Emelia's POV"Me? Starting my own business?" I had to repeat the words back to Alexis just to make sure that's what she meant to say.Alexis laughed at my confusion. "Oh, no need to act too humble.""That's not it!" I playfully hit her. "It's just… I don't know. I've never thought about that before. It's one thing to work for another company, but owning one? That requires a little more elbow grease."Honestly, starting my own company hadn't been something that I gave much thought to. Mostly because I was too busy making sure my family and I had food on our table and a roof over our heads… After having been on survival mode for so long, even after I'd married Victor, it didn't occur to me that that was even a possibility.Plus, the thought of being a CEO of anything made me a little wary and uncomfortable. It was a lot of pressure to deal with the inner-workings of making sure a company stayed afloat.I wasn't even sure if I could handle it.Almost as if Alexis had read my mind, she re
Emelia's POVThe man's eyebrows shot up as if he weren't expecting to see me. He excused himself from whomever he was speaking to and made his way towards me with an eagerness that could only be read from his eyes.His features only confirmed that it definitely was Mason that I was looking at."What a pleasant surprise." He greeted me warmly. "I wasn't expecting to see you here.""The same can be said for you." I returned his smile. "Are you enjoying the showcase? The art and jewelry are beautiful.""Oh, absolutely. Everyone did such a splendid job. It's events like these that show you that there are diamonds in the dirt if you're patient enough to look for them."I nodded his head. "Oh, I can agree with you on that for sure. How have you been?""I've been good, thank you for asking. Although, I should be asking you that." Mason gave me a worried look. "Last we spoke, I know you weren't in a good state. You also don't seem to be looking particularly well now."I couldn't lie—his concer
Emelia's POV"What is he doing here?" Alexis hissed under her breath.I watched silently as Victor scanned the tea shop with a hint of something else in his eyes. Apprehension? Disgust?Regardless, he didn't seem to be in a particularly good mood.As his gaze settled on the shop's window, it was then that his eyes found mine. His stare was intense as he hurried into the small tea shop.Oh great.The door swung open as Victor's head snapped to where we were sitting. He looked at me just before his eyes widened on the man sitting across from me.Even from here, I could see his jaw flexed."Emelia, are you okay?" Victor approached me and ignored both Alexis and Mason. "When I came home and saw you weren't there, I got worried.""I'm fine." I replied curtly. "As you can see, I'm enjoying tea with friends. So, you can go home now."Victor's fixated on Mason and suddenly, the air had changed. "Friends, huh?"The atmosphere became so heavy it was hard to breathe. A sharpened knife couldn't cu
Emelia's POV"I'm so sorry..." I finally said once the chaos left in Victor's wake settled. "You didn't deserve that, Mason."Victor's jealous fit left a bad taste in my mouth and really soured my mood. He had no right being so angry and hostile towards a friend who had done nothing to him personally.It baffled me that he suddenly decided that his status as my husband was so important. Not to mention how hard he tried to enforce a boundary when he hadn't considered that when it came to Lily.Just the mere thought of her almost rekindled my anger I'd been trying to quell."Don't be sorry," Mason's smooth voice pulled me from my thoughts. His smile was warm and kind. "Your husband seems to have good intentions, even if his anger is rather misplaced.""Yeah, misplaced up his ass..." Alexis grumbled beside me.Mason chuckled. "Agreed." He then turned back to me. "Will you be okay?""I will be, thank you for asking." I nodded my head. "You truly handled that situation with a lot of grace,
Victor's POVThe disappointment and anger on Emelia's face was etched into my mind. It was almost haunting just how clear I could see it—and how I could still feel it. It made my heart ache so bad that I wasn't sure there was anything that could stop the pain.And what of Mason? This so-called friend of hers. I'd never met him once, and now they were on a first name basis?Where did she meet him?Who was he?Did they plan to meet each other tonight?Was there more to them than what they were leading me on to believe?Mason's shit-eating grin was enough to rekindle my anger that I thought I'd quelled since leaving. My suspicions were growing, but I had to believe that there was nothing between them or I'd go insane.If anything, Emelia's protective stance towards her so-called friend was what left me torn. She abandoned me and chose to protect another man over me—her husband.Had I really been so deserving of this mistreatment?Did she truly not care for me?With my mind and heart feeli
Emelia's POV"P-please, d-don't leave me, Emmy… I c-can't l-lose you…"Victor mumbled those words repeatedly through hiccups and retches as if he was about to throw up. In his drunken state, he was in no condition to support himself, but I was lucky enough to have the bartender help me get him to the car. Especially since I had to be mindful of the growing life inside me, I couldn't afford to pull a muscle or anything."Thank you for contacting me, by the way." I said to the bartender."Of course, miss. I hope you have a good night. Drive safe."A wave of regret washed over me as I looked over at Victor passed out in the passenger seat of the car. His disheveled appearance and puffy eyes were almost unbearable to see.As I got into the car and buckled us up, Victor unexpectedly leaned his head against my shoulder. I couldn't lie that seeing him like this softened my heart, even though I'd intentionally hardened it to protect myself from him.It was pitiful to see him like this, and he'
Emelia's POV"Good morning, Miss Emelia." The nurse's assistant greeted me with a warm smile. "How are you doing this morning?""Doing well." I winced slightly. "Although I do have a slight headache right now.""Hm, well, I'll have to talk to the doctor to see what we can get for you. Now that you're pregnant, there are certain painkillers you shouldn't be taking for the baby's health.""I understand.""Aside from that, have you been feeling or going through anything else?" She asked as she placed the blood pressure cuff around my arm."I've been feeling nauseous, although not to the point where I've been throwing up constantly.""Mostly during the morning or evening?""It just kind of depends, really."The nurse's assistant nodded as she took my blood-pressure and temperature. It felt weird not having Alexis with me, and once the assistant was done, I sent a quick text to her to tell her everything was okay and that I was at my check-up."Hm…" The assistant looked at her vital sign ma
Emelia's POV"So what if I'm pregnant?" I snatched my medication bottle out of Lily's hands. "Get it through your thick skull that none of this is your business to begin with!""It is my concern when you're trying to use whatever tactic you can to prevent your divorce from Victor!" Lily shrieked like a madwoman.Dealing with Lily's incessant need to be in my business was beyond exhausting. There had to have been more to life than simply butting into the concerns of others. Did she not want to see the world? Take on a damn hobby?Did she ever take time to take care of herself?They rhetorical questions, of course. I knew what the answers were.Our colleagues who had just entered the building turned to look at us and the unfolding commotion.I simply glared at Lily and shoved my way past her and made my way to the elevators. It was irritating how she seemed adamant on making a scene in front of others. Hopefully to everyone else, she still looked just as crazy as she actually was.She d
Emelia's POV"Alexis?" I called out as soon as I opened the door to her house. My voice was slightly panicked given how she called me earlier, but I tried to conceal it as much as I could. "I'm home! Is everything okay?"Something about her home felt off, and it made me feel uneasy. There was a stillness that hung in the air; a type of dread. Like I was walking into bad news that was waiting to be delivered.When Alexis didn't answer me, it was getting harder to conceal my panic, as I climbed the stairs to get to her bedroom. Once I reached her door, I hesitated.I then took a deep breath and knocked a few times. "Alexis?"The door opened slowly and cautiously, almost as if Alexis was scared of who would be on the other side, despite hearing my voice. When we made eye contact, she let out her own sigh of relief before letting me in completely.For the lack of better words, Alexis looked horrible. She looked like she hadn't slept in days, and her hair was also unkempt and messy. There w
Victor's POV"Maybe you should consider remarrying, Victor." My mother suggested not-so-subtlety. "It's about time you found yourself a woman who was actually worthy of you. Really! I have no idea what you even saw in that Emelia woman."I'd only been home for ten minutes, and my mother was already lecturing me on moving on and trying to find another wife.After having to clean up Lily's mess and narrowly securing her spot in Ezra's competition, the last thing I wanted to hear was her criticism of Emelia.Seeing Em again today… Her indifference, her coldness towards me and Lily… It was like looking at a whole different person."Victor!" My mother called for me. Her eyebrows were scrunched together. "Are you even listening to me?"I shook my head. "Sorry… Today's been a busy day, and I've had a lot on my mind.""Well, I'm sorry, son, but I'm going to need you to get it together!" She placed her hands on her hips. "The investors are starting to get worried because of this whole fiasco wi
Emelia's POV"Alexis?" I asked in a panicked tone. "What happened? Is everything alright? Are you safe?"Alexis had always been the epitome of strength and confidence. To hear her voice be void of those two things was jarring and worrying.I knew she'd been a little off, but she'd refused to tell me anything. Now hearing her like this—so small and scared—had my heart quickening."I-I think I'm fine…" Alexis's tone wasn't convincing. "I… I just really need you to come home and just… be here.""I'll be right there! I promise. I'll call you when I'm on the way.""O-okay. Don't be long, okay?""I won't."I turned back to Lady Ruby and gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, but there's an emergency that's come up, and I have to leave."Lady Ruby shook her head and rose from the desk. "Go handle your business first, sweetie. We'll have more opportunities to discuss things in the future. I've gone ahead and forwarded your information to my secretary, Alice. We'll be in touch soon.""Thank
Emelia's POV"You're resorting to cheating accusations now?" Victor's words lit a fire in my chest as heat flooded my cheeks. "That's rich coming from you!"In the wise words of my best friend—if men had one thing, it was the audacity!Victor may not have cheated on me outright, but him choosing Lily over me countless times and allowing her to step all over me was certainly no better.Was this outrageous claim meant to make him feel better about our divorce? Was he still in denial about his actions being what led us here? Was this his twisted way of coping?I couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. THIS was ridiculous and exhausting!"What are you laughing at?!" Lily's nostrils flared. "No wonder why you were so eager to divorce Victor! All those horrible things you said to him and overexaggerating his "mistreatment" of you—it was all a front to disguise your real actions!""You'd know a thing or two about disguises wouldn't you, Lily?" I asked in a mocking tone. "You
Emelia's POV"You're Lady Ezra Ruby?!" We all asked in unison as our faces displayed an equal measure of shock."The one and only!' Lady Ruby curtsied with a wide smile. "When my secretary told me that we had more applicants for this year's competition, I rushed back from my hair appointment. I'll be honest, I'm very pleased with the turnout.""Well…" Her eyes dragged over to Lily as a frown tugged down the corners of her lips. "Most of the turnout."I watched as the crowd around us bowed their heads in respect, and not looking at Lady Ruby directly. The power she exuded could be felt around us—it commanded our respect.But her displeasure with Lily was also palpable. The air around her was sharp, tense. She wanted us to know that slighting her was a mistake for one's career without saying it.Lily dropped to her knees as she scrambled at Lady Ruby's feet. "M-miss Ruby, I—""It's Lady Ruby." She interrupted sharply as her gaze remained intensely on the groveling girl at her feet. "Firs
Emelia's POV"S-she's lying!" Lily stammered as her eyes widened in shock. "That old hag is lying! She doesn't actually have proof at all!"The older woman scoffed and held her phone high in the air as she played back the video she captured.Right there for everyone to see, was the video of my encounter with Lily. From her blocking my way when I was trying to walk away, her grabbing my wrist, and then her charging for me before falling to the ground when I stepped out of her way.The crowd and I stood in a stunned silence.I just couldn't believe it—a completely random stranger had stood up for me! Not only did she not fall for Lily's lies, but she even had proof! It almost felt like I was dreaming.Suddenly, the crowd's murmurs escalated once more, but this time, their anger was directed towards Lily. The three strangers that accosted me earlier and tried to accuse me bowed their heads at me."I'm sorry… I really didn't know!' One said."At least the truth finally came to light…" The
Emelia's POV"You're kind of pathetic, you know." Lily laughed. "You were the one to divorce Victor, and leave his company, but you're still entering this competition in hopes of staying close to him? Just give him up already!"I narrowed my eyes, the blood in my veins felt as if it was about to boil over. Just the mere sight of her made my resentment towards her grow.She was the cause of all my pain and suffering. She was the reason why I no longer had a husband or a child to love.If we weren't out in a public space, I would've slapped the hell out of her. But I had to compose myself as best as I could do.The last thing I wanted to do was make a scene when I was supposed to be meeting one of the most important people in this industry."Delusional as always." I scoffed. "Do you truly have nothing better to do than to annoy me like some fly? Leave me alone."I turned to walk away, but not before Lily rushed to block my path. As I got a closer look at her, I noticed just how much bett
Emelia's POV"So… Is everything okay between you and Mason?" Alexis asked as she was washing the dishes.I nodded as I was packing away the decorations. "Yeah, everything's fine between us. He was just a little taken aback by my decision to start my own business.""Oh, jeez… Was he trying to pressure you into reconsidering the job offer? Was he being a douchebag about it? I was just starting to like him!"I couldn't help but laugh at Alexis's protectiveness. "Relax! Quite the opposite actually. He's confident in my abilities and has actually offered to help me with anything I need for the business.""Oh? Is that so?"I turned to look at a mischievously smiling Alexis as she wiggled her eyebrows at me. Luckily, Mason had to leave a little early due to a work meeting, so he wasn't here to witness what Alexis was implying."Oh… Don't start!" I could feel my cheeks getting hot. "I'm just barely getting out of my divorce with Victor. The last thing I want to think about is another relations
Emelia's POV"I have a surprise for you, by the way." Mason smiled widely at me just as we pulled into Alexis's driveway."You're full of those, aren't you?" I teased."I can be. But I had some help with this one.""What do you mean by that?"Mason motioned for me to follow him as he knocked on the door.Without missing a beat, it swung wide open, and Alexis stood on the other side with a party hat and a wide grin."HAPPY DIVORCE DAY!" Alexis squealed as she grabbed me by the arm and ushered me inside.Her living room had golden garlands hanging from the ceiling, with black and white balloons tied across various pieces of furniture. Confetti trailed to her kitchen, and in the middle, sat a big, white cake. The top was decorated with a bride dragging the groom by his collar, and in bold letters was written:TAKING OUT THE TRASH!I couldn't help but laugh. "What is all this?""We're celebrating your freedom day! Duh!" Alexis beamed as she hugged me."And you were in on this, too?" I rai