Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 499: This is not love

"Collin, what is wrong with you? She is our daughter." Roseline’s voice broke as panic set in, her eyes fixed on Anna in his arms.

"I know," he replied with a slow smirk. "And right now, she is the only thing that can help me."

The animosity in his eyes made her stomach drop.

They had met during their college days. Back then, Collin had been charming, confident, full of dreams. Roseline had fallen for his sweet words and bold promises. He had made her believe in a future painted with ambition and success.

But Collin had not fallen in love the same way.

He had fallen for her beauty. For her intelligence. For her potential.

He saw in her a life he could never build on his own.

So he stayed close. He fed her promises about marriage and success while quietly spending her money on luxuries he could not afford. For a while, Roseline did not question it. She believed in him. She believed love required sacrifice.

Everything was manageable until the night he lost big.

He returned home pale and shaken, carrying a debt so massive it crushed whatever illusion remained between them.

Roseline had just given birth to Anna then. Their daughter had been born out of wedlock, and Roseline, ambitious as ever, wanted to give her child the best life possible. That was why she and Collin had delayed their wedding. She wanted stability before tying herself completely to him.

Instead, she found herself drowning in his mistakes.

Her salary disappeared into clearing his debts. It was never enough. The numbers kept growing. The pressure never stopped.

Every knock on the door made her heart race.

The loan sharks came once, just as she feared they would. They dragged Collin outside and beat him mercilessly. She could still remember the sound of his bones hitting the pavement. They destroyed their rented house, breaking furniture, smashing windows, leaving chaos behind.

She had to find another place within days, barely managing to secure a small apartment.

But Collin did not change.

His addiction deepened. The debts grew larger. The threats became more violent.

That was when desperation pushed her into making the worst decision of her life.

She came up with the idea to kidnap Kathrine.

Hugo adored his daughter. Everyone knew it. Roseline had worked closely enough with him to understand how deeply he cared. She convinced herself it was the only way out. One clean act. One large sum of money. Enough to erase every debt and finally free herself and Anna from fear.

She told herself it was survival.

Somewhere along the way, however, Roseline had developed a soft spot for Hugo. He was kind in ways Collin had never been. Steady. Responsible. Protective.

To Hugo, she was merely an employee at first. Nothing more.

Until a few days ago, when he had asked her to marry him.

He knew she had a past. He knew she had a daughter. Yet he was willing to accept both. He believed Kathrine had survived because of Roseline’s courage during the staged crisis.

He thought she was selfless.

If only he knew the truth.

And now, standing in front of Collin as he held their crying daughter like leverage, Roseline realized that every choice she had made had led her back to this moment. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Back to him, the very man who brought nothing but stress to her.

"Give me the money, Roseline, and I will let her go."

Collin’s voice cut through her thoughts like a blade.

Her eyes widened in horror.

Somehow, in the chaos of the moment, he had picked up a knife from the kitchen counter. His hand trembled slightly from alcohol, but the grip was firm. The blade was not pressed against Anna, but it was close enough to make Roseline’s blood run cold.

"Collin... what are you doing?" Her voice shook despite her effort to steady it. "Put the knife down. You are scaring her."

Anna’s cries grew louder, sensing the panic in the room.

"I am not going to hurt her," he snapped. "Do you think I am insane?"

"Yes," Roseline wanted to scream.

Instead, she swallowed.

"Then put it away," she pleaded softly. "We can talk about this. I will figure something out. I always do."

He let out a hollow laugh.

"That is exactly the problem," he said bitterly. "You always fix everything. You always act like you are better than me."

"That is not true," she insisted quickly. "I stayed. I worked. I paid your debts. I never left."

"You were about to," he shot back, his eyes flashing. "Do you think I do not know why?"

The accusation in his voice made her freeze.

"You found someone else," he continued, his smile turning cruel. "Hugo. The rich, respectable man who can give you the life you always wanted. Stability. Power. A name."

Roseline’s lips parted, but no words came out.

"You fell in love with him," Collin said quietly. "And now I am nothing to you."

"That is not—"

"Do not lie to me!" he shouted, the knife trembling in his hand.

Anna whimpered harder.

Collin lowered his voice again, but it was more dangerous now. "You think you can walk away and live peacefully while I drown in debt? You think you can replace me?"

His gaze burned into hers.

"You love me, Roseline. You always have. You just forgot."

The words felt twisted. Delusional.

"You belong with me," he went on. "Your life, your choices, everything you do should be for us. For me. Not for some man who picked you up because he pitied you."

Roseline felt her heart pound violently against her chest.

"This is not love, Collin," she whispered.

He smiled, but there was no warmth in it.

"It is the only love you have ever known."

And in that moment, she realized something terrifying.

Collin did not fear losing her.

He feared losing control.

And he was willing to destroy everything to keep it.