Emily spun around in the house, confused to find Daniel’s bedroom empty. “Where did he go?” muttered Emily irritably, her voice a low whisper.
Upon entering an unlocked room, it was dark. The window was wide open, the sound of heavy rain could be heard from outside and behind the window a figure stood on the balcony, his silhouette faint in the dimly lit room illuminated by the moonlight.
Emily approached the person, her heart beating fast. As she got closer, the silhouette became clearer. The person was standing on the balcony, looking pensive, staring blankly at the dark sky.
“Daniel,” Emily called.
Daniel turned his head, locking eyes with Emily. Her gaze was cold, without a hint of tenderness. Cigarette smoke wafted from his lips, carried away by the chilly night breeze. Emily was surprised to see the change in her ex-husband. She was sure Daniel had never smoked before. But at this moment, the man’s finger seemed to grasp a lit cigarette.
Daniel immediately put out the burning cigarette butt in a nearby ashtray. His movements were quick and decisive, as if he didn’t want Emily to see him any longer.
“What are you doing here?” his voice sounded sharp, like a knife piercing Emily’s heart. “Sneaking into someone’s room without permission.”
Emily swallowed, her heart beating fast. “I have something to talk to you about,” she said, trying to keep her voice calm. “I promise I won’t be long. I just wanted to discuss a business matter with you.”
Daniel sneered, his eyes narrowing sharply. “Business matters?”
Emily nodded in agreement at Daniel’s question. “Yes, please give me some time.”
“Don’t you know what time it is? It’s late, and you still want to discuss business?” Daniel scoffed, his voice as cold as the bone-chilling night wind.
“Just for a moment. Please give me some time,” Emily begged.
Daniel’s eyes flashed with anger. “Get out of my sight. You’ve disturbed my peace tonight,” he grumbled, his voice heavy and threatening.
Emily pulled something out of her bag. “Alright, I’ll leave your presence. But, please consider the offer in this proposal. I really need this job.” Her voice was soft and hopeful.
“I will not look at the proposal. I want nothing more to do with you.” Daniel’s tone was firm and resolute.
Emily was silent, trying to maintain a smile on her face. “I’ll leave it here,” she said as she placed the proposal on the small table in the room. “I hope you’ll consider it.”
Daniel picked up the proposal Emily had placed on the table, his eyes cold and expressionless. Then, with a quick and rough movement, he threw it to the floor. “Never appear before me again, Emily. I really don’t want to see you again.”
Emily’s eyes welled up, on the verge of tears, but she held them back. She picked up the proposal Daniel had thrown away, her hands trembling. Gently, she placed it back on the table. “Please, at least read this proposal before rejecting it.”
“I’ve made it clear. I will not read it,” Daniel replied in a cold, flat tone.
“I have already returned all the money you gave me that night. You don’t need to return it because it’s my responsibility after our divorce. Use that money to take care of yourself. Look at you, so unkempt,” Daniel said, his tone mocking, causing Emily’s hands to clench tightly. Emily became increasingly clueless by Daniel’s change in behavior.
“I don’t need that money. I’ll return it to you soon,” Emily said, her voice trembling with anger and tears.
“Is it perhaps because the amount is too small?” muttered Daniel, his tone mocking, as a sardonic laugh filled the room.
Daniel then threw a card to Emily, his movements rough as if discarding trash. “That card has an unlimited limit. Use it for whatever you need.”
Seeing Emily still silent, Daniel gave her a sardonic smile. “Still not enough, is it?” he asked, his tone mocking.
“Enough, Daniel!” tears started streaming down Emily’s cheeks. She couldn’t hold back her emotions in front of Daniel. Witnessing Emily’s tears made Daniel deeply hurt. His heart felt as if it was being torn apart. However, he couldn’t do anything. He believe that hurting Emily would keep her away from him. It was also very agonizing for him immense anguish.
“I do need money, but it’s not money that I need the most. And it’s unlikely that someone like you would understand,” Emily replied as she wiped away her tears, her voice trembling with anger and pain.
“You don’t resemble the Daniel I once knew. You’ve changed,” Emily said, her voice a pained whisper. Her gaze was vacant, as if observing a mere shadow of the former Daniel, the one who had genuinely loved her.
“From the start, the character of the Daniel who loved the daughter of a murderer never existed. It was merely my ploy to inflict pain on you as retribution for all the suffering I endured,” Daniel replied, his voice cold and hollow.
Emily fell silent upon hearing Daniel’s words. She couldn’t fathom what had transpired after enduring so much hurt from Daniel. Deep within her heart, a flicker of hope remained, a belief that Daniel had once loved her sincerely.
“I was stupid,” Emily whispered to herself, wiping away her tears. Her gaze remained fixed on the floor, reminiscing about the beautiful memories that had now crumbled to dust.
“I think I’ve disturbed your peace tonight. I’d better go,” Emily said, carrying her bag out of Daniel’s room. Her footsteps felt heavy, as if she was forcing her body to get out of the room immediately, leaving all her sadness behind.
Daniel remained silent, his eyes staring blankly at the closed door. Anger surged within him, unleashing an uncontrollable wave of emotions. He clenched his fists and forcefully struck the glass of a nearby window. The sound of shattering glass reverberated in the room, accompanied by a sharp pain in his fist. Fresh blood trickled between his fingers, staining the floor. He felt devastated by the loss of so many loved ones.
Meanwhile, the maid continued searching for Emily. She eventually spotted Emily emerging from Daniel’s lounge room, tears streaming down her fas as she continued to wipe them away.
“Ms. Emily, there you are,” the maid said, her eyes brimming with sympathy upon witnessing the sorrow etched on Emily’s face.
Emily quickly wiped away her tears and forced a smile. “Could you escort me to the front? I’m ready to head home.”
“Ms. Emily,” the maid called out. “Mr. Sean is waiting for you in the living room.”
“Sean?” Emily’s forehead creased. How could Sean know she was here?
Escorted by the maid, Emily finally encountered Sean, seated on a sofa in the living room. A pang of jealousy flickered within him as he noticed Emily wearing Daniel’s clothes, but he forced himself to smile.
“Then, we’ll head home first,” Emily kindly informed the housemaid, who politely nooded in response.
Once outside Daniel’s house, Sean spoke up. “Let me drive you home, Em.”
“No need, Sean. I have my car,” Emily replied.
A light drizzle had replaced the heavy rain. “I’ll drive your car home tomorrow morning. For now, come with me,” Sean insisted.
“Okay,” Emily finally replied, nodding her head.
“Let’s go,” Sean said as he took off his coat. “Doesn’t it matter if it gets a little wet?”
Emily nodded with a smile. “No problem.”
The two of them finally ran under the coat, using it as a makeshift umbrella, and quickly got into Sean’s car. The cold pierced their skin.
“Are you getting wet?” Sean inquired, checking on Emily.
“No,” Emily replied, shaking her head.
“How did you know I was here, Sean?” Emily asked.