Chapter 3

With a soft swish, the ring slipped from Carmen's finger. Claudio was so worried about Rosalia that he didn't even notice he swapped the rings. He mistakenly put the ring with a chip on his finger and left her with the ring that had a receiver. After a brief moment of hesitation, Carmen pressed the switch on the ring. "I'm sorry, darling. I didn't want to have depression either, but after three years trapped in the villa, I've lost my grip." Rosalia's sobbing voice echoed in the air. "Don't worry about me. It's your fifth anniversary with Ms. Whitman. You should be with her right now. I'll do my best to fight it off, just like what I've been doing for the past three years…" "Stop being so silly." Claudio's low, deep, and assertive voice cut her off. "I'm your husband. How can I leave you alone with your condition? Come on, let's get outside and take your mind off." "Really?" Rosalia was thrilled beyond imagination. "This has to be a dream, right? Are you really letting me get out of here?" "When have I ever lied to you? We'll go this instant." As the familiar whir of the rotors echoed in the background, Carmen knew that they were in the chopper. She was taken back to the moment when she had lost her right hand, her heart overtaken by grief. It was three years ago, and Claudio had done everything in his power to make her happy again. He bought this very chopper and took her high in the air, his voice broken and concerned as he spoke. "Carmy, take a look down there. The building, once so massive and towering, looks like nothing but specks from up here. "Sweetie, there's nothing in life that we can't overcome. No matter how impossible it may seem, you will always have me by your side." Back then, Carmen bought it. As it turned out, however, Claudio was the one who had taken everything away from her in the first place. At first, she thought she was mistaken when she saw the chopper in the air once more, but it ended up landing in the manor next door. Claudio's voice drifted over from the ring. "Rosie, you might not have had a chance to take a single step out of the villa, but I've prepared an anniversary gift for you. This is your manor, and I'm going to spend a whole day here with you." Amid Rosalia's joyful laughter, Carmen received a text from Claudio. "Carmy, I need to work on a collaboration deal with a client. Have an awesome time by yourself first. Just tell me if you need anything. I love you to bits." She tightened her grip on her phone. A drop of tear fell on it, blurring his name on the screen. Apparently, he bought two same manors and gave them to her and Rosalia as presents. Yet, he only had room in his heart for one of them. Behind the wall, Claudio was keeping his true wife company, making Carmen look like the third wheel. Fortunately, this would all end very soon. Carmen wiped her tears. Instead of staying in the manor, she went back home and continued to work on her design. She had only passed the preliminary round. If she wanted to keep winning using her left hand, she'd have to put in twice the effort as everyone else. To her surprise, a new idea popped into her mind almost instantly. The unexpected turn of events must've given her a boost of inspiration. After Carmen finished her draft, she put her pen down and studied it intently. Her hand accidentally brushed against the ring she had left on the table. The switch was pressed, and Rosalia's sobbing voice drifted in the air. "One day just isn't enough. After this, I'm going to be sent back to the villa again. I need to be hidden away, right? "I know I can't let Ms. Whitman see me, but I really hope I can stand next to you the way she could." All of a sudden, everything went silent on the other end, and Carmen's breath caught in her throat. Her arm kept shaking, and the overwhelming pain of losing her arm came rushing back at her once more. It was too excruciating and unbearable. Her entire body was shaking against her will. Claudio knew better than anyone the kind of agony Carmen had been put through. He also knew just how much she hated Rosalia. That was why he hid Rosalia away. No matter what, he would never let her show herself in public. After a brief silence, he gave Rosalia his answer. "I'll allow it." Against all odds, Claudio actually gave in to Rosalia's request. Carmen clutched her chest. It felt like something had just torn her heart to shreds.