The next day, Jamie waited at the main entrance of the company for Emma to appear, but it was strange not to see her. She was never late, always punctual. He looked at his watch again, and five minutes had already passed since her usual arrival time.
"Where could she be? She's always strictly punctual," he furrowed his brow and entered the building. On his way to the elevator, he thought that perhaps she had gone up to her office early to avoid running into him at the entrance. So, before starting his work, he decided to have a decent conversation. The wedding was just around the corner, and it had to happen. Upon reaching the floor, he noticed several risk specialists taking their positions at their desks. Jamie approached Emma's boss.
"Good morning, Mrs. Byrne. I'm looking for Emma. Do you happen to know where I can find her? Has she arrived?" Mrs. Byrne furrowed her brow, puzzled by his question.
"Emma? I gave her yesterday and today off so she could have more time to review the final details of her wedding," she said, then narrowed her eyes. "Is everything alright?" Jamie nodded.
"Yes, everything's fine. It's just that I had to take care of some things outside of home yesterday, and..." Jamie didn't know what else to say. "Thanks, I'll call her cell phone." Mrs. Byrne nodded and then turned her attention back to the computer screen in front of her.
Jamie twisted his mouth. "So that's why she arrived at the apartment early," he thought, believing that someone had set a trap for him.
Throughout the day, Jamie called Emma many times, but after the last call, she didn't answer anymore. He thought she might have blocked his calls and messages because it seemed she wasn't online. The phone rang, and he thought Emma finally returned his call, but it was his mother.
"Hello, mother," he said when he answered.
"What's this about the wedding being canceled?" Jamie's eyes widened.
"It's nothing. The wedding is still happening, and..." his mother interrupted him.
"Emma sent a text saying the wedding is off and thanking me for the son she made. So, I ask you, what have you done? Do you know the embarrassment we'll face if there's no wedding? I've invited many people to this wedding, Jamie. I don't know what you did, but you have to fix it NOW." Then she hung up. Jamie let out a long sigh and thought about what he had to do.
On the other side of the city, Emma was enjoying her second cup of coffee in the morning, just like she always did, but this time from her favorite spot, the window in her room. From there, she had one of the best views of Central Park. She momentarily savored the feeling of tranquility that enveloped her. She believed she didn't need Jamie, especially after the distrust he had created in her. She wondered again what had happened to make him make the decision to cheat on her. She was beautiful, took care of herself physically, was kind, educated, patient, and very open-minded when it came to trying new things in bed. Then she shook her head.
"Unsatisfied men."
She had canceled everything related to the wedding without suffering a significant loss, except for the non-refundable honeymoon. So she decided to leave for Hawaii earlier and depart later this afternoon. She had already made a payment for the change of date, and she had started packing. In the middle of her large bed, her suitcase was open, filled with perfectly folded clothes. Matching bags held her underwear, makeup, and more. When she was about to leave the closet to unpack the wedding dress and check that it was in good condition to return it to the store's staff, who would pick it up themselves, the intercom buzzed. She walked over and answered.
"Yes, Dock," they called the doorman.
"Good afternoon, Miss Spencer. The black code has arrived."
"Very well, tell them to come up, but be on the lookout in case you have to rush up to bring them down forcibly."
"Count on me. I'm eagerly looking forward to it." Emma then hung up, walked to the living room, where she had a couple of suitcases filled with all of Jamie's belongings—clothes, trophies, diplomas, shampoo, soaps, brushes. She had removed all traces of him. The doorbell rang, and she pressed her lips together.
"Let the drama begin," she said. She opened the door, and there he was, Jamie, with a puppy-dog look on his face. "There are your suitcases. You can pay Dock to take them downstairs for you."
"Can't we even talk and sort things out, sweetheart?" he asked. Emma raised an eyebrow.
"You've lost the privilege to call me that, Jamie. I think seeing you with another woman, rolling around in my new sheets, should tell you something."
"I made a mistake, Emma. I'm only human."
"But I'm not an idiot, nor your backup plan, and certainly not someone who forgives infidelity. You know perfectly well what I think about that, and yet, you did it. There's no going back. Take your things and goodbye."
"Is it that easy for you to discard me?" Jamie asked, surprised by her newfound confidence.
"Is it that easy for you to get involved with someone else just days before our wedding?" Emma crossed her arms. "And don't you dare ask for the engagement ring that you paid with my credit card and said you would repay. I've returned it, along with the rings, the venue, the food, the music, the waitstaff, and the tableware."
"What? What about the honeymoon?" Emma smiled.
"That..." Emma looked at her watch and then lifted her gaze to him. "...is waiting for me."
"What? How can you go to Hawaii without me? I chose that place!" he exclaimed, offended.
"And I paid for it. So, I'm in a hurry. Take your things and goodbye," Emma said, turning away. But Jamie's hand grabbed her with force, turning her back to him, almost colliding their chests.
"You can't do this to me, Emma," he said as they looked into each other's eyes. Emma raised an eyebrow and abruptly released herself from his grip.
"Just look at me," she took the intercom. "Dock, come up." Jamie furrowed his brow, and moments later, the tall and intimidating figure of Dock appeared, a smile on his face.
"What do you need, Miss Spencer?" Jamie tensed up and then understood the reference to the "black code" that had been mentioned earlier.
"I'll leave on my own, there's no need to use force for this." He knew he couldn't contend with Dock the mastodon, as he called him in his mind. Emma waited for Jamie to take out the suitcases and for the doorman to escort him out of the building.
"You'll break my mother's heart."
"Tell her that you broke mine first, and as a result, hers will break when she hears from your own mouth what you did to me."
"Emma, let's talk, please. Don't I deserve a second chance?"
“No. Goodbye, thank you, Dock." She closed the door in Jamie's face. As she did so, she stood there, staring at the door, imagining the expression on her now ex-fiancé's face. She let out a long sigh, thinking that at any moment the pain and tears would come, but...
They didn't come.
Hawaii, United StatesThe honeymoon suite was one of the best in the hotel she had made a reservation at. Emma sighed as she took off the wildflower lei they had given her at the airport. She checked the itinerary, which was mostly designed for couples by default, but she decided to request a new one that would cater to her solo adventure. She wanted to do things on her own and explore each activity individually. The first one on the list was the surface diving adventure in Molokini aboard the Calypso. It promised an up-close encounter with Hawaiian green sea turtles, breakfast, and lunch served while sailing along the coast, and the catamaran even had water slides. However, Emma had no intention of going on the slides or getting close to the turtles, so she dismissed that option."There must be something else," she murmured, lowering her gaze to the itinerary list. "Scooter adventure in a submarine in Oahu, knife dancing in the welcome ceremony, hula dancing, weaving a coconut leaf h
Hotel Paradise, Hawaii.Presidential SuiteThe sunlight streamed through the window as the white curtains swayed in the cool breeze, accompanied by the distant sound of crashing waves. Emma stirred and reached out to find the sheet to pull it over herself, feeling a chill. But she didn't find the sheet. Instead, her fingers encountered the bare back of someone lying next to her, still asleep with their mouth slightly open. She slowly withdrew her hand, opened one eye to glance, and then opened the other. She swallowed hard, "Who is this?" Images from the previous night quickly flashed through her mind. She closed her eyes and squeezed them tightly shut, the memory awakening the heat that had ignited with the German man last night. She denied it to herself, "How is it possible to feel this way about a stranger she had known for only a few hours?" It was as if a sexual appetite she didn't even know existed had awakened for the first time."Good morning, lioness," the deep, sleepy, and s
Max paced back and forth while waiting to board the plane. Four friends watched him, starting to get nervous."What are you going to do?" Alex asked, absentmindedly biting his thumbnail while keeping his eyes on Max, who continued walking."I don't know. Coming to Hawaii to pretend I know nothing, I think it was a mistake. I should be there and confront them," Gus replied, shaking his head."Don't tell me coming and getting out of the hell you were in was a mistake. We're your friends, and at least you had some fun, right?" Max stopped walking and smiled weakly, looking at his four friends: Gustavo and Alejandro, both Americans, Viktor and Sasha, Germans who came to work with him from Berlin."Of course, he's had fun shamelessly!" They all burst into laughter, seeing their friend blush and give himself away."Shut up, you jerk," they laughed even louder in that private boarding lounge."I want to know," said the tall, well-built, elegant man, crossing one leg over his knee and leaning
Sunday afternoon rolled around, and Emma was busy packing her clothes into her suitcase, making all the necessary preparations to depart for the airport in just an hour. Her destination: New York. Although she still had one more week remaining in the current location, she felt that it was sufficient. She had achieved a beautiful tan and enjoyed ample rest, and now she was eager to return and move forward with her life. The thought of selling her apartment and using her savings to purchase a fresh new one had crossed her mind. Likewise, she contemplated selling her car and acquiring a different one, longing for everything to be new and untouched by Jamie… or her secret lover.****The following hours felt eternal for her. She thought about all the work that awaited her on Monday, and just thinking about it relaxed her. Emma was addicted to work; focusing her mind on something productive and rewarding was something many wouldn't understand. As she glanced out the window, she saw the dist
Days later...Emma finally completed the purchase of her new apartment. She had used her savings to furnish it to her liking, since everything she had in her old apartment was sold along with it. She looked out of the window in her new living room, and the view was breathtaking. She crossed her arms and admired the Statue of Liberty in the distance as the incoming light bathed the entire space."Finally, a fresh start," she said after adjusting the photo frame next to the state-of-the-art, built-in television. The photo captured her graduation from university, standing alone with a serious expression she often wore in pictures. She smiled and then sighed. Her phone rang in the nearby bedroom. When she picked it up, she saw an unknown number on the screen. She squinted, thinking it could be Jamie, as she had blocked all unknown numbers, but this was a new one. "Do I have to change my number?" The unknown number persisted, so she answered, "Hello?""Can you stop blocking me? I've been t
Emma looked at her mother lying in bed, her smile, and the sparkle in her eyes reminded her of the past, everything she had done to avoid her at all costs, but apparently, it was all in vain. She was here. Seeking money. And perhaps something more."How are you feeling?" Emma asked, approaching the foot of the bed. Her daughter's cold reception only made her mother smile even more."I'm fine. This hospital is a dump, but I'm fine. Why did it take you so long to come for me?" her mother asked. Emma tensed up and shook her head slowly."Come for you? First of all, what do you want? We can settle it right now. There's no need for you to come with me. Tell me, and we can go our separate ways.""Well, I just want a few thousand dollars to get by in the city for a while. And don't come up with small amounts. I know you earn quite well," her mother replied. "Because I work," Emma retorted. "That's why I am where I am, why I strive not to go hungry or suffer from all those shortcomings. Have
Emma looked at herself in the new mirror she had acquired at a prestigious furniture and decor store. She noticed how little tanned she was and scolded herself for not enjoying the sun at the beach a bit more. Then she closed her eyes and smiled weakly, remembering that tall, muscular body with a German accent, full lips that had kissed every corner of her body. She let out a long, heavy sigh. "Who would have imagined that Emma Spencer would do something so crazy in her life?" She admitted to herself that she had never had so many orgasms in her sexual life as she had with Jamie during those few hours they were together. When she opened her eyes, she cleared her throat and touched her cheeks, which had turned a deep pink color, recalling how good that night with the German had been. It was impossible to have something like that again in her life. After that, she would never enter into a relationship for anything in the world. The experience with Jamie had left her with no desire to ha
In front of a beautiful house, within the most luxurious grounds, Max sat in his car with his fiancée, Irina. She kept talking about wedding matters, while his fingers impatiently tapped on his leg. He tried to show interest, but she was quickly wearing out whatever patience he had left."Shameless cheater," he thought to himself."I don't want to ruin the moment, dear, but I need to leave," he said. Irina raised an eyebrow and gave him an irritating look. She crossed her arms, accentuating her daring cleavage."We need to finalize the details of our wedding, darling," Irina responded. Max discreetly took a deep breath and sighed through his teeth. Then he put on a big fake smile."I know, but remember that with the merger of the companies, I'll have more work. Right now, I'm losing money discussing a topic where, in the end, it's always going to be what YOU want, not me. You know why?""Because I'm the best, and because I love you," Irina replied with a triumphant smile. Max had been