RECLAIMING HIS ONCE REJECTED MATE

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Emilia's POV

My eyes were red, puffy, and swollen from so much crying. The only remaining member of my family was my grandmother. Now that she's gone, I find myself alone.

I am the only one left, so I am covering her medical costs and organizing her burial.

Ever since my grandmother passed away, I haven't stopped crying.

I still detested who I was.

Why am I grieving and preparing for her funeral when I wasn't there for her during her most vulnerable moments?

I wasn't there to console her in her last days.

I am a granddaughter that my beloved grandmother did not deserve.

As I collected my grandmother's favorite delicacies and positioned them next to her coffin, I suppressed my emotions.

In the more joyful recollections of my early years, I was not alone. My mother and grandmother were always there for me.

However, that didn't last long. My grandmother took care of everything and raised me alone after my mother passed away.

With only each other to rely on, my grandma and I grew quite close. She was the person I trusted most in the world, the one to whom I owe my life.

Someone's hand on my shoulder jerked me out of my reverie. I believed it was Maximilian, but when I looked up, I was saddened to see Antonio.

Antonio whispered, "Condolences," as our eyes met.

I simply nodded slightly to him. I couldn't speak because my heart was too heavy.

I searched the area for Maximilian. He was still missing, although the guests were beginning to pour in with condolences.

He is my partner. After my parent passed away, he ought to have been the first to console me. He is aware that the sole remaining member of my family was my grandma. I was more in need of him than ever.

He wasn't here, even though I had waited long enough.

I left the seat next to me open for Maximilian, and Antonio took it. I was still holding out hope that he would arrive.

After all these years together, I figured Maximilian would at least care about me, especially since I recently lost my grandma, even though I know he doesn't love me and only cares about Lena.

I was absent when she most needed me because of him. At the very least, I expected him to apologize.

In the end, I was foolish to believe that Maximilian would ever care about me.

Someone murmured, "Luna Emilia, should we start the funeral?"

I took a deep breath. "There is no justification for further delay. I replied quietly, but Antonio heard me: "It's better to hold the ceremony while those who genuinely cared are still here."

As my grandmother's casket was carefully lowered into her final resting place, tears that I had thought I had already wept returned and poured down my cheeks.

Knowing that the moment would be the last time I saw her, my shoulders shook and I struggled to breathe.

Antonio handed me his handkerchief and whispered, "Here." I accepted it with gratitude and wiped away my snot and tears without shame. I was close to Antonio.

When Antonio suddenly stroked my back to reassure me, I tensed up a bit, but since he was a wonderful friend, I finally relaxed.

I turned and put my arms around him in a tight hug, needing more consolation. I just wanted warmth right now. Fortunately, he didn't push me away. Rather, he gave me a gentle back rub and returned the embrace.

Without Antonio, I would have been in a complete state of chaos. His consolation and embrace eased some of the anguish in my chest.

Antonio was always by my side.

Antonio was by my side, providing silent support whenever I needed it as I said the guests farewell and accepted their condolences.

I started packing up once the funeral was over and the final visitor had departed. Antonio quietly helped me pack up. There was an additional comfort in his silence.

I felt understood just knowing he was here, supporting me. I no longer had to be by myself.

I smiled slightly and muttered, "Thank you, Antonio."

"Emilia, it's nothing," he answered. "Everything will work out, OK. Time will resolve this. When he noticed the residual melancholy in my eyes, he said.

I gave him a small nod in agreement.

He interrupted the stillness by asking, "What happened to Maximilian?"

He waited until I had cooled down, even though he must have been dying to ask me.

I averted my gaze and continued packing the leftover items from the funeral.

I had no intention of giving Antonio the whole story anytime soon, and he was unaware of it.

I sensed someone getting closer and heard footsteps coming from behind. I stopped what I was doing and turned to look at the person. It was Maximilian, which surprised me.

He was out of breath, his hair was a mess, and his tie was loose, as if he had run here as a wolf. His breathing was so labored that he could hardly talk.

As I looked into his eyes, my face became blank. The funeral had already ended. He was not required to be present. I hurried away, leaving Antonio behind, annoyed by his tardiness.

Maximilian, holding a bunch of flowers, trailed behind me.

"I couldn't leave earlier, Emilia. I had to deal with something. Breathing heavily, he remarked, "I couldn't escape it."

I came to a halt and turned to look at him.

I glared at him, my hands clenched at my sides. "When your partner most needed you, was there anything more significant than being there for her?" I lost my composure.

For a second, I saw a glimmer of regret in his eyes as they locked with mine.

However, it was insufficient to quell my rage.

"You know what?" Bitterly, I went on. "You didn't have to come at all. If you hadn't stopped me that night, I could have seen my grandmother before she died.

My remarks caused Maximilian to tighten his hold on the flowers.

"I was unaware that I—"

I interrupted him and said, "I kept telling you that my grandmother needed me." "You never paid attention."

I finally let out all my pent-up feelings when I yelled, "All you care about is Lena, who's carrying your child."

Maximilian stopped talking. Even if he apologized, his next words would not bring back my grandmother or the time I could have spent with her.

I sensed his presence like a weight in the air, even though he was standing there still.

At last, I sensed a small change when Maximilian knelt down and laid the flower arrangement on the ground close to my grandmother's tomb.

The only reason I came was to honor your granny. I apologize for being late. As though my outburst hadn't occurred, he said, "It was beyond my control."

His lack of compassion ached my heart, causing my breath to catch. Was that his only response to what I had just said?

I couldn't hold back, so I grabbed the flowers and threw them at him, shredding them.

Maximilian remained silent as he endured the blows.

"You're here to honor them?" I yelled at him. "Can you imagine how offended my grandmother would be if she witnessed your disrespect for me?" I tossed the bouquet's tattered remnants to the floor.

"I'm finished. As I steadied myself, I murmured in a voice that trembled with weakness, "If you can't respect me, maybe it's time I respect myself."

I didn't intend to do this, but currently, it seemed like the only decision I could make for my welfare.

"Let's get this affair over with. I looked directly at Maximilian and said, "Let's get a divorce."