Chapter 3

Benjamin's tall frame blocked my way, his presence overwhelming.

He frowned, and his tone was laced with mockery. "How did you end up like this after just three years?"

Emily recognized me and walked over, her hand resting lightly on his arm, her eyes brimming with smug satisfaction.

"Benjamin, she's just talking business. Why are you butting in?" Emily said, her voice sweet but with a hint of mockery.

Their intimate act wiped away any secret delight I'd felt.

Benjamin clicked his tongue. "If I hadn't shown up, were you gonna sleep with that guy?"

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. It felt like all the love and admiration I'd once had for him were nothing but a joke now.

I looked up at him, totally lost.

Just as our eyes locked, a gunshot shattered the silence.

In the chaos, I saw Benjamin grab Emily and bolt for the door.

Whatever hope I had left was crumbling away, piece by piece.

I didn't have time to think. I just followed the crowd, running for the exit.

In my panic, I twisted my ankle in my heels and stumbled, grabbing onto a nearby marble pillar to steady myself.

The cold marble dug painfully into my palm.

The chaos and screams behind me felt muffled and distant, as if separated by a thick wall, while my heart thundered in my ears.

The crystal chandeliers in the party hall swayed violently after the gunshot. The refracted light was so harsh that I couldn't keep my eyes open.

The air was thick with a strange mix of perfume, alcohol, and gunpowder.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down, and used the pillar to steady myself as I slowly stood upright.

My eyes instinctively followed the direction where Benjamin and Emily had disappeared.

Their figures were already swallowed up by the panicked crowd, leaving nothing but a hasty, resolute silhouette in their wake.

It was like a sharp knife, cutting open the calm I'd tried so hard to find.

I looked down at my sprained ankle. It was already swollen and red.

This whole mess just made my already crappy situation even worse.

I still hadn't figured out what to do with all that unsold stock, and now I was caught up in this chaos.

Guess even my last hope for a partnership was about to slip away.

I let out a bitter laugh and hobbled toward the quieter side door, wincing with every step.

Just as I reached the side corridor, hurried footsteps echoed behind me.

I thought it was one of the panicked guests, so I instinctively sped up, but someone grabbed my wrist again.

This time, the grip was even tighter than before, making it impossible to break free.

I spun around and found myself staring into Benjamin's deep, unreadable eyes.

His breathing was uneven, and the collar of his black shirt was slightly open.

His usually neat hair was now messy from the wind.

Emily wasn't with him. He was alone and bathed in the dim glow of the streetlights outside.

He radiated a kind of anxious energy I'd never seen in him before.

"Why are you running?" Benjamin's voice was even rougher than earlier, with a hint of breathlessness. "You twisted your ankle and didn't even do anything about it?"

I tried to yank my hand free, but he just held on tighter.

"Mr. Pierce, we're divorced now. You don't need to worry about me anymore," I said.

I made sure to stress "Mr. Pierce," just to remind him that we were no longer husband and wife.

The pain in my ankle kept pulsing, and after what I'd just witnessed, my heart felt sour and bitter.

I just wanted to get out of this suffocating place as soon as possible.

But Benjamin acted like he didn't hear a word I said. He bent down, reaching for my ankle.

I shrank back in shock, and his hand froze in mid-air, his frown deepening.

*****

"The house in Ncouauck," Benjamin suddenly broke the silence in the car. "I had it redone. If you don't like it, you can always move somewhere else."

I paused, turning to look at him. He kept his eyes on the road, his profile hard and distant.

"No need. It's fine as it is," I replied, my voice flat.

"And about the company shares," he added, "you need to keep that ten percent. It's yours."

"I said I don't want it," I snapped, my patience running out. "Benjamin, we're divorced now. Can you stop messing with me? Aren't you set on marrying Emily? Just go be good to her and stop dragging me into this, alright?"

Benjamin's grip on the steering wheel tightened, his knuckles turning white.

He glanced at me, his eyes complicated. "So, you really want me to marry her?"

There was a hint of hurt in his voice, barely noticeable.

My heart gave a little jolt, and I turned away, staring out the window. "That's your choice. It has nothing to do with me."

Yeah, it had nothing to do with me anymore. Three years of waiting, and it all turned out to be for nothing.

All my love and my passion were long gone.

Now, I just wanted to live quietly, clean up the mess at home, and forget Benjamin ever existed.

When he was about to leave after he sent me to my place, I called out, "Benjamin". He turned to face me. "Emily... Is she alright?"

Just asking that made my chest tighten painfully, like someone was squeezing my heart.

Benjamin's eyes flickered, and he went quiet for a few seconds before finally saying, "She's fine."

"That's good," I nodded, managing a smile. "Hope you two find happiness."

Benjamin looked at me for a long moment, then turned and walked away without another word.

The second the door shut, the smile just dropped off my face.

The tears came, no matter how hard I tried to hold them back. I buried my face in my hands, shaking all over.

God, Nora, you were so useless. Why were you still sad about it?

Benjamin, I really did hope you were happy.