7
Celine left dejectedly.
Emma gave me a thumbs up, saying confidently, “That’s how you should deal with a cheating woman.”
I politely responded, “Ms. Xiao, your food was delicious. Thank you for your help these past couple days. I’ll treat you to a meal when I’m
discharged.”
It was clearly a polite dismissal.
But Emma acted like she didn’t pick up on it, smiling and telling me not to worry about it.
Emma was very friendly and we had a lot in common. Once we started chatting, it was hard to stop.
She only left when she had something to do at the hospital.
My injuries weren’t serious, so I was discharged in less than a week.
The first thing I did after being discharged was call a moving service to go to the apartment Celine and I had been living in. I had all my belongings moved back to my own place, and sent all of Celine’s things to her company.
The second thing I did was have my dad withdraw the investment from Celine’s company. This move immediately caused a stir and kept Celine very busy.
About half a month later, I was walking home after having dinner with Emma when we ran into Celine at my front door.
She looked disheveled, unlike the confident woman I had seen over half a month ago.
But she had betrayed me, so she should have expected to face the consequences.
When she saw me, her eyes immediately welled up with tears. Her voice shook as she said, “Alex, I know I was wrong. I’ve broken up with Jack. Can you forgive me?”
I looked at Celine, finding her words laughable now.
I mercilessly exposed her intentions, saying bluntly, “Isn’t it too late to say this now that the company can’t survive?”
Celine wasn’t a very smart businesswoman and wasn’t good at negotiating deals. Without the resources and connections from my family, her company was struggling to stay afloat.
11:51
<
She was only coming to beg for reconciliation now because she wanted the resources from my family back.
Emma stepped in front of me. Her usually smiling face was dark as she glared at Celine, saying harshly, “Celine, who do you think you are? A cheating woman shouldn’t put on this devoted lover act. It’s disgusting.”
In the half month I’d known Emma, I’d never seen her speak like this.
Celine was stung to the core. Her face flushed red as she angrily asked Emma, “What’s your relationship with Alex? What right do you have to interfere in our business?”
Looking at Celine, I realized for the first time that this woman I had loved for so long really didn’t deserve my sincere feelings at all.
I pulled Emma aside and stood in front of Celine, saying expressionlessly, “Celine, how many times do I have to tell you? We have no relationship anymore. My family will not invest in you again.”
Celine seemed to realize I wasn’t just throwing a tantrum this time, that I had really ended things with her. She stood there stunned, unable to
speak.
I took Emma’s hand and started to leave.
But Celine snapped out of it and ran in front of us to block our way. She grabbed my hand and begged pitifully, “Alex, please, for old times‘ sake, can you help me one more time? Help the company get through this crisis.””
I yanked my hand away from Celine’s and wiped it with a tissue.
Then I looked her in the face and coldly said three words: “Not possible.”
I called security and had them escort Celine out.
This was a gated community. If security didn’t know Celine was my girlfriend, they wouldn’t have let her in at all.
Emma watched Celine being taken away by security and said to me, “You can use me as an excuse in the future.”
I didn’t immediately understand what Emma meant and reflexively asked, “What do you mean?”
Emma looked at me somewhat seriously and said, “If Celine comes looking for you again, you can say I’m pursuing you, or that you’re considering me, or we can pretend to be a couple.”
I looked at Emma’s earnest face and suddenly found this young woman quite adorable.
Emma felt uncomfortable under my gaze. She coughed and looked away, then spoke up for me again: “Anyway, don’t ever forgive that cheating Celine.”
I promised her, “I won’t.”
Emma let out a sigh of relief when she heard my promise, as if a weight had been lifted from her heart.
