Chapter 5
Sophie brought up something else.
"Oh, and did you hear? Something went down at the wedding," she said.
"What happened?" I asked.
"Someone sent an entire truckload of white chrysanthemums to the hotel, each flower tied with a bright red ribbon that read, 'Wishing you a lifetime together.' The whole lobby was covered in them, guests walked in and were left speechless," Sophie said.
I paused.
"Who the hell pulled that off?" I asked.
"No idea. But it wasn't me," Sophie said with a laugh. "Honestly, he had it coming."
I stayed quiet. If it's got nothing to do with me, I don't even waste a thought on it.
Time flew by.
On the day Emma was born, I was all alone at a private hospital in Amberville.
Sophie took time off work and flew over to support me during labor.
The operating room doors swung open, and a nurse came out holding a tiny baby.
Sophie took the baby, glanced at her, then turned to me with a complicated look on her face.
"Rae, she really looks like Michael," Sophie said.
I sat up in bed and reached out to take the baby.
The little one had her eyes closed, her tiny fists clenched tight.
"So what if she does? She's a Lane, not a Shaw," I said.
Sophie leaned in to get a better look. "Got a name picked out?"
"Emma. Emma Lane," I replied.
"That's a nice name," Sophie said.
Emma grew up day by day.
My company was growing day by day, too.
By the third year, we landed our first big order, and profits tripled.
By the fifth year, our new factory in Amberville was up and running, and we expanded from medical devices to biopharmaceuticals.
By the seventh year, our annual revenue had surpassed 270 million dollars.
Meanwhile, back in Briarton, I was the "ex-wife who vanished" to everyone I used to know. No one had a clue where I was, what I was doing, or how I was getting by.
Most people probably assumed I was living off the small share of assets I got from the divorce, barely getting by in some random little town.
After all, in their minds, I was a housewife who never held a real job.
Michael would never have guessed. Life hasn't treated him well these past seven years.
Sophie would occasionally bring it up.
"Looks like your ex-husband's bid to become hospital director fell through," Sophie said.
"Not my problem," I replied.
"Word is, Claire's the one who dragged him down. She got into a fight with someone in her department, and it blew up all the way to the hospital administration. It messed up Michael's evaluation," Sophie explained.
"Oh," I said.
"You really don't want to hear more?" Sophie asked.
"Nope," I replied.
I flipped open the contract in front of me, not even looking up.
It had been seven years. I thought I'd never see him ever again.
But fate never plays by anyone's rules.
The month Emma turned six, the Amberville Medical Charity Gala was held.
My company was one of the sponsors for the event.
The organizers sent the invitation to my office ahead of time.
That night, I was planning to take Emma out for pizza, but my secretary, Helen, said, "Ms. Lane, this dinner is a big deal. A bunch of CEOs from publicly traded companies will be there. Showing up could really help with next year's bidding."
After weighing it for a moment, I figured Helen was right. "Okay, I'll go," I said.