August 6th. Three months had passed since Rose's estranged husband choked her so intensely that he put her in the hospital.
Rose was enjoying her new life, with Sam. She was more or less separated from Mike, but hadn't had him sign the divorce papers yet. She also didn't move all of her stuff out of Mike's condo.
That was tonight's adventure. But first, she had to explain to Sam why she hasn't done it before now.
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"Are you going to give him the papers?" Sam asked her with a yell from their bedroom. Rose was sitting on their window bench, looking at the city, and drinking her tea— her favorite thing to do in the mornings.
"You know I am Sam, I told you I was. I am.. tonight." She looked toward the direction of his voice.
"Want me to go with?" He asked as he came out from the room, shirtless and sweaty. His grey sweatpants hung just below his waist, exposing his lower back and the v-shape below his abs. He must've been working out. Rose's eyes filled with lust as she carefully bit her lip, "uhm.. actually yes. But stay outside the building or in the hallway or something."
"Whatever you want babe," Sam said as he turned around and caught Rose starring. "Like what you see babe?"
"Yes sir.." she winked.
"Sheeeeesh." He said as he ran his hands through his messy hair and turned around to start breakfast. Rose giggled as she looked out of the window again.
Mr. B came galloping from their bathroom, and jumped on Rose's lap and nuzzled her hand for a belly scratch. "Can we bring him in today?!" Rose asked excitedly.
"Of course babe!" Sam replied with a smile. He would do anything to make, and keep Rose happy.
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Rose had been to the bathroom six times during the first hour of work, and she started to become annoyed with her bladder.. and her stomach, considering four of those times were for her to throw up.
"Rose? You okay?" Izzy asked from her over her cubicle. She was standing and smiling at Rose.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just nauseous as fuck today.. this whole week actually."
"Ohh.. really?" Izzy quipped.
"What does that mean?! 'Ohh really?'" Rose asked with an eye roll.
"Nothing sweetie.. nothing at all," Izzy smirked as she sat back down.
Rose panicked for only a moment, and subconsciously rubbed her stomach... she knew what Izzy meant, because she already knew. Rose is pregnant, she found out about a week ago.
Throughout the rest of the day, Rose spent way more time in the bathroom than one should— constantly peeing, and throwing up from the morning sickness she felt.
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"Sam! Ready?" Rose asked as she knocked on his door at the end of the day.
"Babe, sit please.." Sam gestured to the red chair in front of his desk.
"Babe?" Rose was confused.
"I'm going to help you get out of this for good." He said.
"Sam..."
"Why haven't you.. even attempted?! You have me! You know you're safe with me!" He tried to not to turn his stern tone turn into yelling since he knew Rose got yelled at enough.
"Samuel.. I wish it was that simple!"
"It is.. "
"No! No it's not!" Rose started to tear up now.
"Help me.. help you, Rose. Please. I haven't pressed because I don't wanna upset you..but I can't help you if I don't know how.." Sam sighed.
Rose looked at him and gestured for him to come from behind his desk, "Sam. It's just so hard.. I can't just drop this shit off and take my shit and leave!"
"Why?" He was genuinely concerned.
"Because! He has everything... my checking account is his checking account! My credit cards, aren't mine.. they're his! He pays my bill.. my only bill, my cell! So when he tells me that I can't do anything without him.. he's NOT WRONG.. I can't." She lost it, and started to sob into Sam's shoulder.
Rose felt Sam tense up around her as he hugged her tighter and kissed her cheek, "I can take care of you.." he said.
"Sam, I cannot ask you to do that.." she said as she pulled away and wiped her face. "Living with you this soon, for this long was already a massive ask. I cannot ask you to support me financially too.." she sniffed.
"We can make it work. Change your bank— open an account at NYCU, New York Credit Union. What bank does asshat use?"
Rose managed a chuckle, "Manhattan Bank and Trust."
"See.." Sam rubbed her arms to comfort her.
"Sam.. I just can't ask you to do this!" She said as she stood up, tears flowing down her cheeks and onto her purple blouse.
"Rose Elizabeth!" Sam called. Rose turned to him with narrowed eyes at the use of her middle name. "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me.."
Rose sniffed, "I.."
"Tell me right now that you don't love me..."
"I can't..." she met his eyes.
"Exactly. I'm in love with you Rose... and I want to help you. I need too.." Sam grabbed her hand to kiss it.
Rose made eye contact with Sam, her brown eyes clouded with tears as she sniffed, "you're.. in love with me?"
"Yes..." he grabbed her face in his hands. "Very much."
She sniffed a smile onto her face, "I'm... uhm.. I'm in love with you too." It had been years since Rose was able to say that to someone. Years since someone said it to her, and years since she felt it.
"How long has it been since you said that?" Sam joked carefully.
"Years.." Rose laughed as she pulled him into a kiss.
"Let's go get divorced," Sam smiled as he kissed her back.
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Night crept in, and the city that never sleeps, was wide awake. Horns, sirens, and the general sound of screaming over the occasional car alarm, were comforting sounds to someone who spent their whole life living and breathing it.
When Sam and Rose arrived to Rose's old condo, she asked the doorman if Mike had been around, and when he said no, Rose figured it was safe to enter since she still has a key.
"Wait... downstairs.. I guess," Rose said. When they arrived to door 6-C.
"Hell no! I'm waiting right here!" Sam replied.
"How about the elevator waiting area? At the other end of the hall.. pass those two doors, and bam you're there." Rose smiled.
"Fine. But leave this door opened.. so I can hear if that prick comes home."
"I will babe.. I love you," Rose smiled before she kissed him.
Sam beamed at her words, "I love you too!"
"Now go!" Rose instructed with a laugh. He jogged to the elevator lobby as Rose walked inside the condo.
The lights were off, and it appeared as if no one was home. Rose prayed that was the case. She kept her bag at her side and fast-walked to her bedroom, where she whipped her two large, pink and blue suitcases out from under the bed and filled them with clothes, underwear and socks.
She took a black duffle bag out from Mike's spacious walk-in closet, and filled it with her bras, secret cash stash, her pillow and her stuffed white cat, Scruffy. Her mom gave him to her when she was three— Rose kept it all through college, but has had to keep it hidden from Mike, so he lived under her pillow in her pillowcase.
She did a once around the room— grabbing her other phone charger, her iPad, her headphones— before leaving. She raced downstairs, careful not to trip on their open staircase, and took the manilla envelope out of her brown bag. Just as she did, the lights flickered, on and off, and their Alexa kicked on— playing 'Fuck You' by Celo Green. Rose panicked inside as she tried to remain calm outwardly.
The lights flicked on once again, the Alexa was still blaring, confusing Rose. She knew that Mike could remote into their condo from his phone, so maybe he did this all the time before he got home. "I'm okay.. I'm okay," Rose repeated to herself as she started to place the envelope addressed to Michael on the table.
Before she got it the whole way out of her bag, she heard a *crash* and her black butterfly chair came flying through their glass railing that bordered the second floor landing.
"Aaa!" Rose screamed as her depraved husband came flying down the steps. She dropped her bags and backed up into the wall.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!" Mike yelled as he looked at her hands.
"Divorce papers...." Rose looked at him defiantly as he ripped the envelope from her hand. "And you will sign them, tonight.."
He slapped her hard, knocking her off her feet, and just as she gained her footing, Sam was at the door.
"Sam!" She gasped as she watched her ex-husband pace around angrily reading the paperwork. She ran over to her lover, fear in her eyes, "you have to leave.. now! Please.."
"I'm not going anywhere, I heard that noise AND him slap you. FUCK that!" Sam was furious.
"Sam.. leave, please," Rose pleaded with all her might as she grabbed the front of his brown pullover sweater in her hands.
"No Sam... stay." Mike snarled from the living room. Sam walked in and shut the door, but didn't latch it, so Rose could escape easily if she needed too.
"Michael! Leave him out of this you prick, and just sign the god damn forms and you get rid of me forever..."
"Now.. my love, why would I do that?!" He asked. Rose walked back into the living room and saw Mike, with a crazed look in his eye, holding a gun to Sam.
"Where the fuck did you get that?!" Rose yelled.
"You answer my question first... why would I sign divorce papers?"
"Uhm.. because you fucking hate me?!"
"Not true my darling... I'm madly in love with you, that's why I'm so strict with you.. you're mine.."
"HA!" Sam spoke up. "You don't love her! Stop filling her head with bullshit, you prick! You've never loved her!"
"This your little boyfriend.. your boss? Naughty naughty.." Mike gawked as he adjusted the gun in his hand.
"Where the fuck did you get that?!" Rose asked again.
"Not to worry sweetheart, I used MY money!" Mike huffed.
"HA! Half of which is mine! But ya know what? I don't fucking care! At all! You can have it.. I just want my life back!" Tears flooded her eyes as she looked at Sam, who's eyes were glued to Mike.
"Oh darling.. I am your life!" Mike screamed as his faced got redder and his eyes widened with hatred.
"You wish, prick!" Sam yelled. Mike marched over and stuck the gun directly in Sam's face.
"Michael! Stop it! Just the sign the god damn papers.. and I am GONE! HE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!"
"Ohh.. he has everything to do with this babe.." Mike's eyes were red with pure hatred as he locked eyes with Rose.
"Just sign the good damn papers!" Rose cried through pained breath. "I am out of your life.. forever. I'm not asking for shit. Just want you the fuck out of my life.."
"No.. I'm not gonna do that, cause then he gets you!" Mike gestured the gun toward Sam.
"Oh let it go Michael! We both know we've never been in love! We haven't seen each other naked in the four years we've been married! And.. oh yeah! I'm your personal fucking punching bag! I am not asking for a penny.. so please just sign the god damn thing!" Rose begged as she walked closer towards Sam and Mike.
Sam clenched his fists as he continued to send daggers towards Mike. Rose walked over to stand next to Sam, "Mike.. just sign the papers. We're gonna leave.. send them to my lawyer, his information's on the first page of the packet. We're leaving.."
"Oh for fuck sakes.. I'll sign the god damn thing you whore!"
"Watch your mouth!" Sam yelled at Mike as he attempted to attack him, but Rose held him back.
"Just sign it!" Rose yelled, waving the packet she picked back up, around. "We are leaving now. I will be contacting my lawyer at the end of the week and I expect him to tell me he has YOUR signature on them as well.." Rose grabbed Sam's hand and walked to grab her belongings.
"You're a dumb bitch, Rose!" He waved his gun around.
"You're not gonna use that gun you prick.." Rose said.
Mike took a deep breath, and rubbed the back of his head with the gun, "always have been! You are NOTHING without me.. NOTHING! You have nothing! Good luck with her..!" Mike screamed.
Rose and Sam ignored him as they grabbed her bags, and dropped the envelope back on the table before leaving his condo, his screams fading away as they retreated down the back steps of the building.
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"Your neighbors really don't give a fuck!" Sam said as he dropped Rose's bags on his floor, just inside the door of his apartment.
"Thanks babe! Yeah.. they've learned to ignore us. I'll move them then," she said as she went to pet Mr. B.
Sam walked into the bathroom and cracked the door. "Sam... I'm pregnant.." Rose said. It came out so bluntly, Sam thought she was joking.
"What..?" He cleared his throat.
"Yeah.. pregnant. Found out a few weeks ago." She sighed. "I was always planning on telling you, but didn't find the right time.. so I just felt like blurting it out now." The toilet flushed and Rose waited for Sam to walk out to meet her.
"You're what..?" He said when he approached.
"You're gonna be a dad," she said a she carefully turned around and cupped his chin in her hand.
"Holy shit! I'm gonna be a dad! That's amazing!" He grabbed her face and pulled her into a kiss.
Rose's mood instantly changed, "I'm so happy you're happy babe! I love so much!" She smiled into their kiss.
"Of course I am! I love you too!"