Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

I could totally feel Arthur's anger, but he didn't dare blow up. That million bucks was the reason he had to suck it up and sign his name.

I got where he was coming from. Even if he didn't love Emily, he sure as hell didn't want her with another dude.

That contract was a major slap in the face for Arthur.

After we went downstairs, Emily kept bugging me about how I sorted out the million-dollar mess. Honestly, I was kinda pissed. She'd been hurt so bad by that jerk, yet she still seemed to care about him. How much did she love him back then? Of course, I wasn't gonna tell her the truth. Realizing it would just cause her to feel foolish and cry. She'd regret ever falling for Arthur.

That night, Emily got totally wasted.

When I brought her home, she kept curling up in my arms, mumbling and crying. She looked so pitiful.

Even when I put her on the bed, she wouldn't let go, clutching my clothes like her life depended on it. Her delicate eyebrows were furrowed, like she was having a bad dream.

Bella stood by the bed, all serious, "Ethan, you better treat Emily right. Don't mess with her. She's pure and already been hurt once. If you hurt her again, I won't let you off."

I smiled a bit, feeling glad Emily had a friend who truly cared. I gently patted her, calming her down. After she finally fell asleep, I let go of her hand, tucked it under the blanket, and went to the balcony for a smoke.

The next morning, I brought a new dress for Emily.

I had seen it in a store window once when I passed by a mall. For some reason, Emily popped into my mind, and I thought the dress would look perfect on her. On a whim, I bought it, despite knowing I might never get the chance to give it to her.

I like to shower in the morning. After I finished and went downstairs, I heard noises from the kitchen.

Standing at the kitchen door, I saw Emily seriously beating eggs with her head down.

The dress fit perfectly, and she looked beautiful as she cooked. The warm scene made me feel a sense of home.

I couldn't help but sigh, "Seeing you cook gives me a sense of home."

I hadn't felt that way in a long time.

This feeling made me infatuated.

When Emily heard me say this, her face turned red, and even her earlobes turned pink.

I looked at her with interest, feeling a bit moved.

How strange. I'd met all kinds of women, but none had given me this feeling.

Even though she was married, she seemed very pure to me. Her shyness made her look like an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl.

I seriously told her that it was important to be cautious about drinking in front of strangers.

I didn't want her to repeat Fiona's mistake.

Life's road was always bumpy. She'd already been through so much. I hoped she'd become strong and not give up on life easily like Fiona did.

At that time, I thought God had given Emily enough hardships, but I didn't expect another misfortune to hit out of nowhere.

Emily's mom passed away.

Emily knelt by her mom's hospital bed, banging her head against the bed rail and crying uncontrollably. At that moment, I felt helpless. I could only hold her and prevent her from hurting herself further. In the face of life and death, words were useless.

She knelt in front of her mom's tombstone, refusing to move even when it rained.

I carried her to the car, and she clutched the photo tightly. I could fully feel her sadness and despair.

At that moment, Emily truly had nothing left.

I felt guilty, heartbroken, and full of self-reproach, but I didn't know what to do. All I could do was hold her and offer some warmth.

She asked me why I was being so good to her. To be honest, I'd wanted to be good to her for many years.

That night, I found a tape of Thorn Birds Band in her place.

The Thorn Birds Band was a distant memory for me, but the familiar lyrics still brought back memories.

I also needed to constantly give myself strength and courage because I had to walk a tough path, facing storms without turning back.

I said to her, "Emily, people won't be lucky forever, nor will they be unlucky forever. When life hits rock bottom, it means good things are about to come."

After a bit, I added, "The strongest person in the world isn't Superman, but the one who gets knocked down a hundred times and gets up a hundred and one times to face it again. The former is just strong, but the latter is fearless." When I was about to leave, Emily tried to keep me. She stood inside the door, and I stood outside, with a slight distance between us. The air seemed to carry a hint of subtle affection.

If Sophie hadn't suddenly called, saying she felt very unwell, I probably wouldn't have left that night. At that moment, I really wanted to rush in and hold her.

Emily knelt stubbornly in front of her mother's grave, refusing to leave, which tormented me deeply. Her pain and hatred were something I could completely empathize with.

I wondered if I should do something for her.

The next day, I contacted several newspapers. The editor of the Starlight Times had always wanted to interview me, so I used that connection to start collecting some old newspapers from eight years ago. That night, I was at a dinner party when I suddenly received a call from Frank.

I couldn't care about anything else at that moment. Amid the surprised looks of everyone at the table, I found an excuse, grabbed my suit, and left.

On my way to Frank's midnight bar, I was so nervous. Normally, I could stay calm no matter what, but when it came to her, I just lost it.

Hearing the commotion in the private room, I kicked the door open.

Emily's clothes were disheveled, and she was pinned on the sofa by that bastard Arthur.

Seeing me, Arthur looked a bit guilty. If his memory wasn't too bad, Arthur should still remember that contract.

Emily tried to escape in embarrassment, but I stopped her.

She clutched her torn clothes, refusing to look up.

At that moment, I could fully understand Emily's embarrassment. I didn't want to pursue Arthur for now because his retribution would come sooner or later. At that moment, my eyes were only on her. That was the first time Emily kissed me voluntarily. I knew her intention; she wanted to use me to get rid of Arthur. But I suddenly found it hard to control myself. Besides the primal desire, I also felt a bit angry. I didn't know if I was angry because she was using me as a shield or because I hadn't protected her well enough.

At that moment, I didn't have the time or the clarity to think. Emily's lips were so soft that with just a brief touch, I didn't want to pull away. So, I kissed her back passionately.

My loss of control scared Emily. I kept telling myself not to hurt her, not to hurt her, so I restrained myself from kissing her forcefully.

She said she was going to divorce him the next day and just wanted to make a final revenge.

Hearing this news, I felt a slight sense of joy.

I realized I was losing control of my heart more and more. I had always been afraid of her getting hurt, but if I let go, would she get hurt even more? Would things like tonight happen again? After all, Emily still hadn't learned to protect herself well.

I didn't want to let go anymore. Maybe keeping her by my side, within my sight, would make me feel at ease.

The next day, Emily ended that miserable marriage and finally regained her freedom.

I had planned a biking trip with my friends, and Bella brought Emily along.

That day, Emily seemed to have dressed up deliberately. Standing in the sunlight, her long eyelashes fluttered, looking a bit shy but particularly bright and charming.

I understood that when people part ways, they want to leave gracefully. She probably had no lingering feelings for that marriage.

That day, I carried her on my bike, and my heart was restless the whole way.

I had imagined her sitting on my back seat for many years, and finally realizing it felt so unreal.

That day, we camped on the mountaintop. We drank, played cards, and chatted.

As the sky darkened, my mood grew a bit somber because it was Cindy's birthday.

I thought of many things from when she was still alive, the unique motherly love, the love that once lost could never be found again, and all the entanglements. Seeing such a pure Emily, I also remembered many things I had done wrong to her.

If secrets could remain secrets forever, I could protect her for a lifetime! I made love to her under the influence of alcohol because I really didn't want to let her go.