Chapter 19
Those words hit Emery like a thunderclap, leaving him fazen to the spot!!
His mind went utterly blank, every thought screeching to a hat, and all he could do was echo them in a dazel
Flance?
Adene met his shocked, disbelieving stare and gave a small, deliberate nod. Then she turned to the crowd and called out a name
Pearson
No sooner had she spoken than the man who’d been so cocky just a moment ago suddenly softened, peeking his head out with wide, almost innocent eyes
“Alene, you’re back already?‘
Arlene could hear the quilt tucked beneath his casual greeting!!.
She had a hundred questions for him, but now wasn’t the time. She forced herself to set them aside and beckoned him over with a wave
Pearson humed to her side without hesitation, reaching out to help her down from the flowerbed, his movements practiced and gentle.
Watching the easy intimacy between them–the way they fit together so naturally–something in Emery’s stunned expression finally began to crack
He clenched his fists light, staning in disbelief at their entwined fingers, his voice rising, sharp and desperate.
This guy is your fan?”
Arlene turned Pearson’s hand over in hers, letting the sunlight glint off the matching rings on their fingers.!! Is there a problem?
Her casual tone was like gasoline on Emery’s anger.
“We’ve boon divorced less than a week!“2
Arlene glanced at him, her voice as calm as ever
“Let me correct you. Including the mandatory reflection period, it’s been thirtyfive days.”
That left Emery speechless.
He’d spent these last days poring over the divorce agreement at his lawyer’s office searching for any loophole!
But after a dozen top attomeys had gone through it, they’d found nothing.
Hed even tried contacting Arlene’s lawyer, hoping to negotiate, to persuade them to void the agreement.
But her side wouldn’t budge. If he wouldn’t agree to an amicable divorce, they’d take it straight to court.
Emery knew that was Arlene’s doing!!
If you want out of the trap, you have to untie the knot yourself
So he’d forced himself to pull it together chasing her all the way overseas.
Hed convinced himself that once he found her if he just humbled himself and apologized, reminded her of their five years together, she’d soften and come back to hime
Reality though, had slapped him hard in the face
He never imagined that, barely days after their divorce, she’d accept another man’s proposal
He stared at Pearson’s face, and suddenly memones he’d buried came flooding back–photos on social media, a man down on one knee, a woman with a silhouette Just like Arlene’s
Only now did Emery realize he’d already seen the video of their engagement-
But at the time, he’d still been busy flirting with Rosalie, completely oblivious to the fact that Arlene had already made up her mind to leave
All at once, the pain he’d been trying to ignow surged back, drowning out the last flicker of hope he’d been clinging to.
He met Arlene’s gaze–cold, and utterly devoid of affection–and the bitterness in his voice was unmistakable as he finally asked,
“Are you with him just to get back at me, Arlene?‘
Hearing this, Pearson’s eyes flickered briefly as he tumed to look at her!
Faced with the weight of their expectant, searching stores, Arlene didn’t so much as flinch
After all, she already had her answer prepared
