Chapter 102: Chapter 102

Emily stood, her feet frozen to the ground and her eyes wide with shock as she took the girl in. Tall, blonde and pretty like a model she couldn’t compete with.

“You must be the girlfriend” Avery sneered and Emily was unsure what to respond to that until she saw Jackson in her line of vision, staring at her but she couldn’t decipher his expression. Was he angry, sad or was that a hint of cockiness she could see on his face.

“What are you doing here?” he asked her and Emily’s heart began to pound and Jackson spoke again

“Shouldn’t you be on a live interview with your husband?”

“Oh she’s married?” Avery sounded now

“After spending the night with your bodyguard” Jackson added now and Emily stepped forward, desperate and frantic, in a bid to explain herself

“That’s not true, I didn’t do that. How could you even believe that Jackson?”

“I don’t even know what to believe anymore Emily, especially when it comes to you?”

“I didn’t do anything, you of all people should know that Jackson. I can’t even believe you’re asking me that”

“And the interview?” he went on

“Ethan said you agreed to it? Did you think I had a choice in anything?”

“Why the hell would I agree to that Emily, you of all people should know that” Jackson said in an exasperated tone when a chuckle for Avery interrupted him.

“This is really interesting” she said, standing at a corner and biting out of an apple, with her lipstick smudged but a smokiness to her attitude and it only infuriated Emily further.

“Husband and the brother” Avery added and this time Emily charged at her, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her out the door and shutting the door in her face before she had the chance to say anything else.

“You slept with her?” Emily threw Jackson an unbelievable look after she had successfully thrown Avery out.

“Only because I thought you slept with Victor”

Emily sighed, moving to sit on the couch with her head in her hands and wondering how everything had changed in the blink of an eye, in less than twenty four hours. She locked eyes with Jackson again and this time he had liquor in a glass and he studied her.

“I called you countless times to come find me, to save me but here you with another girl”

“You never called me” Jackson admitted

“Yes I did” Emily countered “I sent you so many messages, I had no idea where I was. I was drugged Jackson”

Jackson paused, nearly choking on his drink “What! I didn’t – ”

“Of course you didn’t” Emily repeated but she waved her hands dismissively “I don’t think it matters anymore. I’m fine, the baby is fine”

“What does this mean for us now?” Jackson asked somberly.

“I think I might’ve confessed on live tv that the baby is yours and I asked Ethan for a divorced, that’s what I came here to tell you until – ” she looked at the door to complete her statement and Jackson rushed towards her, taking her in his arms.

“I’m sorry Emily, I thought those pictures were real and I was heartbroken”

“I’d never do that to you” she said and Jackson was about to move in for a kiss when his phone began to ring. He paused for a second, fishing his phone from his pocket and he answered without looking at the ID.

“Hello” he said and the next thing he heard sent him on a spiral.

***

“Ethan! Ethan wait!” Amanda yelled running towards Ethan before he got into his car and drove off. She arrived just in time, pulling his arm and stopping him but the moment Ethan saw her he held her arm tightly, a venomous look on his face.

“You slimy little – ” he said but Amanda entangled herself from him before he could spew the remaining hateful words at her.

“She left you again, didn’t she?”  she said “But yet you keep choosing her, looking for ways to bring her to your side instead of just letting her go”

“You had no right to do that?” Ethan said.

“I had information at my disposal which I used, see I got a promotion” she smiled brightly but Ethan wasn’t having it.

“We had a deal”

“And you didn’t do your part of the deal” she shrugged, the wind blowing in her face and Ethan glaring at her but Amanda was unhinged, she looked him in the eye with her hands folded across her chest.

“It’s you I want, what we could have been and what we should be. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about that rumor, it’s still ruining my life till this day”

Ethan sighed, clearly exasperated “Me and you Amanda barely happened, it’s not happening now. Even if it was, not anymore not after the stunt you just pulled”

“What is it about her that you can’t let go” Amanda asked now “She’s not even that – ”

Ethan’s hold tightened on her arm before she could complete her statement, his nails digging into her skin and he didn’t let go even when he saw her wince in pain.

“Not another word from you, about me or about Emily. I don’t want to ever see you again around me or my family or – ”

“Or else what?” Amanda challenged “You’ll start another rumor? You’ll banish me from the city?”

“Worse” Ethan revealed, letting go of her hand now and the bruise was clear, bright red and pulsating and Amanda looked from her hand to him, a deviant look on her face like she wasn’t ready to give up yet.

“This is not over Ethan” she told him but just before she turned around to leave, Ethan’s phone began ringing in his pockets, when he took it out it was Nicholas calling. He gave Amanda a look, before turning around to pick the call.

“Nicholas” he breathed, not sure what to expect.

Nicholas was silent for a moment before he spoke

“Your father had another heart attack, he didn’t make it this time”