Conversation

Chapter Three

The sun begins to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the streets as I walk, my thoughts blowing in every direction like leaves across the pavement. It's been weeks since I've been outdoors for more than errands or quick jogs. The quiet weight of the world around me feels oddly comforting, yet a little too suffocating.

I'm not going anywhere today. Yet, somehow, here I am, walking down familiar streets, lost in my own thoughts, trying to make sense of it all—of my life, of what it has become.

I don't think to cross the street when I do, turning that way because of the fading sunlight, when suddenly a sleek black car appears beside me, slowing. Freezing, my heart rate quickens as the window rolls down.

"Emma," I hear the all too familiar voice call.

My breath catches in my throat as I turn to the driver. The second our eyes meet, it’s as though the realization comes with the sting of a slap across my face. Simeon.

For a moment, I can't speak. It's been years since I've seen him, his intense gaze, his sharp features, the man who was once part of my life in ways I've tried to forget.

"Get in," he commands, his voice firm as ever. "There's something I need to talk to you about."

I hesitate—I'm no longer the same girl who once was swept up by his forceful presence. But my feet betray me, and before I know it, I open the door and slide in.

No sooner do I sit than the door closes quietly behind me, and the car begins to move, whisking me away from the world I knew. My heart is racing in my chest, and I'm not quite sure why I'm doing this. I turn to Simeon, trying to make out the reason for this meeting.

His eyes flash to me, and he regards me almost for the first time. "You look different, very different from..." he says, his voice more questioning than critical.

I swallow, not knowing quite what to say. "I've changed," is all I can think to say.

Simeon doesn’t respond immediately. It’s as if he’s working on something, his eyes narrowing, as though something is being calculated inside his brain. After a long, awkward silence, he asks, in a soft tone, "So, what happened? Why have you been… hiding? What's exactly going on with you? Can you share?"

I tense up. The question comes out of nowhere, and suddenly I don’t want to answer him at all. "I didn't hide," I say firmly but softly. "I just needed to step back. I couldn't just keep pretending like everything was okay." I don't know when I start talking. "I’m betrayed by my husband, I don’t..."

There’s another long moment of silence. I don’t look at him, staring out the window where the world is a blur.

"Your husband," he says, his voice sudden, as though the thought had just struck him. "Who is he? Why did he betrayed you?"

I feel the air press from my lungs. The mention of him—the name which I can never evade—takes me by surprise. Why? Do you just ask why?" I asked, " His name is Daniel," I say, failing to conceal the resentment in my voice. "Daniel Carter."

There’s an unnatural silence before Simeon speaks again, his voice barely low. "Daniel Carter? Chief executive officer of Trantin Industries?"

I blink, startled. "Yes," I whisper, still not quite able to process what is happening. How does he know about Daniel?

Simeon's eyes darken, and his grip on the steering wheel tightens minutely. "He's my business rival," he says gruffly, the words falling from his lips. "We’ve been at odds for years. I didn’t know you were connected to him."

I look at Simeon, a swirl of thoughts spinning in my head. Daniel, the man who has betrayed me in ways I never even knew existed, is not only deeply important in my life but is also entwined in Simeon’s world—a competitor in the business world I never knew existed.

"You didn’t know?" I whisper, the gravity of it all weighing on me.

He shakes his head, his jaw set. For a while, the car drives in complete silence. "No," he finally huffs. "I had no idea."

Before I can take it all in, we finally arrive. Simeon pulls into a car park beside an exclusive building—a sight that ties my stomach in knots. I look sideways out the window and see two figures I know well walking toward the door.

It’s Veronica and Daniel.

My pulse quickens, and I freeze; I can't breathe. The last person I expect to see today, especially in the same place as Simeon, is Daniel. There they are—the man who once meant everything in the world to me and the woman who was once my closest friend—they’re together.

I turn to Simeon, my heart racing in my chest. "I can't face them, not like this. Not today."

Simeon looks at me briefly before looking away toward the building. His face softens, and he says gently, "You don't have to. Stay in the car. I'll sort this out inside."

Gratefully, I nod and slide back against the seat. There’s something about Simeon that commands assurance, a conviction that everything will be fine, even when my mind is in a muddle.

With the car idling, I struggle to catch my breath, but my mind replays events of the last few minutes over and over in my head. How has this become such a convoluted mess of business competitors, deceit, and people I thought I could trust?

He turns and gives me one last look before he disappears out of the car. The door clicks shut behind him, and I find myself all alone in that vehicle, still lost in my thoughts, confused by everything I’m feeling.

The night ahead promises to be full of surprises.