Chapter 7 — Party Crasher

Emelia's POV

The love and warmth of our shared moment vanished like a water droplet against scorching pavement. Irritation crawled up my spine at the sight of her texts.

Especially when she was still questioning what was supposed to be Victor's decision on the matter of the shares.

"Lily seems to still be concerned about my decision about giving you the company shares. But don't worry, I won't be going back on my word. She means well, though."

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

Then four more text messages came in.

"It seems like she has more to complain about." I answered flatly.

Victor turned his phone so it would face me. "Look for yourself. None of it should be that important during work hours anyway."

Lily: Emelia really isn’t up to the task. She’s only fit to be an employee. Don’t let marriage cloud your judgment :(

Lily: How can I not worry about you? In the company, I not only have to look out for you, but also manage my own work. It's exhausting!

Lily: All this paperwork is giving me a headache. Maybe we can hang out soon!! :) 

Lily: Cmon youre the CEO!! You can take some time away from the office :P 

I groaned. "You really need to put a stop to this, Victor. Don't you think this is a little excessive?"

"Don't worry yourself too much, okay? I can take responsibility for her and just make sure she knows that we're supposed to be working anyway."

"Has she always been like this? Even growing up?"

"Oh, yeah. It was even worse when we were teens. I could tell she had a crush on me back then, so it was kind of funny to read texts with her trying to flirt with me. She was horrible at it."

I crossed my arms, shifting my weight uncomfortably at his words. I really didn't need to know about her having a crush on him…

"But if it bothers you, I'll do my best to set boundaries with her, okay? Especially during working hours." Victor assured me.

I sighed. "Your best is all I ask for. And yes, I would appreciate it if you could."

"Well, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop giving me the cold shoulder and show me some love, wife." Victor smiled slyly as he closed the distance between us. His hand found the curve of my waist and pulled me flush against him. 

Electricity danced under my skin as my discomfort and apprehension melted away completely. It was always so hard to resist him. In response, I took his hand and kissed the back of it softly before pushing him away slightly.

"Working hours aren't over. Save your energy for tomorrow after the banquet." I smiled mischievously.

Victor grinned widely at my suggestive words. "Yes ma'am."

I grabbed the paperwork and left his office in a much better mood than when I came in. It made me hopeful that things would improve between us again soon.

The next day flew by and before we knew it, we were getting dressed for the banquet that evening. Victor and I wore a matching maroon suit and dress.

"You look beautiful in that dress, Em." Victor smiled. "I can't wait to see what you look like without it."

I laughed and linked my arm with his. "Believe me, I'm just as excited as you are."

As we entered the grand hall, we stood in awe of the beautiful decorations. It was all magnificent, and we were both ready for a wonderful night ahead.

I was just happy to have Victor all to myself.

However, it seemed that the spirits were in a foul mood today.

"Victor!" A shrill voice pierced the once lovely atmosphere.

Lily pushed past guests and rushed for Victor. She clung to his other arm and looked up at him with a wide smile. Enthusiasm shook her body as if she were a puppy.

Once again, she ignored my presence, attaching herself to him like I wasn't there.

"Lily? What are you doing here?" Victor asked in disbelief.

"Your mom told me about it, silly!" Lily laughed loudly, which caused a few heads to turn. "I can't believe you didn't tell me! Why didn't you? We could've totally coordinated matching outfits!"

Lily's unexpected arrival froze me in place as I watched her lead Victor away from me. The heat of anger rose in my chest. I wanted nothing more than to tear her arm off, but this banquet was important for the company. 

Instead, I trailed behind them, and tried to think of ways to calm my angry, racing heart.

"This place is so beautiful. But honestly, I think the decorations could use a little more pink!" Lily giggled. "I bet you still hate pink don't you?"

"No, I've outgrown that way of thinking."

"And what if I said we should've worn matching pink outfits?" Lily teased, still clinging onto his arm.

"Ordering a custom pink suit on short notice is hard, you know." Victor joked.

"You know… maybe if you had answered my texts, this could've been avoided." Lily smiled at Victor. Although at the last second, she glanced at me, and her smile had faded.

I rolled my eyes. I was with Victor when you blew up his phone, don't act like I don't know what you're getting at.

Victor didn't seem to notice Lily's sly gesture though. "Well, you're not supposed to text me during work hours anyway." His voice was gentle but stern.

Lily only giggled in response.

It was like watching him scold a naive little girl, instead of setting a boundary with a grown woman.

Is this what he meant when he said he would "do his best" to set boundaries with Lily? 

I felt a chill run through me. Their interaction seemed like that of a family, chatting and joking hand-in-hand. I was left standing on the sidelines, feeling completely out of place. 

Did Victor even realize how much this hurt me?

I never imagined that this pain could be even greater.

Then Lily casually remarked, "I didn’t expect you to get married so soon. I remember mom telling me about it. Hadn't I just left to go abroad when you did it?"

Victor's smile faded.

"You know, she looks a lot like me, too." Lily continued, her voice was sweet but it carried an edge. "Is that just a coincidence? Or do you have an explanation for that?"