The sun was already up when Emily woke up the next morning. She felt tired because she had stayed up late looking through lots of accounts, more than she had planned to. She had originally only planned to look at a few, but she ended up looking at a bunch of them.
Dragging her feet, Emily managed to get out of bed, knowing that school was important and she couldn't miss it, especially with a test and project waiting for her.
Slowly, she went through her morning routine, getting ready for the day. When she was done eating breakfast, she was finally ready to face whatever the day had in store for her.
Determined to get a head start on the day's learning, Emily wasted no time in settling into her seat, ready for class to begin. As if on cue, the instructor strode into the classroom, an imposing figure of erudition, and a hush fell over the restless students.
With pencils poised and minds sharpened, the class faced their trial by test with steadfast fortitude.
When the final answers had been scribbled, the next phase of their academic journey began as they embarked upon the uncharted Waters of their group project, each student's unique skills and knowledge forming a mosaic of cooperative ingenuity.
"Hey Emily," Alexis said after they finished their project. "How have you been?"
"I'm good, thanks," Emily replied. "And you?"
"I'm good too," Alexis said. "I was just wondering, are you really getting married?"
"What do you mean?" Emily asked.
"I mean, there's a ring on your finger," she said.
"Oh yeah, I'm not getting married now, that should be when I'm done with school," Emily answered, wishing she took the ring off.
"I'm so happy for you!" Alexis gushed, admiring Emily's engagement. "You're really lucky you don't have to wait to see someone to marry! You're one of the lucky ones."
Emily whispered under her breath, "I'm not sure I'm lucky," but she thanked Alexis as they walked out of class together.
As the two friends continued their conversation, the tumultuous terrain of the hallway brought them face to face with the imposing form of Melissa and her entourage.
Melissa, with a hint of malice in her voice, addressed Emily. "Well, Emily we meet again."
Remaining resolute in her determination to avoid further confrontation, Emily swept past the group with Alexis in tow, disappearing from sight with a quickness that belied the weight of the situation.
Melissa's jaw clenched as she watched Emily and Alexis walk away.
"Can you believe they just blew me off like that?" She seethed, her annoyance barely contained.
Her crew mate responded with a dismissive wave of the hand. "Forget about it. We'll catch up with her later. Let's roll," she said, and the group quickly made their exit.
Emily and Alexis said their farewells, each heading their separate ways.
Emerging from the scholastic grounds, Emily was met by the unexpected yet perhaps not entirely unwelcome presence of Frederick. Emily attempted to hasten her escape, but her progress was impeded by Frederick's firm grasp on her hand.
As she spun around, her countenance was fraught with a combination of surprise and apprehension.
"What do you want?" She demanded, withdrawing her hand.
Unperturbed by her reaction, Frederick remained calm and collected, his demeanor a reflection of his words.
"Relax, Emily. No beef here. I just wanted to let you know that I've changed. I've got a girlfriend now, and I'm not the same guy I used to be," he explained.
Emily, still on edge, skeptically responded, "sure, whatever."
Frederick remained unruffled, undaunted by her demeanor. "Listen, I know we haven't always been in the same page, but I really do care about you as a friend. Would you be up for grabbing a bite to eat and catching up?" He proposed, his tone cordial.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Emily acquiesced, albeit with a caveat. "Fine, but don't try anything funny," she warned.
Frederick grinned. "I'm a reformed man."
Seated across from one another at the local eatery, plates heaping with food, Frederick and Emily resumed their conversation.
"So, what's really up with you?" Frederick probed.
"What are you talking about?" Emily countered, feigning ignorance.
"The ring on your finger, what you said to me before," he clarified.
"Do you really want to know?" Emily inquired.
"Of course, I'm curious," he replied, fully interested.
Emily told Frederick about her recent experiences, but she left out some details that she felt weren't necessary to share.
"Wow, that's a surprise," Frederick remarked, his expression betraying his astonishment.
"Don't tell anyone, not even your girlfriend," Emily cautioned.
"My lips are sealed," Frederick vowed.
"Good," Emily replied, her tone tinged with relief.
"So why did you decide to tell me?" He queried, curious to learn the reason behind her revelation.
"I figured you'd find out eventually, so there was no point in keeping it a secret," Emily rationalized.
"Wow. Well, I'm sorry for bothering you during such a challenging time. I hope you can forgive me," he said, his tone contrite.
A smile played across Emily's lips, her countenance softening. "Forgiven," she uttered.
"So, what's the name of your financé?" Frederick inquired, eager to know more about Emily's finacé.
"Robert Rawlings," Emily replied.
"Robert Rawlings, I think I..." Frederick began, only to be cut off by the sudden shrill of Emily's phone.
"Pardon me, I must take this call," she said, gesturing towards the vibrating device in her hand.
With a polite smile, she excused herself from the table, the beckoning ringtone luring her away.
As Emily answered the phone, she greeted her caller with a cherry. "Hey Cami!"
"Where are you?" Camilla queried.
"I'm at a restaurant with Frederick," Emily responded.
"Which Frederick?" Camilla questioned, her tone laced with skepticism.
"The only Frederick you know," Emily retorted.
"What are you doing with him?" Camilla probed.
Emily, unfazed by the inquiry, simply stated,
"Long story."
Camilla, undeterred, shifted gears. "Anyways, I'm at your house, and there's a package waiting for you. You should come home now."
"Who brought it?" She demanded.
"A man just knocked on your door, and I answered," Camilla replied. "He told me to give you the package and then left."
A light bulb moment, Emily whispered, "Must be from Robert."
"That's strange," Emily said.
"Just come home right now and leave whatever you're doing with Frederick," Camilla urged.
"I'm on my way and don't open the package," Emily warned.
"Just come," Camilla said and hung up.
Upon her return to the table, Emily announced to Frederick, "I'm afraid I must cut our meal short, as I'm required at home."
Frederick, understanding rose from his seat. "oh, okay," he nodded.
"We'll catch up again soon," Emily offered, placing the remains of her meal into a to - go box.
"I appreciate you sharing your story with me," Frederick expressed, his gratitude apparent.
"Not a problem," Emily replied with a casual shrug as they walked out of the restaurant together.
Emily stepped into her abode, and spied Camilla, reclined on the couch, her attention firmly fixed in the film flickering on the screen.
"Camilla," Emily beckoned, her voice cutting through the silence.
Roused from her cinematic slumber, Camilla turned to face Emily, a half - eaten snack in hand.
"Oh, you're home! I was so engrossed in this movie, I didn't even notice you come in," she exclaimed.
Emily joined her friend on the couch, settling into the comforting embrace.
"Where's the package?" Emily inquired.
Without hesitation, Camilla reached over to the table, plucked the parcel from its resting place, and presented it to Emily.
Camilla sat on the edge of her seat, her gaze fixed on Emily's movements. With a delicate touch, Emily unraveled the package, revealing a court marriage certificate - a confirmation of her suspicious. "I knew it," she whispered to herself.
A letter appeared next, and with bated breath, Emily delicately broke the seal and began to read.
Dear Emily,
Please know that I am truly sorry for any distress or anger I caused you at the courthouse. I understand my sudden departure may have been unexpected and hurtful, but please understand that it was an emergency. I hope you will forgive me for my actions, as I assure you that they were not intentional. Please be rest assured that I am making every effort to see you soon.
Emily, I hope that you have discovered the marriage certificate I included. I have also added a small token to demonstrate my remorse and to beg for your forgiveness. While I may not know you as intimately as I would like, please believe me when I say that it was never my intention to cause you pain. If there is anything you wish to say to me, please feel free to write to me at the address provided at the bottom of this letter. I am currently away from the country, stay safe, my dear.
Yours faithfully,
Robert.
Camilla's reaction to the letter was one of both endearment and confusion.
"Awwnn, your fiancé really cares about you, but I'm not sure why he decided to write a letter when we have phones in this day and age. It's like he's letting his pride get the best of him," she opined.
"I don't know what to think," Emily said and brought out the third item from the package and found out it was a cheque.
"Five hundred thousand US dollars," Emily read aloud, her voice tinged with disbelief, as Camilla's gasp rang through the air.