Chapter 116 Rats in the Gutter
A shadow of sadness crossed Emily's face.
She knew time could erode all things. She also knew that the Samuel from her past had never truly loved her – it was just a fleeting affection. Yet, every woman wishes to be the most important, the most unforgettable to someone. And now, she had to come to terms with being replaced by another.
Emily felt like someone who had lived in the darkness at the bottom of a well, surviving on a mere sliver of light. But now, even that sliver was about to be snatched away from her. Life had lost all its meaning.
"Is that sadness I see on your face?" Jovan asked with a mocking smile. "After all these years, you still can't forget about that bastard?"
He was irritated but not truly jealous. Any jealousy stemmed from his unwillingness to lose to someone he considered of lower status.
"No, it's you now," Emily reminded herself more than him, resigning to her fate. She couldn't lie to him about loving him.
"Good, just give up already. Any ties with that bastard lead nowhere but death. Just like her!" He coldly glanced at the third floor, put out his cigarette, and headed upstairs.
Emily forced a sorrowful smile.
...
Back in her room, Layla's tears were on the brink of spilling out. Fear and a sense of injustice overwhelmed her.
The scene from earlier had left a permanent shadow on her life. The echoes of Emily's pained moans and Jovan's heavy breathing still lingered in her ears, nearly making her sick.
She grabbed a pillow, imagining it was Jovan, and pummeled it furiously, venting her frustrations alone because that was all she could do. She couldn't even protect herself, let alone save someone else.
She was still waiting to be saved.
"Samuel, when will you come... I can't hold on much longer..." Layla collapsed onto the bed, curling up with the pillow tightly embraced, seeking a trace of warmth, whimpering.
...
"Don't—don't touch her!" Layla jolted awake from a nightmare, with a bright light stabbing at her eyes.
Dawn had broken.
The woman from last night was standing before her.
"Ah," Layla shrank back in fright. "You... how come you're here?"
Her sudden presence at the bedside, who knew how long she had stood there, was quite terrifying.
"Relax, I won't hurt you," Emily said calmly.
She just wanted to know what Samuel liked about her. Layla's frightened and defenseless look was pitiable, the kind that awakened a man's protective instincts. Was that what Samuel liked about her?
Layla believed Emily wouldn't harm her and even felt sympathy for her situation, but she also thought that being tormented by someone like Jovan could make anyone a bit off-kilter. Otherwise, why would she stand silently at the side of her bed?
Layla felt both compassion and caution toward her.
"Could you...could you help me? Let me call Samuel, have him come to rescue us, and you too," she tentatively proposed, "You can't go on being tortured by that sicko Jovan."
Emily offered a bitter smile. "I'm beyond saving."
"How can that be? Leave him, start fresh, you're still so young..."
"The road I chose is mine alone to travel," Emily said indifferently, "You'd better save yourself."
Her gaze dropped to Layla's midsection. "Get rid of the baby."
A chill ran through Layla, accompanied by a touch of hostility toward Emily. "Did Jovan send you to talk me into this?"
"He did not. I'm looking out for you. It was you who implored me to start over, but in truth, it's you who needs to begin anew. The Holland family recognizes only Nora, and you and I are forever outsiders. I've been with Jovan for years, never daring to dream of becoming Mrs. Holland.”
"You might have given up on yourself," said Layla, her hand protectively covering her belly, her eyes resolute with determination, "but I refuse to do the same. I will do everything in my power to protect my child from any harm."
With a slight chuckle, Emily replied, "I was once naïve like you. Look where it got me. To the Hollands, you're just an ant they could crush with a flick of a finger. There's no defying them."
"Even if it's impossible, I'll fight back with every last breath I have. Don't spout that insincere 'I'm doing this for you' nonsense. You're a woman too. Could you bring yourself to harm your own child if someone demanded it?" Layla countered, "I may be weak, but as a mother, I must be strong."
Emily hadn't expected such stubborn resistance from someone so young. She thought Layla would break down in tears, but she didn't.
Could Samuel possibly admire this about her?
Emily spent a night tormented by an aching, suffocating guilt. She advised Layla to abort the baby partly for her sake, yet deep down, she envied that Layla could carry Samuel's child and intensely resented the baby's existence.
"You'll regret not listening to my advice," she warned.
"Never will I regret," stated Layla with finality. A mother never regrets protecting her own child.
"Let's go down for breakfast," said Emily, turning to leave.
Layla had not removed her makeup from the previous night, nor had she changed out of her evening dress. As she got out of bed, a servant came in with a beautiful skirt for her.
She wiped her face clean of the makeup and descended the stairs barefaced.
Emily couldn't help but admit that youth was indeed a woman's greatest asset. At twenty, Layla's skin was so tender and soft. Her fair complexion glowed even in stress. In contrast, at twenty-eight, Emily looked worn and fatigued, unable to hide the signs of a sleepless night, even beneath expensive foundation.
She sipped her soup discontentedly.
Layla ate her fried eggs with great appetite. No matter her lack of appetite, she knew she needed to nourish herself. She couldn't be a burden when Samuel came to rescue her.
"Have you turned into a pig? You're eating so much," Jovan said in the morning, sipping his glass of red wine and eyeing her with disdain.
Layla ignored him as if he were nothing more than an annoying mosquito.
"Am I talking to a wall here, or are you just deaf?"
"Hello!"
"Don't you get it? Silence means I don't want to deal with you!" Layla snapped back, clearly annoyed. Clueless!
Emily felt a shiver run down her spine. How could she talk back to Jovan like that?
To her surprise, Jovan didn't seem angry. Instead, his smile had a mocking edge. "Someone's fiery this morning," he said coolly, "but I like that in a bodyguard. You know, I've never tried a threesome before... today seems like a good day to start."
Emily's face turned pale—they couldn't possibly be considering...
She trembled with fear yet remained silent. What else could she do but comply, even if it tormented her more than death itself?
Jovan went on, detailing the raunchy plans for the threesome, his words becoming more explicit by the second...
Bang! Suddenly, there was a loud noise.
Layla slammed her utensils down, unable to contain her loathing any longer. " Samuel, you're a sick freak—a bottom-dweller!" she cursed. "You're twisted, like a rat in the gutter so vile that the mere idea of touching you makes me want to throw up. Don't you dare think I'll ever cater to you."
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