I Feel Exhausted

**POV: Ethan**

“Emma, what is wrong? Why are you refusing to speak with me?” I asked her when I finally went in to see her. I drove down here after I left Serena at the restaurant. I was so pissed off at her that I had to leave her presence before I did something stupid.

I’m so close to cutting her off and breaking whatever promise I made to her. I'm hanging on a very thin thread as it stands. I kept battling with the idea of abandoning both Emma and Serena, along with the promise I made to both girls after the death of their parents. I pinched the steering wheel in anger, cursing out loud as I recalled the way she had tried to sneak her hands into my shirt, trying to seduce me.

I should have known the first time I saw her looking so hot and showing so much cleavage. I should have known that when I saw her looking this sexy, she was up to no good. I don’t wish to break my promise to her; my guilty conscience will kill me if I go back on my word after causing the death of their parents and putting Emma in the hospital.

I needed a reason to hold on to that promise; I needed a reminder. I needed someone to remind me why I made that promise in the first place. That’s why I went to the hospital to visit Emma after I left Serena at the restaurant. Seeing her is enough to remind me of the part I played in the death of their parents.

It was a few days before our engagement party. Our families were so excited about it, and because of our status and position in this city, everyone was invited to our engagement party—everyone in our circle, including the governor and other elites. It was the talk of the town, and everyone looked forward to that day.

Everyone, except me…

I couldn’t think straight. I knew that if I kept quiet and went along with their plans, I would be making a huge mistake that could ruin my life. I couldn’t let that happen, so I called it off a few days before our engagement. I came clean with my family first, telling them why I could not marry Emma.

I couldn’t face her family, so I met with Emma privately and told her how I felt about her. She was so broken and sad, promising to make me happy, begging me to reconsider my decision. I felt weak when I saw her tears, but I had to do what was best for both of us. She sobbed her eyes out, refusing to tell anyone what I said about faking it all along.

I knew she didn’t tell anyone because her parents kept calling to find out why the date of our engagement had not been fixed. My parents didn’t know how to break the news to them, so we just kept dodging the question, claiming I needed time to make up my mind. One day, I got a call from Emma’s father.

“How dare you end things with my daughter after leading her on for so many years?” he asked furiously. I tried explaining my feelings to him, but he wouldn’t listen. He called my father to inform him that they were on their way to our house, and I nervously waited for their arrival, praying that they would understand why I had to cancel our engagement so both of us could move on with our lives and hopefully find true love.

We waited…

And waited…

But they never came. They never showed up. A few hours later, we got a call that they had been involved in a terrible accident that took the lives of their parents on the spot. Emma was knocked unconscious and was in a coma for months after the incident.

Luckily for her, Serena was not in the car with them. She had a bad stomach ache that made her opt to stay back while they went after me. She didn’t follow them, which is why she survived. As expected, she blamed me for making her parents upset and causing them to have an accident.

Even if she didn’t blame me for their death, I still blamed myself for it because I knew that it was my fault they were furious and probably distracted while driving to confront me and my family. It was my fault they lost their parents, so I had to be responsible for them, like I promised.

Fortunately, Emma regained consciousness, and she has not blamed me for her predicament or the death of her parents. With her, I just have to put in a little effort to care for her health and wellness. But with Serena, it’s a whole different ballgame. She is making it so difficult for me to keep my promise. I had to see Emma; I needed to tell her about her sister's seduction.

But she refused to see me!

I sat at the reception, waiting to see her, but I was told that she had refused to see anyone. When I insisted on seeing her, the nurses granted me a few minutes for a supervised visit, hoping that I could get through to her and find out why she suddenly became depressed and unhappy.

When I went into her room, I could not believe that this was the same Emma I had seen here when Serena informed me that Harper wanted to hurt her sister. She had looked happy to see us, and I could tell that she was getting much better. But now, I really didn’t know because she looked worse.

I tried talking to her, getting her to communicate with me, but she wouldn’t look at me or even say a word. I was perplexed, so I guessed she wasn’t happy about Harper’s visit either. The thought of me marrying someone who looks like her must have taken a toll on her. Harper may not have meant to hurt her, but the mere sight of her was enough to trigger Emma’s anger and make her feel depressed.

It must have made her feel jealous to see that I was going to marry someone who resembled her. I had to speak with Harper and tell her not to visit the hospital because her visit was not good for Emma’s health. If only Serena weren’t being so unreasonable and seductive, I would have called to invite her sister to come over and speak with Emma to make her feel better.

Damn!

I feel so exhausted!

I let my guilt push me to make such a huge promise, and now I’m bound by it and regret it already. I didn’t expect Serena to hold such feelings for me, and the once sweet girl turned into a different woman. She is so different from the little girl I took as my kid sister. She is desperate and cunning, trying to seduce me while reminding me of my promise. How did the innocent, cute little girl I used to know turn out to be this manipulative?

It’s all a mystery to me, and I do not have the patience to deal with all this now. I drove back home with thoughts of her and her sister in my head. It seems no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to ease my guilt with my simple acts of kindness. I feel even worse now that I know it’s not only Emma who has fallen in love with me. Her sister Serena is also in love with me and is willing to do anything it takes to win my heart, even more than her sister.

I used to think that it was just by chance that Emma fell in love with me. But now that her sister is claiming to love me as well, I have concluded that it must be my fault or something. I must have done or said something that created the illusion that I love them. I don’t know what I did or said to deserve this, but I’m tired already.

I feel exhausted!

I dragged my feet as I walked into my house, feeling drained. The moment I walked in and set my eyes on Harper, I suddenly felt better and held my wife tightly in my arms, letting her hold me like a child. Harper was waiting for me in the sitting room already. She didn’t ask anything; she just gently patted my back for comfort, moving her hand on my back slowly.

“My love… please don’t visit Emma in the hospital again. Your presence in my life may affect her health, and I don’t want you to feel the guilt I have been feeling for years now. I can’t watch you get dragged into this, my love. Just stay away from her and her sister,” I pleaded with her. She nodded in understanding, holding me tight for comfort.

Now, more than ever, I’m sure that I married the best woman—my soulmate.