Emerson looked away, rubbing the back of his neck and wiping his face as if to clear whatever confusion was clouding his mind. "I’m sorry," he said, his voice softer now. "I know how much you loved Eric, and it wouldn’t be the first time people got divorced only to realize they were still in love with each other. So yeah... I considered it." He admitted sheepishly.I was stunned, staring at him in disbelief. My mouth opened, but no words came out. A part of me wanted to scream, to yell that he had no idea what he was talking about. How in the hell would he think that?But instead, all that came out was a soft, "No.""No, please don’t tell me that you thought that," I said, "Please don’t tell me that you thought I would get back with that cheater, with that 'asshole.' Seriously, Emerson, give me some credit."I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The sheer audacity of it made me want to scream. "You think I would have married him if I knew what kind of man he would turn out to be? D
After I took a shower, I started folding my clothes and putting them into my bag. I didn’t know that it took too long until Emerson came in. He knocked twice on the door and then got inside.“What are you doing?” he asked me.“As you can see, I’m folding my clothes. You did come to pick me up, right? So, I’m folding my clothes so after we’re done, we can leave.”“Yes, but I was actually expecting you for breakfast. It’s getting cold. Come on, let’s go.”“I’m just about to get finished” “I’ll help you later,” he said, as he took my hand in his.The gesture made me feel so loved and cared for. I smiled at him as I let him lead me to the table. I sat down, and then we had a quiet breakfast. When we were done, I asked him, “Okay, so are you going to help me with my clothes?”“Yes, I think as we do that, we can continue our conversation.”That’s when I remembered what he had said yesterday. “Yes, that talk.” I sighed. “Alright.”As we walked towards the bed, he casually asked, "So, ho
We sat in silence for a moment, until Emerson finally spoke, his voice more serious than before. "What I really wanted to talk to you about is this marriage," he began. "I know that we’re not in love with each other….you’re not in love with me….and this marriage isn’t real. You’re only doing this for revenge."I nodded, unsure of where he was going with this."But I also want you to know," he continued, "when you make that vow and you’re married to me, you represent me, the Blackwind name, my company, everything that comes with it. I can’t have you making me stand there in public with my dick in my hands."His words made me smile, but I quickly stopped when I saw the look on his face. "Yeah, I understand. And I would never think of tarnishing your name. Or hurting you for that matter""I know," he said with a slight nod. "But it’s good to talk about these things. To have them out in the open, so there’s no confusion or misinterpretation later.""Okay, I get it," I replied, appreciat
We finally arrived at Blackwind Mansion, the sprawling estate where Emmerson, the patriarch of the Blackwinds, lived. The place was huge. The size of the estate was overwhelming, with its vast gardens, two pools, one inside, one outside, a mini-golf course, and a staff quarter tucked away behind the mansion. Despite all this huge space, it always puzzled me how Emmerson managed to live here by himself. Technically, he wasn’t entirely alone, he had his staff, but still, it seemed a bit crazy to have all this place and be here on your own.As we sat in the car, neither of us made a move to get out. I glanced at Emerson, as we sat there watching the house in front of us. "I always wondered why Eric didn’t want to stay here," I said with a thought that had crossed my mind a few times. "I mean, he moved out when we got married. Why didn’t he just stay here?"Emerson raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean? He told me you were the one who refused to live here because you didn’t want to live
The staff was clearly shocked. Madeline's eyes widened as she kept blinking rapidly. I had never seen someone blink their eyes so fast. And Rose? She just opened her mouth, with no words coming out. Tom was the only one who looked normal, although I couldn't read his facial expression. It was clear, though, that we had managed to shock the living hell out of them. I mean, I would have laughed if this wasn't serious, given the way they were acting right now. But since this was serious and true, and not something to laugh at, I had to maintain my composure. "You two... you're getting married?" Madeline was the first one to regain her voice."Yes, she's going to be Mrs. Blackwind," Emerson said, affirming our union and holding me tighter."Again?" Rose chimed in. I guess she finally found something worth saying. I stared at her, not saying a word. "Yes.“ Emerson answered, I could tell he didn't like where the conversation was going.“…but she was married to Eric." Rose continued"Yes
He took a deep breath as if he was preparing himself for something hard."Look, Mina, I don't want us to get lost in what we're doing, and this way we get to separate reality from make-believe. We get to put some distance and a limit somewhere.""Yes, but we're supposed to be convincing people that we are married….""Yes, and a lot of couples are married and living in different rooms. It's not unheard of. Some people like their own spaces.""What about the staff?"“What about it?“"They will know that we are not sharing the same bedroom.""Stop worrying about the staff. They're here to work; that's their job." He said dismissively"Yes, but what about Eric? I'm sure he's going to come to the house, and he'll know that we aren't sharing a bedroom." I kept pointing out"Like I said, personal space. It's so simple to answer."But I knew he understood my hesitations.“ I was married to Eric, and I didn't need my own space. He will see through it, and then I'll be…""Okay, stop it, Mina. T
I walked into the dining room and found Emerson already seated with dishes laid out before him. He was waiting, arms resting on the table, looking out toward the windows. I moved towards him and placed my hand on his shoulder, before sitting down on his right."You haven’t started eating yet?" I asked, surprised."How could I eat without the woman of the house?" he replied playfully, reaching for my hand across the table. I leaned in, letting our fingers touch, as a smile crossed my face. His playful charm was always there, but now it felt different, there was a warmth that I hadn’t noticed before. Our eyes met, and I looked at him, feeling something settle between us.We ate silently for a while, exchanging smiles and throwing each other knowing glances across the table. There was no need for words. The silence felt comfortable, even intimate. I felt happiness in that moment I hadn’t expected. A sense of peace that I had been craving for so long.I was happy. I didn't think I would
Emerson and I sat in silence, the dining room still and our food untouched. I looked toward him hesitantly, sensing the emotions swirling inside him. I knew how much he loved and cared for his son, and seeing the conflict in his eyes, I understood just how difficult this was for him. He had just kicked Eric out of the house. Eric’s childhood home and that decision must have been so hard. To be honest, I was shocked when Emerson agreed to my crazy plan in the first place. I didn’t think he would actually follow through with it and agree to marry me. But he did. And now, here we were, with Eric no longer welcome in his father’s home. I could see the war raging inside Emerson.I feel so guilty for the way he must feel although it sent a zing of pleasure inside me to see Eric's face when he realized he had lost this round.“I’m sorry,” I whispered softly, my voice low.He turned his attention towards me, and he blinked as if surprised by my apology. “Why are you apologizing?” he asked,
Mina I was in the delivery room about to bring my baby into this world, and who knew it hurt like hell? Mmh! I was very lucky and very grateful to have my husband here with me. He kept holding my hand, telling me sweet things, and encouraging me when the doctors told me to push. He pushed with me, breathed with me. It was kind of crazy. I don't know, maybe after I was done here I would think about this moment and laugh about it. It was a moment in my life when I really needed him, and I was so, so happy and so grateful to have him here beside me. The two doctors that Mr. Emerson insisted on having here were top in their fields. He didn’t care, he had to fly one in as long as I got everything and I was in great hands. The doctors were great, they were encouraging. I just wanted this moment to be over and for my baby to come into this world so I could hear their cry. We were still in the dark; we didn’t know if we were having a girl or a boy. I was just waiting for that moment wh
EmmersonThe next morning, I decided to handle things myself. I know Mina’s already been through enough trauma with her family, so I don’t want to involve her in this. She’s still asleep, and I slip out quietly to deal with Eric.I find him at the hotel, slumped over, still asleep. I nudge him with the toe of my shoe, the force making him stir. Slowly, his eyes flicker open, and the haze of sleep and alcohol makes him groggy. He rises, blinking and groaning, his hand clutching his head."Wake up, Eric," I tell him as I open the curtains, letting the bright light flood the room. He immediately shields his eyes, groaning louder."My head... hurts," he mutters, his voice thick with a hangover. He grabs the bottle of water on the bedside table and gulps down a large portion in one go."Last night," he laments, "I didn't like how your men dragged me out of that nightclub.""You call that a nightclub? It was a strip
EmmersonOh yeah?” Mina’s voice is a little high-pitched.And then Rita says something that makes my blood cold.“Of course,” she replies, her voice dripping with arrogance. “I mean if I could take Eric from you so easily before… When you weren’t this heavily pregnant, and we weren’t even living in the same house. Just think how simple it would be to take his father from you now.”Her voice is low and suggestive. Mina scoffs, maybe out of shock, but Rita doesn’t stop.“I mean, look at you,” she continues, mockingly. “You’re pregnant. You can’t even walk properly without someone holding you. You have to be carried just to get around.” She chuckles,“And me?” she adds. “I’m just getting started. The exercises I’ll do, the maintenance I’ll keep up… You know I won't be breastfeeding, right? This baby is feeding from the bottle. Nothing is messing up this....hot body.”In my mind, I can already picture her motioning to her bo
Emmerson By nightfall, the police have already paid us a visit. It’s all over the news. Madeline had a little accident on the highway. Her car hit the side of a bridge and went down under. She suffocated. But I know the truth. Let her feel what it’s like to lose air. Anyway, the point is—she’s dead. The police came because, after her attack on Mina, there was already a record of her actions. They were just here to deliver the report. To tell us that she was gone. That also settled the issue with Rose. Mina had never been convinced that Rose was behind it, and now that Madeline was out of the picture, it was clear she had been wrongfully accused. Mina was shocked with the news, I never thought she would actually be upset after everything. Even though there’s still sadness in her eyes, I can see the difference. She’s no
EmmersonAfter I had taken Mina home, I gave her a bath, making sure she was okay and taken Care of. She was reluctant to eat at first, but I insisted. “You need nutrition,” I reminded her. “I know you don't want to but do it for the baby. You’re pregnant, you're doing it for our baby.”She sighed, but eventually gave in, taking small sips of the warm soup I had prepared. I watched her closely, ensuring she had everything she needed. Then, I sat her down and gently caressed her hair.I kept talking as I did it—about everything and nothing at the same time. Just filling the silence, making sure she felt covered and safe. My voice was low and comforting. I caressed her head, feeling the softness of her scalp, letting her know she wasn’t alone.And then, she fell asleep.Once I was sure she was deep in rest, I finally allowed myself to feel it all—the anger, the frustration, the overwhelming sense of failure.How could I h
As Emerson's voice continued on the phone, offering words of comfort, trying to calm me, I felt my tears flow faster. I couldn't hear him clearly anymore over the noise in my head, the panic, the certainty that I was going to die. I just listened to him, letting his voice be a thread tying me to something.Then, the banging stopped.I hadn't even realized it.Instead, a knock. A soft, reassuring knock."Mina, Mina, come on, open the door," Emerson's voice came through the phone, clearer now.I still didn’t understand what was happening. My mind was so clouded by fear, but hearing his voice… it soothed me in ways I couldn’t explain. I was barely aware of his words, just the sound of him calling my name, telling me it was okay."Emerson, is that you?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper."Yes, it's me. Open the door, Mina."The reality of it hit me. I had been trapped in a nightmare, my heart frozen with terror, bu
I started scribbling on the piece of paper.[I can't do this anymore. I'm going to kill myself.]I set the pen down and exhaled. "Okay, I'm done."Madeline narrowed her eyes. "What did you write so fast?"She stalked toward me, snatched the paper out of my hands, and read it. Her expression darkened, and before I could brace myself, she slapped me hard across the face. The force nearly knocked me out of the chair.A sharp sting spread across my cheek, my vision blurred for a second. My entire face tingled from the impact, and I gritted my teeth, refusing to let a single tear fall.Who knew I would ever be in this situation? Kidnapped at gunpoint. Forced to write my own suicide letter.Madeline took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. Then she smirked."You're smart, Mina. We can argue about a lot of things, but not that. You're a smart little thing, a devious little thing. That’s how you got Emerson i
Madeline’s grip on my arm became almost painful. I could feel the gun on my side, like a silent, invisible threat.I forced a laugh, shaking my head. "Oh, you know... My condition." I gestured vaguely at myself. "It’s still hard for me to get up, takes a while to get out of bed. I was sleeping."Tom stared at me, his eyes searching my face as if he was trying to read through my words.Then, finally, he gave a slow nod. "Okay."But he still didn’t leave."Can I come in?" he asked. "I can give you some company.""No!" The word shot out of my mouth too fast, too loud, too desperate.Madeline pressed the gun against my side, a silent threat, a warning that made my blood turn cold.Tom’s frown deepened.I forced another smile, shaking my head quickly. "I mean—no, it’s okay. I was sleeping. I don’t need company right now."I gave an awkward laugh, motioning toward the inside of the apartment. "If you came in, you’d just be sitting alone because I’m going back to bed."Tom didn’t look conv
"I'm sorry, Madeline, I swear I didn’t—""Just tell me why!" she shouted to my face, her voice filled with frustration.I was shaking, my throat dry, my mind running a mile a minute. "I don't know, okay? Maybe because he was there. He was nice. He was understanding, and he made me feel safe. He made me happy. He made me feel like I could be the person I wanted to be." My voice cracked, and I rushed to explain, desperate for her to believe me. "It was never about his age, Madeline. I always thought he was cute, you know? I always thought he was really handsome. And then when we slept together, I realized I could have everything I ever wanted with him, okay? I'm sorry. I really didn’t know—"She let out a cold laugh, cutting me off. "You're not sorry. Stop trying to act like some innocent girl who thought he was ‘the one.’"Her voice was mocking, twisting my words into something dirty."You don’t even love him. Not really. You love the things he represents." She took a step closer, he