Chapter 5

The moment Angelica returned to her bedroom, she removed the bedsheets and put on fresh ones. Next, she thoroughly disinfected every corner of the room. Only when she was sure that the room no longer smelled like Elliot did she relax. Elliot had bought this villa in full cash after their marriage. He claimed that he was worried that she'd be uncomfortable living in his family house and be bullied. That was why he moved out. From the looks of it now, he had planned to move in with Rosie and only brought Angelica along to make it official and avoid tongues from wagging. Angelica felt her chest tightening. To keep herself occupied, she dragged a huge box from a corner and began packing her belongings. The biggest room in the villa belonged to Rosie, while Angelica occupied the guestroom. She had decorated every inch of the room, but Elliot had never taken a look at it. Accurately speaking, Angelica and Elliot had shared a bed during the first few days of their marriage. After that, Elliot came up with various excuses to avoid sleeping in the same room with her. When Angelica's weight sprang to 130 pounds, he had said bluntly, "You're the size of two people. I can't fit in the bed with you." It was precisely this statement that made Angelica feel more and more inferior, so much that she almost didn't leave the house. If Elliot hadn't coaxed her into taking hormone drugs, she wouldn't have gained so much weight. Angelica opened the wardrobe, which was filled with bright-colored clothes in simple styles. All of them were from Rosie, each perfectly displaying Angelica's physical flaws. Her aim was to embarrass Angelica. Angelica blinked, forcing her tears back. Then she quickly stuffed all the clothes on the hangers into the cardboard box. In total, she cleared up two big boxes of trash. The wedding picture hanging above the bed was next. Angelica strained herself to remove it. Without even taking a look at it, she placed it facedown on the box, prepared to have it taken away by the garbage truck. All of a sudden, someone banged on her door, startling her. "Who is this?" "Open the door, Angelica!" It was Elliot. Even through the door, his husky voice was clear. Controlling her voice from trembling, Angelica replied, "I'm already in bed." "I'll say it one more time. Open up!" "I'm naked." Elliot snickered. "Angelica, what do you think is so seductive about your body? It doesn't make a difference whether you're wearing anything or not." Angelica was once again verbally insulted by Elliot. She shook from anger but couldn't find the words to retort. Just then, she vaguely heard Rosie's voice as she spoke to Elliot, and the sounds of footsteps gradually faded soon afterward. Elliot was gone, leaving with Rosie. This was just as Angelica expected. After all, Rosie had earlier said that she had a surprise for Elliot. … The next day when Angelica woke up, Elliot and Rosie had already left the villa. "Mr. Quigley brought Ms. Morris to a press conference." A press conference? Angelica's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly fished out her cellphone. From the trending topic, she found Rosie's name. "Chief toy designer, Rosie Morris, attends a new product launch today." The picture attached by the media was a picture of Rosie getting out of an MPV. Her figure was curvy, and her features were stunning. Every move she made was elegant as she smiled and nodded politely to the fans and journalists flanking her on both sides. Meanwhile, Elliot was in a tailored suit, standing next to Rosie like the personal bodyguard of a lady from an elite family. In the comment section, many people started shipping both of them, but someone corrected them. "Stop shipping them. Rosie Morris and Elliot Quigley are siblings, not lovers." "But they look really compatible!" This comment hurt Angelica's eyes, but she shouldn't focus on this point now. Instead, she focused on the children's toy Rosie featured in the press conference. It was exactly the same as the best one Angelica designed years ago! Angelica's irises contracted in disbelief. Quickly, she returned to her room and pulled a drawer open. Amongst a pile of paper, she searched through it over and over again but couldn't find the blueprint of that toy. It was gone. For a second, her mind went blank. Since she graduated from college, Angelica had not drawn any more designs. The designs in her hands now were completed by herself during college. However, they remained in her drawer and weren't released because of her disappearance and marriage. When did Rosie steal it? Angelica forced herself to calm down. In her memory, she recalled Rosie inquiring about her drafts. Back then, Angelica was still in the dark and was unguarded against Rosie. Could it have been that time? Angelica clenched her fists. Blood rushed to her head, and even her fingers were trembling. She had unknowingly paved the way for Rosie again! Rosie was no chief designer. She was a thief, stealing other people's drafts. The fury and injustice within Angelica brought a wave of pain with every breath she took. A long while later, she made a call, "Douglas, may I ask a favor from you?" The other end was silent for a few seconds before Douglas Osborn said, "Are you Angelica? I should cross you off the list of missing people. "It has been four years, hasn't it? Are you finally taking the initiative to contact me? I thought that you've long forgotten about me, you ingrate." Hearing the disgruntled voice brought tears to Angelica's eyes, and she said, "I'm sorry, Douglas." "Hush now, don't cry. If our professor finds out, he'll think that I'm bullying you. Tell me, what's the favor?" "Back then, I asked for your help to apply for copyright and patent rights for one of my designs. Do you still have the certificates? My email has been emptied," Angelica said, waiting nervously for Douglas Osborne's reply. If he didn't have it, it would only make it more difficult for her to seek justice from Rosie. "Let me search." Turning on his computer, Douglas searched the emails he kept from four years ago. "I found it! Why do you need this, Angelica?" "Someone r-ripped off my design," Angelica said in a shaky voice. Douglas' eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Which dumbass copied your design that was already patented? You'll win the case, for sure. "Where are you now? I'll visit you and introduce you an amazing lawyer to help you win the case. How about it? Am I an amazing senior or what?" Angelica caught sight of her plump body in the mirror and lowered her eyes, feeling inferior. "Douglas, I-I'm not in Mubathro now." Before Douglas could say anything, she quickly hung up. Back then, she turned down her professor's offer and married Elliot, giving up the opportunity to study abroad. She had truly ruined the good hand she was dealt with, and she was reaping what she sowed. Angelica closed her eyes in agony. There was no cure for regrets in this world, and it wouldn't change anything if she clung onto the past. What she had to do now was seek justice. With the patent certificate, Rosie was destined to be disgraced with no possibility to make a comeback. Angelica started gathering evidence surrounding Rosie's plagiarism. Suddenly, there was a beep—a message from Elliot. "It's Saturday today. Pick Holden up from the thermal resort at exactly three in the afternoon."