The gossip pages recently reported the news, and I was surprised to find a crowd of journalists at the hospital door when I left. The flashes bothered me; the microphones and cell phones pointed at me in an attempt to capture my statements, almost completely covering my face.Gregory stepped forward as if his body were a protective shield, and with his hoarse, tired voice from yet another sleepless night, he declared, “Please, do not bother my wife. Please let us pass. At the right time, I will personally tell you everything you need to know.”Gregory had a sharp mind for dealing with those people, but it was the way he declared that I was his wife that awakened something dormant inside me. I felt his warm hand holding mine, and his affectionate gaze reached me. He smiled—he never smiled when he was with me—when he wrapped me in his arms and protected me all the way to the car. He opened the door, placed me inside the vehicle, and then got in, sitting beside me.Samantha interrupted m
Gregory.What is happening to me?That question haunted me the entire way back home while Emma slept peacefully in my arms. I carefully slid her onto my lap so she could sleep better. This need to protect Samantha’s gaze, who kept looking at me through the rearview mirror whenever she could judge her, consumed me inside as me.I looked at the wedding ring that was still on my finger. Even though Emma had abandoned me and left her ring behind, I still wore mine intact on my finger, as if taking it off would also take Emma away from me. I shifted my gaze to her, with her head resting on my lap and my fingers running through her soft, light hair. Emma sighed—maybe she was having a pleasant dream, and that slightly eased the pressure inside me.I was taking her home, and I felt I had accomplished my mission. I would take care of Emma and keep her alive—I was excited about that. What I didn’t expect was to walk into my house and find Alya talking to Emma.My ice-cold eyes locked onto Alya.
Emma.It was a bitter subject, and I left the room with a horrible taste in my mouth. I had imagined that conversation with Gregory countless times, with a relentless urge to throw the truth of his betrayal in his face, and in the end, I acted with a composure that most women wouldn’t have.Hearing him say that fidelity wasn’t part of our agreement made me realize that arguing with him was completely useless. This was how Gregory had treated our marriage all this time, and things weren’t going to change.What did I think, after all? That my illness would soften his stone-cold heart? The only thing Gregory felt for me now was pity, and the weight on his conscience made him want to treat me well. That was the only reason.I threw myself onto the couch, the pain returned, and I started coughing uncontrollably. Hearing all of this, Samantha ran toward me with a dish towel over her shoulders, and with wide eyes, she knelt in front of me, asking if I was okay.“I just want to sleep for a wh
GregoryI watched Emma descend the stairs, and she looked so fragile now. I then remembered that Samantha had told me she hadn’t touched the food served last night.She cast a look of disdain at me, and I knew she was trying hard to stand tall and show that she was fine, but I could see in her eyes that she wasn’t. She tried to walk past me when she tripped on the rug, and I had to catch her. One arm wrapped around her, and her scent invaded my senses. She quickly jumped away, putting considerable distance between us.“I said I would go to the hospital alone.” She looked at me as if she wanted to say something more.“I don’t like being told what to do, and you know that.”Avoiding being near me at all costs, Emma moved toward the door when I grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the dining room.“Before we go, you’re going to have breakfast.” I felt Emma trying to pull away as she murmured under her breath. “Samantha told me you didn’t eat anything last night.”“Why? You never cared a
Emma.When Gregory finally left me alone, I realized that keeping silent had been a huge mistake. Everything I had kept inside, all the words, had accumulated, causing an unbearable pain within me.Now alone in the room, I could finally cry in peace. Pretending to be strong all the time was an almost unbearable task. Even worse was having to stay by Gregory’s side, knowing that he was still the same man I had once met and fallen in love with.I quickly wiped my tears when the room filled with nurses and the doctor appeared to talk to me for a bit.“Are you in pain, Emma?” he analyzed my face, noticing that I had been crying.“A little,” I said, forcing a smile.The pain I felt had no cure, no medicine capable of easing it, but I had promised myself that I would not waste a single minute of my life lamenting or suffering over anything. I had already lost two long years of my life suffering and waiting for redemption from my husband; I would not waste my last days doing it again.“I’m go
GregoryEmma was now giving me a questioning look, with all the courage and boldness that had remained hidden throughout our marriage, and that was revealing itself now.She didn’t seem tired of confronting me, and her question felt like a punch to my stomach. It bothered me to know that she believed Edward more than she could believe in me.“I’m not going to answer that question, Emma.” She blinked, a hint of disappointment flashing through her beautiful eyes.“Then I can give Edward the benefit of the doubt,” she replied, narrowing her eyes with pure contempt.Why was she still standing in front of him, preventing me from dragging him out of here? After what Edward had done, Emma still had the nerve to defend him. A satisfied smile on Edward’s face made me change my plan. I wouldn’t let him win this time.I pulled the hospital receipt from my pocket and handed it to Emma, clenching my jaw and holding back my rage through gritted teeth. Edward narrowed his eyes and swallowed the lump
Gregory.“For what service should I pay?” Though my body trembled, I laughed, showing disdain for his words. “Or should I remind you that you ran away like a coward and left me to find Emma alone?”Mason heard my words, and a smile tugged at his lips. Had I told a joke? What was so funny about him coming to the hospital to charge me for a service he never provided?“We had a deal.”“One that you didn’t fulfill,” I said, already impatient, and my voice rose in tone.“Are you saying you won’t pay me?” he asked as he stepped closer to me.That was the moment I realized it had been a mistake to hire Mason to find Emma. He, of all people, had delivered her to me unconsciously, her face swollen from an assault he had committed. Even though Emma never spoke about it, I knew she would have a hard time forgiving me for that mistake.“I won’t pay,” I answered bluntly. “Now leave because it wouldn’t be good for Emma to see you walking around here.”Mason’s eyes widened, as if what I had just sai
EmmaMason’s threatening eyes staring at me, fixed in an obsession, wouldn’t leave my mind. How could I forget that Gregory had hired him to look for me? When I thought about the possibility that Mason had found me, a shiver ran down my spine, causing chills.I wiped away my tears because it was useless to remain in that state. I watched as Samantha approached and, in a whisper, said that she would stay by my side that night. At least she truly showed that she cared for me, unlike Gregory, who only took care of me for his interests.“Worried about his reputation.”“What did you say?” Samantha’s voice made me realize that I had spoken the words too loudly.I felt the muscles in my face ache from the tension weighing on me. I closed my eyes and, shaking my head, said to Samantha,“It’s nothing,” I said, and when I looked at her, Samantha didn’t seem convinced. “I’m just thinking out loud.”“It concerns Mr. Gregory,” she declared so certainly that it startled me. Whispering to the wind,
Emma.An hour ago, Lia snatched the phone from my hands and disconnected every screen device in the house. She said the order had come from my husband. Her face was heavy, like someone hiding a big secret. Immediately, I fought against my nurse. I lunged at Lia so she would give me the phone back, and she didn’t resist.The news was there, with a photo of Gregory and Helena being placed in an ambulance.The company appointed Gregory as its new president today amid many controversies.“What the hell is going on here?” My tearful eyes reached Lia. “Is this what you were trying to hide from me?”It was unfair of me to blame Lia. She was only following Gregory’s orders. I wanted to run to him and demand the truth, but something held me back, telling me to stay because Gregory would soon show up.And it didn’t take long for him to appear. Half an hour later, Gregory was standing in front of me, his eyes filled with pain. He knew the mistake he had made and he also knew the consequences tha
Gregory.I was able to see the exact moment they rushed to help Helena and take her to the hospital. If Edward intended to cause chaos, he had succeeded. I abandoned everything to go with her. In the past, I wouldn't have cared about leaving her in a hospital under someone else's care, but now I do. Helena was the only living family I had.The only one—because to me, Edward was nothing. He was born to make my life unbearable, and he was succeeding. He would only rest when he had taken everything from me and then some. I tried to forget all the confusion and help Helena. I knew that my presence would only worsen her condition, but I couldn’t leave her alone at that moment.When I got into the ambulance, she looked into my eyes and said, her voice trembling:“I always suspected that you and Emma didn’t truly love each other.”“Let’s save that conversation for later.” I turned my face away from hers. “You need to focus on your health now.”“Later, when, Gregory? When I’m dead? Do you pla
Gregory“Sir, we installed the cameras,” the head of security reported, entering my office to complete his task.“All of them? Are you sure?” I looked into his eyes, scrutinizing him. I couldn’t let anything slip by.“Positive, sir. If anyone enters the mansion, we’ll know.”I didn’t feel safe or at ease. Now that my grandfather gave me his entire inheritance, I could imagine Edward’s fury. His goal had always been to destroy me, even before our grandfather passed away. Now that the game had shifted, and the situation seemed to be in my favor, Edward wouldn’t just stand by watching me win.“Great!” I grabbed my briefcase from the desk and took one last look at my reflection in the mirror, noticing that I was ready to go take my place.Strangely, I wasn’t as happy as I thought I would be. The feeling of deceiving Emma burned inside me. I had already learned, in the cruelest way, the price paid for the wrong choices we make.“Keep an eye on Emma twenty-four hours a day. Don’t let her le
GregoryI still couldn’t believe that the inheritance I had fought so hard for was finally mine. The message I received that morning said I needed to sign the documents, and everything my grandfather had denied me would be passed on to me.I looked at Emma and felt that nothing seemed to make sense anymore. I would trade everything I had achieved to save her life. Even though I had fought bravely for that money, if Emma wasn’t with me to enjoy those benefits, nothing would be worth it.She asked me if there was something wrong, and cowardly I denied any information. I was still looking for a way to tell Emma the whole truth until I found that solution. I kept lying, deceiving her, knowing that when Emma found out, she would never forgive me.Anyone would understand that I had used her and the illness to gain Helena’s kindness, but I never once asked for the will to be changed. Helena was doing it more for my wife than for me, but Emma wouldn’t understand. It was because of that inheri
Emma.The illness had given a truce.Gregory and I didn’t discuss the illness anymore during the days we spent in Spain. Everything was so perfect that I didn’t want to go back home to that reality where Mason, Edward, Ayla, and so many other people I no longer wanted to see existed.I cuddled up with him in bed, listening to his heartbeat, when his phone vibrated beside us. Gregory didn’t move. He was sleeping so deeply that even if there were noise, he wouldn’t wake up to answer. I stretched out my arm and picked up the device. On the notification tab, there was a message from Gregory’s lawyer saying he needed to return to sign the documents.Gregory stirred, and I immediately put the phone back. We didn’t have the habit of going through each other’s things. Gregory didn’t check my phone, and I didn’t check his. In the past, I wouldn’t have even dared to touch that device. I remember Gregory always keeping it out of my reach while exchanging intimate messages with Alya—or at least,
Emma.Cutting my hair wasn’t the same as losing an arm or a leg, but cutting it felt like I was losing an important part of my body. I knew it would grow back, that if I were lucky enough to live another year, it would be long again, just as beautiful as it was now. But seeing the scissors cutting through my locks and, right after, the clippers running over my scalp made me shed tears.No one should be forced to shave their head, but the illness wouldn’t leave a single strand behind, and I couldn’t bear to watch my hair fall out slowly without being able to do anything. I tried to be strong, to see the bright side—the one where there was hope of watching it grow back like a plant—but the pain I felt was inevitable.When I looked in the mirror, I saw Gregory’s reflection right behind me. His eyes shone with deep sadness, but he tried to smile to show that everything was okay. I never imagined I would feel bad seeing Gregory suffer, especially knowing that I was the reason for his pain.
Emma.I glimpsed Gregory as soon as I woke up the next day. He was lying beside me, his icy eyes fixed on me so tenderly that I thought I wouldn’t be able to look at him for long. A smile played on my lips. Last night had been a mixture of feelings I couldn’t explain.During those years of marriage, it was the first time Gregory had given me all his love while we slept together.He leaned in and kissed me, then covered me a little more before getting up and saying:“Stay in bed.” He got dressed quickly, and I could feel the cold creeping into the room. “The weather in Spain is simply bitter. You’d better stay covered from head to toe so you don’t catch a cold.”“I would rather not spend the day in bed.” I threw the blanket aside and got up.That was when I looked back and noticed many strands of hair on my pillow. I froze for a moment, just staring at them as if they weren’t real. I tried to raise my hand and place it on my head, running my fingers through my hair as more strands fell
I admired Emma in silence as she ate, wishing that moment could last forever, until my phone vibrated in my pocket. I ignored the first call, but it didn’t stop after that. Not only that, but I should have turned it off—that was my truest intention—when a message from Helena lit up my screen.“Answer the phone, Gregory. I’ve changed the will.”I jumped from my chair. Emma’s distraction that day prevented her from noticing. She only saw when I stepped away to the other side to take Helena’s last call.“You should have called me and told me what happened.”Her voice was trembling on the other end of the line. I turned my head to look at Emma, and she was watching me intently. It was impossible to pretend normalcy in the face of what was happening.“Emma and I are fine.” I closed my eyes and massaged my temples. “There was no need to change the will just because of that.”But what the hell was I saying? I had desired that inheritance for nearly my entire life, believing it should be mine
Emma.When we arrived at the hotel, it was like another bomb exploding in our minds. Gregory paced back and forth in the room, his face red as he gestured while speaking with his lawyer about the situation. We should be enjoying ourselves now, but I felt trapped, unable to do so.“We can’t leave the city,” he threw his phone onto the bed and ran a hand over his face. “We can’t go back home either, not until the Spanish police clear us.”“This could take months,” I said, feeling discouragement wash over me. “Then let’s drop the complaint.”“Things aren’t that simple, Emma,” he huffed, lifting his head toward the ceiling as if pleading for help from the heavens. “Let’s make the most of our trip. I won’t let Edward take this from me, too.”Bravely, Gregory took my hand and pulled me out of the room. I didn’t question him, trusting his decision, though my heart pounded uncontrollably in my chest, fearing that Edward would appear again to finish what he had started. On the way to the build