiting nearby.
A commotion suddenly erupted at the entrance of the building ahead.
Rose looked up from her phone in confusion.
Then she saw Samantha being escorted out of the lobby by a large crowd.
Reporters surrounded her so tightly that there was barely room to move.
It was an incredibly glamorous scene, with everyone eagerly fawning over her.
Samantha smiled gracefully.
“Everyone, please be careful not to get pushed around. I’ll make time for interviews.”
People brushed past Rose one after another, and she could clearly hear the admiration and envy in their voices.
“This Miss Hill is truly impressive. At only twenty-seven, she’s already involved in developing new treatments for chronic illnesses. As one of the most promising clinical researchers in the country, her future is limitless."
“I heard her interview schedule is booked solid until after the New Year. She’s beautiful, too—her livestreams caused a huge sensation online. She already has a massive fanbase.”
“Rumor has it,” someone suddenly lowered their voice conspiratorially, “that Miss Hill is actually Mrs. Knight! I just wonder which of the Knight brothers she married. That’s basically life on easy mode.”
The moment those words were spoken, waves of shocked gasps rippled through the crowd.
Rose, however, found it strangely amusing.
She had never imagined Samantha—a woman involved in another person’s marriage—would be so admired and celebrated.
The crowd around them continued growing.
Standing there, Rose was bumped several times by people passing by.
Instinctively, she stepped backward.
Suddenly, someone shoved her from behind.
She stumbled.
At that exact moment, a hand firmly caught hold of her wrist.
Rose looked up and met Ryan’s deep, almond-shaped eyes.
The warmth from his palm seeped into her skin.
For two brief seconds, Rose stood frozen in place.
Then Samantha’s voice sounded nearby.
“Ryan?”
Rose turned toward Samantha.
Samantha smiled in their direction. After glancing briefly at Rose, she looked back at Ryan and said confidently, “I’m over here.”
The next second, Ryan released Rose’s wrist without hesitation.
He looked at her as though she were a complete stranger, revealing not the slightest trace of intimacy between husband and wife.
Without another glance, he calmly turned away and strode toward Samantha through the crowd.
Leaving Rose standing there alone.
How could she fail to understand Samantha’s meaning just now?
The woman had been openly staking her claim.
Oliver, who had arrived together with Ryan, paused beside her.
He glanced sideways at Rose and clicked his tongue mockingly.
“If you’re going to fall into someone’s arms, you sure know how to pick the perfect timing. You really had to put on a show right in front of Sam?”
What a shame.
Ryan clearly wasn’t interested.
At this point, Oliver almost pitied Rose.
Even as the legal wife, she still had to resort to such tactics just to compete with Samantha for Ryan’s attention.
Wasn’t that no different from those desperate mistresses outside trying to claw their way into wealthy families?
Of course, he wouldn’t say that aloud.
But the ridicule in his eyes was unmistakable.
Rose naturally understood that Oliver believed she had done it deliberately.
Lowering her head, she brushed off the spot Ryan had touched.
“I was Ryan’s first woman, and he was my first man. If Samantha can’t even tolerate a little physical contact between us, then maybe she should just castrate him. That way, she can finally have peace of mind.”
Oliver’s mocking expression froze instantly.
He stared at Rose in complete disbelief.
He genuinely couldn’t believe such blunt words had come out of her mouth.
Had he heard wrong?
Rose couldn’t be bothered to respond further.
She turned and walked toward the exit.
Unfortunately, Ryan’s arrival had already attracted even more attention.
The surrounding crowd buzzed excitedly.
“That’s Mr. Knight from Kingswell Group, isn’t it? Could Miss Hill really be the mysterious Mrs. Knight who never appears publicly?”
“A genius doctor and a business prodigy—it’s practically a perfect match.”
“For someone like Mr. Knight to personally pick up his wife? Their relationship is seriously enviable.”
The comments echoed loudly around her.
Rose had no choice but to hear every single word.
And inevitably, her thoughts drifted back over the past seven years.
Had Ryan ever once picked her up from work?
Had he ever attended a public event beside her?
Had he ever openly acknowledged her as his wife?
No.
Never.
And now, she was watching him give all of those privileges to another woman.
Out of the corner of her eye, Samantha glanced at Rose, who could only stand there silently watching everything unfold.
When people referred to her as “Mrs. Knight,” Samantha didn’t deny it.
Instead, she simply smiled faintly while looking toward Ryan.
Ryan returned Samantha’s smile with the slightest curve of his lips.
Immediately, a young woman nearby covered her face excitedly.
“Oh my God! They really are a couple!”
Samantha’s smile widened even further.
Taking Ryan’s arm gracefully, she said, “Excuse us. We’re heading to dinner now, so let’s end the interview here.”
Ryan had clearly heard the earlier comments calling Samantha “Mrs. Knight.”
Yet he neither acknowledged them nor corrected anyone.
As the crowd grew increasingly dense, he raised one arm protectively around Samantha, shielding her within his personal space.
Ryan nodded calmly.
“Everyone, please watch your surroundings and avoid pushing.”
Watching the flawless scene before her, Rose could deeply feel Samantha’s confidence.
Even under the gaze of the legal wife herself, Samantha showed not the slightest hint of guilt or nervousness.
That was the confidence of someone absolutely favored.
She wasn’t worried in the slightest that Rose might step forward and expose the truth.
Because Ryan would never allow Samantha to suffer even the tiniest grievance.
Instead, it felt as though Rose herself had become the intrusive outsider standing awkwardly between them.
Even though they were already heading toward divorce.
Seven years of devotion felt like countless needles piercing Rose’s heart.
She turned away.
She had no desire to stand there and watch the world glorify the love story between her husband and his mistress.
But after taking only a few steps, someone suddenly screamed nearby.
“Call an ambulance! A child has collapsed!”
Rose’s attention sharpened instantly.
She turned and looked over.
A young mother was clutching a little girl around five or six years old. The child’s face was pale, and she had already lost consciousness.
Forcing down the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm her, Rose hurried over and crouched beside the child.
Just as her fingers touched the girl’s eyelid, someone shoved her violently.
Rose fell backward onto the ground.
Her slender body slammed hard against the cold stone pavement, sending sharp pain shooting through her back.
Looking up, she met Samantha’s displeased gaze.
“I’m here to treat the child,” Samantha scolded sharply.
“Everyone, please don’t waste the critical treatment window!”
Faced with Samantha’s righteous tone—that saving a life mattered more than anything else—the surrounding crowd immediately sided with her.
“That’s right! The child is in danger, so stop causing trouble!”
“Miss, maybe you don’t know this, but Miss Hill one is of the country’s most promising medical researchers and Mr. Knight’s girlfriend... no, wait, his wife? Ordinary people can’t compare to someone like Miss Hill. Don’t block her.”
Rose almost laughed out loud.
Should she simply follow the crowd and congratulate them on being such a perfect couple?
Pressing one hand against her aching waist, Rose endured the pain and coldly watched Samantha crouch in front of the child and begin administering first aid.
The child’s mother was already panicking, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to hold her daughter steady.
Ryan stood just outside the crowd.
He lifted his gaze slightly, his eyes sweeping across Rose.
But he never stepped forward.
Rose knew he had clearly seen her being shoved to the ground.
But Ryan didn’t care.
There was no possibility that he would help her.
He remained nothing more than an indifferent spectator.
And Rose no longer expected sympathy from a man who was about to become her ex-husband.
So she slowly pushed herself back to her feet.
