Chapter 5

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 figure beautifully,” Helen replied with her usual style advice.

“That’s what I thought too.”

Helen eyed the dress. “That dress is so feminine. Will your guy even let you wear it out? Doesn’t Justin only let you wear those sweet, innocent schoolgirl outfits?”

Helen couldn’t help but mentally criticize Justin’s taste. What kind of fashion sense did he have anyway? A multinational CEO, a man with a grip on the Haven State economy, yet he liked her to dress like a schoolgirl.

“His taste doesn’t matter anymore. It’s not something I’m concerned about,” Emily replied casually, completely indifferent.

She handed the dress to a fitting assistant with a similar build, having her try it on for her. High-end stores like this one often had staff who modeled the clothes for clients, so she didn’t have to try them on herself.

Emily picked out a few more items in different styles for the assistant to model. If she liked them, she would buy them. When she was satisfied with her choices, she scanned her card and paid, then filled out the delivery details for Villa One. The clothes would be sent straight there.

After they had finished shopping, they went for lunch.

With no one else around, Emily finally shared her situation with Helen that she had been Justin’s stand-in for his one true love. Now that his true love had returned, she was planning to leave him.

“That jerk!” Helen burst out, her emotions flaring.

“Keep it down.” Emily quickly covered Helen’s mouth and glanced around to see if anyone at nearby tables was paying attention to them.

Helen lowered her voice but was still fuming. “Justin might look put-together, but he’s not even half a man. His first love disappears, so he goes and finds a stand-in?

“Why didn’t he just get plastic surgery to look like her? Then he could see her every time he looked in the mirror.

“Good for you for walking away. You should break up with him. No! Just breaking up is too good for that pompous human garbage! You need to dump him into the sewers!”

LMAO, where did Helen even learn these insults from?

Just then, the server brought out a tray with seasoned meats, fresh vegetables, and a variety of salsas. Emily began assembling her own tacos, adding the toppings she liked best. “The contract’s up in four months. I’m planning to buy a place.”

“What for? Just stay with me. I’ve got a room for you.”

“My address is still tied to Justin’s place. Since I’ve decided to leave, I need a clean break. I’ll need my own place to change everything over,” Emily explained, outlining her plan. Her heart felt numb now, no longer as raw as it had been the night she’d learned the truth in the hospital garden.

“Then you can cancel your lease and move in with me! We’ll be family!" Emily suggested excitedly.

Helen suppressed the impulse to tell Emily that they were already family. Given Emily's amnesia, she didn’t want to overwhelm her with too much information all at once.

Instead, she nodded. “Alright, I’ll move in with you. I’ll start looking around for a place for you. Actually the place I rent now is quite nice. The location and neighborhood are perfect. I’ll check if the landlord’s interested in selling, though it’s a resale property.”

“I don’t care if it’s new or used. As long as it’s clean and ready to go, I’m good.” Emily didn’t need much.

After leaving the cushy life she had been used to, she was perfectly fine doing things on her own. She found the independence kind of refreshing.

After lunch, they picked up some accessories to go with the new outfits, light enough to carry back on her own. Emily said goodbye to Helen and drove back to Villa One.

By the time she got back, the clothes she had bought that morning had already been delivered, ironed, and neatly hung in the walk-in closet by the house staff. She hadn’t bought much, just enough to last the next few months and to keep the move as hassle-free as possible.

The women’s side of the closet was nearly empty, with only a few of her favorite pieces hanging. She grabbed a new loungewear set to change into and happened to glance over at the men’s side, packed with Justin’s clothes.

Emily didn’t linger. She strode past it without a second thought.

As she was heading to the bathroom, her phone rang from the sofa. She put down the clothes and picked up the call.

“Hello, is this Miss Yates?”

“Yes, this is.”

“I’m a nurse from Lichfield Hospital. Your health screening results are in. When would be a convenient time for you to come pick them up?”

Emily remembered that Justin had taken her for a checkup just before their trip to Merika State. She had forgotten all about it until this call.

“I’ll come by tomorrow morning.”

“Very well. Have a nice day.”

The next day, Emily went to Lichfield Hospital.

“Pre-pregnancy planning?”

“That’s right. Mr. Yates specifically requested it during his screening. Your health is excellent, Miss Yates. Your ovulation cycle is regular, so we recommend folic acid, Vitamin B1, and plenty of protein. With the right timing and frequency, you should be expecting good news soon.” The doctor adjusted his glasses and smiled warmly.

Emily’s fingers tightened around the report, a heavy feeling settling in her chest. She had been trying hard not to think about Justin lately, but this report hit her unexpectedly hard.

“Miss Yates, I’ll prescribe you two boxes of folic acid and Vitamin B1. Be sure to take them regularly.”

Emily interrupted him, finding an excuse to refuse. “Thanks, doctor, but that won’t be necessary. I’ll get them on my own.”

The doctor wasn’t surprised. Wealthy women like her often had access to premium brands from various sources, so declining hospital-prescribed supplements wasn’t unusual.

Emily left the hospital in a daze, only coming to her senses when she reached a sunny spot outside. She tossed the health report into the trash bin.

With Emma back, Justin clearly had no intention of having children with her. And she certainly didn’t want to give him one, either. It was easier to pretend she didn’t know what the checkup had really been for.

Meanwhile, in the hospital’s garden, the spring sunlight was warm and gentle. Justin was pushing Emma’s wheelchair, letting her enjoy the sunshine.

“Justin, you’re busy with work. You don’t have to be here with me all the time. I can manage on my own,” Emma said, her voice soft and considerate.

“Focus on getting better. Don’t worry about anything else.”

Justin felt a deep guilt about Emma’s disappearance, blaming himself for not protecting her better. He believed his negligence had allowed her to be taken and vanish without a trace.

Over the past few days, he had tried to gather clues from her about what happened, but whenever he brought it up, she would break down, unable to share any details.

Emily hadn’t expected to see Justin at the hospital. Hadn’t Sam said Justin was out of town on a business trip?

They were at this point, and he was still making up excuses to lie to her. It was almost childish.