Fred’s POVHarry sat across from me at the bar. He had been staring at me intently since we arrived, and half an hour had already passed. “How long are you going to keep staring at me like that?” I finally had to ask him. “Sorry, mate,” Harry laughed playfully, “I’m just curious, what was it about you that your ex-wife liked so much?” His sudden out-the-blue question about Emily took me by surprise. What was he on about? I had taken time out of my busy schedule today to meet him here, but was he now just ridiculing me? I wondered if he noticed my astonishment. “Are you jealous of me?” I shot back, cooly sipping my glass of wine. At least the liquor was helping to quell my irritation. I had too much pride to let Harry know how much his question vexed me. “Fred, relax. You overthink things way too much, you know that? I would never be jealous of a man going through divorce…especially if he’s drinking because of love,” Harry poked back. “Aren’t you the one who asked me to come out?
Emily’s POVLeon called me out of the blue to tell me that David had been arrested. He mentioned to me that he would prosecute as the lawyer for the case against him. The evidence we collected privately would certainly come in handy. “See, I told you, Leon. I knew the right moment would arise for us to play our cards. I’m glad we initially kept our findings to ourselves,” I told him on the phone. “Yeah, I know, you were right, darling sister,” he agreed. “Of course, I am always right,” teasing him, “but anyway, now it’s time for you to shine, Mr. Big Shot Lawyer,” I joked back, although I had full faith in my brother’s capabilities. “Thanks, Em. Trust you to be my number one fan. But in any case, I won’t let anyone bully my baby sister and get away with it. David’s turn has finally arrived. I can’t wait for him to face judgment, and you get the justice you deserve,” Leon consoled, “also there’s something else…” Uh oh, whenever I heard that specific tone of Leon’s, I prepared myse
Emily’s POVScoffing back at Fred’s accusations, I tossed my head; I didn’t want to waste my time on a drunk man. “Fred, you have no right to keep interfering in my life,” I reminded him for the umpteenth time, “Why do you continue to insert yourself into everything I do? I don’t want you around. I’m doing fantastic on my own, thank you very much.” “Yeah, listen, mate,” Leon chimed, “I think it’s best you start listening to Emily and leave her alone…for good.” “So, are you and this guy an item?” Harry asked from the background. For a second I had forgotten he was there; Fred’s accusations had annoyed me that much.“Of course they are! I’ve seen Emily with him multiple times. And look at them,” Fred abrasively added in from the sidelines. “Actually, wait a second…”Seeing the calculation on his face, I could tell Fred had put the puzzle pieces together. “You look oddly similar to Emily’s other boyfriend, Richard,” Fred exclaimed, tightly grabbing Leon’s arm, “maybe you’re not Emil
Emily’s POVBack in the car whilst driving Leon home, he analyzed and roasted everything that just happened from next to me in the passenger’s seat. “Em, I must admit. I’m glad Fred is out of your life. I know it’s been tough, but man, what the hell just happened there? Who was Fred’s friend and how come you and Harry seem to know one another? Well, I guess maybe you and Fred met him in the past. I just can’t get over this guy’s know-all superior attitude. Like, who does he think he is? Seriously?” Leon hammered indignantly, even ripping off his glasses, throwing them aside in anger. “Hey, be careful with your glasses, Leon. Don’t let Fred upset you that much,” I consoled. I was used to such crazy behavior lately. It seemed that I was getting too used to such drama; but a little too much for my liking. However, Leon was very upset by everything, and I felt like his glasses now reminded him of it all. He was clearly perturbed. “Sorry, sis, I don’t mean to act out. The last thing I w
Emily’s POVStanding in front of my walk-in closet, I was scouring for something to wear to the Walker family gathering. Out of the corner of my eye, a familiar dress caught my attention. It was a gift from Fred during our first year of marriage when things were still relatively “happy.”When I moved out of the villa, now Fred’s home, I unconsciously tossed it in my suitcase, but standing there and staring at it, I decided to destroy the dress. Grabbing a pair of shiny scissors, I went to work. Think of it, Em as a sort of farewell to the past. After cutting the dress into hundreds of pieces, I let out my feelings. Damn, that feels good. Okay, maybe you went a bit crazy with the cutting, girl, but this is the release I needed. Next, I dialed Sheila and requested that she help order me a new dress for the occasion. She knew my style well enough by now. I asked her to set aside a few options for me and to let the boutique know I’d be popping in. The following day, I went to pick u
Emily’s POVAlthough the incident with Nancy was unpleasant, it felt so good to cause Nancy a little bit of anguish. She had caused me more than enough upset over the past few weeks. As I exited the boutique, I caught sight of my face in the window. Why would Fred leave me for such a hypocritical woman? Lost in thought, I couldn’t help but wonder where his mind was at. If Nancy were at least a decent human being, maybe I could forgive Fred’s indifference. In fact, I knew Nancy had returned home from her overseas trip a month earlier than she had Fred believe. She had sent me a threatening text message from an unknown mobile phone number. When Fred and I were together, I had saved her number on my phone, just in case I ever needed it. When I received the ominous message, I didn’t recognize the number. But even now, I still remember the exact contents of the text. ‘One day, you’re going to get what you deserve. A little word of advice: watch your back, Emily. You never know who is w
Emily’s POVOh my God, today must be my unlucky day. I’m beginning to think this town is way too small. As if my already bad day couldn’t get any worse, Fred walked over to us and slapped his friend’s arm. “Hey man, that was sore,” his friend declared, making an unpleasant face. “Listen, chaps, you can flirt with any woman in here, or around town for that matter, but this lady is off limits. Do you hear me?” Fred pronounced sternly. “Jeeze, man, what’s with you today, Fred?” the other friend questioned. “Nothing, nothing is wrong, but did you hear what I said?” “Yeah, yeah, alright sure. But who is this woman and what’s she to you?” Just as I was about to put the story straight, Fred answered for me. “She’s my sister and that’s that,” Fred lied. “Sister? Well, can you and your friends please just leave me alone, my dear brother? I came here for some peace,” snorting at his fabricated story. Fred knew I was mocking him, and suddenly looked embarrassed. Without seeming to car
Emily’s POV“Emily, are you okay?!” Fred’s face changed dramatically, and he instantly checked my hand. The metal from his TAG watch had caught my skin and ripped it by accident when he had pulled me. He abruptly took off his luxurious watch and randomly tossed it to the side. One of the waiters at a nearby outdoor table looked dumbstruck, hesitating about what to do with the situation. Rushing over to us, he asked what he could do to help, handing the TAG Heuer back to Fred. “Don’t worry about it, take it, I don’t want it. But I do need you to get me a first aid box, now!” Fred demanded while holding my injured hand. Still in disbelief that Fred just gifted him the expensive watch, as soon as Fred instructed him to fetch the kit, he ran inside without hesitation. Fred’s constant interjections were growing old, and I tried withdrawing my hand. However, Fred wouldn’t let go and insisted he help me deal with the cut. Everything inside me wanted to tell him to leave me alone. The cu
Emily’s POVThe following day, stylists surrounded me, handing me one dress after the next. Great taste was not something I lacked — I inherited that from my mother. We finally decided on the perfect dress and moved along to the jewelry selection. The stylist handed me one diamond-encrusted necklace after another, but none of the overtly flashy pieces were my style. Preferring more understated pieces, I went with a beautifully elegant yet rare ruby. Sitting in the chair as the make-up artist began to work her magic, and the hairstylist tumbled one curl over the next with a curling iron, I glimpsed myself in the mirror. It wasn’t too often I got dressed up like this. I had endured plenty of fancy-dress evenings growing up and it wasn’t really my thing. But it did feel good to get dolled up every once in a while. Richard and Leon stood behind me, and with the final flick of mascara, the make-up artist stood back to marvel at her work. “Oh, Emily. You look simply stunning, my dear s
Emily’s POVReturning home, my maid handed me an invitation as I hung up my coat in the entrance foyer. She informed me that the butler of the Walker Family had hand-delivered the invitation in person that afternoon. To my surprise, the date had been brought forward. It was originally in a week. “Tomorrow?” I asked no one in particular, but my maid answered for me, who had received strict instructions from the Walker’s butler. That meant the divorce process would be postponed again…“Yes, Miss. Emily. Well, at least, that’s what I was told,” she informed me. ‘Did he say anything else?” “He said that Mr. Walker Senior always feels sorry for you. So, he wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to an outstanding young man.” There were no words. The way this family likes to insert themselves into my personal business is outrageous. But I knew Fred Senior was trying to be kind; doing it out of the goodness of his heart to make up for his grandson’s behavior. Even if he had a s
Emily’s POV“Did you hear that, Fred?” I asked the caller.“But, but…How? How could it be?” Nancy murmured, before pouncing on me to grab my phone out of my hand. I had released my grip against her and she was no longer pressed against the car door. But I was faster than her and side-stepped out of the way. Instead, I asked “Fred” his thoughts after hearing everything that Nancy admitted to. Nancy was frightened as the familiar-sounding voice echoed through the phone. “Yes, Emily, I heard it all. She’s unforgivable, and I now know the truth,” and with that, the caller hung up the phone. In an instant, Nancy’s face turned pale. She knew she had been caught. Before either of us had time to process what just happened, a staff member came out of the shop and headed toward us, asking us if we needed any help. I wasn’t surprised, we had caused a huge stir, and I jumped in before Nancy could respond. “Ah, yes, could you help me fill up with gasoline, please?” I asked, pointing to my arm
Emily’s POVIt all felt like slow motion. Seeing the car speed toward me…The bright lights peering me down… But my instincts kicked in and as the car neared my body, I flung out my arms in an aid to protect myself from the oncoming danger. However, no pain appeared, and instead, the sound of screeching brakes filled my ears. Instead of speeding off, the sound of the engine rapidly decelerated, and I slowly opened my eyes. The Audi had stopped less than a meter away from me, and the female driver was panting behind the steering wheel. I could hear the heavy breathing even from here. Finally close enough to identify the person in the car; it was Nancy! Her face was full of hatred, glaring at me like I was the worst kind of human being on this planet. As evil as she was, she didn’t dare to kill a person — I hoped. Leaping forward before she had time to zoom off, I ripped open the car door handle, demanding she get out of the vehicle. “Out, now! Come and face me Nancy, and stop hidi
Emily’s POVMy car was parked in the outside lot and I quickly pulled out my keys. Fastening my seatbelt and preparing to drive home, a sudden jab came at my door. Fred had chased after me and was grabbing the door handle with one hand and tapping on my window with the other. His face was red. “Em, please, get out of the car. Let’s talk and resolve this…” he asked me through the glass. I rolled down my window halfway, just enough so he could hear me properly. “Fred, how many times do I need to repeat myself? I sound like a stuck record at this point. Please, stop bothering me,” I pleaded with Fred. “Again, I just want to know why you blocked my number. You never answered my question,” he continued again with the insistent probing. Ignoring his question, Fred raised his eyebrows at me, as if demanding an answer. “Tomorrow at 2 pm,” I stated. “Huh? What?” Fred asked, looking more confused than ever. “I want to get the divorce process right this time, this whole thing is dragging
Emily’s POVIt seemed like my question was a hard one for Fred to answer…Perhaps there was some truth to it that he didn’t want to admit. Trying his best to answer, he still fumbled over my direct inquiry. Opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish out of water, he failed to speak. My patience was fading, but his ringing phone broke the silence. Reaching for his phone in his pocket, he peered down and his body froze. I looked down at the same time without realizing, and saw Nancy’s name pop up; the devil herself. Interrupting Fred and I, it was as if she were laughing at me from the other side. Fred hesitated to answer, so I helped him make the decision. “Wait!” Fred hollered, but it was too late. Snatching the phone from his hand with my uninjured one, I took the initiative and swiped open the call, immediately pressing the speaker button. There you go, decision made. Nancy’s sickly sweet voice cooed down the line. Fred wasn’t impressed with my impulsiveness, but there was
Emily’s POV“Emily, are you okay?!” Fred’s face changed dramatically, and he instantly checked my hand. The metal from his TAG watch had caught my skin and ripped it by accident when he had pulled me. He abruptly took off his luxurious watch and randomly tossed it to the side. One of the waiters at a nearby outdoor table looked dumbstruck, hesitating about what to do with the situation. Rushing over to us, he asked what he could do to help, handing the TAG Heuer back to Fred. “Don’t worry about it, take it, I don’t want it. But I do need you to get me a first aid box, now!” Fred demanded while holding my injured hand. Still in disbelief that Fred just gifted him the expensive watch, as soon as Fred instructed him to fetch the kit, he ran inside without hesitation. Fred’s constant interjections were growing old, and I tried withdrawing my hand. However, Fred wouldn’t let go and insisted he help me deal with the cut. Everything inside me wanted to tell him to leave me alone. The cu
Emily’s POVOh my God, today must be my unlucky day. I’m beginning to think this town is way too small. As if my already bad day couldn’t get any worse, Fred walked over to us and slapped his friend’s arm. “Hey man, that was sore,” his friend declared, making an unpleasant face. “Listen, chaps, you can flirt with any woman in here, or around town for that matter, but this lady is off limits. Do you hear me?” Fred pronounced sternly. “Jeeze, man, what’s with you today, Fred?” the other friend questioned. “Nothing, nothing is wrong, but did you hear what I said?” “Yeah, yeah, alright sure. But who is this woman and what’s she to you?” Just as I was about to put the story straight, Fred answered for me. “She’s my sister and that’s that,” Fred lied. “Sister? Well, can you and your friends please just leave me alone, my dear brother? I came here for some peace,” snorting at his fabricated story. Fred knew I was mocking him, and suddenly looked embarrassed. Without seeming to car
Emily’s POVAlthough the incident with Nancy was unpleasant, it felt so good to cause Nancy a little bit of anguish. She had caused me more than enough upset over the past few weeks. As I exited the boutique, I caught sight of my face in the window. Why would Fred leave me for such a hypocritical woman? Lost in thought, I couldn’t help but wonder where his mind was at. If Nancy were at least a decent human being, maybe I could forgive Fred’s indifference. In fact, I knew Nancy had returned home from her overseas trip a month earlier than she had Fred believe. She had sent me a threatening text message from an unknown mobile phone number. When Fred and I were together, I had saved her number on my phone, just in case I ever needed it. When I received the ominous message, I didn’t recognize the number. But even now, I still remember the exact contents of the text. ‘One day, you’re going to get what you deserve. A little word of advice: watch your back, Emily. You never know who is w