At the hospital, Emily pushed Mrs. Stratton inside while Alex followed. His eyes were fixed on Emily. She wore a light blue coat over a cream v-neck sweater. Her long hair was tied into a low ponytail, with a few loose strands framing her sophisticated face. She spoke to the nurse who greeted them, her soft nods and polite smile masking the sadness in her eyes.
After the nurse took Mrs. Stratton in, Emily and Alex waited outside. Alex leaned against the window, his hand instinctively reaching for his pocket before he remembered he hadn't smoked in a long time. The urge to smoke surfaced whenever he felt uneasy. Ever since Emily's birthday party last year, he found her irresistible, wanting to be close to her at all times, as if he were addicted to her.
He recalled a specific evening, after a long frustrating day at work, when he stood on the balcony smoking a cigarette. Emily walked in, her presence immediately soothing yet stirring him. "Why are you smoking? Did something happen at work?" she asked.
He didn't answer, instead looking at her intently. The next second, he cupped her chin with one hand and kissed her deeply. Emily pulled away, leaning against his chest. "Doesn't feel good," she murmured.
"What doesn't feel good?" Alex asked, his eyes lingering on her lips.
"The cigarette," she replied, her voice soft but firm.
Realizing, Alex stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray. He leaned closer, intending to continue the kiss, but Emily stopped him. "I meant, I don't want you to smoke anymore."
Alex teased, "You mean you like my kiss when I'm not smoking."
Emily blushed, "I never said I liked it."
"Well, I remember a girl who had too much at the party and wouldn't leave me alone until I kissed her..." he taunted.
"Alex!" Emily shouted, trying to stop him, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Those memories felt as if they had happened yesterday, vivid and intense. Now, only cold silence remained between them. Alex looked out the window, the hospital bustling with activity, but all he felt was the emptiness inside.
The vibration sound from his phone broke the silence, pulling Alex back into reality. He glanced at the screen, his brows furrowing slightly, before looking up to meet Emily's gaze. Subconsciously, Emily quickly averted her eyes, already knowing whom the call was from by the look on his face.
Alex didn't answer immediately, his mind racing with conflicting thoughts. After a few seconds, the phone rang again, breaking the tense atmosphere. When Alex hung up on the call the first time, Olivia was stunned. She couldn't believe that Alex would hang up on her call. It had never happened before. Was it because of her scar on her forehead? Or perhaps because he had a change of heart and loved Emily Johnson now? He had never treated her this way before. Just then, Clare walked to her side, her expression reflecting a mixture of concern and suspicion.
"It must be Emily Johnson. Alex never hangs up on you before," Clare remarked, her tone edged with uncertainty.
Olivia bit her lip, feeling a surge of frustration and insecurity. "Stop it," she muttered under her breath, her mind spinning with doubts and fears.
But Clare continued, her words probing and insistent, "She promised you. She must have gone back on her words. Olivia, you cannot trust her. Especially now that she is pregnant. Do you still think that she would agree to the divorce right after his grandma's surgery and raise the kid on her own? She didn't even take the money."
Olivia remained silent, her face darkening with a mix of anger and uncertainty. However, before she could dwell further on her thoughts, a knock on the door interrupted her train of thought. It was Cole Bola. He was a familiar face from high school, but unlike Olivia and Alex, he hadn't pursued college. Instead, his family business was entangled with gangs in New York, a fact that Olivia had always been wary of, especially since Cole had expressed his feelings towards her after high school graduation.
Clare frowned at the sight of him, her protective instincts kicking in, but Olivia halted her with a raised hand. "Cole," Olivia greeted him, a glimmer of joy mixed with new thoughts crossing her face.
Back at Harbourview Med Center,
the doctor delivered the reassuring news that Grandma's checkup results looked good.
"When can we schedule Grandma's surgery?" Emily inquired, her voice tinged with a mixture of concern and determination.
"Within a week," the doctor replied, prompting a nod of understanding from Emily.
As they waited for Grandma to emerge from the exam room, Emily's mind buzzed with worries about the upcoming surgery. She didn't want Grandma to witness any tension between her and Alex, so she paused and made a decision. "I'll wait for you in the car," she informed him, her tone clipped and distant.
Alex hesitated mid-step, about to protest or say something, but Emily had already turned and left, leaving him momentarily stunned. Quickly gathering himself, Alex moved to catch up with her.
Meanwhile, Emily, lost in her thoughts, found herself standing in front of Alex's car, only to realize that she didn't have the car key. Before she could react, a sharp voice called out her name from behind, dripping with anger, "Emily Stratton".
Turning around, Emily was met with the fiery gaze of Alex, who had swiftly closed the distance between them. Caught off guard, she braced herself for the confrontation, her heart pounding with a mixture of apprehension and frustration.
"Why are you here?" Emily questioned. "Why didn't you wait for Grandma? Did you follow me here?"
Alex's anger simmered beneath the surface, his emotions a tangled mess of confusion and hurt. Before he could respond, Emily pressed on, her own emotions spilling out in a rush of words. "I don't care what problems you have with me. Can you wait until after Grandma's surgery?" she pleaded.
Alex struggled to find the right words, his thoughts muddled by the whirlwind of emotions swirling within him. He knew that his own feelings were inextricably linked to Emily – her changing attitudes, her seeming coldness, her actions – all of it stirring up a storm of insecurity and doubt within him.
While Emily assumed Alex wanted to discuss Olivia, her focus remained steadfast on Grandma's surgery. Attempting to break free from Alex's grip, Emily found herself held firmly in place. Finally, Alex spoke, his voice strained with emotion. "After Grandma's surgery, can we talk?"
"Of course," Emily responded immediately. She wanted nothing more than to part ways amicably, their differences set aside in favour of Grandma's well-being.
As Alex released his grip, Emily sought clarification, her concern for Grandma still at the forefront of her mind. "Did you inform the nurses before leaving?" she asked, her hand held in Alex's grasp as he led her back to the medical center to fetch Grandma.
After Alex drove them home, he replied to Olivia's message, informing her about the check-up and preparations for Grandma's surgery and explaining the reason for missing her call. Upon receiving Alex's message, Olivia's mood instantly lifted.
It was because of his grandma, not Emily Johnson, she realized with a genuine smile spreading across her face. She called Alex again, and this time, he answered, his voice sounding weary.
"Alex," Olivia greeted him, her tone soft and gentle, like a stream in the forest. "You should take good care of her these days." "Don't worry about me. When is Grandma's surgery?" .
"Within a week," Alex replied, prompting Olivia's lips to curl into a smile subconsciously. Soon, Olivia's thoughts turned to another matter, and she turned to Clare.
"Do you have Cole's number?" Olivia demanded abruptly, catching Clare off guard.
"Why do you need his number?" Clare asked, her confusion evident.
"I need it, now!" Olivia insisted firmly.
Clare reluctantly shared the number with her but couldn't hide her concern. "Olivia, what do you need from him? You know his family..."
"Yes, I know," Olivia interrupted, her mind made up. "I need to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid to Emily Johnson these days after what I told him this morning."
Clare's eyes widened in disbelief, as Olivia's request contradicted what she had said to Cole earlier. "I changed my mind," Olivia explained tersely, her focus solely on ensuring Emily's safety before Grandma Stratton's surgery. Only after the surgery could Alex proceed with divorcing Emily. Olivia knew that any trouble now would only delay the surgery and, consequently, their plans for divorce.
However, Clare couldn't shake off her anger towards Emily. She made a decision and called Cole Bola.
"Olivia is my best friend, and I won't let Emily Johnson walks away so easily," Clare stated firmly, her voice laced with determination.
"But Olivia just told me not to do anything to her," Cole responded, his confusion evident.
"You wanted revenge for Olivia, didn't you? Well, I've always hated Emily Johnson too," Clare's tone was sharp. "I'll let you know when I make my move. If you want in, fine. If not, then leave me alone," Clare declared, her eyes flashing with a hint of venom.