Chapter 3

Suddenly finding out I had a husband made it impossible to fall asleep, so I decided to call my best friend, Cordelia Lowell.

I hadn't reached out to her for months because I didn't want her to worry about my injuries. Thankfully, she hadn't contacted me either. If she had, she definitely would have found out how badly I was hurt.

But the moment the call connected, I couldn't help but feel a little bitter as I said, "Cordelia, you're so mean. I didn't call you, so you decided not to call me either? It's been over two months! Not a single call or even a text. Are you serious?"

I expected her to hurriedly explain that she had been somewhere remote, buried in research, with no signal or way to contact me.

Instead, there was a long silence on the other end before she finally said, "Emilia, we're not friends anymore. Did you forget we cut ties?"

Her words hit me harder than the revelation about my mysterious husband. I was completely stunned. Cordelia was my best friend in the world—the one person I would never abandon, even at the cost of my life.

How could we have possibly fallen out? It didn't make any sense.

However, Cordelia insisted that it was true. She said it was because of Irvin. She explained that my marriage to Irvin wasn't a loveless business arrangement like I thought. On the contrary, I was head over heels for him, loving him so obsessively and unconditionally that my love had no limits.

Words like "clingy" or "hopelessly devoted" didn't even begin to describe it. She compared me to a tragic heroine who had given up everything for love.

Even after discovering that Irvin didn't truly love me, that he had married me to seize power, and that his heart belonged to my adopted sister Julianne, I still couldn't let him go.

Despite all the humiliation and cruelty he put me through for Julianne, his untouchable "perfect" love, I had supposedly done everything imaginable to keep him—stooping so low that I even resorted to self-harm to try to win him back.

She said I became a public joke, the woman everyone in our circle bet on—gambling on just how much lower I would sink each day to avoid being abandoned.

Cordelia had tried to convince me to leave him, but I wouldn't listen. And in the end, I had chosen him over her, cutting ties with my best friend for the sake of a man who never deserved me.

Her words left me speechless. The person she described didn't sound like me at all. I could never love anyone so deeply that I had lost all my dignity. And I would never, ever abandon my best friend for a man.

Sadly, Cordelia didn't care about my protests. She told me not to call her again.

She didn't want to hear my voice or know anything more about me or Irvin. She said whatever was happening to me now was my own fault, and she didn't want to be dragged into it anymore.

Her words stung. After all, Cordelia and I had been through so much together that I knew she wouldn't have said those things unless I had truly disappointed her.

As much as I didn't want to believe I could ever stoop so low for someone, I couldn't deny the pain in her voice.

Right before hanging up, though, she softened—just a little. "Emilia, is something wrong? Do you need my help? If it's serious, I can help you one last time—for old times' sake."

That was Cordelia—tough on the outside but with the softest heart.

After I hung up, I felt even more restless. I lay there staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep, my mind spinning in circles.

…

I had been in rehab for over a month when I was finally allowed to leave the hospital. When I was discharged, my brother, Jeremy Quill, came to pick me up.

He said, "Don't blame me or Mom and Dad for not coming to see you. You know how Lianne's health has always been fragile.

"She was really scared and got sick, so they couldn't leave her. And I just took over the company—lots of shareholders are unhappy, and I've been working nonstop. I really wanted to come, but…"

I lowered my gaze and gave a faint smile. "Yeah, I get it. Thanks for everything."

Even though I wasn't blaming him, Jeremy suddenly became irritated. "If you're upset, just say it! Don't keep acting all passive-aggressive!"

I was at a loss for words.

He continued, getting more heated. "We didn't come to see you, but do you ever think maybe you're partly to blame? You were in the hospital for over three months because of a little injury. You're really the most dramatic person I know!"

He added, "Is it any wonder Mom and Dad prefer Lianne over you? If you don't change, nobody's ever going to like you!"

His angry words were like a slap in the face. I could only manage a bitter smile. It seemed like Jeremy had forgotten that I had always hated going to the hospital as a kid. Whenever I got sick, he had to practically bribe me to go.

Now that I was out, I was just desperate to avoid the hospital as much as possible. I didn't care if I had a reason to act out. Even if I did, there was no way I would end up staying in the hospital for that long.

Jeremy kept going, complaining about his busy life and how the company demanded so much of his attention. "You've been at the hospital all this time, while I've been running around, dealing with everything. But whatever, I'm your brother, so I'll still come for you.

"Think about how I used to take care of you when we were kids. Nobody else has ever treated you as well as I have!"

I looked at him, a dull ache spreading in my chest. I remembered how great Jeremy had been to me when we were younger. He was really kind to me—until everything changed after our parents adopted Julianne.

Still weak from my hospital stay, I fell asleep in the car shortly after we left. When Jeremy woke me up, I stared out the window, confused for a moment, not realizing where we were until he impatiently urged me to pay attention.

"Jeremy, this isn't… my place," I began, but my words were cut off as he pulled me out of the car.

"Let's go. You've been hiding for over three months. It's time you apologized to Julianne."

I froze, realizing that was why he made time to pick me up—he wasn't just coming to see me; he had an agenda. He probably felt guilty but still wanted to keep up appearances.

Before I could say anything, Jeremy kept going. "You caused Lianne to get kidnapped with you, and she ended up sick for over a week. You owe her an apology."

I really didn't want to go. While I had forgotten some things, I still remembered the interactions between Julianne and the kidnappers. There were too many details that needed to be sorted out after the investigation.

However, my body was still fragile, and even the slightest tug made me wince. I didn't have the strength to fight back, so I reluctantly followed him.

When we entered the bar's private room, the atmosphere was thick with energy. A group of people had gathered around a man and a woman, encouraging them to kiss.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" they chanted.

The excitement in the room was contagious, and I found myself clapping along, urging them to kiss. It wasn't until I heard my own voice rise above the noise that the room suddenly went silent.

Everyone turned to stare at me, and I couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

"Hey, don't look at me like that! Keep going. You guys look great together!" I said, trying to shrug off the attention.

I glanced at the man in the middle of the circle, my so-called husband, Irvin. "Don't mind me. Just go ahead and kiss. I'm here to wish you both the best!"