While Alex was still out with Jake, Emma who wanted to go to the bathroom started feeling her body tremble uncontrollably, her legs weak beneath her as she attempted to stand.
Sweat pooled on her brow, her vision blurred, and a sharp, throbbing pain pulsed through her head. She blinked, trying to push past the dizziness, but her strength was gone.
Her skin felt unnaturally hot, her body temperature soaring above the normal 37°C. She touched her forehead, grimacing.
What's happening to me? Am I falling sick? She asked herself, as she tried to take a step but faltered, collapsing back onto the bed.
Perhaps she was falling sick and was about to die. It was better this way, at least now she wouldn't have to go through all the pain she was feeling again.
She told herself as she tried one more time to stand but her legs swayed, the ground moving beneath her and before she knew it, her vision blurred and she fell, unconscious before she even hit the mattress.
After his tiring day out with Jake, Alex returned home. He hadn't realized how drained he was until the quiet of his house wrapped around him like a heavy blanket.
He wanted to head straight to his room, but something gnawed at him, tugging at the back of his mind. What or rather who else could it be if not Emma.
After they had breakfast together, he hadn't seen her again since he had left the house and hadn't exactly told the maids to check on her except to provide her whatever she needed.
Thinking about her, an odd feeling of unease settled in his chest and he decided to check on her, hoping she was resting.
He ascended the stairs, each step echoing in the stillness of the house. As he reached Emma's door, he knocked softly, glancing at his phone to see how late it had gotten.
His initial plan was simple, ask her how she was feeling, then let her rest. He waited, his hand still against the doorframe, but no response came. He knocked again, louder this time, but still, nothing.
"Emma?" he called as he knocked, his worry evident in his voice.
When no response came, a knot tightened in his stomach. Is she sleeping that deeply? He thought and decided to walk away but stopped, doubt creeping in.
Something didn't feel right. Even though she was asleep, she should've heard him knocking by now and would've come to answer the door.
On second thought, he tried opening the door and when he saw that it was locked from inside, he called out to his butler, his voice sharper than intended, "Christopher? Bring the spare key to Emma's room. Quickly."
Christopher arrived moments later, handing him the key. Alex's hands trembled slightly as he unlocked the door, dread curling in his gut as he hoped she was okay and hadn't tried something stupid.
As soon as the door swung open, his breath caught in his throat. There she was, lying on the bed, her body shaking as though she were freezing, yet the room was perfectly temperate. Her face was pale, drenched in sweat, and her breathing was shallow and labored.
"Emma," Alex whispered, rushing to her side, his panic rising. She didn't respond, didn't move. He placed a hand on her forehead which was burning hot.
He grabbed his phone, immediately calling the doctor that had attended to Emma when she lost her pregnancy. After he had told the doctor he needed him urgently, he hung up and texted the doctor his address.
As he waited for the doctor, Alex ran to the bathroom, filling a bowl with cold water. He grabbed a small hand towel, soaked it, and hurried back to her side. Gently, he placed the cool towel on her forehead, his heart pounding in his chest.
"Please, Emma, just hang in there," he murmured softly, though the fear in his voice betrayed him. He sat beside her, gripping her hand tightly, willing her to wake up.
He didn't know if he was scared because he just wanted her to be fine out of his concern for her or because of something else and he didn't care to know. All he wanted in that moment was for her to be fine.
Minutes felt like hours until finally, a knock on the door startled him. Alex sprang to his feet, his eyes never leaving Emma. "Come in!" he called out.
The doctor entered, his face calm yet concerned as he moved swiftly to Emma's side. He took out his stethoscope, checking her vitals before sighing deeply.
"Mr. Sterling, she has a fever although not a severe one. Has she been eating regularly?" he asked and Alex swallowed hard, guilt gnawing at him.
"I… I don't think she's been eating much lately. I tried to get her to, but she…" His voice trailed off, realizing he hadn't noticed just how bad things had gotten.
The doctor nodded. "It's most likely due to malnourishment and exhaustion. Her body is weak, and without proper nutrition, it couldn't fight off the fever," he explained and Alex nodded as he watched the doctor quickly set up a drip, attaching it to Emma's hand.
"This should help stabilize her for now, but she'll need proper care," he said and Alex nodded.
As the doctor packed up his bag, Alex's voice broke the silence. "Can you send a nurse to look after her? I don't want her left alone," he said, his worry evident in his voice.
The doctor gave a reassuring nod. "I'll arrange for someone to come by in the morning. She should recover, but she needs time and attention," he said before taking his leave.
After the doctor left, Alex remained by Emma's side, not leaving her for a moment.
Alex stayed up all night, fighting sleep, observing Emma and touching her almost every minute to see if her temperature had improved.
He couldn't tear himself away, not when she looked so fragile, so breakable. He sat beside her all night, his hand clasped around hers, his eyes never leaving her face. Every time her body shivered or she let out a soft moan, his heart clenched.
He fought off sleep, unwilling to rest until he was certain she would be okay.
Somehow, he felt kind of guilty that she was in that condition. If he hadn't bothered her with the whole marriage idea and has just helped her to travel somewhere else, away from Jake and his family then maybe she would've been fine by now.
Or maybe not. He wouldn't have known. He told himself as he kept on assuming different things and how differently he could've helped her as the night faded away.
As the first light of dawn crept through the windows, Emma stirred. Her eyelids fluttered open, her vision hazy. The first thing she saw was Alex, his head resting beside her on the bed, his hand still clutching hers.
Immediately, her heart softened. Had he stayed with her all night? She mused as a tear, ran down her cheek.
Alex, sensing her movement, shot upright, his eyes filled with worry. "Emma? How are you feeling now? Are you okay?" he asked, his voice gentle but strained.
She blinked, still disoriented, but she couldn't bring herself to speak. Her throat was dry, and the words caught in her chest. Instead, she looked at him, wondering why he was doing all of this for her. She had come to see his sincerity, and that realization left her speechless.
Alex frowned at her silence. His worry morphed into frustration. "Why aren't you saying anything? Are you okay?" he snapped, though he immediately regretted the harshness in his tone.
He looked at her and when she still didn't say anything, he shook his head. "You know what? I think this was a mistake. I thought I could help you get over this but it's obvious you don't want my help. You want to die? You don't want to live anymore because of what Jake did, then fine. Go ahead and kill yourself. Do whatever you like with yourself, I don't care anymore," Alex said running his fingers through his hair in frustration.
His words hit Emma like a blow, and tears welled up in her eyes, spilling over silently. Alex, seeing her tears, felt a sharp pang of guilt and he sighed. Although he knew his words had been harsh, he also knew he needed to say those things to her.
"Crying won't change anything, Emma. You need to let go of Jake. He's living his life, and doesn't care about you. He doesn't even care if you live or die but you should. You should care for yourself. If you didn't plan on living, why bother coming into this agreement with me?" he asked, his voice softer now.
" You've made yourself sick over a man who has already moved on even before all these. You should stand up for yourself, now, Emma," he said even though his heart was clenching at the sight of Emma in tears.
His voice softened slightly as he rose to his feet, the sight of her crying too much for him to bear. "Please… stop wasting your tears on someone who doesn't deserve them. Now is the time you make up your mind if you want my help or not," he muttered before turning on his heel and walking out of the room, leaving her alone.
Emma's sobs filled the silence, her heart aching not just from Alex's words, but from the bitter truth in them.
He's right, she thought, wiping her eyes with the dry hand towel beside her. Jake isn't worth this. I've wasted enough time crying over him.
She sniffed, determined to push through the pain, though she knew it wouldn't be easy.
"I'll forget him. Somehow, I'll find a way," She told herself as she closed her eyes, exhaustion finally pulling her into a restless sleep.