Hello, Ex! I Finally Found My Worth! - Chapter 45

Chapter 45: You Are A Disappointment

Alex smiled, but it was a cold, triumphant one. He took his phone back, navigated to his photos, and held up a picture for Claire to see. It was a snapshot of Jake entering Vanessa’s house late last night after he left.

He had anticipated them meeting either after he left or early this morning, so he had called Mark on his way back to keep an eye on Vanessa, and if Jake didn’t go there or Vanessa didn’t leave the house after midnight, he should return the next morning.

Jake saw the disgust and disappointment glaring at him through Claire’s eyes, and he couldn’t help the beads of sweat tickling down his temple.

“What were you doing at Vanessa’s place at that hour?” Claire asked, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and disappointment.

Jake stammered, his excuses faltering. “I… uh… she called to say she sprained her ankle and as her friend… I had to…. it was just coincidental…”

Claire shook her head, disgusted. “A friend? Checking on her sprained ankle at that hour? I’m very disappointed in you, Jake!” She said, and without wasting any more time, she turned and stormed out of the house.

Jake hesitated, glaring at Alex one last time before following Claire out the door with Margaret trailing behind him.

When the house fell silent, Alex turned to Emma. Her eyes were red and glistening with tears, and she tried, unsuccessfully, to hold back the tears.

Without thinking, Alex stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry for all the distress I’ve caused you,” he said softly.

Emma sobbed quietly into his chest, and he patted her back gently. “I promise I won’t let anyone speak to you that way again—or even try to touch you.”

It took her a moment, but Emma finally pulled back, wiping her face with trembling hands.

It was then they both realized the closeness of the moment, and immediately, awkwardness crept in. They stepped away from each other, avoiding eye contact.

How could he have hugged her that way without thinking? Now, it would look as though he was trying to take advantage of the situation.

What was he thinking? He thought and sighed. He definitely wasn’t thinking. What would she think of him now? Maybe he should just apologize to her?

“Im sorry,” he blurted out, and Emma shook her head.

“It’s okay. I totally understand. I should probably blame myself for crying so much,” she said, trying to ease the tension.

Alex nodded, the tension still hanging thick in the air. Why was she such a crybaby? And how could she let herself be so vulnerable around Alex? Emma thought, wondering how this tension was going to clear.

Thankfully, her phone rang, and Emma sighed inwardly, glad for this distraction. Without even checking to see who the caller was, she received the call. “Hello?”

“Hey, Em,” Ivy’s voice came through, full of concern. “I saw the news. How are you?”

Emma forced a small smile, though her voice betrayed her weariness. “Im fine. You don’t have to worry…..”

“How could I not when your name is being dragged that way? Who even released such news? They should be sued for false allegations,” Ivy fumed, and Emma laughed softly.

“If you think about it, it’s not exactly false allegations,” Emma said, and Ivy narrowed her eyes.

“What do you mean? We both know you didn’t marry Jake for his money, and neither did you tie his uncle down for his money. He approached you, wanting to help,” Ivy said, and Emma sighed.

“I know. Don’t just worry about it. Alex is handling everything. I’m sure he’ll find out who is behind this and punish them accordingly,” Emma said, and Ivy sighed, her worry evident.

“Thank God for him. I hope he sorts it out fast before things spiral even more.”

“He will,” Emma replied with more confidence than she felt. “I trust him.”

“Okay,” Ivy said, though her tone was still laced with worry. “Call me if anything changes, and please take care of yourself. Also, don’t go out yet until everything is settled. I’m sure those hungry, foolish reporters will be waiting to swim you with stupid and incriminating questions just so they could twist the narrative,” she said, and Emma smiled, glad for the care she was receiving from Ivy.

“I will. Thanks, Ivy.” Emma ended the call and took a deep breath.

Alex stepped forward, his voice low but steady. “That was the friend you hung out with the other day?” he asked, and she nodded.

“I guess she’s a good friend, seeing how worried she is about you,” he said and shrugged.

“Ivy has always been a wonderful friend. It was stupid of me to cut her off,” she said, and Alex nodded.

“I’m glad you have her now. And me, too. Thanks for trusting me the way you do. I promise I won’t disappoint you. I’ll handle everything,” he said, looking directly into her green eyes.

Emma gave him a weak smile, brushing the last of her tears away. “Okay,” she said softly. Then, in a brighter tone, she added, “Well, the food’s getting cold. Let’s eat.”

Alex chuckled in amusement at how easily she had switched her mood, but then he hesitated. He had no appetite and a million phone calls to make.

But since he could make her feel bad by saying out loud his worries, he nodded. “Sure.”

Emma gave him a smile as she followed him to the dining. Though she wasn’t in the mood to eat, she needed to so Alex could eat, too. After what happened, who would be in the mood for food?

But again, Alex needed to eat so he could carry on with whatever he had to do to quench this disaster.

As they walked toward the dining table, Alex vowed silently to make good on his promise. No one would hurt her again—not while he was around.