The Substitute Bride Is Reborn and Loves Her Husband No more - Chapter 122

Chapter 122: Mommy, I miss you,

After a long silence, Rolan finally asked again, and Rose’s attention was yanked back to him.

She groaned inwardly.

Why is Rolan so damn stubborn? she thought. Can’t he just keep quiet for once? Scroll through his phone, watch a movie—doesn’t he have any other form of entertainment?

But no. He just had to pick a fight. Had to pester her when she clearly didn’t want to talk.

“What kind of question is that?” Rose turned to him, her face locked in a frown.

“You seriously expect me to answer that?” she said coldly, then turned away and closed her eyes like she was falling asleep—completely dismissing his existence.

“Yeah,” Rolan said, voice steady. “I want to know. You claim you don’t love me, but I want to understand why you agreed to marry me.”

When Rose had left, he’d felt miserable. Guilty. Broken.

And when she came back—after three long years—he started digging into the past. He looked into everything, tried to find out what really happened back then. Why she married him in the first place.

Because for the longest time, he’d convinced himself she did it through some scheme. Some manipulation.

Now… he wasn’t so sure.

But after Rose had left two years ago, Rolan found out the truth.

She had only married him because Jennifer ran away.

He regretted his actions, but he still couldn’t accept that he was in love with Rose. Not yet. Not when Jennifer was still around.

So, he questioned Jennifer—asked her why she’d stood him up at the altar. And Jennifer… she gave him a good excuse. Said she had too much going on at the time. And maybe she did. He accepted it.

He couldn’t stay obsessed with her anyway. She hadn’t married him. It had been years since she left him, and it felt stupid to still be bitter over something so old, so far gone.

After that, there were no more arguments between them. He treated Jennifer like a normal friend—nothing more. Maybe she stayed close because she had no other friends she liked talking to. Maybe she just wanted to keep him company. He didn’t question it.

What he didn’t expect… was for Rose to run from him. To vanish. To leave him completely alone.

And at first, he convinced himself it made sense. She had her reasons.

But as time passed, something began to shift.

His body started reacting to her absence—like he was sick. Like something deep inside was breaking. His chest felt hollow. His mind, unsteady. Every day felt off. Wrong.

That’s when it hit him.

He had been lying to himself. Pretending he didn’t love her.

But now, this… this weird sickness, this ache that haunted him every waking second—it was punishment. The punishment he deserved for everything he’d done.

And it was also the truth staring him in the face.

He was in love with Rose. Madly. Completely.

And the worst part?

He only realized it when it was already too late.

“I wouldn’t. I don’t want to talk to you right now. I just wish a miracle from heaven would happen and end this conversation between us.”

Rose said those words loudly, her voice sharp with frustration as she glared at Rolan, like she was begging the heavens themselves to hear her.

And then—just like that—her phone rang.

Rolan’s expression softened in disbelief as the sound cut through the tension. It felt like the universe had actually answered her plea.

Rose didn’t hesitate. She grabbed the phone and answered immediately. The screen lit up with the face of her son.

“Son!” she exclaimed, a radiant smile blooming on her face—probably for the first time since the trip began.

Talking to Tobi always made her heart lighter. Seeing him, hearing his voice… it made her forget the heaviness she carried.

“Mommy, I miss you,” Tobi said sweetly, flashing his two big front teeth with a wide grin.

“Mommy misses you too, sweetheart,” Rose replied, her eyes scanning the background behind him. He was sitting at the dining table, eating a meal while chatting with her.

“How is Grandpa? Where did he go?” she asked gently.

“Grandpa went out to take a call, Mommy,” Tobi said. Then his voice dropped to a softer, sadder tone. “Mommy, when will I see you? I miss you.”

Rose’s heart clenched.

“Mommy’s going to come see you very soon, okay? Don’t cry or be sad. It won’t be long,” she soothed. “You’re a strong boy, right? You can stay with Grandpa for a little while longer.”

Rose spoke to Tobi, though her heart sank. She didn’t know when Rolan would finally let her go. From the look of things, it felt like he intended to keep her locked away for a long time—and right now, she had no power to fight him.

“Okay, Mommy. I just called because I hoped you were okay,” Tobi said. “Aunty Zara called and asked about you. I told her I didn’t know where you went.”

Rose’s heart skipped a beat. Zara. Of course. Zara might have realized by now that she had gone missing. Maybe they had even started searching for her.

“You shouldn’t panic, son. Mommy is… Mommy is alright. I haven’t gone missing, okay?” she said, trying to sound calm and collected. “Just enjoy your time with Grandpa, alright?”

“Alright, Mommy. Since you said you’re fine, I’ll end the call. I’m enjoying my food, and I want to finish it,” Tobi replied innocently.

Before she could say anything else, the call ended.

Rose stood frozen, caught off guard. Her shoulders trembled slightly as she stared at her phone. It felt strange—off. Tobi had become so independent, so grown-up. He didn’t need her the same way he used to. She had expected the call to drag on, hoping to hear more of his voice, to feel that connection. But now he was the one cutting the call short.

He was maturing.

And that realization stung.

Rose didn’t know whether to laugh or cry—her mood was a mess. And when she turned and saw Rolan’s mocking expression, it only made things worse.

“How dare you, Rolan? Turn your face away. I don’t want to look at it,” she snapped.

Rolan finally burst into laughter. “For some reason, I really like your son right now, Rose. I really like him.”

Rose felt a storm of emotion rise inside her. She took that emotional mess and flung it straight at his face with her words.

“Mister Rolan, you are the most annoying wolf I have ever met in my entire life. You’re very annoying—very, very annoying. Ugh! I don’t want to see your face right now.”

Rolan raised his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright, I won’t annoy you again. Geez. I just think the situation’s kinda hilarious now—it’s just you and me on this plane.”

As he spoke, his hand snaked around her shoulder. Rose stiffened. Her face flushed a deep red, and she forced herself to act like she wasn’t affected by how close he was. Like his touch didn’t make her heart race.

“Rose,” he said, his voice low and husky.

“Don’t say my name like that,” she mumbled, trying to sound unaffected.

“I shouldn’t call you like that…” he said, his eyes fixed on hers, “…not until I’ve won your heart.”