Ex husband's Plea for Forgiveness

"How about next time? I’ll take you to your favorite restaurant then." Despite his words, Jonas's tone sounded noncommittal, and it irked Emily.

She pasted a smile on her face and tried to temper her simmering anger. "I’m sorry. I realize I must have taken too much of your time lately. Please go ahead and deal with whatever you need to deal with. I can handle myself."

Jonas could see that her smile was a little forced, and he felt a small pang of guilt. It soon disappeared in a flash, however, and he hurried out of the room.

Emily walked to the window and watched as his car zoomed out of the garage and disappeared in the hot sun.

"Miss Bai, are we continuing with your practice?" It was the coach, who had been in the room for a few moments now. When he first entered, he had found Miss Bai all by herself. He had looked around, confused and unsure what to do, and finally broke the silence when it seemed like his client had no plans to play any more billiards that day.

"No, I’m feeling rather unwell. Maybe next time." Emily had a hard, cold expression on her face, and she didn’t bother to look at the coach as she addressed him.

The poor man briefly wondered at the stark contrast between the image of this actress onscreen and the way she was acting in person. Oh well, she did say she wasn’t feeling well; perhaps that was all there was to it.

"Understood, Miss Bai. Next time you come here, please look for me." With that, the coach left the room, and thought nothing more of his encounter with Emily.

Jonas drove home at full speed, and his tires screeched on the mansion’s driveway as he stepped on the brakes. He got out of the car in a hurry and stalked into his wife’s villa.

Melinda was lounging on the couch watching a show, and she glanced at him only briefly as he entered the living room. He paused in the act of taking off his coat. ‘That’s it? Not even a greeting?’

He rushed back home eager to see his wife; it never occurred to him that she might not share his excitement at finally being together. A heavy lump of disappointment lodged at his throat, but he swallowed it down.

"What are you watching?" he asked casually as he plopped beside her on the couch. The moment he came close, though, Melinda’s face wrinkled into a frown.

She turned to give him a look, sniffed once, and then pushed him away with force. "Get away from me."

He could only gape at her in confusion. He could see the anger flashing in her eyes, but could find no explanation to it. He had done nothing but sit next to her, and he was sure there was nothing wrong with that.

Seeing his puzzled face, Melinda correctly assumed that her husband thought himself without fault whatsoever. It only served to fuel her anger even further.

She knew that scent. It was so overpowering that it made a mark in her memory. Besides, it was associated with one of the top candidates as the bane of her existence, so of course she would know that scent anywhere.

It was Emily’s perfume.

Even after pushing her husband away, with several feet separating them, the cloying scent of the other woman permeated the space.

"You were with Emily today," Melinda stated with conviction. She wasn’t asking him anything; she was citing facts out loud. "And you have been with her these past few days."

A flicker of surprise rose in Jonas's eyes, but he didn’t seem much bothered by what she said. In his mind, he remained innocent—he had done nothing wrong with Emily after all.

things. He felt a ridiculous tingle of excitement at the prospect. He would consider this a victory of sorts, no matter how little it

out in a sudden, smug smile as he replied to her in a calm manner. "Yes, I have been talking to Emily a lot lately. Don’t think too much

immediately assumed it was because he was talking about his childhood friend. 'This idiot must think the people around him

wanted to lash out at Jonas, she was very tired. These

all her attention. But then her face changed, and while he could not tell for certain what her expression meant, he was sure it wasn’t out of

from the sofa as she asked him, and in spite of her soft, homey clothes, she looked every bit as

him, and Jonas could not muster a word. After a beat of silence, she flashed him a mocking smirk. "Well it seems that

to declare such professions and

forget of course. How could he forget anything when he obviously

helpless and unsure, but Melinda was beyond angry now, and she was done excusing him for all the pain he

a loss. He always found himself caught between countless contradicting opinions when it came to Emily. He could see that his wife was visibly mad

you said you would cut all ties between you, and yet you still keep seeing her. You made a promise, Jonas! Or maybe it’s just

much or speaking too loudly. Her mouth felt dry after her tirade, and she swallowed a couple of times

and poured her a glass of water. He handed it to her and she accepted it without a word, downing the whole drink in

as she looked at her empty glass, she realized she accepted something her husband offered even though she was still angry

room to stop the couple from fighting. When she arrived at the doorway, however, it didn’t seem like Jonas and Melinda were at each other’s throats like before. Instead, a heavy, pregnant silence hung in the room. She felt like she shouldn’t intrude, and hurried back to her

taking a deep breath. "I think what you’re misunderstanding

to breach this talk with his wife, but in recent days, as he met with Emily, he found her to be simple and positive. There were no signs at all of her being the cunning

he would have admitted that there was a part of him that refused to accept that his childhood playmate had a calculating

question, Melinda felt utterly defeated. That was the last straw. She felt her hands growing

against Jonas's head in hopes that he might wake up from the delusions that Emily spun around him. She was misunderstanding Emily,

have in abundance at the moment is clarity. And one thing has become very starkly clear to me: you trust Emily, your childhood friend, more than you trust me, your

to that. He might have doubted Emily in the past, but the past few days proved

over and over, and would praise Melinda. On the other hand, when Emily was brought up between husband and wife, everything that

his heart were tipped against his wife. He could not

to pacify the situation. "She really isn’t as bad as you think. It’s true that she had done you wrong before, but she’s not that person anymore. She’s changed. Besides,

at his every word. If they dragged this conversation out any further, things were bound

couldn’t help herself. "Are you saying that it’s my fault I wasn’t there to help you with

her last question, and her rage was bubbling on the surface once again. If he managed to push the right buttons,

she’s been of help to me. If I just cast her aside in spite of that, wouldn’t that be in poor

insignificance in the big picture. But it was true

front of other people. Right now, I must be the one acting in extremely bad form. It must have

another beat of silence after that, with Melinda glaring at him and breathing heavily. Jonas, on the other hand, looked frustrated and

and walked over to

go. She was so, so tired

one question was loaded with heavy and complex emotions. Emotions he couldn’t, at the moment,