Chapter 2
When I woke up again, I found myself back at home.
Not only were my hands and feet tied, but my phone was nowhere to be found.
Thinking back to what William had done before I passed out, and the triumphant smirk on Lily's face, I felt resentment and anger welling up inside me.
I never imagined William would do this to me.
He used to be different.
The door swung open out of nowhere. I glanced up. William strode in, and my phone was clutched in his hand.
"Emily, you're awake," he said.
I glared at him, voice icy. "William, untie me. Now."
William towered over me, his gaze cold. "I'll let you go, but you have to swear you won't do anything to hurt Lily."
He was totally taking her side. I clenched my teeth, trying to keep my cool even though I was seething inside.
"She roped people in and set up this whole act. Why shouldn't I make her pay for it?" I snapped.
My head had been a mess when I blacked out, but then everything was clear as day, and I was furious.
The way Lily smirked when she got her way told me everything: she set up the drug thing and the whole hot search mess herself.
Getting played like this just made me want to explode.
William's face instantly clouded over.
"Emily, I don't care how angry you are. You can't just spout nonsense. Lily's been frail since she was little, and she's always been gentle. There's no way she'd ever do something like this.
"What happened today was just a misunderstanding. Someone's manipulating things online, and now everyone's blaming Lily for it.
"If you had any sense at all, you'd realize now isn't the time to make a scene."
His words made my chest feel so tight I could barely breathe.
"I'm the one making a scene? William, after what you and Lily did, do you really think I shouldn't be angry? You think I'm just supposed to sit here and keep quiet?" I snapped.
After letting it all out, I took a deep breath.
"Forget it. There's no point in talking about this anymore. The engagement's off. We're done," I said, my voice flat and cold.
I'm not someone who can just let things slide, so breaking up is the only sane choice left for me.
William frowned, his voice icy as he snapped at me.
He said, "You seriously think you're not being dramatic? We're about to get engaged. Why are you talking about breaking up now?
"Just behave and quit making trouble for me. When this whole mess blows over, we'll go get married, no more arguments."
I couldn't believe it. After all that mess, William still wanted to marry me.
I shot him a sarcastic look. "Marry me? Seriously? With everything blowing up like this, your precious Lily's been getting roasted nonstop online.
"Aren't you worried that if people find out we're tying the knot, she'll be right back in the crossfire?"
William refused to break up with me, so I really laid it on thick with the sarcasm.
I expected to see at least a flicker of discomfort in his eyes, but William's expression stayed perfectly calm.
"Of course, we're still getting married," he said, his voice steady. "But before that, I'll have the official account announce that Lily is my girlfriend.
"She'll be the one accompanying me to the engagement party in a few days.
"This whole thing is trending right now, but once the buzz dies down, we'll get married."
He said it so casually, as if it meant nothing to him, and it felt like a knife twisting in my chest.
My voice came out dry and hoarse. "So, what you mean is, just to protect Lily, you want me, the real girlfriend, to be the mistress?
"William, are you even a man?"
I stared straight at him, my eyes red and burning with disappointment and loathing.
William looked at me, a flash of remorse in his eyes, before he turned his head, avoiding my gaze.
"Lily's had heart surgery before. She's just not strong enough to deal with all that online abuse.
"Emily, you've always been the strong one. So, this time, I have to ask you to bear it for her."
I found it laughable, really, so ridiculous it hurt. Tears slipped down my cheeks as I stared at him.
"That's right, Mr. Kent. Lily's your childhood sweetheart, always pampered, never had to face a single hardship. Compared to her, I'm just the ordinary girl who's been through hell since I was a kid. Of course, I'm the one who gets thrown under the bus."
I slumped against the wall, my gaze vacant as I spoke.
William's chest felt tight as he listened to me tear myself down. He did care about me, but he also knew I was the tough one. Even if people dragged me through the mud online, it wouldn't crush me the way it would crush Lily.
He stood right in front of me, his voice low and heavy. "Emily, once all this blows over, I swear I'll make it up to you."
William's expression was full of pain, and for a moment, there was even a trace of tenderness in his eyes.
My mind flashed back to the days when William was trying to win me over.
Back then, I wasn't some rising artist with fans online. I was just a broke student living off scholarships.
Because my family barely had anything, I was always wearing that flimsy school uniform, and people loved to mock me as a poor kid.
Some guys thought I was cute and kept trying to get my attention. They'd leave milk and bread on my desk, hoping to get close to me.
But the very next day, they'd come back with a scowl, snatch their stuff away, and start mouthing off about me for everyone to hear.
"So, what if you're pretty and smart? Your mom's always sick, your dad's just busting his back to pay for her medicine, and your family's dirt poor."
"My dad says families like yours are just money pits. Anyone who gets mixed up with you is asking for trouble. I'm not about to get dragged down with you."
When I was young, I always ended up facing random malice from people for no reason.
I resented it. I wanted to argue back, but I knew I couldn't handle what would happen if things got out of hand.
My mom needed her meds every single day, and my dad was working himself to the bone just to keep her alive. I couldn't add to his burden.
So, I just clenched my fists in silence, pretending I didn't see all those mocking looks.
Back then, William had just transferred to our school. He saw what was going on and didn't hesitate. He grabbed his half-finished drink and chucked it right at the guy's head.
William said, his tone dripping with sarcasm, "You know she's pretty and smart, so why are you just setting yourself up for embarrassment?
"Even if Ms. Summers turned you down, you don't have to act all salty about it.
"It's not just that you can't get anywhere near her now. Once she gets into a top university and makes it big, you won't even get a shot at seeing her again."
William scoffed, looking down on him.
The guy's face turned beet red as he glared at William, but realizing he couldn't win, he ran off with his tail between his legs.
With William having my back, none of the other classmates dared to throw those mocking looks at me anymore.
That was the first time anyone had ever stood up for me. I mumbled a quiet thank you, then just quietly went back to my corner and buried myself in my books.
I thought that was the last I'd see of him, but after that day, he'd drop breakfast on my desk every morning.
I never liked accepting things from others, so whenever I tried to return it, he'd just wave me off and say,
"Don't overthink it. These breakfasts aren't free, you know. You're smart. One day, you'll get into a top college, and when you do, come work for my company. That way, I'll get my money's worth," he'd grin, half-teasing, half-serious.