CHAPTER.4
1375 Words
CHAPTER 4
EMMA
“Leaving already?”
I pushed my hips back against Leo's hands. His fingers were both skilled and knowledgeable. I swear, if I didn’t know better, he could have convinced me to stay in bed all night, even if it meant being late for my sister's couples' night out at the club.
“Um, I…” He cleared his throat and shifted slightly. “I really wish I could stay, but I have some fires to put out at the company.”
He pulled out a wad of cash and dropped it on the table. “I’m sorry I have to leave so quickly. You can keep this.”
“Oh, how gracious of you,” I replied, scooping the cash back into his hands. “Tip the resort staff. I’m not a p***y for hire.”
He blinked. “Emma, that isn’t what I meant…”
“It’s just a bit of fantasy to get us going—nothing more,” I whispered. “I enjoyed you immensely.”
“How about a kiss for the road?” I suggested.
He nipped my lip and replied, “At least it’s something to think about while you deal with the fires your ex-husband created.”
I shuddered but didn’t resist when he captured my mouth, pressing our lips together. I melted against him, wrapping my arms around his neck and tingling my fingers in his hair. He groaned…
But then his phone rang, jolting us from our intimate moment.
“I really have to go now.”he said.An idea formed in my mind as he reached for the door.
“When will I…?”
“As much as you want, baby.” He gave me that wink that always made my legs shudder. “You’re back for good, right?”
I nodded, “Yes, I am.” And with that, he left. I was truly back for good—back to take my revenge on Carlos and start a new life with Leo. If only I had listened to my sister from the beginning, I might have ended up with Leo in the first place. They had told me that marrying Leo would secure financial stability, power, and everything life has to offer, but I guess I was too young and naive to understand their wisdom.
I learned the hard way.
I sank back into the couch and reached for the remote. Maybe a little Netflix and chill would help pass the time until 5 PM, when the anniversary dinner would start. I had no one in New York to catch up with; Leo was the only person I had left, and he had just left a few minutes ago.
A knock at the door jolted me from the movie I was trying to fix for myself. I couldn't suppress the sigh that escaped my lips. Who could it be? I hadn’t asked for any services.
Pulling the door open sluggishly, my eyes widened in shock. Stumbling backward, I was caught off guard by Carlos standing in front of me with a bouquet of flowers.
I raised my brows in surprise. “What the hell are you doing here?”
He smiled. “How are you?”
“I’m busy.”
“Can I have ten minutes of your time, Emma?” His voice was oddly calm.
I rolled my eyes, feeling a bit dramatic. “You have two.” I looked him squarely in the eyes. “So, what do you want?”
He let out a sigh of relief. “I just wanted to come over to say thank you for loving me. You know, there were times when I really doubted myself.” His lips pressed together into a thin smile. “You kept me believing.”
“Uh-uh…” I waved my hands in the air. “Look, Carlos, we are never getting back together, okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he hesitated for a moment.
“I mean never, ever, Carlos.” I reminded him.
I looked up at him, smirking. “So what is this? You buy some flowers and suddenly appear at my door… for what exactly? To impress me?”
He responded with a charming smile. “You know, one week after that divorce, I signed a deal that changed everything. It made me…”
“A billionaire today, right?” I interrupted, grinning. “Well, good for you!”
“No!” He shook his head. “It’s not just good for me; it’s good for us. I wish you were there with me. I really do.”
A sudden wave of vulnerability washed over me. I nervously swallowed, hating how my body had a mind of its own. My heart fluttered in my chest at his words.
He slowly dipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out an envelope, his eyes still locked on mine. Those eyes made me feel weak; it was impossible not to stare.
He handed me the envelope. “I know our divorce is finalized, but I need you to have this. It’s for everything you’ve done for me over the years. You loved me, cared for me, and, like I said, you believed in me. I don’t blame you for leaving; I’m just sorry my dream took so long to become a reality…”
And do you see his damn game?
… the same one he has used on me for years! I thought, feeling a mix of anger and disbelief. How do his dreams justify betraying my trust and cheating on me, huh? How does that correlate?
He thinks he can just show up at my door like some knight, completely unaccountable for his actions? I gulped and quickly tore open the envelope. What had he given me?
Inside was a check. I stared at it, dumbfounded, my mouth agape. Seventy million? This had to be a dream. Had he really multiplied my mother's funds, which I spent years on him, by ten?
This must be a joke. He thinks he can waltz in here, hand me some money, and that it would compensate for everything? What about all the years I stood by him? All the love I gave? How could he possibly repay that?
“I love you, Emma.” His lips curled into one of the most genuine grins I had ever seen. His words carried a depth of emotion I had never witnessed before.
“And I always will,” he added.
He chuckled. “I know you gave me two minutes, but before I go…” He paused, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a set of keys. “Lest I forget, these are the keys to your mother’s house.”
“It’s yours again. It might look a little different inside and out, but that’s because I renovated it all.”
I stood there, speechless. For a moment, my breathing felt restricted. I never expected him to get me all of this. After all, I had sold my mother’s house to bail his ass out of jail nine years into our marriage.
A warm blush spread across my cheeks, betraying the depth of my emotions. Somehow, my whole body melted in his presence when he handed me the flowers and kissed my forehead. I felt a gentle tingle as his lips brushed against my skin, his scent enveloping me.
The sight of his smile before he walked away lit up my world like a thousand sunrises.
Standing there, I felt a deep sense of regret. Or maybe I was just being stupid! I shouldn’t feel this way, right? He was the one who cheated on me. But no matter how pessimistic I tried to be, I just couldn’t shake it. I hated that I had listened to my sisters.
Each of them had taken their deadbeat husbands back every time they cheated, yet they asked me not to take mine back. I know I sound crazy, but I wish I didn’t leave that night.
____Hours later..
“This is a funeral look,” I told myself in front of the mirror. It was 5 PM, and I could feel that something was about to die.
- Writer
