Chapter 44
Sadness and disappointment gripped Emily’s heart, twisting and pulling as if relentless hands were tearing it apart.
She stayed motionless, frozen in her work, letting the heavy emotions consume her entirely.
She chalked it up to the lingering pain of heartbreak.
“Once these feelings fade away, I’ll rise again, stronger,” she told herself.
She had already decided to leave Justin behind, and she wouldn’t look back, not in this lifetime.
*
Justin drove to the train station alone, quickly picking up Emma and taking her to the hotel. He then booked her a separate room.
“Justin,” Emma pouted, displeased. “I didn’t come all the way to Bay City to stay in a room by myself!”
“Be good. You’re not in great health. Don’t get any funny ideas.”
“Fine…” Emma replied with a dramatic sigh, her voice filled with disappointment.
As she walked toward her room, she glanced back at him every few steps, dragging her feet like a child who’d been
scolded.
After seeing her settle in, Justin returned to his room. By then, it was already 3 a.m.
He planned to take a quick shower and get some sleep, but just as he was about to head to the bathroom, a knock at the door interrupted him.
It was a hotel staff member delivering his laptop.
Only then did Justin remember that Emily was still waiting for his feedback.
Emily, of course, was already fast asleep in her bed.
Justin opened the laptop, scanned the updated designs, and immediately sent her an email.
“After reviewing both versions, the original colors work best. Use the original.”
Just as he was about to hit send, he hesitated. He added another line.
“Sean isn’t right for you. If you want, I can find someone better. I can introduce you to a rich guy.”
The next morning, Emily was jolted awake by the persistent ringing of her doorbell.
Half–asleep, she stumbled to the door and opened it to find Sean standing there.
“Good morning, Emily! You said goodnight so early last night. Were you secretly staying up late without me?” he teased, noticing her groggy expression.
“Secretly? Don’t make it sound so suspicious,” Emily replied with a yawn. “I was binge–watching a drama and stayed up too late.”
She brushed him off with an excuse, unwilling to mention Justin or what had happened the night before.
Sean frowned, concerned. “You didn’t get enough sleep. Why don’t you rest a bit longer? We can head out this
1/2
+25 BONUS
Chapter 44
afternoon instead.”
Emily shook her head. “No need. I’ll just wash my face and wake myself up. Let’s go.”
She wanted to finish their plans quickly, worried Sean might come up with another one of his ridiculous ideas to drag out the day.
After a quick wash and light makeup, Emily joined Sean for breakfast.
As the aroma of the chicken soup wafted toward her, she suddenly felt queasy.
“Are you feeling sick? Maybe it’s the local food not agreeing with you,” Sean asked, concerned.
Emily shook her head. She didn’t think much of it and assumed it was from eating too much fruit salad the night before. After all, she had been eating regular meals for two days without issue.
Pushing the soup aside, she opted for pancakes instead. But as soon as she took a bite, the nausea hit hard, and she felt like she was going to vomit.
She quickly grabbed a napkin, covered her mouth, and rushed to the restroom.
There wasn’t much in her stomach except for the one bite of pancake, so she dry–heaved for a while before the queasiness subsided. She cleaned herself up at the sink, splashing cold water on her face.
Sean was waiting anxiously outside the restroom. The moment she stepped out, he rushed over.
“Are you feeling okay? If your stomach’s upset, let’s go to the hospital,” he said, his brow furrowed in worry. “There’s no need. It’s just nausea. I don’t have any pain. It’s probably mild gastritis acting up at breakfast,” Emily said dismissively. Having cared for Justin’s stomach issues for years, she was practically an expert.
“No way. You threw up. We’re going to the hospital. End of discussion,” Sean insisted, guiding her toward the car
At the hospital, the doctor glanced at her test results and said, “This isn’t a stomach issue. You should see a gynecologist.”
