Chapter 58

Emily and I met up at one of the new Chinese restaurants we’ve been wanting to go to for a while. I spotted her the moment I walked through the door and was met with her cheery expression. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to return with one of my own.

I forced a small smile and made my way over. I barely got into my seat before getting bombarded with a series of questions.

“Alright, so what did he do now?” she asked.

I didn’t even try to feign surprise by her blunt question. Of course, Emily knew that I’d reached out to her because something had gone south with James, yet again. Jesus Christ, what sort of friend was I?

I slumped back in my chair and buried my face in my hands. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to set this whole thing up just so I could dump my problems on you...”

Emily gave a supportive smile, one that I didn’t feel like I rightfully deserved. “Mia, I’ve told you this before, you’re my best friend and it’s important that you talk about your problem with someone. I’m totally fine with that person being me.”

“Okay.”

“Alright?” I slowly nodded my head. “Now, tell me everything.”

I let out a long breath. “Today started out as one of the best ones we’ve had in days,” I told her. “Things have been clearing up for the company and even Monica was set to move out of the house.”

Emily’s lips parted in shock. “Whoa,” she said with a glimmer of surprise in her eyes. “Hell, that’s fantastic! How did you manage to accomplish that?”

I gave a humorous laugh. “Not me. Apparently, when Rudolf Lawrence came to speak to James during the week and discussed having Monica removed from the house.”

I went on to tell her about the ‘special’ evening James wanted to have with me.

Emily gave me a bewildered look and shook her head. “So, what the hell happened that caused such a riff between you two?”

That same ugly feeling of shame and guilt tore through me. James’ look of enraged fury was seared in the back of my mind as he yelled at me earlier.

“There’s a part of the courtyard in the back of the house that no one is allowed to go near. It contains a decent-size hedge maze and a smaller, personal garden. Well, one of the main gardeners had to take a short leave of absence because they weren’t feeling well. I took it upon myself to go out there and pick a few weeds just to make sure the upkeep was being maintained,” I explained. “James found me out there and went off on me.”

Emily’s serious look melted into shock.

“He screamed at me and told me that I had no right being there,” I said.

I have seen the kind of anger James was capable of. Never in my life did I ever think that he would use it against me.

“But all you did was pick weeds,” she stated.

“I don’t get it, Em. One minute we’re good and the next we’re going at each other's throats.”

“It does seem rather odd that James exploded over you just being out in one part of the garden,” she pointed out.

“I don’t know what to do. I feel like I’m developing whiplash from his behavior.” Right as Emily was about to open her mouth, I stopped her. “If the next words out of your mouth are ‘you two need to talk things out’, I’m going to just stop you right there. James has proven himself to be not the listening type. Not when it comes to me anyway.”

“Alright, well then I digress,” Emily said. “There must be something very special about those gardens for James to have snapped at you like that.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know for certain, but I have a very strong belief that that garden once belonged to his ex-wife, Evelyn.”

It was the only reason why I could think that would warrant James to take such good care of that particular part of the house and never allow anyone near it.

‘It’s like he’s set on preserving what was left of their relationship,’ I thought to myself.

“Sounds like he has a hard time letting go of the past,” she commented.

“Look, James is entitled to remember any and every part of his previous marriage to Evelyn. I’ve never held any of that against him. In fact, it hurts me to know that the whole business of her disappearance eats at him constantly. He talks about it very vaguely. But when he does, I can tell that it hurts him.”

At that point, Emily saw it fit to change the subject and for that, I was deeply grateful. Now that I’d gotten my venting out of the way, I was ready to mull over some other interesting topics. Emily expressed a deep interest in wanting to know how the Alpha Gathering went—before things took a turn for the worst.

“Well, before hell broke loose,” I acknowledged. “The venue that the event was being held at was absolutely breathtaking. And some of the dresses these other women were wearing were incredible.”

I watched my friend bounce in her seat with excitement. “I’m so glad you went and got to have that experience, you know, all things considered,” she said evenly. “Now, tell me, how’s your pregnancy progressing?”

My cheeks flushed with warmth as I laid a hand over my swollen stomach. “According to my doctor, all is well. The baby’s development has been normal as expected and I believe my next appointment is coming up soon.”

“Ooo, I can’t wait to find out if it’s going to be a boy or a girl,” she chirped.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

I glanced down at my phone to see an incoming call. James.

I sighed and let my finger slide across the screen. “What is it, James?”

“You need to come back to the house immediately,” he stated. “Something’s come up.”

With very little interest, I made my way back to the house after parting ways with Emily.

Part of me genuinely thought that maybe James was going to try and apologize or, at the very least, explain himself for his earlier conduct.

When I got home, I quickly found James in the front hall, looming over his laptop, tablet and phone. They all possessed similar articles and stories of Peter and I’s past relationship.

My heart lodged itself in my throat as the disbelief sunk in. Plastered all over these media sites were intimate photos of the two of us together.

My gaze jumped to the bolded headline: “James’ Derek Stole My Pregnant Girlfriend!”