Chapter 4

EMMA'S POV

Anger. He was angry but also seemed to be trying to calm himself.

“It’s not mine,” Sebastian said, his voice low. I could see that he was telling the truth but I still couldn't accept that. 

He met my eyes, holding my gaze as if willing me to believe him. “Emma, that child she’s carrying… it isn’t mine. My relationship with Ava ended a long time ago. Whatever we had is in the past.” I knew that. But hearing it, feeling it... didn’t make it easier to swallow.

I stared at him, searching his face for any sign of hesitation, any flicker of doubt. But there was none. His expression was calm, and for a moment, I felt the weight in my chest ease just slightly.  

“Then why,” I began, my voice cracking, “why are you so… involved with her? Why does she have to stay here, Sebastian?” I liked that he wanted to be a good person, but why did she have to be here? He could help her with some money.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Because I owe her family,” he said quietly. “Ava’s father saved my life when I was a kid. I nearly drowned, and if it weren’t for him…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t be here today. I promised myself I’d repay that debt someday. And now, with her parents gone and her boyfriend… gone, it’s just the right thing to do.”  

His explanation made sense, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. I wanted to tell him that bringing Ava into our home, into our marriage, wasn’t the way to repay debts. But before I could say anything, he leaned down and kissed my forehead, his touch warm and safe.

“I love you, Emma,” he murmured. “You’re my wife. Don’t let her presence make you doubt that. Ever.”  

I closed my eyes, letting myself forget about every doubt I'd had earlier, and after a moment, I wrapped my arms around him. For a fleeting second, it felt like we were okay like the cracks in our relationship had been temporarily smoothed over.  

That night, as we lay in bed, Sebastian pulled me close in his sleep, his arm draped protectively over my waist. His breath was soft and hot against my neck, and I almost allowed myself to relax. Almost.  

Then I heard him mumble something.  

“You shouldn’t… quarrel with Ava,” he muttered, his voice thick with sleep.  

My eyes snapped open, and my entire body tensed. Even in his dreams, he’s thinking about her. What the fuck? Did she mean that much to him?  

Annoyed, I pushed his arm off me and rolled over, turning my back to him. 

My eyes wandered around the shadows of objects in the dark room caused by the moonlight streaming in through the window, my mind everywhere. I felt a lot of emotions at that moment. Anger. Confusion. Hurt.  

I didn’t sleep much after that.  

The next morning, I was still groggy when Sebastian walked into the living room, holding a small velvet box in his hand. He smiled at me, his expression soft and affectionate, and for a moment, it felt like the man I’d fallen in love with was standing before me again.  

“What’s this?” I asked, tilting my head as he handed me the box.  

“Open it,” he said, his tone teasing.  

I lifted the lid, revealing a pair of silver earrings that had tiny, sparkling gemstones. They were beautiful and elegant, exactly my style.  

“What are these for?” I asked, glancing up at him.  

Sebastian’s smile widened. “Just because,” he said. “No one could look more beautiful wearing these than you.”  

I rolled my eyes, but a laugh escaped before I could stop it. For the first time in a while, the icy wall around my heart cracked just a little. I took the earrings from him, my fingers brushing his as I put them on. 

“They’re perfect,” I said softly, touching one of the earrings.  

Sebastian leaned in and kissed my cheek. “I knew they would be.”  

Just as I was admiring the earrings in the mirror, there she was. Ava. Walking in like she owned the place, her fingers brushing against her earlobe where—wait—exactly the same earrings were dangling from her ears.

My stomach twisted into a knot. No, no, no.

“Oh Seb,” she said casually, her fingers lingering on the jewellery. “I just love these earrings. Aren’t they beautiful? You have such a good taste.”  

My stomach dropped. I turned to Sebastian, confusion written all over my face. “Why does she have the same pair?”  

Sebastian hesitated, scratching the back of his neck. “It’s… nothing, really. When Ava and I met up again, she gave me a gift, so I thought it would be polite to return the gesture. I bought two pairs of earrings, one for her and one for you. But, Emma,” he added quickly, his tone soft, “yours are more special. You’re the one who matters to me the most.”  

My eyes narrowed, and I couldn’t suppress the frustration building inside me. More special?

His words didn’t have the comforting effect he seemed to hope for. Instead, they only added to the growing frustration in my chest. The audacity of this man.

“I should get to work now.” He said, looking at his watch with a scrunched face. “Bye.” He quickly placed a small kiss on my face and turned around to leave. My heart hurt a lot but I sighed, trying to pretend like everything that had happened didn't happen.

After Sebastian left the house, I found myself tidying up near the coat stand, trying to distract myself. I ran my hands over his jacket, smoothing out invisible creases, when I felt a sudden pat on my shoulder.  

I turned around to find Ava standing behind me, a smug smile playing on her lips. She tilted her head, touching her matching earrings.

“We have the same earrings,”she said, her tone dripping with mockery.  “Does that mean we’re both equally important to Sebastian now?”

I clenched my jaw, refusing to give her what she wanted. “Buying you earrings doesn’t prove anything,” I said calmly. It really didn't mean anything; I mean, he said I mattered more, right?

Ava’s smile widened, and her voice dropped to a whisper. “Oh, Emma. Don’t you see? It’s not about the earrings. It’s about trust. No matter what happens now, Sebastian will always believe me. Just like how he believed I didn’t splash that paint on myself.”  

Her arrogance was infuriating, but I forced myself to remain calm. I met her gaze. “We’ll see about that.”  

Ava’s smirk faltered ever so slightly, but before either of us could say another word, the doorbell rang.  

I froze, my heart leaping into my throat. For a split second, I thought it might be Sebastian; maybe he’d forgotten something and come back.  

I hurried to the door, eager to put some distance between me and Ava to avoid any problems like last time. But when I opened it, I found myself face-to-face with someone else entirely.  

It was Gloria. Sebastian’s sister. Great.

She swept past me without so much as a glance in my direction, her coat flowing behind her as she made a beeline for the living room.  

“Gloria,” I began, but she cut me off with a wave of her hand as if I didn’t exist. Ouch.

Her expression lit up with delight as her eyes landed on Ava. “Ava!” she exclaimed, her voice filled with genuine excitement. “It’s been so long!”  

My eyes almost rolled out of my head. Oh, this is gonna be fun.