Chapter 65

Conrad’s funeral was massive. Emma and Will were wiped out physically from moving. Conrad had given them his home, and Will made arrangements for them to move in as soon as possible. Every important person the city attended, as well as the press. Will had closed all offices of Stewart Industries for the occasion so that the employees would be able to attend.

​ Emma stood at his side, greeting guests as they walked inside the funeral home.

​ “Thank you for coming,” Will said robotically as people walked past him. Even as Alex and Sabrina walked in, he didn’t seem to notice them. Emma did her best to be the dutiful, supportive wife. She was worried about him. All he did was work. Meals went untouched, and he wasn’t sleeping. He looked worn and thin, like he could fall over at any moment. When her mother died, she was young. But losing someone you love hurts at any age.

​ There was nothing she could do for him. He refused to cry, or talk about it. He was drowning in his grief and she couldn’t help. All she could do was be present for him.

​ “Thank you for coming,” Will said to another guest without looking up.

​ “Will,” Emma placed her hand on his chest. She could feel his heart hammering away, but his face gave nothing away. “That was the last guest. We have to go inside.”

​ “Right,” he answered. There was no melody in his voice. Will didn’t move. Emma took his hand and led him inside. Paparazzi snapped photos of them as they walked towards the front. Emma hated that they were there. They were nothing but predatory, opportunistic buzzards that thrived off of people’s private suffering. But she knew she couldn’t do anything about them. She wouldn’t cause a scene at Conrad’s funeral.

​ Will and Emma took their place and the service began. People around them cried. Some reached over to them, lamenting Conrad’s loss. Emma thanked them in Will’s place. She was positive that he hadn’t heard a single word of the service. He stared ahead; his eyes glistened with unshed tears.

​ After the service, Conrad’s body was laid to rest next to his beloved wife. People began to leave, again giving their condolences to Will. Will’s parents walked up to them, and Emma felt Will’s body stiffened beside her.

​ “What are you doing here?” Will asked.

​ “He was my father,” Franklin answered. “And we figured you’d be hurting.”

​ “Oh, now you care about me? Great timing.”

​ “Will…” his mother reached towards him. The usual bitter look on face had softened.

​ “Get away from me,” he stepped away from her. “I know what you really want. It’s the only reason you’re here, pretending to care about each other, or me.”

​ “Son—” Franklin implored.

​ “The last person would call me that is gone. Now stay away from me before I have you kicked out. Will stormed past them, and Emma scurried behind him.

​ “Will?” Emma touched his back. “Please talk to me.”

​ “I just need to be alone right now,” he said facing away from her.

​ “But...”

​ “Emma, please,” his voice broke. “I can’t do this right now. I need to be alone. For a little while. I’ll have Jack take you home.”

​ “Okay,” Emma was deflated. He was in so much pain, and she couldn’t do anything for him. “I’ll go.”

​ “See you at home.” Will waited for Emma to walk away before getting his own ride. He had the driver take him to a wooded area behind his grandfather’s home. He hadn’t been there since he was a child. There was a large, old mulberry tree back there. High in its branches was a tree house. It was his secret place. It was where he went when he needed to be weak. He was much too big for it now, but being near it was enough.

​ No one would judge him there.

​ “Pop,” Will let a small sob escape. “How am I supposed to do this? How can I be the man you think I am?” He allowed himself a small moment to be weak. The tears he’d been holding back for a week burst forward, and William Stewart cried. He felt a release, like being cured from some kind of poison. The weight he’d been carrying inside his heart, while it would never leave him, seemed easier to bear. He heard someone walking towards him, and he quickly wiped his tears away.

​ “Emma, I said…” he turned around. It wasn’t Emma coming towards him. It was Grace. Before he could say anything else, she ran towards him, and hugged him tight. Will was vulnerable, and wasn’t thinking when he hugged her back.

​ “He’s really gone,” he whispered, not wanting to cry anymore.

​ “I know. I’m sorry,” she said into his chest. Will pulled away from her, not wanting to give into his emotions anymore. “Why are you here?”

​ “Because I know you. I knew you’d come here to be alone. This was your safe place.”

​ “I didn’t think anyone knew about this place.”

​ “No one knows you better than I do. We’ve been inseparable since we were kids. Remember when your grandfather took us to the mountains?” she giggled.

​ “You mean that time you almost drowned?”

​ “He saved me, but then chastised you for not saving me? He said, ‘young man, you must learn to dominate water’.”

​ “He got me swimming lessons right after that,” Will chuckled. “Then he would push me into the pool every chance he got. He laughed so hard whenever I’d get mad at him.”

​ “And then,” Grace laughed. “You got him back.”

​ “Yeah. God, he was pissed. He was wearing one of his favorite suits. I thought he was going to punish me. But then he took me to his office and congratulated me for getting back him. ‘Good job, my boy,’ he said. ‘You’ve bested me’.”

​ “And the time he bought us an ice cream truck!”

​ “You remember that?”

​ “Of course. Conrad was like my grandfather too. He always thought we’d be together.”

​ Will’s smile faded at her remark.

​ “Yeah, he did. Hey, thanks for… for this,” he said to her. “I have to get back home.”

​ “Right. To your wife,” Grace said. They walked back towards the front of the house, where the driver waited. Unknown to them, paparazzi were hiding in the bushes, and snapped a photo of Will and Grace tangled in an embrace.

​ Meanwhile, back at the apartment, Emma paced back and forth worried for Will.

​ “I shouldn’t have listened to him. I shouldn’t have left him alone. I’m going to call him,” she argued with herself. She pulled her phone from her bag, and a call from Sabrina was coming through.

​ “Hel—” Emma started to greet her friend, but Sabrina’s voice was loud and angry on the other end.

​ “I am about ready to murder that piece of shit husband of yours!” she seethed.

​ “Babe, calm down,” Emma heard Alex’s voice in the background.

​ “Boy, tell me to calm down one more time and you are next in line!” Sabrina yelled at her boyfriend.

​ “Whoa, slow down. Where is this coming from?” Emma was blindsided by Sabrina’s outburst.

​ “Do you know where he is?”

​ “He sent me home after the funeral. You saw him. He was a mess.”

​ “Well, he seems fine now! Check your social media. His stupid ass is trending, and not for being a grieving grandson!”

​ Emma opened her social media and the first article she saw was, “William Stewart seen after his grandfather’s funeral with mystery woman.”

​ “No,” Emma whispered. “He wouldn’t.”

​ “Oh, he would. And he did! Recognize the bitch in that picture? Take a good look.”

​ Emma looked at the photo and felt all of her blood drain from her face. It was Grace.