If an earthquake occurred and the ground beneath opened up, Emma would happily jump into it. That is how eager she was to escape the predicament she was currently in.
On the other hand, the man who is the cause of this predicament was enjoying every bit of the moment.
“E-Ex?”
Richard’s eyes bounced between Christopher and Emma to find any hint of a joke before he looked at his twin, who looked equally surprised by the revelation.
“How are you, Emma?”
Christopher ignoring the baffled expressions on his friends' faces, smiled and asked in a gentle tone while taking in her features.
“I am good. When did you return to the country?”
“Not pleased having me back, are we?”
“There is nothing to be pleased or not to be pleased about. It was just small talk.”
“Since when did you start liking small talk?”
“5 years is a long time for me to start liking anything.”
Nothing betrayed Emma’s steady voice and calm smile as she looked straight into Christopher’s eyes. Despite her sweaty, cold palms, there was no change in her expression which might give away how nervous she was meeting him after their last encounter.
“Miss. Grayson, I am getting late for my next appointment. You can mail the documents to me after you’re done making the changes.”
“I apologise for the delay, Miss. Wright. I will have the documents sent to the Watson Residence by tonight.”
“Thank you.”
Emma smiled softly at Royce before nodding at Richard and then glancing briefly at Christopher before side-stepping them and leaving the office.
Turning around to look at her retreating back, Christopher had a deep look on his face making Richard softly pat his shoulder.
“You are still not over her?”
“We barely dated for a week, before I decided she wasn’t it for me.”
“Then what is with that melancholic look?”
Richard asked in amusement as Christopher shook his head with a small chuckle.
“It is not melancholy. I am just trying to understand that woman.”
“Understand her for what?”
“She has always been a puzzle for me. In university, she always steered clear of all materialistic temptations. If not for a stupid dare, she wouldn’t have dated me for a week, either.”
Christopher chuckled humorlessly as he let out a long troubled sigh, looking outside the floor-to-ceiling window.
“Is your ego hurt? That woman did not want you if not for a stupid dare?”
“Not really. I respect her choice. Everyone has a different taste, but choosing Shayne at the end? Her choice is really questionable.”
“Chris, humans often make stupid decisions because they were simply dumb enough to make them or they were left with no other choice. You shouldn’t judge without knowing both sides of a coin.”
Royce chided Christopher with a slight frown as she made her way back to her table, while Richard and Christopher sat down on the leather couch.
“Why are they divorcing, anyway? That too after 5 years?”
Christopher asked with an amused chuckle at the odd timing. He had to leave the country when they got married and now that he was back; they were getting divorced.
It was as if destiny was saving Emma for him, but too bad she was too docile and good-tempered for him.
“Shayne Watson is divorcing Miss. Wright because she couldn’t give him an heir even after 5 years of their marriage.”
“Is that even a valid reason for divorce?”
Richard almost spat in indignation at the reason for divorce.
Seriously in what era were they living in that a husband is throwing away 5 years of a happy marriage for an heir?
“It is consensual divorce, so it is valid. I think it is better for Miss. Wright as well.”
“How is it better for Miss? Wright? Going back to the common man’s life would be difficult, even torturous for her after experiencing the lifestyle of the wealthy.”
“Even a heiress with influence marrying into a noble family would need an heir to secure her position, let alone a common woman with zero influence among high society.”
Royce scoffed at the reality of women even in the 21st century.
A woman without a child is an incomplete woman. No matter how much she has accomplished in her life, without becoming a mother, she will always be a failure.
“That is the only reason for divorce?”
Christopher asked with a frown.
As far as he knew Emma and Shayne were both healthy individuals, there shouldn’t be a problem with conceiving but even if they did, IVF, surrogacy even adoption, the options for an heir were endless with today’s medical advancement, so why chose to divorce?
“That is what uncle told me. What else could be the reason?”
“A mistress?”
Richard questioned the probability, as Royce immediately denied the possibility.
“Shayne Watson might not be a gentleman, but cheating on his wife isn’t possible for him.”
“Why?”
“Watson's family is a family full of snakes ready to bite each other's head off. If he is caught of cheating, then he can forget being the next head of the family. He won’t even be part of the family. The risk is too high just for a mistress.”
Royce analyzed as she continued to type away on her desktop with a measured speed, briefly pausing to read through before continuing.
“Wha-“
“Enough about it. Where are we hanging out in the evening?”
Royce cut off Richard’s next question with an annoyed glare. She still had to get the papers ready on top of the other files. If this continued, she would have to pull an all-nighter.
“Rose and Ryan are choosing the spot.”
“You let Rose and Ryan to choose a spot together?”
“Yeah?”
“That is the perfect combination for a disaster. They never agree on the same thing.”
Royce groaned in annoyance and how stupid her twin was. Everyone who knew Rose Grayson and Ryan Monroe knew they were technically each other’s nemesis.
They wouldn’t stand each other if not for them being in the friend group, even which they avoid whenever possible.
This time, if not for Christopher's return, they wouldn’t agree to meet up so easily.
“They happen to be the only people free enough to check for free VIP spots. And they agreed.”
Richard shrugged, not caring much unless and until he had a DJ and was drunk by the end of the night.
Emma, who exited Grayson & Co. hailed down a cab and went back to the Watson mansion. To find Madam Watson fuming over something and lashing out at Amanda, with the poor woman trembling in fear.Unable to bear it any longer, Emma cleared her throat, making her presence known, her expression gentle and a calm smile painted on her lush pink lips.“Where were you? Have you seen the time?”Madam Watson’s expression soured even more than before as soon as her gaze fell on Emma.“Did you need me for something?”Emma calmly asked, disregarding Madam Watson’s tone, as this was how the older lady always spoke to her.“The dinner is not yet ready! And Stella’s room looks like a haunted house! Is this how you arrange things?”Madam Watson lashed out at her in a shrill voice, a few octaves higher than her usual tone, stating how angry she was.“I will take care of it before dinner. As for dinner, I will see what is taking time.”Emma’s smile was intact, her voice steady as she softly spoke.“You
“We meet again.”Startled by the sudden voice from beside her ear, Emma stumbled back by instinct making her trip onto the air and fall backward.Resigning to her fate, Emma shut her eyes tight, waiting for the impact of the hard, cold ground on her butt but was confused as it never came, instead, there was a pleasantly, familiar pressure on her waist.Peeking her eyes open, her eyes clashed with Christopher’s ocean blue eyes full of mirth.“Though is it an extreme honor. I can’t have you falling for me left and right, I don’t want such a pretty lady to get hurt.”“Thanks for the save and it is Madam, not Lady.”Emma still cool as cucumber answered in a calm, measured voice, a complete contrast to the rampage of elephants inside her stomach and the sprint her heart was currently running.“Oh? I thought I was here to d
As promised, Emma was out of the house by the next sunrise, leaving behind two puzzled members and three relieved family members. Her disappearance puzzled Mr. Watson, whereas Spade was unsure as to how to interpret her words from last night and her disappearance this morning. On the other hand, Shayne and Stella were rejoicing on the inside to be finally rid of Emma’s annoying presence in their lives. Madam Watson was also on cloud nine to have freed her son from the good-for-nothing woman, who brought no advantages to Shayne, unlike Stella who was already a well-established actress. ******************** Emma rolled her suitcase into the elevator of the apartment complex she bought the other day. Readjusting her sling bag, she pressed her floor and leaned back to wait for the elevator to close. Just as the doors were about to close, a muscular arm interrupted, prompting the door to slide open again. The unexpected interruption
Stanley’s no-nonsense tone, made Emma tremble, but she caught herself in time.She expected it, she anticipated the hate but when it was thrown at her face, in reality, it hurt like someone pulled out her heart.Catherine, with tears running down her bubbly cheeks, pulled at her husband’s sleeve, shaking her head, asking him to not hurt their daughter with such harsh words.She might not be their blood, but she was still the daughter they cherished with their all, at times even more than their own flesh.“It is alright, Mom. I deserve this but I won’t give up this time. I will make up for all my shortcomings and right my wrongs since last 5 years.”Emma smiled softly at her parents before, heading into the stairwell, unable to wait there any longer for the elevator.Descending the stairs, she was once again lost in the past.Time was unforgiving, 5 years seemed to have sped past in a blin
Looking at the smirking Christopher and a slightly bewildered Richard, Emma almost groaned out loud in annoyance but held it in at the last moment.“What can I help you with, Sir?”“Sir?”Christopher bit out in laughter but his eyes held a different story altogether.“It hasn’t been a fortnight since your divorce and this is your condition? What kind of man did you choose over me?”“Chris, drop it. I apologize, Miss. Wright, my friend here is a little tipsy…”“I’m very much sober, Richie. Emma, VVIP room 3, I stored a bottle of whiskey a few months back, bring it along with a couple of shots.”Saying this Christopher left the place without looking back, his tone biting cold as if the very thought of breathing the same air as her was intolerable to him.Richard who wa
Inside a spacious room, designed with minimalist and monotone colors, a young couple were spooning each other. The man peppered small kisses on the lady’s neck as she tried to hold back the smile about to bloom on her beautiful face.“Stop it.”She mumbled, her voice still sleepy, but the man continued to assault her with kisses on the crook of her neck. When the lady ignored it and still fell back asleep, the man started tickling her, leaving her no choice but to wake up and open her eyes.As her eyes fluttered open, a dazzling pair of violet irises came into view, which could put even the angels to shame.“So beautiful”The man mumbled as he kissed both her eyes, one by one, leaving behind a lingering warmth.“Now turn off the alarm.”“Huh?”“Turn off the alarm.”“Wha-”“It is giving me a headache, turn off the alarm quickly.”Emma was snapped awake by the harsh voice, and her eyes met with the cold, piercing eyes of her husband, Shayne Watson, making her realize she was dreaming a
“I was...”The two simple words made Emma’s heart skip a beat, she still saw hope. She saw a hope to change his mind about divorce. All was not in vain, if she could move his heart even once, she could do it again and she was willing to do it no matter how hard it was.She knew he wouldn’t discard her like this after 5 years of companionship. Or would he?“...when I took you to bed. I am still a gentleman, I wouldn’t use just any women. After all, you were a goat who willingly came to her slaughter, how could I refuse? But I made sure to never impregnate you, I couldn’t be unfaithful to Stella now, could I?”“What?”Just when she thought her heart couldn’t break anymore it did. So, all the time when she was thinking there was a problem with her for not being able to get pregnant, it was never possible because he never allowed it? How stupid has she been, to not even realize this?A feeling of foreboding engulfed Emma, as one by one everything fell into its place. The truth was alwa
The seed of doubt that sprouted grew throughout the breakfast, by the end of it Emma was sure that, Shayne had indeed included the family in his plans, or else, there was no way they would suddenly agree to change the bride at the last moment, that with another commoner.The more she saw, the more Emma realized how blind she was to not see the undisguised hatred and disgust the family had for her as if they couldn’t wait for the day she would leave their lives. What she did not understand was, didn’t they hate Stella just as much but now there was such a drastic change in their behavior, especially Madam Watson’s, so what changed in these 5 years?“Emmie, why are you so silent? Are you not happy to see me after so long?”Stella questioned innocently as she looked at Emma with her doe eyes full of sincerity, making Emma almost question Stella’s innocence in all of this but brushed it off when she remembered how good of an actor Stella was.“I’m just overwhelmed, seeing you after so lo