The next day,
Emily awoke feeling unwell, her body warm to the touch. She requested a warm glass of water from the maid and fetched a cold and flu tablet from the medical drawer. Just as she was about to swallow the pill, a sudden realization struck her. Quickly, she spat the tablet into the bathroom sink, the bitter taste lingering unpleasantly in her mouth. Clinging to the vanity, she attempted to rinse her mouth, only to choke on the water.
"Are you alright? Why in such a rush?" Alex's deep voice resonated from the bathroom doorway. His tone, filled with concern, made her startle slightly.
Turning to avoid his gaze, Emily muttered, "I took the wrong pill, that's all." She quickly exited the bathroom, leaving Alex behind, watching her with a puzzled frown.
He had sensed something was off with her ever since he returned home. They ate breakfast in an uneasy silence before preparing to leave for work. Noting Emily's pallor, Alex offered, "Want to share my ride to work?" Emily, feeling lightheaded, was about to accept when Alex's phone interrupted them. He glanced at the caller ID—Olivia—and hesitated, trying to shield the screen from Emily.
Noticing his subtle avoidance, Emily quietly withdrew. She never intruded on his privacy or questioned his plans. Yet, Alex felt a pang of discomfort as he watched her walk away, a feeling that quickly dissipated as he answered the call.
Emily knew the caller's identity without looking and headed towards her own car in the garage. Shortly afterward, Alex received a text from her: "I need to get to the office early this morning, can't wait around."
Staring at the message, a fleeting expression of sadness crossed his face. The complexities of their marriage were laid bare, a relationship marked by convenience and unspoken agreements.
Emily slumped at her desk, overwhelmed by a pounding headache. Now that she was pregnant, she couldn't simply take a painkiller to alleviate the discomfort. Her emotions regarding the pregnancy were a tangled mess; the only person who would have genuinely rejoiced for them would have been Alex's grandmother. Others, particularly Alex himself, wouldn't be as welcoming. The knowledge of Olivia's return and Alex's unchanged feelings towards her made Emily feel even more isolated. She had briefly hoped that perhaps Alex might accept the child, that maybe, just maybe, they could begin to have something akin to a real marriage. But now, she knew better—Alex's first suggestion would be an abortion, considering it a necessary step to pursue a future with Olivia Winters.
Emily tried to convince herself that terminating the pregnancy might be the rational choice since there was no future for them together. "Emily!" called a sweet, girly voice. It was her assistant, Joyce Garcia. "Morning," Emily managed a strained smile.
Joyce's face clouded with concern. "Emily, you don't look so good. Are you sick?"
Shaking her head, Emily replied, "No, I just didn't sleep well last night."
"Really?" Joyce sounded skeptical. "You look really pale. Are you sure you don't want to take the day off and see a doctor?"
"I'm fine," Emily insisted. "Did you finish that report for Q1?"
Joyce nodded, handing over the report and fetching Emily a glass of water. Emily appreciated her assistant's concern, which coaxed a genuine smile from her. Still worried, Joyce suggested, "Maybe I can host the meeting for the Q1 review today. You could take some rest in your office."
Emily shook her head. "It's alright. I'll handle it." She felt obligated to maintain her responsibilities; she couldn't start shirking her duties, even with her health on the line.
With the report in hand, Emily knocked on the CEO's office door. "Come on in," called a low, cold voice. Pushing the door open, Emily froze as she noticed another presence in the office. Olivia Winters, clad in a cream, tightly fitted dress, stood by the window, her long silky hair cascading down her back. As Olivia turned with a sweet smile and embraced her lightly, Emily's body stiffened.
"Emily," Olivia said, looking at her with pity, "I heard about your story. if you need any help, let me know."
Emily masked her turmoil with a smile. "Thank you, Oli. When did you get back?"
"My flight landed yesterday," Olivia replied. Alex had rushed to see her the moment she landed—clear evidence that she was still the most important woman to him.
"You look a bit pale. Are you feeling okay?" Olivia inquired further.
Alex, who had been staring at his screen, now glanced up and surveyed Emily. "Maybe it's because she got soaked in the rain yesterday."
"Soaked in the rain?" Olivia echoed with surprise.
Before Emily could explain, Alex interjected, "If you don't feel well, just go home."
Olivia turned towards Alex, a puzzled expression on her face, wondering what had agitated him.
"It's just a cold, nothing serious," Emily assured Olivia and Alex as she left the Q1 report on the desk. "Here is the report for our first quarter. If you need anything else, let me know." She managed a smile at Olivia, who quickly returned it. However, Alex seemed displeased as Emily exited his office.
"Alex?" called Olivia, noticing his expression. "Emily seems sick. Even though she works for you after her father's firm's bankruptcy, she is still a Johnson. You can't work her too hard."
Alex smirked inwardly at the thought. Who could make that princess work? But outwardly, he merely nodded in acknowledgment.
Back in her office, Emily's headache worsened, and she slumped onto her desk. "Emily?" Joyce's voice cut through her haze. "Maybe you should take the day off and go home."
"I'm fine. I just need a little nap to clear my head," Emily insisted before drifting off to sleep at her desk.
In her dream, Emily found herself at 18 again, celebrating her birthday with Alex. She wore her favourite iceberg-coloured dress, her long hair curled, ready to confess her feelings to him. Spotting Alex in a corner of the garden at the opposite end of the pool, she approached, overhearing a conversation.
"Who is your crush, Alex?" asked one of Alex's friends.
"The Johnson girl seems sweet. She's always following you around at school," another chimed in.
Emily waited anxiously for Alex's response, but he remained silent until someone else spoke up.
"No, not Emily Johnson. Alex treats her like his little sister. We all know he only cares about Olivia Winters."
Under the sunset, golden rays illuminating his face, Alex's eyes held a hint of a smile. "That's true. Olivia is hotter. Emily is just a little princess dreaming in her fairy tale," Julian Everhart, one of Alex's friends, remarked.
The 18-year-old Emily felt a surge of anger towards Julian. I'm not a little princess, she thought bitterly. Julian continued, "Most importantly, Olivia saved your life when you were a kid. She jumped in the lake to save you."
Emily's heart sank, her untold feelings swallowed back bitterly as she realized Alex's true affections.
Olivia Winters saved Alex Stratton. Everyone knew the story—the beauty saved the knight. Emily vaguely remembered what happened. She recalled falling into the water as well, becoming very sick afterward. She spent a month in bed, feverish and weak. But her memories of how she ended up in the water were foggy at best.
Sighing, Emily couldn't believe that the life-saving incident was so crucial to Alex. She wished she had been the one to jump in the lake to save him. Mixed feelings of regret and confusion from the dream intertwined with her real-life emotions, and suddenly, a huge headache struck.
"Emily," came the cold voice. She looked up to see Alex standing next to Olivia. "I don't want this baby," he declared. Olivia chimed in, "You don't think you can break us apart using an unborn child, do you, Emily?"
Emily felt a surge of panic as Alex stepped closer, turning her chair to face him, his eyes piercing hers. He threatened her, gripping her chin so hard she feared it might break. The intensity of the moment jolted her awake, covered in cold sweat.
It was all a dream, Emily thought, looking out the window, realizing she was in the backseat of a car.
"You're awake, Emily," Olivia said from the passenger seat. "We were worried about you." Emily's mind raced. Why were they both here? And why was Alex driving? As she looked at the man in the driver's seat.
"We are almost at Harbourview Medical Centre. I called your doctor already to let her know you are coming," Alex's voice broke through the tension in the car.
Instantly, anxiety gripped Emily at the thought of facing her doctor in front of Alex. "No, I don't need to see the doctor. I'm fine," she insisted, her voice wavering.
Alex glanced at her through the rearview mirror, concern etched on his face. "Don't you know that you have a fever of 102?" he pointed out.
Olivia echoed his words, "Your fever was really high when we found you in the office. I heard you were soaked in the rain yesterday, so what happened?"
Her lips moved, but Emily couldn't bring herself to say anything.
Olivia's presence in the car only added to Emily's unease. She must be implying something with her question about the rain and the club. "Maybe yesterday when you got there..." Olivia began, but Alex cut her off.
"Go see the doctor first and go home. You don't need to come to the office this week," Alex commanded, his tone firm.
Olivia was taken aback by Alex's interruption.
"No," Emily asserted, lifting her face to meet his gaze. "No doctors today."
Alex's frown deepened, his patience wearing thin. "You are sick with a fever!" he yelled, frustration seeping into his voice.
"I know my body better than anyone. I don't need a doctor." Emily insisted.