Emily's POV.
I was downtrodden!
He asked me to get out of his car so late in the night.
I stood outside the car with its door wide open, and Eric's girlfriend sauntered over to the seat I formally occupied, brushing my shoulder harshly.
The chilly air hit my skin, and I shivered slightly, standing beside the car.
"I don't know why you won't just divorce her!", the lady's voice was carried through the air to my hearing, and my heart shattered even more.
It hurt enough that his mother was talking about our divorce already, but hearing this stranger talk about it as well made me want to scream in frustration.
"Baby, you know I can't. Not yet at least", Eric explained desperately, and she huffed in annoyance.
"You've probably fallen in love with her and spent want to be associated with me anymore," she snapped. I caught sight of her arms folded across her frame.
Eric's face as he tried to make her see reasons with him made my stomach churn with an unexplainable feeling.
"Come on, babe. You know it's not like that. You know I love you very much. Who is that dumb woman? It's just that we can't be together, Lola. You have my heart, but we can't get married. I'll keep providing you with anything you want. You know you always have me", he pacified her.
I cringed as I watched him pull her to himself. They shared a long kiss that made me cry.
Is that how much I was unwanted?
I turned back sharply and began to walk in the direction that seemed a bit familiar.
It turned out the house was traceable from where he had dropped me off.
Thoughts filled my mind as I wondered, trudged home.
It was quite a long journey but I soon got home. The lights were out as everyone had probably gone to bed.
I walked aimlessly around the house and found myself in his work space at home.
Suddenly, the wave of dizziness hit me, and I saw everything in doubles till they became very blurry, and eventually, everything became dark.
****
A low groan escaped my lips as my eyes fluttered open and adjusted to the bright light in the room.
I looked around sharply.
I was in my room with a drop attached to the back of my palm.
I tapped the bed weakly to draw the attention of the lady who sat hunched in a chair by the side of my bed.
"You're awake", Anna, my only close friend squealed, and she rushed over to hug me.
I gestured to her to ask her what happened.
"You lost consciousness in Eric's workspace," she explained, wiping her teary eyes.
I gestured to her to continue, and she smiled.
"You were rushed to the room, and the family doctor was called. Emily, you're pregnant", she revealed, and my eyes widened in shock.
That explained the weird feeling I had been having.
"He did not tell the family for some reason, though, Emily. I think Cecilia would be happy to hear that she finally has a grandchild on the way"
A downcast expression flashed across my face for a moment as I thought of having to abort this precious gift of mine again, but suddenly, my facial features were hard.
"You will have to abort it again because of Eric, right?"
I shook my head vehemently.
"Why not? You know he won't let you keep it. He's that heartless. The only option you have is probably to divorce him, which might not be the best-"
I gestured to her that I had made up my mind. I would rather save this living being inside of me than kill it to protect a marriage that was dead to me.
"You're getting a divorce?", she asked, quite bewildered at my decision.
I nodded, and she sighed.
"I understand, Emily. You've been through enough here"
Tears rolled down my eyes as I thought of the pain I had gone through living with the Wilson's after grandfather Richard's death.
'I'm sorry, grandfather. This marriage was just never meant to be!'
****
After dinner, I cleared the plates happily, though, in my weak state, as I thought of my freedom from this hell.
Thoughts ran through my head as I walked to Eric's room to tell him of my decision to get a divorce. He had just returned home since the dimner last night.
He should surely be happy about the divorce. I would no longer be an obstacle to his marriage to his girlfriend.
I considered turning around as I got to the door, but I mustered the courage to knock.
As the door swung open, I met his frowning face.
"What is it, mute?", he snapped coldly, and my heart froze in fear for a moment.
I coughed lowly before gesturing to him that I would like to have a divorce. I showed him the note I had written about wanting to get a divorce for emphasis.
As I looked up to his expression, I expected to see a look of excitement on his face, but his frown was deepened.
"Excuse me?"
He pulled me into his room and shut the door. For the first time, I was in his room. It had a navy blue theme and was dark.
I repeated the gesture, informing him of my decision to have a divorce. I told him I could not take it anymore and I would like to relieve both of us of this duty.
"What the hell? No way!", he snapped, shredding the paper which my decision was written on.
My heart raced!
Why did he not want a divorce? I was exasperated.
I tried to make him see reasons, but he just held my wrist tightly.
"We are not getting a divorce. Okay?! We made a now based on grandfather's last wish and you will not break it"
Tears spilt down my eyes in frustration. I tried to gesture to him.
"Just shut up! You are my wife, and you're doomed to be my wife. There is no escape. You can't leave me", he snapped.
A sinister expression flashed across his face, and he drank in my figure with his eyes.
"Talking about duties, you have to play your role as a wife tonight."
His hands began to fiddle with the zipper of my dress.
I sobbed, shoving his hands away in annoyance, but it only made him more determined.
He lifted me like I weighed nothing and there me on his huge bed, which would have been a comfortable place to sleep under different circumstances.
I wriggled, shoving his bare chest as he hoovered above me, but he was mad as well. I wonder why.
He was not the one who had no other family left after grandfather died!
I sobbed as I felt him ease himself into me.
He was not the one who lived as a maid and sex slave in this cold mansion!
I cried as he kept thrusting forcefully into me despite my defiance.
"You are my wife, and you can't do anything about it," he snapped, holding my face in his hands. He placed a harsh kiss on my neck.
I felt like I was going to pass out when he finally released into me and rolled over.
I cried bitterly.
Seeing a pen and a notepad on his bedside desk, I wrote him a letter, pulled on my clothes, and trudged to my room with a heavy heart to pack my things.
Eric would not stop me from leaving!
Emily's POV"The clients whose wedding we just designed for said to thank you personally, ma'am," Rachel called from the door of my office, and I lifted my head to face her.A pleasant smile broke out on my face. My customers' satisfaction was my satisfaction.I nodded at her in acknowledgement. "No problem, Rachel. It's a pleasure doing business with them", I replied dismissively, returning my attention to the papers I had been attending to on my desk."They sent me this for you, ma'am. They put in a good word for us to a family who have a huge wedding coming up", she said excitedly.She placed a copy of the wedding invitation on my desk and I stared at it briefly."Alright. Get stated on the research for aesthetics", I replied.She nodded and was about to exit my office when she turned back quickly."They also paid beyond the price we told them. They were that pleased, Ms Emily" she said, sounding excited."Oh! Okay", I said with a warm smile and she nodded excitedly before l leavi
Eric's POVI adjusted my jacket as I strode briskly across the large living room with my leather briefcase in my hand and a permanent scowl etched on her face."Eric, darling. Are you off to work?"My mother rushed over to me, placing her two hands on my arms as she tried to get me to slow down."But-We have not even talked about the wedding preparations," she argued, pulling me to a seat.I sighed.A wedding. That has been all that has been on her mind since Emily left. It made a splitting headache break out in my head.Lola could not have been happier when I had been made to propose to her and introduce her to the family. Her wish was finally granted, but it felt like my hopes had just been dashed.Any hope of being free from my mother's controlling grip would be dashed when I get married to Lola, who seemed to be under her spell. Any hope of finding and reuniting with Emily would be dashed, and the thought of that alone made my facial expression harden.I could not take it."I ha
Emily's POVI stared around in a daze at the buildings and the streets where I was once familiar with as they fleetingly disappeared.Nothing much had changed in the past five years.I recognised the street where the Wilsons mansion was as the cab drove past it. I was not planning to stay with them for the event. I would rather die than stay in the same house that held all my bad memories that I had locked away."Ma'am, we just passed the street you talked about. Where would you like to get off, please?"I thought about it for a while before giving Jim a pleasant smile. "Take me to the nearest guest house to this place," I ordered with a firm voice, and he nodded, stepping on the gas of the car.Thoughts of my daughter consumed me as i watched the houses and buildings on the side of the road disappear as we sped past them.Mia had made a fuss when she heard that I was leaving for work. She cried a lot, making me cry as well. I had never spent a day away from her. This was a new expe
Eric's POV"The cake has to be perfect; nothing like you have ever created. It has to be the most spectacular thing anyone has ever seen. It has to be talk-of-the-town gorgeous", my mother went on describing to the small but first-class baker who sat opposite her."Yes, ma'am. We deliver only the best, and yours won't be an exception. ""Listen to me, it was to be huge. Very tall. We are using a hall with large ceilings, so it has to be much taller than the couple or even the entrance to the hall. It will be bought in through the roof. It must have a grand entrance", she kept describing.The woman nodded, swallowing hard. "Of course"Lola interjected. "Make it pink, please. Pink and white with gold edges. Pink is my favourite colour. ""Pink," the woman noted audibly while writing into a book in her hands."Also, please add some tiny gold bells..."I zoned out of their conversation, which was going on in the li
Emily's POV I scoffed for the umpteenth time as I sat in the restaurant waiting for Max, who was running late. He had sent me a text to inform me of something which came up. He was twenty minutes late already. I drummed my manicured fingers on the table. I was grateful for the text from Ceclia Wilson that informed me of her change of plans. According to her, the groom would not be around. I was so glad that I did not have to go to the house that haunted me with bad memories that morning. It had been postponed to later that evening. "Hey, Emily," Max greeted hastily, plopping into the chairs with a sigh. "You're welcome," I drawled with a hint of sarcasm in my sweet voice. I did not appreciate being delayed like that. I would have probably drawn up some designs to show to the bride if I did not have to be here as Max had pressured. "I'm sorry I'm late. I had to finish up a couple of things at the office. It was urgent", he explained, and I nodded with a smile. "Okay
Eric's POVSnap!My pen snapped in half as I applied intense pressure to it with my thumb.Dammit!That lying and manipulating witch!My brows were scrunched as I glared at my laptop screen, seeing nothing but red.It was funny to think that I actually loved Lola and was willing to try to work the marriage out if I never found Emily.I couldn't believe I had not noticed the signs earlier. All her sickly sweet tones, her persistence, her pressure, her 'I love you's'. They were all fake.She was just a damn puppet in my mother's hands.My mother had gone far this time. She would really go to any length to ensure that she could control me and make me live according to her wishes and rules, but this was just the height!I had returned back to work the previous night immediately after I overheard their conversations. I just did not want to hear from or see either Lola or my mum anymore.My office was a rather satisfying place to stay than to stay anywhere close to those manipulating and s
Emily's POVI blew out a sigh as I went over my sketchpad, recalling the incident with Cecilia and Lola.(Flashback)"Emily?!"I stared her right in her eyes, which was something I would have been to scared to do five years ago. I did not give her a response. I just stared.She stared at me for a long while, expecting me to flinch or look away but I held her gaze with equal determination. I was not going to back down.Her face grew hard with frustration and then she looked away with a sigh. She shook her head."Your designs?", she asked with her hands stretched out, and I handed her the sketchpad confidently.She hummed as she went through it skeptically, her eyes narrowing and widening.She handed it over to me and swallowed. "You have quite good designs", she forcefully admitted and I smiled.Of course, I knew my designs were just the best.It had been my passion right from when I was under her nose five years ago. Those years of torment and hardship, I found solace in drawing from
Cecilia's POV"Good morning, Mrs Cecelia", my private investigator greeted from the other end of the line but I skipped the pleasantries."I need you to look up the profile of the CEO of Lily's designing empire, the woman planning my son's wedding outfits!"The anxiety and curiosity gnawing on my inside, caused me to snap at him. I heard him clear his throat on the other end."Of course, ma'am", he replied sharply."And I need it before the end of today. It is very urgent""Sure, ma'am. You can trust us"Crash!I just wanted to be sure of what was going on. I shoved the flower vase on my desk down in rage.How could it be possible the Emily is back? How could she speak? What was going on?I dialled Eric's line for the sixth time but he refused to pick. He had the nerve to busy my call at such a critical time.A knock came through and I felt my blood boil."Who is it?""It's me, mother", Lola announced with a soft voice."Come in"The door creaked open lowly and she walked in."Is ever
After the ceremony, the reception was filled with laughter, music, and dancing. Mia twirled around, delighted to be part of it all, while Eric and I mingled with our guests. It felt like a dream, but I knew it was real. This was the life we had built together, after all the hardships, after the struggles.During the toasts, there was another surprise in store. Tony, who had been promoted for his incredible work in turning in Rico and Lola, stood up to make a speech. But instead of the usual brotherly words, he turned to Alicia.“Alicia,” he began, his voice uncharacteristically nervous, “you’ve changed my life in ways I never expected. You’ve become everything to me, and I can’t imagine a future without you.”There was a collective gasp as Tony dropped to one knee, holding a small ring box in his hands. “Will you marry me?”Alicia’s eyes filled with tears, and for a moment, she was speechless. Then, with a soft laugh, she nodded. “Yes, Tony,” she whispered. “Yes.”The room erupted in
Emily's POV Six months after.It was a warm and cozy evening when Eric walked into the room.I stared at his empty hands and my mouth tilted downwards in disappointment. "I thought you were coming in with my food," I pouted, my arms folded across my chest.He smirked and walked to my bedside and placed a quick kiss on my forehead, sitting beside me on the bed."I see I've become so good at cooking that you want me to be your private chef," he teased, poking my nose slightly and I rolled my eyes.I leaned closer and wrapped my arms around his necks while he wrapped his around my waist. This had become a new normal for us every evening."Let's eat out tonight," he offered. "A friend is opening this new restaurant and wants us to be one of his first customers."I pouted. "Then their food had better be as perfect as yours."His nose flicked mine and we both laughed. As out laughter died down, we leaned into each other with our eyes transfixed, but we were suddenly interrupted by the lou
Eric’s POVI sat by her bedside, staring at her, and a sigh of relief escaped my lips, but when suddenly, her eyes dimmed. They didn’t light up with recognition. Instead, she squinted at me as if trying to place who I was.“Who are you?” she asked, her voice flat and cold.I frowned, thrown off by her question. “Emily, it’s me. Eric.”She tilted her head, her eyes bright with confusion. “Eric? Do I know an Eric?”For a moment, panic gripped me. Was this some kind of lingering effect from the coma? Had she forgotten me? My mind raced, trying to figure out what was happening, until I caught the twitch of a smile at the corner of her lips.Then, it hit me—she was pretending. This was probably her way of getting back at me for what I’d done to her months ago when I had pretended not to know her when I had awoken from my own coma, thinking it was the only way to protect her from the danger surrounding us. Ithad been a cruel thing to do, even if my intentions were to keep her safe. Now, s
Eric’s POVLola’s grip on Dante was ironclad, her hand steady as she pressed a knife to his kneck in a swift turn of events. Her face was a mask of cold determination, showing no trace of fear or doubt. The room was filled with Dante’s bodyguards, all standing frozen, unsure of what to do. The air was thick with tension, the weight of the situation pressing down on everyone."What the hell is going on here?" Dante gritted out unable to free himself from her choke hold.“Let me go, or I’ll blow his brains out,” Lola hissed, her voice low and menacing.I stood a few feet away, watching the scene unfold. My heart pounded in my chest, but I forced myself to stay calm. I had never seen anyone so cold and mean in their resolve, and it was unsettling. Lola wasn’t bluffing; I could tell by the way her hands wrapped tightly around the knife and edged closer to his skin, the sharp edge of the blade graxing his neck. This wasn’t a game to her. It was life or death.Dante’s bodyguards exchan
Joanne’s POVI sat by Emily’s bedside, my eyes fixed on the slow rise and fall of her chest. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor was the only thing that reassured me that she was still here, still fighting. My sister, one of the strongest people I knew, had been through so much. But this… this was different. It felt as though she was slipping further away with each passing hour.“Emily, please,” I whispered, squeezing her cold hand. “You have to come back to us.”I hadn’t left her side since she’d been admitted. It was sad that Eric had to rush off without seeing his wife hit it was for a good cause.Lola and Rico had to be stopped no matter what. I was glad that Tont and Eric were finally closing in on them. I just hoped to hear the good news that they had apprehended those sneaky snakes.Mia was asleep after I had lulled her with a lullaby. The last thing I needed was for her to see her mother in this state.Suddenly, the sound of her crying baby reached my ears, and I felt
Eric's POV I rushed back to the hospital with Mia, who I realised wasn't so ill. She was just a bit feverish, so I decided to take her with me to the hsopairl where her mother was admitted. As we pulled over at the hospital, I turned to her. "Princess, how do you feel now?" I asked, touching her forehead to check her temperature, but her body was quite warm. "I want to see mummy," she whined, her eyes wide and teary. "I miss mummy." I let out a sigh. "Yes. You will see her. We are at the hospital where she is." Her eyes lit up like she had just been given an ice cream. "Really?" She gasped. "Mummy is here?" I nodded, and she let out a loud squeal. I stared at her in surprise. Wasn't this the girl who wasn't feeling well a while ago? I shook my head with a small smile. Inguess she was just missing her mother. "Let's go see your mum," I said to her, picking her up and locking the car. I could only hope to God that my wife and baby were okay. Joanne had not called me to tell me
Joanne's POV As I watched Emily's back disappear into her room, I could only feel sorry for her. I obviously had an idea of her pain.Forgiveness was not so easy. It truly was divine.The giggles of Alicia and Tony drew me out of my thoughts, and I stuck my tongue out at them, clearing my throat."What is the matter, Joanne?" Tony asked with a daring smirk, but I shook my head."Nothing at all. I'm just enjoying thoughts of attending weddings.." I started, trailing off to enjoy his smirk falling. "And maybe even better, a chief bridesmaid."My mother burst into provocative laughter.He flung a throw pillow in my direction, and it hit me square in the face. "Ow.. My nose. You're a bully, Tony," I whined."I can agree with that," I heard the familiar voice of Eric Wilson and smirked in triumph, bumping my fist with his."Hey, there, brother-in-law," I greeted, seeing as Eric strolled into the living room a few minutes after Alicia. "It's been quite a while. A very long one."He smirked
Emily's POV I sat in front of the television, munching on a large bowl of chips, which I had been so desperately craving for weeks now.My protruding stomach made it hard for me to hold the book of chips as closely as I wanted to.The news that the television was showing made my heart leap for joy."Billionare businessman, Eric Wilson exposes his fiancée in a grand party intended to be their baby's welcoming ceremony. The billionaire exposed that the baby of his fiancée was not his child with proof. Despite the glaring proof, Lola tried to deny it by saying that he was not in his right frame of mind. For a moment, it was almost believed until the police stormed the scene, charging her for various crimes, including attempted extortion and kidnapping. The culprit, Lola, however, fled the scene and has been missing for over a month since the incident...."I had heard everything from Joanne and Tony—even though he was barely at home these days because he was hellbent on getting Lola and
Eric's POV As I walked off the stage confidently, my shoulders felt lighter, and I was glad to have put an end to the shenenigans of Lola. She was now in the spotlight she so admired and wanted but not for the reason she wanted.I watched her face drain of its colour as she stared into the booing and disgusted faces of the guests she had invited, now an object of mockery at her own party."No. He doesn't know what he's saying," she screamed into the microphone, forcefully drawing the attention of all the guests who were already making their way out of the hall. Her makeup was already running down her forehead and face slightly due to her sweats and tears.I folded my arms across my chest, my brows slightly cocked as I stared at her from across the hall. I stood waiting for a signal to get rid of Lola once and for all."What do you mean, Ms Lola?" A nosy press lady holding up a camera asked loudly. "Are you saying that what we just heard was wrong? Are you saying Mr Eric Wilson is no