Chapter 25 Don't Appear in Front of Her

Emily watched John leave and headed back to the apartment to tidy up the kitchen.

She had just finished her shower and was about to hit the sack when her phone buzzed. Seeing "Husband" flash on the screen threw her off a bit. That number hardly ever popped up, and she hadn't bothered to change the name.

'James? This late? What's he want now?' Emily thought. She still hadn't figured out how to deal with James, but after a moment's hesitation, she picked up.

On the other end, James sounded annoyed that she took so long to answer. She used to pick up right away.

"Emily, you can't work at VirtualCare Hospital anymore," he snapped.

His voice was low and cold, making Emily's heart race. She asked, her voice trembling, "Why?"

"Because," James paused, like he was choosing his words carefully. "Olivia's at the hospital too. She doesn't want to see you, and I don't want her upset."

Emily's heart sank. "I'm just a nurse. I can avoid her."

"No!"

"Can I switch departments? Or work different hours?" Emily tried to negotiate. "That way, I won't run into Olivia."

James shot down her requests, then reluctantly explained, "Olivia's got severe depression from what happened abroad. She was getting better, but seeing you made her worse. She's in a bad state, and I don't want her stressed out."

'Olivia has depression?' Emily thought, feeling lost. It was understandable that James wanted take care of Olivia, but Emily also had her own dreams. She loved her job. She loved taking care of patients and the busy feeling in the hospital. She didn't want to give it up just like that.

"I didn't do what she said," Emily started to explain, but James cut her off.

"Emily, stop lying! You and others made things hard for Olivia abroad, causing her illness! She even asked me not to trouble you. Don't you feel ashamed?"

Tears welled up in Emily's eyes. Clearly, Olivia was lying and falsely accusing her, and Emily's attempts to explain were being called lies. Was James an idiot? Why did he only believe Olivia and never listen to Emily's side of the story?

With no response from Emily, James's voice grew colder. "For old times' sake, I won't hold it against you, but you have to face the consequences. You must leave the hospital!"

Emily couldn't speak for a long time, biting her lip. With James's influence, it would be too easy for him to make her lose the job. He was a man who wouldn't change his mind. If he was determined to make her leave, there was no room for negotiation.

Her heart ached with every beat.

Hearing Emily's sobs and remembering how pitiful she looked last night, James softened his tone. "Emily, just resign tomorrow. I've already lined up a job for you at the Smith Group. You can be a clerk or switch to another company if you want. You won't lose anything. Just stay out of Olivia's sight, and I'll make sure you get whatever you need."

Emily couldn't help but mock herself for thinking James still cared about her after Olivia came back. "What if I don't agree?"

The line went silent for a moment, then James let out a cold, elegant laugh. His voice was icy. "Emily, your dad called me yesterday. He bought some land in Aurora City, and the project's hit some snags. The workers are demanding compensation, and he wants the Smith Group to step in. If you don't agree to leave VirtualCare Hospital, I'll have to refuse your dad's request."

It was Aiden again.

Emily gripped the phone tightly, disappointment washing over her. She didn't want to resign, didn't want to care about the Johnson Family, didn't want to leave Michael!

But the harsh words brewing in her head turned into a long sigh as she thought, 'I'm still a Johnson. No matter how bad Aiden is, he kept me healthy and fed. Plus, there's Ava's share in the Johnson Group. I can't let her hard work go to waste.'

"I understand," Emily said, her heart heavy with sadness. "I don't need you to find me a job. I'll handle it myself. I'll leave tomorrow."

With that, Emily hung up on James for the first time.

She sat on the edge of the bed, tears silently falling. All she wanted was to live a good life and do the job she loved, but even that had become a luxury. It was as if fate had pushed her hard, turning her into a puppet toyed with by life, making her fall into a situation she had never anticipated.

What were her dreams and hopes? Just things that others could take away at will.

At the Smith Villa, James stared at his phone, unable to calm down. Even when Emily was angry, her voice had no real threat, only making people want to push her more.

He put away his phone and looked at the living room, where Olivia was in a session with a family doctor. Confusion filled his heart. For the first time, he didn't know what the right thing to do was.

He didn't want to trouble Emily like that. It felt despicable, and he hated admitting he'd use such means against her, especially since Emily was Michael's mother.

Whenever he thought of Emily's tear-streaked, beautiful face, he felt a deep sadness. If it weren't for Olivia's poor condition, he wouldn't have gone such length. But the woman he loved most now was Olivia, and he had to be responsible for her, regardless of anything else.

The psychologist came out, and James shook off his confusion, walking in to meet Olivia's smile.