Lahat ng Kabanata ng Three's A Crowd: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 9

"Emily, are you serious?" Alex Walker called the moment he received my message. When I gave him a firm answer, his voice trembled with barely contained joy."That's wonderful! But I'm still abroad for a few more days. Emily, can you wait for me? I'll come get you next week!"I agreed without hesitation. Since Gavin would rather fake his death than give up Charlotte, there was no reason for me to hold on any longer.The next day, the Holt family held a memorial for him. Dressed in mourning black, I prepared to attend… only to be stopped at the door by security."Miss Steele, you're not allowed inside."My body stiffened, my voice dropping into an icy register. "I'm his wife. Why can't I attend?""Emily, I'm so sorry," a soft voice cut in. "But Gavin made it clear before he left—there can only be one woman at his memorial, and that woman is me."Charlotte stood before me, a lily crown resting delicately on her hair, her words dripping with malice."You've already been cast aside

When my relationship with Gavin was first made public, his parents were overjoyed. They were determined to see me as the Holt family's daughter-in-law.So when "Gavin" died, "Sebastian" insisted I remain in the Holt household with the child I carried, and his parents supported the decision.But now that the child was gone, I had no more ties to them and no reason to keep up the charade.The next morning, I woke to the sharp pounding of fists on my door."Emily, what is this nonsense? Just because I didn't go to your doctor's appointment with you, you let my brother's photo get into this state?" "Sebastian" yelled.I glanced toward the memorial set up in the living room. The flowers had long since wilted and rotted, and the photo on the mantel was coated in a thick layer of dust.There was a time when I would replace them with fresh bouquets every few days, carefully dusting so not a single speck of dirt would ever touch his photograph.But now, I no longer had the heart."I for

A haze clouded Gavin's eyes."You're talking nonsense again. You love me so much. How could you possibly bear to divorce me?"I let out a cold laugh."Before the accident, yes—I loved you so much I couldn't pull myself free. Even when I saw the body, I still foolishly dreamed that one day you'd return to me, safe and whole."Heaven may have spared you, and you did come back—but by then, there was no place left for me at your side."You chose to fake your own death just to give Charlotte a wedding. Now that I'm stepping aside, isn't this exactly what you wanted?"I reached for the suitcase behind me just as Alex's call came through."Emily, I've arrived at the hotel. I'm waiting for you at the entrance.""Alright, I'll be right there."With that, I cast Gavin one last indifferent glance and turned to leave.He rushed after me, grabbing my arm, his voice trembling."Emily, where are you going?""We're no longer connected in any way. I don't owe you an explanation. You should

Inside the Holt family's grand estate, Gavin knelt before his father."If you hadn't insisted that Sebastian pick you up from the airport, how could that accident have happened? And now you still dare to say your brother's death has nothing to do with you?"I favored Sebastian only because he had more talent for business than you. But you are still my son. I wouldn't sideline you. I never imagined you'd go so far, scheming against your own brother and causing his death. You unfilial child!"And when Emily finally carried your child, you dragged that shameless woman home and drove Emily into miscarriage. How can you face Emily? How can you face the rest of our family?"Perhaps this is simply the curse of our bloodline. Every cent of the family fortune will be donated after your mother and I are gone. We will never forgive you. From here on, you are on your own."Gavin remained silent, only lifting his head in anguish after his father left. His gaze fell on the mantle, where his own