Chapter 2 · Live Apology, Dead End

The live chat went wild.

[Did she give a curtsy of the past centuries?]

[Which scene is this? Is she apologizing or filming a costume drama?]

[She's lost it. This woman is totally nuts.]

I ignored the comments and sat back down.

My voice was calm and steady. "I've invited you here today to comply with the court's ruling and offer my most sincere apologies to my husband, Mr. Andrew Grant, and to Ms. Jessica Lane."

I looked calmly into the camera, as if making eye contact with everyone watching. "The court's judgment states that I was at fault for violating Andrew's privacy.

"I've thought it over, and I admit I was wrong."

I paused, letting a proper touch of regret show in my voice. "I shouldn't have shared his private matters without his permission. Especially..."

I lowered my eyes, exposing my delicate neck.

My voice was barely more than a sigh. "I shouldn't have told anyone that after he turned thirty, he couldn't perform and had to rely on little blue pills to keep up appearances.

"And I shouldn't have gone into detail about the side effects, how he'd end up drenched in sweat, and the whole thing would be over in less than three minutes.

"That was his private issue, the last shred of dignity a man has.

"As his wife, not only did I fail to keep his secret, but I blabbed about it, turning him into a laughingstock.

"It was my fault."

The live chat fell completely silent for a couple of seconds.

Then, the comments flooded the screen.

[What's up?]

[Did I hear that? Three minutes? Blue pills?]

[Too much info; my brain's fried.]

[Sorry, I can't help it. Is this an apology or public criticism?]

[That's savage. This hurts way more than a punch to the face.]

My phone started buzzing like crazy. It was Andrew calling.

I didn't pick up. Instead, I kept my eyes on the camera, my expression looking guiltier. "Next, I also need to apologize to Ms. Jessica Lane.

"I shouldn't have posted online that my husband embezzled 600 thousand dollars from the company to buy her a fake Hermès bag.

"I really didn't think that through.

"I was only thinking about how embezzlement is a crime, and if he got caught, he'd end up in jail.

"But I failed to consider how this would damage Jessica's reputation.

"A woman must feel insecure and embarrassed when carrying a fake bag into high-society events.

"Besides, 600 thousand dollars is more than enough to buy a real one.

"I suppose my husband thought Jessica's taste only matched up to counterfeits.

"But I misunderstood what he was really trying to do, and nearly landed him in jail.

"I was truly wrong."

I spoke with heartfelt sincerity, my eyes growing a little misty.

But every word hit home for Andrew and Jessica.

[A fake bag? Embezzlement?]

[I can't help but burst out laughing. Jessica was showing off that bag on her Instagram a few days ago.]

[Best apology of the year! This woman is my queen.]

[Andrew: I told you to apologize, not to strip me bare in public.]

"Here's the last thing." I picked up a document from the table and showed it to the camera. "This is my prenatal report. Two months ago, I was carrying the Grant family's heir.

"But my husband said the child Jessica is carrying is the true love of his life, and told me to terminate my own pregnancy.

"I shouldn't have resented him because I couldn't let go of my child, and ended up exposing them in such a reckless way.

"I didn't appreciate how eager he was to spread his legacy, to have a child with another woman to dote on at his side.

"I failed to show the tolerance and generosity expected of the lady of the house.

"So here, I want to offer my most sincere apologies to Mr. Andrew Grant, Ms. Jessica Lane, and the child she's carrying.

"I'm sorry."

With that, I gave another curtsy in front of the camera.

Then I calmly ended the live stream, leaving everyone shocked and excited.

My phone was blowing up.

Andrew's roar nearly burst through the phone. "Emily, you bitch. Go to hell! I'm going to make sure you rot in jail for the rest of your life."

"Take it easy, darling." I calmly poured myself a cup of coffee. "I've apologized for everything, by the book. Every word was me owning up to my faults.

"Whatever people imagine after hearing my apology, that's on them, not me."

"Y-You..." Andrew was so furious that he couldn't get the words out.

After taking a sip of my coffee, I said flatly, "Oh, darling, personnel responsible for tax affairs and economic crimes should be arriving soon.

"You'd better start figuring out how you're going to explain that 600 thousand dollars in the accounts."

Chapter 2

The live chat went wild.

[Did she give a curtsy of the past centuries?]

[Which scene is this? Is she apologizing or filming a costume drama?]

[She's lost it. This woman is totally nuts.]

I ignored the comments and sat back down.

My voice was calm and steady. "I've invited you here today to comply with the court's ruling and offer my most sincere apologies to my husband, Mr. Andrew Grant, and to Ms. Jessica Lane."

I looked calmly into the camera, as if making eye contact with everyone watching. "The court's judgment states that I was at fault for violating Andrew's privacy.

"I've thought it over, and I admit I was wrong."

I paused, letting a proper touch of regret show in my voice. "I shouldn't have shared his private matters without his permission. Especially..."

I lowered my eyes, exposing my delicate neck.

My voice was barely more than a sigh. "I shouldn't have told anyone that after he turned thirty, he couldn't perform and had to rely on little blue pills to keep up appearances.

"And I shouldn't have gone into detail about the side effects, how he'd end up drenched in sweat, and the whole thing would be over in less than three minutes.

"That was his private issue, the last shred of dignity a man has.

"As his wife, not only did I fail to keep his secret, but I blabbed about it, turning him into a laughingstock.

"It was my fault."

The live chat fell completely silent for a couple of seconds.

Then, the comments flooded the screen.

[What's up?]

[Did I hear that? Three minutes? Blue pills?]

[Too much info; my brain's fried.]

[Sorry, I can't help it. Is this an apology or public criticism?]

[That's savage. This hurts way more than a punch to the face.]

My phone started buzzing like crazy. It was Andrew calling.

I didn't pick up. Instead, I kept my eyes on the camera, my expression looking guiltier. "Next, I also need to apologize to Ms. Jessica Lane.

"I shouldn't have posted online that my husband embezzled 600 thousand dollars from the company to buy her a fake Hermès bag.

"I really didn't think that through.

"I was only thinking about how embezzlement is a crime, and if he got caught, he'd end up in jail.

"But I failed to consider how this would damage Jessica's reputation.

"A woman must feel insecure and embarrassed when carrying a fake bag into high-society events.

"Besides, 600 thousand dollars is more than enough to buy a real one.

"I suppose my husband thought Jessica's taste only matched up to counterfeits.

"But I misunderstood what he was really trying to do, and nearly landed him in jail.

"I was truly wrong."

I spoke with heartfelt sincerity, my eyes growing a little misty.

But every word hit home for Andrew and Jessica.

[A fake bag? Embezzlement?]

[I can't help but burst out laughing. Jessica was showing off that bag on her Instagram a few days ago.]

[Best apology of the year! This woman is my queen.]

[Andrew: I told you to apologize, not to strip me bare in public.]

"Here's the last thing." I picked up a document from the table and showed it to the camera. "This is my prenatal report. Two months ago, I was carrying the Grant family's heir.

"But my husband said the child Jessica is carrying is the true love of his life, and told me to terminate my own pregnancy.

"I shouldn't have resented him because I couldn't let go of my child, and ended up exposing them in such a reckless way.

"I didn't appreciate how eager he was to spread his legacy, to have a child with another woman to dote on at his side.

"I failed to show the tolerance and generosity expected of the lady of the house.

"So here, I want to offer my most sincere apologies to Mr. Andrew Grant, Ms. Jessica Lane, and the child she's carrying.

"I'm sorry."

With that, I gave another curtsy in front of the camera.

Then I calmly ended the live stream, leaving everyone shocked and excited.

My phone was blowing up.

Andrew's roar nearly burst through the phone. "Emily, you bitch. Go to hell! I'm going to make sure you rot in jail for the rest of your life."

"Take it easy, darling." I calmly poured myself a cup of coffee. "I've apologized for everything, by the book. Every word was me owning up to my faults.

"Whatever people imagine after hearing my apology, that's on them, not me."

"Y-You..." Andrew was so furious that he couldn't get the words out.

After taking a sip of my coffee, I said flatly, "Oh, darling, personnel responsible for tax affairs and economic crimes should be arriving soon.

"You'd better start figuring out how you're going to explain that 600 thousand dollars in the accounts."