Chapter 37
Emilia kept her eyes locked on Rodger, her mind turning bitter. If Violet had been the one standing before him, he wouldn't have questioned her, let alone mocked her. Violet wouldn't even need to say she was a doctor-Rodger would be the first to brag about her brilliance, reeling off every medical specialty as if she'd invented them all. To him, Violet could do no wrong and shined brighter than anyone else.
"What's it? You don't have anything to say for yourself?" Rodger's gaze tightened, mistaking her silence for weakness, convinced he had struck a nerve.
"Isn't it Asclepius you've been so desperate to find? You don't have to look any further. She's standing right in front of you," Emilia said firmly, refusing to look away from him.
Rodger didn't so much as flinch. Instead, a derisive laugh spilled from him, sharp and mocking."Doyou honestly expect me to believe that? Don't make me laugh!"
His laughter rolled on, dripping with scorn. "If you're Asclepius, then I'll swallow my hat whole."
To him, the idea was laughable. Why would someone as legendary as Asclepius waste herself being a housewife? If Emilia truly were Asclepius, she would have become a legend by now, showered in accolades.She wouldn't have spent her days quietly suffering in the Mitchell household.
As far as he was concerned, Emilia was making up stories because she knew how much he needed Asclepius to cure Violet's disease. In Rodger's mind, it was nothing but a cruel stunt, a heartless way to torment the woman he adored.
Staring at Rodger's cold disbelief, Emilia felt emptiness seep through her. Even standing face-to-face,confessing the truth, she realized he would never believe her. To him, Violet was the only one worth trusting,while she-the woman who once dragged him from brokenness back to health-meant nothing at all.
While Emilia drifted in her own thoughts, Rodger suddenly stepped forward and seized her by the throat.Her first instinct was to break free and send him flying, but the chilling contempt in his stare made her think otherwise. She forced herself to wait, to hear him out, needing the final blow that would kill any trace of hope still buried in her chest. Each gesture felt like a blade, cutting away whatever remained of their connection.
"If you want to throw your life away, leave the Mitchell name out of it," Rodger warned, pressing her against the wall with a threatening edge in his voice. "Pretending to be Asclepius will ruin more than just your own life. Stop running your mouth with this nonsense and think about what you're risking."
Rodger shoved her to the side, his eyes colder than before. "I'll ignore what you said for now. Until the divorce is done and we're nothing to each other, I expect you to keep your head down. If you drag the Mitchells into trouble, I promise you'll regret it. Remember, our marriage isn't over yet. Stop throwing yourself at other men. Can't you keep it together for a single day? I'll call you when I finish work tomorrow.Don't let me down again. Once the divorce is settled, you can chase after whoever you want. It won't matter to me anymore."
Not sparing her another look, Rodger spun around and walked off, each step radiating icy finality.He never noticed the weight of what he left behind.
Watching him disappear, Emilia's lips curled in a bitter, almost mocking smile.
"Oh, Rodger," she muttered to herself. "How blind you are to the truth standing right before you."