Chapter 3

 

EMILY’S POV

The kettle whistles on the stove as I sit across from my grandmother at her small kitchen table. I just had to see her. Her presence is the only thing that can calm me down in this moment. I’ve always found solace in this house—the way it smells, the way the sunlight filters through the lace curtains and the way her cute little snacks taste. But today, even this place can’t stop the sadness I feel.

“Emily,” my grandmother says softly, setting a plate of cookies on the table. “You’ve been staring at the same spot for minutes now. What’s wrong, darling?”

I force a smile, though it feels like my face might crack from the effort. “Nothing’s wrong, Nana. Just a lot on my mind, that’s all.”

She tilts her head, studying me with those intense eyes of hers. “You’re not a good liar, sweetheart. Never have been. Now, tell me. What’s troubling you?”

I take the cup of tea she pours for me and wrap my hands around it. For a moment, I’m tempted to tell her everything—to lay it all out and let her wisdom guide me. But the words catch in my throat.

“I… it’s nothing important,” I mumble, staring down at my cup.

She doesn’t press, but I can feel her gaze on me as we sit in silence. I know she’s waiting for me to speak, giving me the space to open up when I’m ready. It’s one of the things I love most about her.

After a long pause, I finally ask “Nana… what if he doesn’t like me? What if… we end up divorcing?”

She stirs her tea. She looks at me with a concerned expression “Emily, why would you think such a thing? Of course, he likes you. He married you, didn’t he? Carlos is a good man”

I force a laugh “Sometimes people marry for reasons other than love, Nana.”

Her hand reaches across the table, touching mine “Listen to me, my dear. Relationships aren’t always easy. There will be ups and downs, times when it feels like you’re drifting apart. But the important thing is to fight for what matters. And you, Emily, are worth fighting for. I’m certain Carlos is worth fighting for too”

Her words make sense. They help in soothing the ache in my chest. But they also bring a fresh wave of guilt. She doesn’t know the whole story—about Carlos’ proposal for divorce. She doesn’t know about the baby. I want to tell her about the baby so bad. I have nobody else to talk to besides her but since Carlos has already proposed divorce, he surely doesn’t want the child. I’m afraid of upsetting Nana. I don’t want to worry her. I’m pretty sure she’ll have a panic attack if she hears about everything that’s happening.

I hesitate. How can I tell her? How can I admit that the man she believes in doesn’t want me or our child?

“Nana,” I start. “What if… what if some things can’t be fixed?”

She frowns. “Sometimes, things do break beyond repair, Emily. But you need to ask yourself if you’ve truly done everything you can to mend them. Have you?”

Her question resonates with me and I can’t bring myself to answer.

The sound of my phone vibrating on the table pulls me from the conversation. I glance at the screen and see Carlos’s name flashing. My stomach tightens as I open the message:

Carlos: The assistant will bring over the divorce agreement this afternoon. Be ready to sign it.

My chest tightens and my eyes prick with tears. I blink repeatedly, doing my best not to cry,

“What is it, dear?” Nana asks, noticing the change in my expression.

“Nothing,” I say quickly, shoving the phone back into my bag. “Just a reminder about something.”

She doesn’t look convinced, but she doesn’t push. Instead, she pats my hand and says, “Why don’t you head home? You look tired. And remember, Emily, no matter what happens, you’re stronger than you think.”

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. She’s always so kind, so supportive, and yet I can’t bring myself to tell her the truth. Not yet.

“Thank you, Nana”

“Say hello to Carlos for him. Make sure you both get along”

I blink back the tears “Of course”

I stand up and hug her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. I grab my coat and leave. As I step outside, I clutch my coat tighter around me, bracing myself for what’s to come. The divorce agreement. The end of everything.

I glance back at the house, seeing Nana standing by the window, watching me with a concerned look on her face. She doesn’t know the half of it, and for now, I’ll keep it that way.

-

I unlock the door, stepping into the house. I shrug off my coat and glance toward the living room. That’s when I see her—a woman with perfectly styled hair and a black blazer. I recognize her immediately.

Carlos’ assistant. Sarah.

She stands as soon as she notices me with her professional smile firmly in place.

“Mrs. Sterling,” she greets “I hope you don’t mind. The maids let me in.”

“No, it’s fine,” I reply. The sight of her reminds me of the divorce. It shows me that it’s really happening. The realization brings a lump to my throat.

I slip off my shoes and make my way to the couch, sitting across from her.

Sarah places a folder on the table and flips it open. She glances at me, “I understand this isn’t an easy time,”

I nod, keeping my face neutral. “Let’s just get this over with.”

She hesitates for a moment before pulling out a set of neatly printed documents. “This is the divorce agreement,” she explains, sliding the papers across the table toward me. “I’ll go through the key points with you to make sure everything is clear.”

As she speaks, I nod in all the right places, but my mind drifts. Her voice becomes background noise. I get distracted by thoughts of Carlos. I think of all the fun we had together as kids. I think of the way goosebumps would rise on my skin just at his touch. I think of the way butterflies fly in my belly just at the thought of him.

I love him.

The thought nearly brings tears to my eyes. I have to hold myself together. I can’t fall apart in front of Sarah.

Sarah says something that catches

my attention.

“That can’t be right” Sarah says.

I look at her in shock “What do you mean?”

For a moment, I think that Sarah has received a notice from Carlos to stop the divorce. My heart rate increases with the thought of this.

“There’s a mistake here” she says.

As soon as she says this, I look at

her with hope in my chest. A mistake? The documents are fake? Does this mean

we’re not divorcing, after all?

“Here, it says one million. There’s

a missing zero—it should read ten million.” She says, reaching for the document

and going through it “I’m sorry, ma’am. The document needs to be taken back for

revision. The divorce agreement will be signed on another day. This is all my

fault”

Her words knock the breath out of me. Ten million? We really are divorcing, after all.

For just a moment, I’d thought… I don’t even know what I’d thought. That Carlos might care? That he might see me as worth more than just a quick, clean exit? Does he think money can buy me? I’ve never cared about the money. All I want is him!

The whole thing brings tears to my eyes. Carlos can keep the money. I don’t care for it at all.

I lower my gaze, suddenly feeling foolish. Of course, he thinks money can buy me Of course, Carlos wouldn’t—

“Are you all right, Mrs. Sterling?” Sarah asks.

I swallow hard, forcing a smile. “I’m fine,”

She hesitates, studying me carefully. “If… if you feel the amount is insufficient, I can take it up with Mr. Sterling on your behalf,” she offers.

“It’s not about the money,” I reply. I look down, composing myself before adding, “It’s just… surprising, that’s all.”

Sarah nods. She gathers the rest of the papers, flipping through them to continue her explanation. I barely hear her.

I sit through the rest of the meeting in a daze, nodding mechanically at her words. She explains the division of assets, the timeline for the proceedings, all the cold details that mark the end of a marriage.

When she finally stands to leave, I rise as well, walking her to the door.

“Thank you for your time, Mrs. Sterling,” she says “And please, don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.”

I nod, closing the door behind her.

Leaning against the door, I let out a breath. The brief hope I’d felt, the bitter disappointment that followed—it all suffocates me.

Then, with a deep breath, I straighten my shoulders and walk away.

Because what else can I do but keep moving forward?

CARLOS’ POV

I swirl the wine in my glass as I lean back in the chair, looking outside. The city lights twinkle outside my office window. But my focus isn’t on the skyline tonight. My mind, my entire being, is consumed by her. Lina.

She’s back.

The thought sends a jolt through me. It’s the same way I felt the first time I saw her again after all these years. Lina, my first love, my everything. The one I lost. The one I could never forget.

I take another sip of wine. I remember everything about her – her laughter, her touch, the way her eyes could cut through all my defenses.

The knock on my door brings me out of my thoughts.

“Come in,” I say.

Sarah steps in. “Good evening, sir”

I turn t face her “Good evening. How did the meeting with Emily go?”

Sarah pauses, her clipboard clutched to her chest. “It went well,”

Sarah is always composed. Her face has an unreadable expression. Still, I can tell she’s hesitating, like she wants to say something.

I raise an eyebrow. “That doesn’t sound convincing. What’s the problem?”

She exhales and steps closer, setting the clipboard down on the desk. “Emily… she’s upset.”

“Upset?” I repeat, frowning.

Emily isn’t one to get emotional. She’s practical, logical. It’s one of the things I like about her.

Sarah nods. “She might have implied that the amount was… low.”

I lean forward, looking at her in disbelief. “Low. We’re offering her ten million dollars. How in the hell is that low?”

Sarah shrugs slightly “I don’t know”

For a moment, I’m at a loss. Ten million dollars is a fortune to anyone. It’s more than fair for what’s being asked. Emily, of all people, should know that. She’s not the type to chase money or play games. At least, she didn’t use to be.

I rub a hand over my jaw “Did she say why?”

“No.  “But she did seem… disappointed. Almost sad.”

Sad. I’ve known Emily for years. She’s not the type to let emotions dictate her decisions. If she’s sad, then there’s more to this than just numbers.

“Emily isn’t materialistic,” I say aloud, more to myself than to Sarah. “This doesn’t make sense.”

“I thought the same thing,” Sarah says. “But maybe something’s changed. Maybe… she needs the money for something important.”

I lean back in my chair, staring up at the ceiling. What could Emily need ten million dollars for? And why would she act like it’s not enough? It’s not like her. Not the Emily I knew. But then again, how well do I really know anyone anymore? People change. Circumstances change.

“Mr. Carlos?” Sarah’s voice pulls me back.

I turn to face the window again, deep in thought.

I’ll find out what’s wrong. I want to know what’s going on with Emily.