Chapter 53

The atmosphere was charged with hostility as Will drove. Emma waited for some kind of explanation from him, but he offered none. When she couldn’t take his silence anymore, she decided to get the explanation she deserved on her own.

​ “What was all that about? You said you had more important things to do tonight, that you weren’t my doting boyfriend. Then you show up and put on that show and announce our engagement like that?” Will didn’t answer her. “Say something!”

​ “You shouldn’t have been all over that guy. We’re about to get married, and I walk in to find some random man practically on top of you.” His eyes never strayed from the road and his voice was clipped and measured.

​ “You aren’t serious. You want to talk about me when I know you’re still seeing other women? How could be so hypocritical? You can’t ask me to do something if you’re not going to abide by your own rules. Since we started,” her hands flailed, gesturing between them. “whatever this is, no one else has touched me! At least with my permission.”

​ Will flinched at her last few words. The scars left behind by Maurice’s attack may have healed, but they would always be visible.

​ “And besides,” she continued. “This is a marriage of convenience. A business marriage. You don’t love me. You don’t want to be with me, so why can’t I talk to people who do enjoy my company.” Emma was fuming. Her aggravation with Will had been building, and he was going to get to a verbal lashing. “And another thing! Spencer is a friend. I met him at the design contest, which you also cared nothing about, and he is an important contact. All we have ever talked about is architecture. He is important for my future. Like a mentor.”

​ “The only future you should be worried about is being a high society wife for the next 12 months.”

​ “My life does not belong to you!” she shouted at him. Will was unmoved by her outburst, but his control was wavering.

​ “You will be my wife for at least a year. So yes, it does.”

​ “You’ll be my husband for the next year. Or did you forget that part? This works both ways!”

​ “You took sex off the table.”

​ “I took sex with me off the table! I’m not having sex with me or anyone! He is my friend!”

​ “Then why did he ask you out?”

​ Emma’s mouth fell open by no sound came out. His question doused the flames of her anger and raised confusion. Was this about more than him being controlling over her? Was he jealous? Before she could ask him, her phone rang. Sabrina’s name flashed across the screen, and Emma cringed. It was time to come clean to her friend.

​ “Hey,” she answered.

​ “Don’t you ‘hey’ me, Emma Skye Wells! What just happened? Why did Will say he was your fiancé? And then cart you off like that? I knew there was something strange going on between you two!”

​ “Please, I can explain,” Emma said, stopping Sabrina’s tirade train.

​ “Oh my God, you’re pregnant,” she gasped.

​ “No! No. It’s not that. So, we are engaged…”

​ “Emma, why on Earth would marry that son of a—”

​ “It sort of just… happened? Everything has just sort blown up in my face.” She heard Will chuckle next to her and she shot him a dirty look. “I’ve been dying to tell you, but things are really complicated.”

​ “Is that why you’ve been so off lately?” Sabrina’s anger was replaced with concern.

​ “Partly. I can’t tell you everything now. This is definitely not a phone conversation. But I promise, I will explain everything as soon as I can. Is that okay?” Emma waited for Sabrina to respond. She deserved every bit of Sabrina’s disdain for lying. And she was prepared to receive it.

​ “Em,” Sabrina deflated. “Of course, that’s okay. Am I mad you didn’t tell me? Yes. But I know that you would have if you felt you could. All that matters to me is that you’re okay. And you tell that bastard that if he ever harms you at all, I’ll kill him and make it look like an accident.”

​ “Thank you,” Emma giggled. “The wedding is coming up pretty soon. Will you be one of my maid of honor?”

​ “I damn sure will! The next beat down was for you, if you didn’t ask.”

​ “I want Jess to be my bridesmaid. Have you heard from her? This disappearing stint is longer than her usual ones. I tried to call her, but her number is disconnected.”

​ “Oh,” Sabrina’s tone changed from playful to somber. “She’s fine. She’s out of town and most likely won’t be back in time. But she’d fine. Don’t worry about it. The only thing you need to worry about right now is your wedding and wrangling that husband of yours.”

​ Emma laughed, but a feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that something was wrong with Jess. She couldn’t shake the it. Jess would fall off the face of the earth every now and then, but never this long.

​ “Really, Emma,” Sabrina continued, sensing Emma’s apprehension. “It’s fine. Now, I know all about that asshat fiancé of yours and his womanizer reputation. I made Alex tell me. I will 100% murder him if he harms you in anyway.”

​ “I know you will.”

​ “We’ll talk soon?”

​ “I promise.”

​ They hung up, and Emma felt a slight weight lifted from her. It wasn’t how she intended for her best friend to find out about everything, but the air would be clear around them soon and that’s really what mattered. Emma realized they were pulling up on their building. Instead of pulling into the parking garage, he stopped in front of the building.

​ “What are you doing?” she asked.

​ “Who were you talking to?”

​ “This again?” Emma rolled her eyes and moved to get out of the car.

​ “Who were you talking to?” he repeated, grabbing her wrist.

​ “It was Sabrina! Why are you afraid I’m sleeping with her too?”

​ “Don’t test me, Emma.”

​ “Please. I’m not like you. Now let me go.” She wrenched her wrist away from him and got out of the car. As she expected, he didn’t get out. He drove away into the night.

​ *Typical,* she thought. That’s how he handled their arguments. He would drop her off and drive away. She stood outside the building, in her fabulous dress lamenting the wonderful night that had been stolen from her by Vivian, then Will. She stomped inside.

​ Will came home late that night, but refused to speak to him. In fact, they didn’t speak to each other for almost a week.

​ Emma had greater things to be concerned with besides Will’s sullen attitude. The wedding was approaching, and she also graduating. Despite Sabrina’s rampant protests, Emma decided not to attend the ceremony. No one would be there for her. Her father wasn’t well enough to attend so there was no reason to go. She would rather spend her time finessing her submission for the final of the design contest.

​ The campus was buzzing with energy as people hugged each other goodbye, and prepared for their next steps into the world. Emma thought of her dorm room and how it held both great and painful memories. In the end, it had served her as a sanctuary. It was the only place she could escape to. Leaving it would be bittersweet. She would have no escape now. She would have to face the world head on, but she felt she was ready.

​ The resident hall was overrun with people clearing out their rooms. As she walked in, she saw Vivian lugging a box. *Not now. I don’t have the energy for this.* She prepared herself for another tongue lashing from Vivian. But nothing came. Her former roommate glared at her. Mascara ran down her face as though she had been crying. Vivian shoved passed her but said nothing. That was out of character for her. Emma was stunned, but decided to count her blessings and take that as a sign of a great day.

​ Everyone greeted her in the hall with much enthusiasm. People complimented her, congratulated her on finishing top of the class, and on her engagement. These were the very people who shunned her and helped to spread those horrible rumors about her just a few months ago. What had changed? *You’re marrying a billionaire. That’s what changed.* It was disgusting. Now that she was the future Mrs. Stewart, people wanted to garner her favor. *People suck.*

​ As she neared her room, two girls were gossiping about someone. She heard them mentioned her name, and then Vivian’s, so she decided to stop.

​ “What about me and Vivian?” she asked. They were startled and apologized.

​ “Please don’t misunderstand. We weren’t speaking ill of you at all!”

​ “Right. We were talking about how you and Vivian used to be roommates. And then how she did all of those horrible things to you.”

​ “Yeah, she’s probably regretting it now. Especially since she’s not being allowed to graduate.”

​ “What?” Emma was shocked. “What do you mean?”

​ The girls seemed pleased to be the one to deliver the news to Emma.

​ “Didn’t you hear? Someone sent an anonymous message to the dean. They had all kinds of evidence of Vivian cheating in her courses, bullying, sexual harassment, you name it.”

​ “Yeah. And so, they launched an investigation and every allegation turned out to be true. All sorts of photos, videos and letters were sent in. She was involved in all kinds of sexual relationships and some of them were inappropriate. Not only can she not graduate, but she’s been expelled from campus.”

​ Emma felt conflicted. Vivian was a horrible person, but did she deserve to be punished to this extent? The violations against the university were definitely enough, but what she did in her private life shouldn’t have had any bearings on the decision.

​ “Who exposed her?” Emma asked.

​ “You really don’t know?” one of them asked. Both of them were surprised by Emma’s reaction.

​ “They say it was an anonymous source, but everyone knows it was William Stewart.”

​ “What an amazing fiancé,” the other one sighed. “Rumor is that he was here late the night of the dance, after he announced your engagement and asked around about Vivian. He collected testimonies from a bunch of people here on campus. Mostly about how she treated you and essentially stalked you. Then, along with all the other evidence he has already collected demanded an emergency meeting with the university officials.”

​ “I wish someone would defend me like that. I’m so jealous.”

​ The girls walked away after having dropped that bomb on her. Emma was convinced that Will was still sleeping with Vivian, but now she had to rethink everything she thought she knew. Never in a million years would she think Will would go to such lengths for her.

​ “Well,” she murmured to herself as she packed up her room. “He destroyed Maurice’s company and reputation for me.” Whenever she thought she had him figured out, he did something crazy to throw her off. “Maybe he does care about me.”