Chapter 1: The Past In The Present
EMILY
I navigated my way through the crowded sidewalk, the sweet scent of food from the nearby food trucks wafting through the air. A gentle breeze blew through my dark brown hair as I sprinted through the crowd. My shoulder-length hair flowed behind me, and the slit in my dress spread open, revealing my caramel thigh. I stumbled slightly as my stilettos painfully pinched my feet.
Tears blurred my vision, and my breath caught in my throat as painful memories flashed before my eyes. I couldn't believe Felix Jones had finally shown himself to me. But why now, after two years of being AWOL? I didn’t care to know; the urge to slap him hard across the face was stronger than anything I had ever felt.
My relationship with Felix was nothing short of a rollercoaster. He showered me with sweet words that dripped like honey and clung to me every moment. When I shared my dreams of building a home, he proposed to me right there, and I thought this could finally be it—the dream of having my own family.
But the next day, I woke up to find that everything from my account had been cleared out, and some of my belongings were missing from the house. I couldn't believe it until I saw a scrawl on a dirty piece of paper on the table that read, "All is fair in love and war," a phrase he had always liked.
He ran off with everything I had worked for my whole life, and in an instant, everything went down the drain. I desperately searched online and used every source of communication at my disposal, but it was as if he had disappeared from the face of the earth.
When I finally found his vacated apartment, I discovered he was married—a wife I never knew existed. It was then that I conceded to my mother's words: men were indeed nothing but trouble.
My parents didn't have a happy marriage; they were cordial enough to live under the same roof. When my dad died, my mom lost her job, and we slowly slipped into poverty. She became a shadow of her former self. I stopped school and decided to roll up my sleeves, wait tables, and take on part-time jobs to provide for the family.
My mom hardly spoke; when she did, it was to murmur that love was never enough and only brought trouble. One day, with cold eyes, my mom announced her plans to marry a professor in Canada. I was enraged. With tears shining in my eyes, I said, "I don’t support this; I won’t allow you to do this."
"I'm not seeking your permission, Em, and you girls don’t need to come. You're a woman now; stay and take care of your sister. Make sure you marry a wealthy man someday and live well." With those words, she departed.
Once in a while, she'd send gifts, which I repeatedly refused. Eventually, they stopped altogether. It’s been five years now, and I haven't heard from her; all I know is that my mom now has two daughters.
The ringing of my phone drew me out of my reverie. I glanced down at the screen, and Beth's name flashed there. I ignored the call and crossed the busy street, causing a slight ruckus.
Finally, I reached the other side. My eyes searched for the silver car, but it was nowhere in sight. My phone rang again, and I knew my persistent friend wouldn’t stop calling if I didn’t answer.
"Why in the world did you run out like that?!"
"Richie found him, Beth," my voice trembled.
"Found who?"
"Felix, but he's gone—he’s gone again! How will I find that bastard again..."
"Wait, wait, wait. Don't tell me—how, and why now?"
"I have to go after him, Beth."
"What? No, snap out of it, Em! He’s not worth losing your job over. The boss will go ballistic if you’re not here. Now compose yourself and get your ass here!" And the line went dead.
I slowly dropped the phone from my ear and crouched down, struggling to keep the sob threatening to break free. How dare fate bring Felix Jones back into my life again and force me to endure it?
---
I hurried into the building where Robert Crest, the founder of Sunshine Publishing, was having his retirement party. I pulled my shoulders back and entered the beautifully decorated hall, the scent of delicious food wafting through the air as I ventured deeper into the magnificent, brightly lit room. The space was filled with high-class, pretentious guests clad in formal attire, mostly in shades of black or gray.
The men mingled with the willing but snobbish ladies, who blushed and playfully slapped the shoulders of the men. I rolled my eyes and moved further toward my colleagues, who were standing by one of the long tables, looking grim for reasons I could already guess.
As I approached them, Beth's expression relaxed when she saw me. "How could you run out like that?" she whispered, almost loudly enough to be heard.
"What did I miss?" I tried to sound nonchalant, but inside, I felt like throwing up in fear. I dreaded what would happen when Sebastian arrived and surveyed the event.
"How could you be so irresponsible? We were in the middle of greeting the guests!" Danny, my colleague, gritted out with malice.
"I'm sure you handled them well," I replied, my anxiety brewing.
