Hearing the noise from the next room, one of the students, who had been gossiping about Emily earlier that morning, rushed over. “Emily, are you okay?” she asked, her voice filled with concern. “Where does it hurt? I’ll call the teacher. Don’t worry!” She quickly pulled out her phone.Emily’s right side was throbbing with pain, tears streaming down her face as she lay there, feeling numb and barely able to move.The teacher arrived shortly after, clearly alarmed. “Call an ambulance, quickly!” she instructed, her voice sharp with urgency.Emily wanted to assure everyone she was fine, but as soon as she tried to speak, the pain surged again, and more tears flowed uncontrollably.When the ambulance arrived, the teacher turned to the students. “You all stay here and keep selecting your pieces for the exhibition. I’ll go with her to the hospital,” she said, her tone firm yet reassuring.At Lichfield Hospital’s emergency room, the doctor reviewed the X-rays. “There’s no fracture, just
In Merika State, the two of them lay close together on the hotel bed. As their passion grew, Justin Yates’s husky voice, filled with allure, murmured, “Em, how about having a child with me?”Caught up in the moment, Emily Yates replied without thinking. It wasn’t until they were lying together afterward that she remembered what he had said.“A child?” she repeated, a trace of intimacy lingering in her eyes.The look stirred Justin’s desire again. She was a constant temptation to him. Pushing those thoughts aside, he pulled out a ring and slipped it onto her left hand.“Are you proposing to me?” she asked.“Yes.”“Can I finally have your child now?” Justin asked, smiling. His eyes were warm, but there was no love in them, as if he were gazing past her, waiting for someone else’s answer.“I’ll give you plenty,” she replied, momentarily surprised. Proposing in bed wasn’t exactly romantic or formal, but she didn’t mind. She had waited three years for this moment, and it was worth it
Tears had fallen without her noticing, smudging the fresh makeup around her eyes. Emily glanced down at the diamond ring on her left hand, a sense of foreboding spreading through her. The sudden appearance of this woman might shatter the happiness she had been waiting for. She couldn’t just stand here. She had to know who this woman was. After a moment to gather herself, she headed back to the hotel.The plane flew from Merika State back to Haven State. At Lichfield Hospital, Emily stood at the door of a hospital room, arms crossed, trying to see inside through the window. Justin’s friend, Zac White, the director of Lichfield Hospital, along with other doctors, were examining the restless woman on the hospital bed. Two female nurses held her steady as they conducted their checks.On the plane, her face had already been cleaned, and she had been given fresh clothes.“Emma Xander? Hasn’t she... disappeared for the past four years?” Zac was shocked. Where had Justin found her?
In the hospital’s back garden, the spring night was still a bit chilly, and a cold wind stirred, adding a bite to the air. The flick of a lighter sounded, and two glowing points of light appeared as smoke drifted, blurring their vision.“So, Emma Xander’s back. What are you going to do?” Zac asked, breaking the silence. He didn’t mention Emily, but they both knew what he meant.One woman was the college sweetheart, the first love who had once saved Justin’s life. The other was the girlfriend who had been with him for three years, sharing his most intimate moments, and now, his fiancée.After a long pause, Justin replied, his voice cold and detached. “She was just a stand-in. She could never compare to Emma.”He went on, his tone utterly indifferent, as if he hadn’t been the one to propose to Emily in Merika State. “The role of Mrs. Yates will never be hers. It can only belong to Emma.”In a way, Emily had saved him the trouble of saying it himself when she had brought up their mar
Emily found the remote to turn on the lights, then looked for something handy to snuff out each candle one by one. Afterward, she retrieved her nightgown from the closet and headed for a shower. As she walked into the bathroom, she noticed the ring still on her left hand. She slipped it off and tossed it into the corner of her jewelry box. When she returned to the bedroom, she brushed all the rose petals off the bed and settled under the covers, pulling them over her head.She instinctively lay on the left side of the bed, where she was used to sleeping. Justin would always hold her close, gradually shifting over to the left with her until they were practically glued together. Now, the right side of the bed was glaringly empty. To fill the space, she scooted to the center, tossing the extra pillow onto the floor, finally feeling comfortable.She turned off the lights and went to sleep.Two days passed without any word from Justin. He was likely at the hospital with Emma or busy wi
People said billionaires were cold and indifferent in their personal lives, switching women as easily as they changed clothes. For the past three years, Mr. Yates had only been with Miss Yates, making him seem like a devoted man. But it looked like he could move on in an instant. Who knew how long Miss Xander would last by his side?Sam had joined the company three years ago, right when Justin took over RC Corporation, so he wasn’t familiar with the complicated history between Emma and Justin.Inside TC Mall, Emily was browsing through clothes, each piece a far cry from her usual sweet and innocent style.“Babe, switching things up?” Helen asked, watching as Emily picked up a long black dress with a sexy, slitted hem. It would look stunning on Emily’s curves.Emily held the dress up to herself in the mirror, unfazed. “Yep, time for a change. Do you think this would look better with a shawl or a jacket?”She turned to give Helen a look.“A shawl, definitely. It’ll highlight your
Emily took out her phone and sent Justin a message. “Stop by Villa One when you have a moment. Let’s settle things between us so you can go back to your precious first love.”After hitting send, she prepared to leave the hospital.“Miss Yates, may I speak with you for a moment?” Suddenly, Emma was beside her, having wheeled herself over without Justin in sight.“We don’t really know each other,” Emily replied, feeling awkward.“Miss Yates, I’ve just been away from Justin for three years. I wanted to ask you how he’s been and if he’s been eating and sleeping well. He couldn’t find me, so I’m sure he must’ve been terribly sad,” Emma said, her frail voice laced with a hint of smugness, as if she was savoring her importance to him.“If you want to know, ask Justin directly.”“He won’t tell me. He’s worried it would make me anxious.”Emily saw no point in continuing the conversation and turned to leave. Suddenly, behind her, Emma’s voice rose in a frantic shout, her tears streaming
Emily gripped the contract tightly, her anger burning inside her.Justin leaned back in his chair, his thin lips parting slightly as he spoke. His voice was cold and dripping with arrogance, as if he were granting her a favor. “These past three years have been hard on you. You’re an orphan, with no family or place to go. I’m willing to support you financially with sixty million a year.”He continued, “We’ll renew the contract every three years. If you behave and stay out of my and Emma’s way, I’ll keep you until you’re old. You can stay in this villa, but you’re not to show yourself in front of Emma again. I won’t be coming here anymore, and I won’t be with you.“As for what happened at the hospital today, I don’t care who was right or wrong. I don’t want a repeat of it.”His tone was cold and dismissive, as if her thoughts and dignity didn’t matter at all.By the time he finished, Emily’s anger was so intense it felt like a physical pain. Where did he get the nerve to think she w