I put my phone away, suppressed the excruciating pain in my heart, the burning sensation in my body, and forced myself to Rose from the couch. I ascended the stairs to get my bag from the bedroom, and soon I returned, making my way out of the house. I stepped out of the house, hailed a cab and went directly to the coffee shop not far from the hospital.
My mind is made up, I won't just sit and continue being a bank of blood for someone who doesn't even value me. I have tried everything to make him love me, and now it's time to move on with my life. Four years are not four months. With each passing second, Ryan still hadn’t shown up. I am not leaving until he does. As I waited, my phone buzzed twice, it was Ryan calling. I didn’t answer, thinking he would call a third time. But he didn’t. I sat there, pale, the pain from earlier still engulfing my body. An hour later, Ryan finally appeared, just like I had thought when I didn't pick his calls. He is slow to see his mistakes. He was exuding coldness, while walking up to me expressionlessly. He looked down on me condescendingly, his gaze was full of fury, but I didn't care. I stare at him in return, not casting my gaze away, waiting to hear what he had to say regarding the text message I sent him. If he asks me to stay, I don't think I will be able to do that when I have never received any form of love. "What exactly are you unhappy about?" He inquired, the coldness evident in his tone. "I know you have given a lot of blood this month, but I have compensated you." He is still dumb as ever to realize I didn't just marry him because of the agreement we had between us. It has nothing to do with the damn money he's been compensating me with. His attention was all I seek for, his love, but Zara got it instead. How stupid of me to think he will make me stay. "This is the divorce papers, sign it, and let me leave." I looked up, staring directly into his cold eyes, my voice calm. I no longer wanted to say anything more to him. What we were saying was never the same thing. It wasn't from the start, I just wanted him to love me. I looked at the man in front of me, with his distinct features, handsome and upright, which had once made people infatuated. But he had never looked kindly on me. He was always cold when it comes to me. In the past, I was always careful not to upset him, but now, when I saw him again, my heart was stone cold. "Emily, I hope you don't regret this! You are asking for something you should have never brought up." It sounded like a threat to me. I scoffed, casting him a furtive stare. "If there's anything I regret most is marrying you four years back." I responded, careful, watching his expression to see his reaction. He opened his mouth to utter a word, but close it back. I let out a miserable smile, knowing in my heart that it couldn't have been clearer, but I need him to see me as someone who doesn't seem affected by her decision. I had already hit the ground running on Ryan's path, and it was enough, really enough. It was almost time to go home, and the line had already disappeared, leaving us as the last couple. In the blink of an eye, four years of marriage had come to an end. Who would have thought a day like today will come? I watch as he pulled out a pen from his pocket pants, without hesitating, he's signature was already on the papers. As I watched him sign the papers, a new pain rose in my heart, and the little joy I had left vanished into thin air, leaving me unable to breathe. My heart trembled the moment I received the signed document from him. Finally, it's over. It still feels like a dream, but I know I'm not dreaming. He didn't say anything to try to change my mind, and he didn't even look at me again. "Let's go to the hospital." He hadn't forgotten my last value In his life. This is the only place I come in as his wife. I tilted my head slightly and suddenly laughed. "Ryan, even if she dies in front of me in the future, I won't waste a single drop of blood." "Zara is sick, and you are leaving her like that? Don't forget the conditions you agreed to when you married into this family." Why is he bringing up the past when he already signed the divorce papers? Who cares about what happened to her? My heart felt like it had been pierced by a sharp weapon, and I was overwhelmed by pain. Yes, I married him because I was precious and rare with panda blood, and because I had promised that I could donate blood whenever Zara needed it. I looked at him with flashing eyes, and the man's gaze beneath his sword-like brows carried the usual indifference. My smile widened, and I laughed insolent and coldly. I should have understood long ago that I was nothing more than a lowly mobile blood bank. "Ryan, I really don't want your wife's position. Don't worry, this is the last time I will donate blood." I smiled meaningfully, took one last look at him, and turned to leave. Without waiting for Ryan to speak, I went straight to the hospital, found Zara's VIP room, and pushed the door open. Several doctors and nurses were gathered around her, carefully asking her if she was still feeling unwell. Such a pretend, I doubt she will ever change. When she saw me come in, her eyes flashed, and an expression of joy immediately appeared on her face. "Emily, you have come. You are not angry with me, are you? I'm not well.” I strode over, my gaze gloomy and cold. Who cares if she's sick? I'm sure this is her way to drain me out of blood. "I knew Ryan wouldn't leave me alone. He's like my brother, always protecting me since I was a little girl. Emily, please don't take it personally. If I have caused any discord between you, I am genuinely sorry. Don't blame him, if you must blame someone, blame me." 'Such a pretend' My subconscious muttered. Ryan found out she was his cousin just when I became his secretary, but here she is lying about taking care of her from childhood. I had to be straightforward, she can't keep feigning her true colors when I know she's not real. I know what she's capable of doing. “You sent me that text, didn't you?” I inquired. But I didn't need her answer at all, before I slapped her hard in the face, her cheeks turning red.Ryan’s eyes darkened, his expression turning grim. "What the hell are you doing!" He cussed, as he pushed his way into the room. "Emily." He called out to me, his voice was as cold as ice. Was he so afraid of what I might do to her? I can't believe he still cares so much about her even after his signed the divorce papers. This just proves, he never felt anything for me. If he does, he wouldn't have attempted to sign the damn papers. Zara's eyes widened with fake panic as she turned her look away, tears welling up in her eyes. This was all she's good at, constantly trying to stand out as the good girl when she's the devil. I can't believe I endure this shit for the pass four years. Where were my senses? My steeze and demure? I can't believe I did everything for love and was never loved back. “I swear, Emily, I didn’t do anything. You have got it all wrong.” She feigned even more, knowing he would side with her. Was I really out of my mind to confront her in front of Ryan?
RyanI sensed that there was something different about Emily. Definitely, there was something off about her. She wasn't the Emily I once married, she acted so different at the hospital.There's no way I'm mistaken, or was I overthinking things because she asked for a divorce? She was nothing to me from the start, but why are my even bothered?I couldn't put my finger on what just happened. It was like things were spinning out of control. I had control over her for the last three years, and in the blink of an eye, she asked for a divorce because of something she clearly knew Zara would never do.After four years of marriage, I thought I knew her very well. Before we got married, she was obsessive and clingy, but after we got married, she became submissive and obedient, a good wife. And today, I was in the office when I saw a message popped into my phone, upon reaching out to it, I saw a message from her asking for a divorce."I don't believe she's in her right state of mind. Where will
EmilyI squinted, trying to force my eyes open. After a few attempts, they finally flew open. Slowly, I looked around, not immediately recognizing where I was until my gaze landed on the familiar picture frame in my room.I realized I was home—in my room. But the question lingering in my mind was, how did I get here? I had been brought back to the mansion where my mother and stepfather lived.Tentatively, I stepped out of bed and made my way downstairs. As my gaze traveled to the clock on the wall, I saw it was almost noon. I must have slept for a long time, something I hadn’t done in the past four years of my marriage to Ryan.It had always been one chaos to another, doing house chores, trying to please Ryan, Zara, and his family members. But now, it was finally over. Deep down, I was hurt that I couldn't win his love in those four years, he was the perfect hubby for me. The kind of man I have always wanted to spend the rest of my life with, but there was nothing I could do about it
It was late night, I stood outside the house waiting for Ethan to come home. I called him some minutes back, and he made it known to me that his on his way home. I need to thank him for bringing me home. He was strongly against me getting married to Ryan, but since I insisted, he didn't push forward. We both attended the same university, and unfortunately, I found out he had a crush on me. It was just a crush, and that was before we found out our parents were seeing each other. I was privileged to gain scholarship into one of the most prestigious universities in the United Kingdom, and it's all thanks to my mother. Ryan's friend told me about the crush, but when I asked him, he denied it. Who knew our parents were in love and would get married someday. He admitted to having a crush on me when we became siblings. And since then, he's been doing all best to protect me and Lisa as his little sisters. I'm grateful I had someone like him as a big brother. He's been protecting a
I looked away, held on to Ethan's hands warmly, and allowed him walk me further into the crowd. Even though I couldn't see his face, I knew his gaze were fixated on me. He must have a lot of questions running through his mind.The surprise was evident on his face, he wasn't expecting to see me here. I mean not in the midst of elites. I'm a nobody to him, so there's no way I would be in the midst of so many wealthy people.I didn't care what he thinks of me right now. What matters is that we got a divorce, and I'm slowly trying to move on without him."Are you okay?" I heard, snapping me out of my reverie. I took a quick glance at Ethan next to me, and smiled."Don't worry about me, I'm okay. Let's enjoy the rest of the evening." I assured him, the smile still on my face. We are here to rub mind's with people, have fun, and enjoy the moment."Sure! Let's look for other's, I can't find them since we stepped into the venue." Ethan said.I nodded, and just allow him drag me. I also haven'
RyanThere's no way this is happening. She can't be my wife, she's not the wife I married, there must be a mistake somewhere. The Emily I married had no one, she was an orphan, barely got an apartment to rest her head at night.There’s no way she’s an heiress, an heiress to Empire Company, the most renowned business company, not only in New York but internationally. This has to be a mistake, and I need to find out what’s really happening.Even if she was adopted into the family, there's no way they would make her the heiress without knowing much about her.There's Ethan, the rightful heir to the company. Though he doesn't seem interested in inheriting the company. But bringing an outsider to take over, should make him want to take over, why is he not doing anything about it.Does this mean, they are dating? Did she seduce him? No way, even if she did, she's not supposed to be the heir to the company. Fernandez would never allow that, knowing how strict he can be. He doesn't play with
EmilyThe banquet was indeed an incredible place to connect with people who are business minded. I must admit, I had an astonishing time with everyone I came in contact with. It was a great honor talking about business, and some other related stuff.I met people who didn’t just focus on business, they spoke about life in general. It made me realize that just because my relationship with Ryan ended, it doesn’t mean I won’t have a second chance at love. It was quite interesting, and I must say, I felt more relief than ever before.It was getting late, I had to leave with my step siblings. Though father and mother decided to stay back and meet some few people before heading home.The sound of our car coming to a halt got my attention. I looked up and realized we had already arrived at the mansion. I was so occupied with thought and did not realize we had come this far."Ain't you coming?" Lisa asked, holding on to the car door, about to step out. She must have noticed I didn't move which
I don't know whether this is excitement, or I'm being nervous. It's a new month, and a new day for me to start my day at the office. I woke up shivering, and the same time I was excited. It's been a couple of years since I stopped working at Ryan's office. I was his assistant before I initiated the marriage idea because he found out I have a special blood group type.Even while I was married to him, I still work for him, and most times I do it from home since he insists I don't come to the office, until I had to resign and became a full housewife.I looked into the mirror for the last time before proceeding to pick my hermes bag, turning to the direction of the exit. I was putting on a pink blazer, crafted from premium fabric with sharp lapels, featuring delicate handstitched embroidery. Metallic engraved buttons on the cuffs, with a subtle stitch pattern on the back enhances its sleek.I made my way to the living room and stopped just before entering the dining area. It was quiet, n
It had been two days since I announced the launch of the new refinery, and today it was happening live. I had invited a few people to grace the occasion, and I was pleased they all showed up to celebrate with me. Most of the invited guests had already left, leaving me with just a handful who stayed behind to keep me company while I addressed some issues. One of them was Mr. Fernandez.I had sent him an invitation, hoping he would come, and to my greatest surprise, he did. I spotted him earlier when most of the guests had gathered. At the time, I was busy inspecting some equipment and walking around the machines when he and his group arrived."Mr. Ryan." one of them called, catching my attention. I stepped back to meet them, extending my hand for a handshake."I'm honored you showed up. Thank you for sparing some time from your busy schedule." I said."You are welcome! Keep up the good work. We will be on our way now." Mr. Fernandez replied.I nodded, gesturing toward the exit. "Let me
I arrived home and made my way upstairs to freshen up before thinking about grabbing dinner. It had been months since I last cooked, but making something tonight didn’t seem like a bad idea. I dropped my phone on the bed and proceeded to strip off my clothes. While reaching for my T-shirt, I thought I heard some commotion outside. The voices sounded distant, and it would take a minute to get downstairs to check. I ignored it and turned to walk into the washroom when a knock on my bedroom door halted me. "Jasper, is that you?" I asked, waiting quietly for a response. "Yes, we have a problem." He replied, and I immediately thought about the voices I had heard. "Anderson showed up and refuses to leave until he meets you." Anderson? What does he want? Could the police still be watching us? Does he want to get dragged in for questioning? It’s only been a few days since his accomplice died—why is he showing up at my house now? I need to warn him. "I will be downstairs." I responded. He
Ryan It was late in the evening. I had been indoors working all day, but an idea suddenly popped into my head, prompting me to step out. The death of the figure we held hostage still lingered in my mind. I decided it was time to find out more about the kind of person he was and the people he worked for. If Anderson was truly one of them, then it’s likely they worked together before he was killed. I recalled keeping a business card belonging to one of the men from the abandoned estate where the figure resided. He had claimed he wasn’t a killer, and if he was telling the truth, then I needed to uncover who he really was before that bastard ended his life. I have tried every possible way to catch the perpetrator, but nothing has worked so far. What other avenue is left for me to explore? I was a peaceful young man during my school days, with no issues or conflicts with anyone. Yet here I am, entangled in a web of betrayal and violence. In my line of business, there are many who have
We spent the entire day moving from one orphanage to another, distributing the items I had asked Ethan to arrange for me. I hadn’t been to the office all day. Though it was the weekend, I still had work to catch up on. As soon as I left the house, we headed to the store where the items were packed.Father was kind enough to hire some guards to accompany me on the journey. I went out with a convoy of vehicles, which I hadn’t expected until they showed up at the location where the goods were stored.The guards helped load everything into the cars, and we set off to deliver the items to the orphanages. It had been a fun and fulfilling day since morning, though I had overheard some of them complaining about being hungry.We had breakfast before leaving, but I guess going there and here, had made them all exhausted. They made a great team, I wasn't just going out with them, they were all entertaining and fun to be with.We were headed to a Christian orphanage run by a group of reverend sis
As we arrived at the courthouse, I spotted the lawyer outside, engaged in a conversation with an elderly lady. The area was slightly crowded, making me wonder if the session had already concluded.Stepping out of the car, my gaze shifted to Adams, who was emerging from the courthouse exit. His expression was dark, and moments later, his father followed behind him, both looking tense. I couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to put them in such a mood.I walked toward the lawyer, who waved me over. As I approached, I noticed Adams heading in my direction. Ignoring him, I focused on the lawyer."Don’t tell me I’m late. I left as soon as I called you." I said, standing beside the elderly lady he had been speaking to, exchanging greetings."When you called, we were about to enter the courthouse. The evidence you provided was strong enough to wrap things up quickly." He replied."Emily, I need to talk to you." Adams interrupted, his voice firm."I'm sorry, you can't see her. Please lea
EmilyIf I hadn't grown up a bit before Father left us, I wouldn't have believed what Mother told me a few hours ago. I had a rough childhood, and he was never there for me. Mother wasn’t allowed to show me love, which I guess was why she lied to me—saying he had died—and ran away with me.But did he really tell her he wouldn’t come home unless she sent me back to the orphanage? Did he divorce her because of that? How could he have trust issues when he knew she liked his friend before he made his intentions known to her?Two best friends fell in love with her, but she ended up with him. Such a miserable man I call Father. How could he even think Mother slept with his best friend when she was married to him? Was he that insecure because he was lucky to wed her instead of his friend?Mother did the right thing by leaving him. I'm glad I didn't grow up with him. Who knows, he might have killed me by now and claimed it was an accident. I have a father who cherishes me, I should hold him d
Ryan I sat in the car, waiting for Zara to come prove she was in her hostel and not somewhere else. The clip my men sent me played on repeat in my head, a video of her walking out of Empire Company. What was she doing there? I had warned her countless times to stay away from Emily. The last time she interfered in Emily’s business, she got a punch for her efforts. And now, she had the audacity to go all the way to her company. For what exactly? I sent Zara to this school for a reason, to study and, most importantly, to stay away from Emily. But clearly, a two-hour drive wasn’t enough of a deterrent for her. If she needed anything, why couldn’t she have called Jasper? Or me? Instead, she chose to disobey, as if my warnings meant nothing. She had claimed she was in her hostel over an hour ago, saying she needed to freshen up before coming out. But the timeline didn’t add up. It was clear she hadn’t been in her hostel, at least not the whole time. And now I was left to wonder how man
As I swiped it open, a video clip popped up, and I proceeded to play it. The sight of what I saw almost made me drop my phone. Remembering I was still in the reception area, I hurried down to my office and shut the door behind me. Watching the clip, I clutched my chest, struggling to breathe. This has been happening right under my nose, and I’m just finding out? How long has he been sleeping with her? Did he really sleep with her? Unable to take it any longer, I let the tears roll down my cheeks, crying out the pain that surged through me. Is this why he never looked at me with love? I tried for four long years, was I never good enough for him? What did I do to deserve this? Was liking him my mistake? Has he been with her all these years? Where? How? And why am I just finding out now? I reached for my face and wiped my tears away. He’s not worth it. Why should I cry? It’s been months already, but I still can’t get over him, no matter how much effort I put in. Fine, we are divorce
I woke up to voices drifting from another room—or so I thought. It wasn’t until I jumped out of bed and made my way downstairs that I realized the voices were real. Following the sound, I marched into the living room, only to find Father and Ethan fully dressed, with Biggy standing beside them, arms folded.I froze, furrowing my brows as I scanned the room. They were deep in conversation, so much so that none of them noticed me standing there."You are all dressed? Are you heading somewhere? It’s still early to go out." I said, breaking the conversation and drawing their attention.Father turned, smiling faintly as I stepped closer. I wrapped him in a quick hug. "Good morning." I greeted, pulling back."Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?" He asked."I did," I replied, then turned to Ethan, who patted my hair lightly."Hope you are okay?" Ethan asked.I nodded but kept my focus on them. "Where are you all going?"Father cleared his throat. "We are heading out. Mr. Lincoln wi