The distance between the family grew wider. Gabriel's visits, once twice a week, changed to once a month before stopping altogether. Rosanna did her best to hold herself and Sevastian together, clinging to a sliver of hope, but that hope shattered when Gabriel married the woman his grandaunt had chosen for him.
A week after the grand wedding that had been the talk of the town, Gabriel showed up at their doorstep unannounced. If Rosanna had known he would be visiting, she would never have left Sevastian home alone. The boy, too eager to see his father, swung the door open and welcomed Gabriel into the house.
"What do you want, Gabriel?" Rosanna asked, her voice cold as she crossed her arms over chest.
Gabriel pressed his lips in a thin line. He still felt bad about leaving his Rosanna and their son alone, but there was nothing he could do. His hands were tied. "How are you doing, Rosanna?"
"I am fine. We are both fine, as you can clearly see," Rosanna said sharply, her tone cutting through the air. "Please leave, Gabriel. I do not want you in my house again."
Gabriel hesitated, his voice low, but he spoke nonetheless. "Lady Elizabeth suggested I bring you both to the manor... but under certain terms. You would have to live as my concubine, and Sevastian would be regarded as an illegitimate child."
Rosanna froze, her eyes widening in disbelief. If her heart hadn't already been shattered by his actions, his words would have finished the job. Fury boiled within her as she glared at him.
"Are you fucking stupid, Gabriel?" she spat, her voice trembling with rage. "Why would you say such a thing? I will never be your concubine, and I will not subject myself or my son to such humiliation. Get out of my house!"
"Do not be foolish, Rosanna, I am offering you everything you ever wanted. You do not need to work ever again, all will be provided for you and your son." Gabriel explained, placing a hand on the table in front of him.
"My son?" Rosanna scoffed, her voice dripping with disbelief. "So, he is my son now? Not ours?" Her lips trembled. "I don't know you anymore, Gabriel. Maybe... maybe I never did."
She shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping her as she turned away, unable to look at the man who she once thought loved her.
His fingers ranked through his hair as he sighed in frustration and hurt, Gabriel swallowed the lump in his throat before looking back at Rosanna, "He is our son, Rosanna. I want you to think about everything I have told you, by tomorrow morning a carriage will come take you to the manor."
"What manor? I am not going anywhere with you Gabriel, over my fucking dead body." Rosanna screamed at him, fury coursing through her veins.
Gabriel leaned forward, his face darkening. "You will go to the manor and you will stay there with Sevastian. Do not make me force you, Rosanna, be reasonable."
"Over. My. Fucking. Dead. Body. Gabriel. Now, get out of my house." Rosanna spelled out every word, meeting his angry gaze with that of hers.
Gabriel surrendered by lifting his hands up in the air, he took two steps backwards to the door, "I will leave, I will see you at the manor tomorrow." He smiled before walking out of the door leaving behind a furious Rosanna.
Her fists clenched into a fist, her teeth gritting against each other as tears welled up in her eyes, ready to roll down her cheeks. "Mother!" The soft voice of Sevastian rang behind her making her hurriedly wipe the tears from her eyes.
"Yes son, I thought you were asleep." She turned to face Sevastian, a small smile across her face.
The boy's eyes scanned the room then landed on his mother, "Did father leave already?"
Rosanna's lips trembled, "Yes, son, he did. Come, I will take you back to your room." she led her son up the stairs to his room where they both slept in.
Before the sun began to rise, Rosanna made up her mind to leave the town and run away with her son. She couldn't bear the thought of staying among people who despised her husband and likely hated her too. Whatever plans they were plotting, she refused to be a part of them.
She packed their clothes into a single bag, taking only the essentials they would need for their journey to the new town.
At dawn, Rosanna gently woke Sevastian, and after they freshened up, they left quietly. With all the money she had saved, she managed to secure passage to a smaller town, one with fewer people and a chance to start over.
She managed to rent a small cottage near the outskirts of the town and found work as a governess, teaching children of wealthy families for a decent pay. For a year, everything seemed to be going well. Rosanna was finally adjusting to her new life and beginning to move on.
During her time in Lakewood, she neither saw nor heard from Gabriel. But one day, news reached her that Gabriel and his new wife had welcomed their first child, the heir to Zeldor's dukedom. The news struck Rosanna deeply, filling her with bitterness and unhappiness. The resentment she harbored for Gabriel grew so intense that it consumed her, leaving little room for other concerns.
She started drinking to drown her pain, using alcohol as an escape from everything Gabriel had done to her. Over time, it became a habit she couldn't shake, and she eventually lost her job as a governess.
Her days were filled with anger and heartbreak. All she ever talked about was how Gabriel had betrayed her, how he left her and their son for power and money, despite everything she had sacrificed for him.
Money got tighter as Rosanna spent her savings on alcohol and gambling with her new friends. Her behavior started to change too. She became more aggressive, snapping at people, and her son, Sevastian, wasn't spared from it. It was just the beginning, and things were only going to get worse for both of them.