Her Fake Lover

Chapter 36

"Where's Emmy, honey?" Mrs. Jeanne asked Lea.

"She's in the shower, Mom," Lea said. They were at the dinner table, getting ready for dinner. Emmeline, just got back home. She was chasing time so she could have dinner with her family, because her dad had called her in the afternoon. Emmeline knew that the uproar that had occurred during the day due to the unfavorable media coverage of her and Anna must have worried her father, and although Emmy didn't know how she was going to explain everything, she certainly couldn't ignore her father's request.

Emmeline had finished her bath. She went to the dining table and was greeted with a friendly greeting from his father who had also just arrived at the dining room from a different direction.

"Come on, honey, have a seat." Jeanne also smiled and asked Emmeline to sit down.

Lea, right after Emmy sat down in her chair, shook her head vaguely, then put her hands on the table, resting her head on them with her face turned to Emmeline beside her. They do sit side by side.

Emmeline became a little awkward by that. She glanced at her father and mother, all of whom were looking at her too.

Guillaume stood up. He grabbed Emmeline's plate and filled it with food, then approached Emmeline and placed the plate in front of Emmy from behind. The father kissed Emmy's head from above, because Emmy was in a sitting position at that time.

"Since a few hours ago, I suddenly remembered when my daughters were little. You and Lea." Guillaume briefly stroked Lea's head beside Emmeline. "When you two were young, you were very close to Dad. You especially, Emmy. You wouldn't have let Dad not know about the activities you were doing at school. Every time you came home from school, you would tell Dad a lot of things. Even when you were a teenager you were still like that. You've been so open about everything to me, that today I suddenly realized, those days are past."

Emmeline was taken aback by those words. She glanced up at her father.

"Eat first," Guillaume straightened. "Don't think about anything just yet," the father said, before sitting down in his chair.

Jeanne poured the drink into the Emmy's glass, while Lea wished her, "Have a good meal."

Emmeline was clearly aware, the strange treatment of all her family was not without reason. She looked at the faces of her family one by one, before then said, "Whatever you all think about me, you will tell me after this."

"Eat first. I don't want to talk about anything just yet," said Guillaume.

"Mom," Emmy turned to her mother.

"Mom wants to eat too, honey."

Emmeline turned to Lea. Lea glanced at her too, and unexpectedly Lea then choked on her own food.

"Oh my gosh, honey. Be careful," said Jeanne.

Emmeline felt uncomfortable. It was as if all her family were showing her concern, and disappointment—or resentment, Emmy wasn't sure—that Emmy then decided to take their word for it. "Alright. We'll just eat for now. After this, we'll talk."

Lea suddenly added vegetables to Emmy's plate, "Add your meal."

Emmeline kept quiet without protesting, and the dinner went on to finish. Completely without any chatter. Not as usual, and Emmy realized, it was because of her.

A few moments passed, and now they were all in the living room. Emmeline's guess was right, the father asked why Emmy didn't tell him who Anna was. They all joined in celebrating the touching moments that occurred on the catwalk. A model named Anna got into an accident backstage, and Emmy managed to cheer her up when her performance nearly failed. But they didn't know that Anna was Corbin's sister, Emmeline's boyfriend. That identity made Anna no stranger to them, and Emmeline didn't tell any of her family. Until suddenly an unpleasant news was covered by a media that day.

"And reading that narrative has made me hurt," said Guillaume.

"Dad, take it easy. They're just looking for attention with the news. One of their reporters heard the information about Anna, and apparently he worked it out."

"Then, dear. Why didn't you tell us about the young girl?" asked Jeanne. "Why do you seem to be hiding things in your current relationship?"

"Ah, i-mom don't get me wrong," said Emmy. She then glanced at Lea. Lea also seemed to be waiting for an answer. "I and Anna meant to tell you all, after the event was over. I mean, after we had the right opportunity." That's all Emmy said.

Jeanne, Guillaume, and Lea all frowned. Emmeline looked at the faces of her family one by one. Guillaume sighed for a moment. "Is that true?"

"Yes, Dad. That's right."

"Then regarding the content of the report, there were unpleasant remarks about you, Dear. How are you going to deal with it?" Guillaume asked further.

"That's just not true, Dad. Anna and I didn't fabricate anything. And even if we did it as a promotional strategy, they couldn't even say it was a bad thing. They just added some nasty statements about me because they wanted to create something controversial, so they're in the spotlight. I don't even think it's a reasonable thing to exaggerate, but—okay. Let them do what they want, we have more important business to attend to right now. Our jewelry orders have also increased, and we also have to focus on some other projects."

Guillaume smiled as he nodded his head. "I'm glad you're keeping your cool in the face of all this. But you may still need to make a statement, Emmy."

"You don't have to worry about that either. I'm going to attend an interview requested by The Bryxtoner about our product that we brought up at the fashion show yesterday. I can give my statement there. Only about what is necessary."

"Oh, The Bryxtoner? William's company?"

"Yes. Your friend. The one who always faithfully tells about us, Karfis & Vin."

Guillaume nodded his head with a smile. "He has a personal bond with you, honey. He used to carry you with him when you were little. Before he moved abroad and then came back here and founded a media company. Well. I hope with that, you can keep your name and company clean."

"That's right," said Lea. Her hand waved to reach and stroke Emmy's back.

"And," Jeanne interrupted with a smile, "I think we should invite Anna here sometime."

"Ah, yes, that's right!" Mr. Guillaume suddenly straightened his back from the back of the chair with enthusiasm. Emmeline was wide-eyed.

Lea laughed. "I agree. Yesterday after the fashion show was over, I met the girl but I haven't had the chance to chat much with her. Em ... " Lea frowned, as if remembering something. "But she said yesterday that she didn't know you had a twin sister, Emmy. She was so surprised when I introduced myself to her."

Emmy rolled her eyes.

"Ah, that. Em—yes, I meant to introduce you after she met our family. Well! I told you before, I meant to bring you all together when ... the time was right!"

Emmeline, feeling exhausted from being nervous. Her heart was beating fast. Luckily, no one else was heard asking complicated questions. Lea said she liked the girl named Anna, who looked lively and innocent. Emmeline, had a smile on her face at that statement, though stiff from the slight lingering nervousness.

Minutes and hours passed. Now Emmeline, silent on the balcony of her room upstairs. Gazing at the sky and the sprinkling of stars, as well as the sparkle of the lights scattered everywhere. Emmeline took a deep breath. A message came into her cell phone.

'Are you asleep?' message from Chloe Levine.

'Not yet,' answered Emmeline.

The communication continued with a telephone conversation, as Chloe's hesitation to call Emmeline disappeared knowing Emmeline had not slept. That's what she said.

"I know I shouldn't be discussing work at this hour even if you haven't slept yet. But I feel that right now you need to be given some time to prepare before facing some things especially since you're not feeling so good. We agreed. You're having an interview tomorrow with The Bryxtoner. And they want Anna too."

Emmeline, nodded her head faintly. "Yeah, that's a reasonable request."

"But the thing is, Anna is sick right now," Chloe said. Emmeline widened her eyes at that. "She was fine this morning. But when I got home from work, she wasn't so well. She had a fever and she said she had a headache too."

"Have you called the doctor?"

"Sure. She's on a break now. But ... she did mention some unpleasant news in the magazine today. She said she was sorry she had been so careless that a reporter could hear information he shouldn't have heard and has now turned into bad news. I don't know how she got to know the latest news so quickly."

"Oh my gosh," Emmeline sighed. "Okay. I'll just attend the interview myself tomorrow. Let Anna rest. I'll see her after we have free time tomorrow," said Emmy.

"Okay."

***