10 Painful Message.

Emily was in Jake's office. "The meeting had gone well." She said to him.

Jake was just staring at her and wouldn't say anything. Emily swallowed. "Well, I should be on my way, don't you think--"

"--how have you been, Em?" Jake said to her. 

Emily knew he would ask a series of questions and including why she was living with a bunch of lunatics.

She cleared her throat. "Listen, I understand that you need an explanation." She paused, then continued again. "Jake, I need to be there. I need to he here as well, in this company."

Jake frowned. "Emily, she locked you in. She ...she...you were trapped inside!"

"I know. But she just wants me to quit my job, that's all. Once I do that, she'll leave me alone."

"Can you hear yourself, Em? So you want to resign? Is that it?"

"Jake, I'm not going to. You see, I'm just going to stay with her for a little while, until I make a couple of bucks. Then I'll get a new apartment."

Jake frowned again. "You know I can get that for you, why aren't you asking me for help? We aren't divorced yet. I mean," he made his way forward till he was standing next to Emily, feeling her breath as their face met. "Didn't you enjoy that kiss yesterday?"

Emily blinked twice, then cleared her throat and quickly pulled away. "Jake, we-we shouldn't be doing this." She wouldn't meet his gaze. 

"Emily, I won't be able to protect you anymore. This is your last chance." Jake warned. The tone of his voice conveyed how serious he was.

No...she couldn't go back to meet Jake just like that. What would be the point of her divorce then?

"Jake, you need to understand me--"

"So you're not going to give us a shot because of your pride? I expected more from you, Emily."

She stared down to her feet like they'd been more interesting than Jake's blue eyes. 

***

"Someone is calling to see you, ma-uh...ma'am?" Lara said, not feeling comfortable to call her ma'am. Nobody expected that she would receive promotion that easily and fast.

Emily knew deep down that she owed her glory to Jake. Somehow, she was not even happy about that. If he had not been romantically involved with him, would she had still received that favor from him?

"Oh, is it Verona?" Emily frowned. She was yet to face Verona. Who knew what that she-devil was up to now.

"No. It's a woman, she says she's Mrs. Hilton."

Emily jumped up on her feet upon hearing that name. May?? Mrs. Hilton?

"Her name is May, right??"

Lara blinked. "Uh, I don't know. She didn't say."

Emily bottled up her feelings and faced her fears. When she got out, she realized that the strange visitor was none other than her husband sis, May.

May still looked the same, long with a slender physique and face as young as a teenager's. During Emily's stay, she had seen May go through at least three beauty surgeries before.

She forced a smile on her face as she made her way forward. "Hello, aunt May. It's such a pleasure to meeting you here--"

"He was finally over you." May said with a shrug. "Finally. And yet, you managed to find your way back into his life again like the leech that you fucking are!"

Emily frowned. "I can see that the hatred for me still remains in your heart."

May scoffed. "So what is it? You thought that once you divorced my brother, everything would be forgotten? You fool!"

"Please aunt May, we're at a public setting. Besides, I'm no longer your in-law, so at least you can respect me."

"Damn you, witch. Respect you filthy rag? Over my dead body. I wonder what my dearest brother finds in you anyway!"

"I'll say this again, aunt May--"

"--don't fucking call me that. I'm not your aunt!"

Emily sighed. "Fine. Either way, we're still in public. I take it that you were here to see your brother? You should probably go to him now. If you'll excuse me," she gave a slight bow and was already walking away.

"Stay far away from Jake." May called out. By now, there were a few staff walking about as Emily figured out it was break hours already.

Emily stopped to turn back to her aunt-in-law.

"You heard me. Stay far away from Jake. You divorced him anyway, so what is it? Leave him alone already!"

"Your son is the one coming back to me because he realizes just how much he needs me." Emily said proudly.

"Ha! That's crazy. Well, it doesn't matter. You, stay away from him. Feel free to resign for all I care. There's a lot of other company that will be interested in hiring you."

Emily frowned. "Maybe you should have this conversation with your brother and not me."

Her statement brought a smile on May's face. "Well, sure we will. I'll have you know that Jake is getting a new bride sooner than you can imagine."

Emily did not hear her clearly. "A new bride?"

"That's right. Someone more worthy of him. Smart, rich and famous and most importantly...not poor like you. Someone who's added a lot of value to her life."

Emily wished she could disappear from that conversation. Was it her fault that her own mother was not wealthy? She was born poor, and now, she's really trying everything she could to add value to her life! 

"Don't say I didn't warn you. Forget about Jake Hilton. Leave this company too. Come to me and I'll find a new job for you. Stay far away from my brother, alright!?"

Emily had to struggle hard so a tear would not escape from her eyes. But words? She couldn't even bring herself to say anything.

"As soon as your divorce is finalized, Jake has a new bride already. You'll find out soon enough. Don't say I didn't warn you, Emily!"

As soon as Emily left her sight, she hurried straight for Jake's office. Now, the river of tears could not be stopped. With each second passing, a fickle of tear rolled down her eyes. 

"Emily? What are you doing h--wait, are you...crying?" Jake said to her as she stepped in.

Emiky sniffed and swallowed back a tear. Damn it, it hurt so bad!

"Can you please just...stop it!" The words came with no filter, and she wouldn't say she was proud of her actions. She just wanted him to feel half of the pain she'd been going through.

"W-what do you mean?"

"Stop making things worst!" Emily cried out her pain. Her voice was rasp and her breath was shaky. "I don't need you anymore. So just leave me alone! Please!"

"Stop it. What the hell?" Jake frowned. He wanted to hold her, to calm down because she was crying like hell. "Emily, Emily?"

Before he could walk close enough to hold her, Emily hurried out like Flash and disappeared from his sight.

Jake sighed. "Damn it. What the hell?" Just as he ended his word did his sister walk in. He thought he was dreaming. "May? Oh no, what did you tell Emily? What have you done?"

****

Verona could not help it because her mind kept on wandering back to what that slender lady has said to Emily. 

She sat with her legs crossed in her office. "Could it be true? Emily, we're you seriously married to Mr. Jake before?" She asked to no one in particular. "Never!"

Everything was now making sense to her. From the moment Emily had confessed that Mr. Jake was her husband...could it all be real? Was she not lying back then?

Verona felt like she was going crazy now. Internally, she was screaming like hell now. "I hate you, Emily! How can you...really be...his ex?!"