Page 64 of King of Pride

“You know it was just a moment of anger. Can’t you forgive him? Mistakes happen in relationships. He won’t dare do it again. I’ll make sure of it. He’ll never raise his hand against you again—not even his voice.”

Maria looked at Rose with a mixture of expectation and hope.

“You two love each other. Surely you understand that mistakes can happen sometimes. Don’t let one mistake destroy something so important. Ivan really cares about you. He loves you, Rose. What happened was simply a terrible moment.”

Rose stared at her for a long moment.

Then she shook her head.

“Yes, but it did happen.”

Her voice remained calm.

“He slapped me. I don't care if it was the first time. I will make sure it never happens again.”

Maria’s expression tightened.

“That’s why I’ve already ended things with him,” Rose continued. “I won’t give him another chance.”

Maria looked increasingly uncomfortable with Rose’s bluntness. It was becoming clear that Rose wasn’t going to be as easily persuaded as she had expected.

Maria had always recognized Rose’s value, perhaps even more than Ivan did. She knew Rose was kind, understanding, and easy to reason with. She was the sort of woman who could be persuaded without much difficulty, who would listen instead of making a scene, and who was quick to forgive and make peace.

To Maria, Rose was practically perfect wife material. Especially because she was the only daughter of a wealthy man. Maria knew that, as Rose’s husband, Ivan would eventually have a claim to everything Rose inherited from her father. That made Rose’s value to Maria far greater than just being a good wife.

“Rose, you’re both young. You know how boys are. They have testosterone. They can be hot-blooded. Sometimes things happen in a moment of anger. He never meant to hurt you. I’m sure he regrets it.”

She leaned forward, her voice softening as she tried to reason with her.

“You shouldn’t let one decision made on impulse affect your entire life. You two love each other. Don’t throw away all that love because of one incident. You’ve been together for so long, and you’re supposed to get married. Why not give him another chance?”

Rose’s expression didn’t change.

She remained calm and composed, her face almost indifferent as she listened to Maria. When the older woman finally finished, Rose met her gaze with quiet confidence.

“Mrs. Carrington, I know you love your son. But I’m not making this decision on impulse. I know exactly what I’m doing, and I know what I want.”

She paused, making sure Maria understood every word.

“And what I want is not to have Ivan as my husband. Please accept that this is my decision. It’s final, and I’m not going to change my mind.”

Maria’s expression tightened.

“I don’t love Ivan more than I love myself,” Rose continued, her voice steady despite the emotion tightening her chest. “I’m not going to be a sacrificial lamb, constantly tolerating his demands and enduring his anger every time he loses control.”

Her voice remained steady.

“If this happened once, I have no reason to believe it would never happen again. A man who is naturally hot-blooded isn’t going to magically change just because he marries me. I’m not going to gamble my future on the hope that he will.”

Rose shook her head.

“I don’t want that kind of man as my husband. And honestly, I hope no other woman ever has to experience what I did.”

Maria’s face fell.

For a moment, she looked as though Rose had slapped her.

She had come expecting Oswald to be the one who had canceled the engagement. She had assumed Rose was still willing to marry Ivan and that the decision had been taken out of her hands.