LOGINPop!!!
Lilly popped open a bottle of champagne in a cheery mood with a bright smile on her face. "Wooh!" She exclaimed with a soft laugh. "To a new start!" She toasted and they all clinked their glasses together.
"I can't drink any alcohol, I have a flight tonight and work immediately when the plane lands," Scott said.
"I can't believe you are leaving so soon," Lilly said with a downcast look. "You could have spent some time with Naomi again."
"Actually..." Naomi started as she dropped her glass of champagne on the table. "I spoke with my dad earlier today, and I'm taking the offer, so I have to head back to New York tonight."
"That's great news! Let's all go back to New York together! Hold on, let me book a flight". Lilly excitedly announced before picking up her phone.
"Wait, you want to go to New York too?" "I thought you were having a good time here in New Orleans?" "What about your business?" Naomi asked.
"It's been a while since I've been to New York and I have family there as well. "It won't be a bad idea to have your divorce party in New York also," Lilly said with a smile.
Lilly had been a good friend to Naomi from the start. The only reason she was in New Orleans was because of Naomi, who left New York to be with Justin because her parents were against their marriage.
But she was determined to be with him, so she left her family and New York just for his sake.
Lilly wanted to always be there for her no matter what, so she left New York as well and opened up a small business in New Orleans to sustain herself and keep herself busy.
Naomi let out a soft chuckle. "Okay."
"By the way, I'm sure he is going to love the gift you gave him. "He won't believe you could ever be so bold!" Lilly stated.
"It's all thanks to you, Scott, thank you for helping me clear my name. "And thank you, Lilly, for always being there for me no matter what," Naomi said with a smile.
"Thick or thin, I'll come through for you." Lilly responded with a smile. She gently squeezed her friend's hand.
Naomi felt like she was in a daze, like everything was nothing but a dream. Just like that, her marriage of three years had come to an end.
She had given up everything to be with Justin and now, she had given him up too. It was obviously for the best.
He wasn't the one for her, and it took her three years to realize that. How could he so coldly turn his back on her? How could he tell her to her face that she was a mistake?
Her mind went back to the moment of their final goodbye. He didn't even look sad that she was leaving! If anything, he didn't care one single bit!
But now, she didn't have to worry about what he thought. Their story had come to an end, and it was time for her to open a new book.
***
One month after his divorce, Justin sat in his seat at work, thinking about how the last month had been for him.
Ever since she uploaded the video of what actually happened, he hadn't seen her or been able to contact her. Even Gregg had searched, but he was unable to find her.
'How could she create such a mess and just disappear into thin air?!' He thought to himself while angrily clicking the top of his ballpoint pen.
He was still trying to clear up the mess, yet she was somewhere, probably laughing at the disaster she had caused him. How could she be so heartless?
His phone buzzed with a message, and he picked it up from his table. It was from none other than Grace.
For the past three weeks, she had been sending him texts and calling him, but he didn't respond to any of them. His mind was still a mess, it all seemed like a dream to him. How could she leave like that?
He believed his ex-wife was only bluffing when she requested a divorce, and he didn't believe she would go through with it until she actually did!
Now that Naomi was out of his life, his father wanted him to be with Grace, a woman of his class, but he wasn't thinking about remarrying just yet.
His phone began to ring, and he picked up the call this time. It was high time he put an end to her disturbance.
As he answered the call, he heard a knock on his door and his secretary came in. "Sir, you have a meeting to attend regarding the new partnership deal."
He raised a finger to tell her to hold on as he spoke. "Hello?"
"Why have you been avoiding me! "You didn't even care to know if I was alright!" Grace angrily spat out.
"Why should I care when you did it to yourself?" he asked.
"You shouldn't be like this. It was a mistake. "I have something important to tell you." Her voice softened as she spoke.
"Let it wait. I have a meeting--"
"I'm pregnant with you, Justin !" She announced.
Justin's entire system was scattered at once. She was what? For who? Him? How was that even possible?
He hung up the phone, feeling unsettled. His secretary reminded him that time wasn't on their side, and they had to leave for the meeting.
With his mind scattered, he brought himself to his feet and left his office.
While they were in the car, his secretary tried to brief him on the meeting, but he could barely pay her any attention.
Arriving at the reserved restaurant, Justin was the first to arrive, and he tried to calm himself before the meeting started.
Raising his glass to his lips, his hand froze midway as his eyes landed on someone he thought he would never see again.
Dressed in a white dress that was official yet sexy at the same time, Naomi majestically walked towards him with her head raised high.
Stopping in front of him, she gave him a slight smile, "said Naomi Mitchell, CEO of J International. Pleasure to meet you." She stretched her hand forward to shake him.
Justin felt his jaw drop to the floor. Unbelievable
Justin's POV.I watched as Scott's car moved away from my villa. Having Naomi in my arms the previous night left a scar in my heart. It was the final reminder that I was about to lose her forever.I entered the villa and began arranging my belongings. I decided to travel back to New Orleans. There was nothing else I could do, I lost and I deserve every heartache I was going through right now.I arranged all my luggages in the car trunk. Before I leave for the airport, I decided to drive down to the live beach. I needed to see everything one more time before I left – I needed that closure.I parked near the beach and walked the rest of the way. The sand was still damp from the storm, and the waves were a little more aggressive than usual, churning and restless, like something within me.I didn’t belong here. Not anymore.A white canopy flapped softly in the wind, set up right on Love Beach. Rows of white chairs faced the sea, trimmed with gold ribbons and delicate flower arrangements.
Naomi’s POV.The sky was blue and clear as if it wasn't the same sky that loomed dark and stormy last night. I was in Scott's car. The storm lasted all night, and he could only come pick me up this morning.I could not forget the look Justin gave me as I was leaving. For some reason, I could feel his pain. Perhaps it was because I was also in pain. I didn't want to go but I had to.I had not slept as well as I did last night. It felt peaceful, right, and comforting. We didn't have sex or go naked. We were just cuddled up, without saying anything while listening to our heart beats“You seem quiet. Is everything alright?” Scott asked, averting his gaze at me.“I am fine.” I managed to answer. Although I was feeling a little bit nauseous, I didn't pay much attention to it. I suspected it had something to do with the change in weather as well as the food.“Don't you think we need to get you checked? Before the wedding I mean.” He said.“The wedding is tomorrow, we don't have time to get m
Naomi's POV.“Are you following me?”“I should be the one asking if you were following me Naomi. I left the restaurant right after the toast and here you are now.” Justin said, moving closer to me.I took a few steps backwards until my back was leaning against the car. That didn't stop Justin. He kept coming closer until we were a breath away.*What are you doing?” I managed to ask, locking my gaze on his.He leaned over and pressed his lips against my throat. His kiss sent shivers down my spine. I clenched my fist, attempting to keep from drowning in pleasure.“Back off.” I said, pushing him slightly away. I quickly got into the car and shut the door. My heart was pounding so hard that it felt like it was about to escape my chest.Justin just stood there, staring at the window of my car. He could not see me through the tinted window, but I could.“Get out of here Naomi.” I said to myself before driving off.It was ten minutes into the drive when I started to hear funny sounds coming
Naomi's POV. Tessa and Lily accompanied me to the closest boutique around love Beach to pick out a dress for me. That evening was the rehearsal dinner for the wedding. After three hours of being in a boutique, we finally found something that the three of us loved. We got back to the resort at about 2p.m that afternoon. I decided to go check up on Ken. I wanted him to attend the rehearsal dinner scheduled for tonight.“Hey.” I said as soon as I got in.“Hey Naomi, how are you? I haven't seen you in a while. I guess the wedding preparations have been overwhelming for you right?” Ken asked. He looked much better compared to the last time I saw him and I was glad that he was recovering well.I sat beside him on the bed and held his hand softly. “A lot has been going on but I am here now.” I said, smiling at him. “After the wedding is over, we can start your therapy sessions and will recover quickly.”Scott remained quiet for a while before opening his mouth to talk. “You know what Naomi
Naomi's POV.The next morning came too bright, too fast. I woke to the sound of seagulls and the soft crash of waves against the shore. My head throbbed, not from alcohol, but from everything else. From last night. From the look in Justin’s eyes. From my silence.I sat on the edge of the bed, staring out at the ocean from the open balcony of the resort. Scott was sleeping soundly beside me. Thank God he didn't notice what happened between Justin and I. He was fully engrossed with business talk that he didn't notice my absence.There was a knock at the door."Naomi?"Veronica.I pulled on the white robe draped over the chair and padded barefoot to the door. I hesitated. Then I opened it.“I didn't wake you up, did I?” She asked with a smile across her face. She stretched her neck to check my bed and I swear, her facial expression softened when she was Scott sleeping soundly.“Scott is here?”Was she expecting someone else?“Shouldn't he?” I couldn't stop myself from asking.“No, don't
Naomi's POV.Scott didn't spend the night in the room after our little fight last night and honestly, I was relieved. I didn't know how to handle being in the same room with him with that much tension.I heard a knock on my door and I lazily got up to open the door. Lily and Tessa were standing outside the room. Without waiting for me to invite them, they walked past me.“See, I told you that Scott didn't spend the night here.” Lily said, staring at Tessa.“What happened Naomi? I thought you guys were fine last night.” Tessa said, sounding concerned.“Don't worry about it. I know Scott, I am sure we will sort everything out today.” I said.“If that's the case, Lily and I were going shopping. We were wondering if you'd like to tag along.” Tessa invited. “We could use this as an opportunity to tour the city.” Lily chipped in. She knew better than anyone and she knew that touring new places had always been my favorite thing to do.“You two go.” I declined. “Well, that's alright. You wi







