Tears had welled up in the corner of Ashley’s eyes. Wiping them away, she slowly stood up. She thought for a moment before responding to Emma, “The 26th, next Wednesday.”
“Amber telling you to reject all my job offers?” Emma asked.
“Yes, make a note of every offer and keep every email you get as evidence. Only use them next Wednesday,” Emma ordered calmly. “If you have any sense left, you’ll see that you’re much better off helping me than working for Amber. Being the CEO’s mistress isn’t going to take her as far as she thinks.”
Ashley knew Amber had been getting into trouble lately, while Emma’s popularity was on the rise. She realized that Amber had been acting weak as a way to gain people’s sympathy. Meanwhile, Emma was using Amber as a stepping stone to make a comeback. Ashley decided it would be best to listen to Emma. “I’ll have everything ready for you on Wednesday,” she said.
Emma nodded and got up to leave. But as she reached the door, she turned around and added, “And don’t go around seducing any more men if you can’t answer for the photographic evidence.”
Ashley’s face turned pale. It was the first time anyone had blackmailed her like this. From the looks of it, Amber would be no match for Emma’s cunning. She was unknowingly playing right into Emma’s hands.
The afternoon sun was shining brightly as Emma walked out to her car with a tired look on her face. Lisa was in the driver’s seat waiting for her. When she got in, seeing Emma’s expression, Lisa became concerned. “Did you have an argument with Nathan?” she asked.
“Nathan broke up with me,” Emma replied as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She looked like she was holding back tears.
Lisa said, “Do you know what he told me? It sounded like he was reading from a script. He even wants to freeze my career for the next three years. That jerk! How could it be so awful? Doesn’t he have any heart at all?”
She reached out her hand to comfort Emma, patting her gently on the arm. “Don’t allow a man like that to make you feel bad, especially since you’re gonna make him pay for all of it. Do feel bad, though. I can’t help it.”
“To take me home,” Emma requested in a gentle whisper.
“Okay, just relax and get some rest,” Lisa replied.
Emma could tell by Nathan’s cold demeanor that he wasn’t going to stop tanking her career at Amber’s command. He could even do worse. Still, she had to find a way to thwart their plans.
By the time Eric arrived home that evening, it was already eight o’clock. This time, though, there was no aroma of freshly cooked dinner to greet him. All he felt was a cold chill in the air. At first, he thought Emma must still be at work. But as he entered the bedroom, he saw her lying in bed silently. No need to ask, he thought. Things must have gone poorly today.
He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. Noticing his presence, Emma sat up and hugged him tightly. “If you need to cry, then cry. You’ll feel better,” he said as he gently patted her shoulder. She had been holding back all day, but at his words, she suddenly let go and burst into tears.
“Sorry, I promised I wouldn’t cry over stupid things.”
“It’s okay, just cry,” he said calmly.
Maybe because his hands were so gentle, or maybe because he was older and more mature than her, something about him made her feel safe. She cried in his embrace until there were no tears left.
“Better?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she freed herself from his arms and looked at him. “You haven’t had dinner yet. I’ll go make something.”
Without a word, Eric took her face in his hands and pressed his lips firmly against hers. He wanted to kiss away her tears. He knew a kiss was the best medicine for this kind of pain. The couple kissed passionately. The room felt like it was spinning, and they had to stop to catch their breath.
“Emma, I hope no matter what happens, I’ll always be the first person you turn to. I don’t care how many masks you wear on the outside. When we’re home, you just be yourself. I want us to take care of each other like a real married couple,” he wiped away the tears on her cheek as he stood up. “And like I said earlier, you aren’t allowed to put yourself to work in the kitchen anymore.”
She saw him turning to leave and quickly grabbed his waist. “Wait, I need you right now. Please stay with me, hug me, kiss me. I’m going to need some food before I can give you more kisses like that,” she smiled, got out of bed, and grabbed his hand. “Then I’ll keep you company.”
The couple ate dinner together, washed up, and got into bed. Eric was sitting up, reading through some papers, while Emma was trying to fall asleep. But no matter what she did, she couldn’t stop tossing and turning. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I can’t sleep,” she said, peeking at him from under the blanket. “Can you read me a book?”
Only in front of him could she truly be herself. She didn’t have to be calm and capable like she was in front of Lisa. With Eric, she was just his wife, a wife that needed to be spoiled sometimes. He was with Emma, Eric also felt he could let his guard down. If she had been anyone else, he would have thrown his papers in her face for making such a request. But this was Emma, so he smiled and got up to grab a book. Then he wrapped her in his arms and began reading to her.
It was a simple gesture, but Emma knew Nathan would never have done anything like this for her. Who would have guessed that the king of the entertainment industry would be the one willing to read her a bedtime story? Emma felt the wounds in her heart slowly beginning to heal. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep in Eric’s arms, and as usual, she slept soundly through the night with him by her side.
The next morning, Emma awoke to the sound of her phone ringing. It was Ashley. Her voice was much gentler than it had been the previous day. “Emma, I’m at your house, but only your assistant is home. I’ve moved. Well, I came to tell you that since Mr. Davis announced your upcoming appearance, your fans are in an uproar. They’re saying that if you appear at this event, you’ll be endorsing a dishonest company. Some of them are ready to abandon you over it.”
“What does Amber think?” Emma asked directly.
“She can’t wait to see you suffer. The event was her idea from the start. Not only does she want to step all over you, she wants your life to be a living hell while she does it. Let’s just see whose life will be a living hell next Wednesday,” Emma responded. “In the meantime, don’t worry about the fans. Let them argue all they want.”
