Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

After getting back to Starlight City, Emily tagged along with me to Grace Hospital to get my stitches out. By some stroke of luck, she landed a job as a receptionist there.

That night, I set up a meet with Derek at the Blue Ocean Bar. I didn't want Emily to know about it just yet, so I had Dennis take her home first.

Derek laid out all the info he dug up from back then.

Even though it had been eight years, seeing those documents still shook me. Fiona's death was Arthur's doing, but my reckless actions that night set it all in motion. It was a regret I could never shake off.

After Derek left, I sat by the window and drank a lot. Thinking about how reluctant Emily looked when she left, I shot her a message on Facebook, telling her I wouldn't be coming home tonight.

Later, it started to thunder. I stood by the window, listening to the storm outside, and started worrying about her. So, I grabbed my coat and left the bar.

When I got to the house, Emily opened the door and immediately threw herself into my arms.

That was the first time I felt Emily really relying on me, and it stirred up all sorts of feelings inside me.

That night, I definitely drank too much. With everything on my mind, I was irritable and lost control, being a bit rough during sex.

I must have hurt her because when I woke up in the morning and touched her, she flinched, looking a bit scared.

I felt really regretful and annoyed. I always wanted to protect her, but I kept unintentionally hurting her.

I realized I was losing control of myself more and more around her.

To get ready for that perfect revenge event, I took her shopping for clothes.

By chance, we ran into Arthur and his mistress at the mall. A $5,000 dress made Arthur start to feel scared.

And this was just the beginning of my revenge.

After dropping $5,000 on that dress, Emily felt bad about it. She didn't want to go to a restaurant and insisted on cooking at home. As long as she was happy, that was all that mattered to me. As long as she was by my side, even our bickering felt endearing.

A few days ago, I moved an old stereo from Martin's old dorm in Starlight City.

Listening to that old tape, Emily looked at me with admiration and said the lead singer's voice was really magnetic and captivating.

I wasn't great at handling compliments. When I felt her admiration, a small sense of pride welled up inside me.

We playfully teased each other. She was still easily embarrassed, blushing at sensitive topics, which made me want to tease her even more. I loved seeing her blushing face.

Since we got back from Greenfield Village, Emily and I had gotten a lot closer emotionally.

But the good times didn't last. We had a big fight, and she even brought up divorce.

I didn't expect her to find out about me going with Sophie to her prenatal checkup, and I definitely didn't expect her to follow me to Sophie's place.

After she texted me about wanting a divorce, I couldn't get her on the phone. I went to the hospital to find her, but the main door of the administrative building was already locked.

I could have opened that door, but I didn't want to cause a scene at her workplace. It wouldn't be good for her.

After leaving the hospital, I called Sophie and asked her to come over in the morning so I could take her to see Richard.

After hanging up, I waited outside the hospital all night, hoping to explain things to Emily.

When I saw her come out in the morning, I immediately pulled her into the car. She struggled the whole time. Having stayed up all night, I was already on edge, and I threatened her with a harsh tone as I sped down the road.

I was really angry-angry that she didn't see the situation for what it was, and angry that she brought up divorce without talking to me first.

From the moment we got our marriage license, I never thought about divorce.

I hadn't told her about Richard before because I didn't want her to know too much. It had nothing to do with her, and I wanted her world to be simpler. But in that situation, I had no choice but to tell her about Richard and Sophie. While waiting outside the prison for Sophie, we had a calm conversation.

I didn't expect that after learning about Sophie, Emily's sympathy would overflow, and she would care about Sophie even more than I did.

Emily was kind-hearted; I had always known that.

But after this incident, I also realized that Emily lacked a sense of security. She complained that I was too mysterious, so I had to take her to Skyline International Corporation to let her know more about me. Looking back, I shouldn't have kept things from her. I just didn't want her to feel distant, but it ended up making her feel insecure.

On the day of Arthur's wedding banquet, I put the pearl necklace I had specially chosen for her around her neck. Each pearl was full and round, complementing her complexion and the style of her dress.

I hadn't told her what was going to happen. I wanted it to be a surprise for her.

When Arthur was standing on the ceremony platform and Xavier was walking down the aisle arm in arm with her father, I instinctively watched Emily's reaction. I thought to myself, 'Does she still care? Would she feel heartbroken seeing this scene? When the real show starts, she should be cheering, right?'

"Arthur, thank you for letting go." When she said that, I couldn't help but smile.

Emily had finally let go and grown up!

Later, Emily had a run-in with Vivian in the restroom.

When I kicked the door open, I saw Emily hurriedly squatting on the floor, chasing after the pearls that had rolled away, with a noticeable red mark on her neck.

I helped her up, and she held the pearls, crying her eyes out, which made my heart ache.

In that moment, I felt even more certain about my upcoming revenge plan.

After leaving the restroom, I took her to stand on the second-floor railing to watch the show.

We watched as Fiona's photos suddenly appeared on the big screen, Arthur's face turned pale, and the guests present gasped in shock. Vivian was at a loss. She wanted to escape, but as soon as she took a step forward, she lost her balance and fell heavily to the ground. A pool of blood spread from beneath her white wedding dress, and Vivian was rushed to the hospital.

The scene was a bit gory, but probably not as gory as Fiona's death. I believe Fiona, up in heaven, must have seen it too. I would make sure that scumbag's reputation was ruined.

That night, Emily asked about the incident. She guessed it was my doing, and I admitted it.

I didn't really want to hide it from her; I was just afraid she would feel soft-hearted.

Emily seemed to have softened. She said the child was innocent. The child's death was unexpected, but it felt more like a result of fate.

Maybe even God couldn't stand their evil deeds and thus intensified their punishment.

A few days later, Jason, who was abroad, suddenly contacted me, saying he planned to return to the country.

I had been mentally prepared for this for a long time. Jason would find out about Emily and me sooner or later.

However, on the day Jason returned, Emily suddenly seemed like a different person.

She suggested we go to the Blue Ocean Bar to relax. At the bar, she proactively ordered two dozen dark beers and even suggested playing Truth or Dare. I felt she had something on her mind.

Her dare was to ask the first man who walked in about the color of his underwear.

Emily wouldn't normally play such a bold game. I wanted to help her out, but she didn't appreciate it and got up with her drink.

I never expected the first man to walk in would be Jason.

Although I knew he had landed and had called him to come over directly, I didn't expect such a coincidence that he would run into Emily as soon as he arrived.

Jason had lived downstairs from Emily when they were kids, but he moved away early. I wasn't sure if Emily still remembered him. But I thought Jason would recognize her since he had always paid attention to her. Emily put her hand on Jason's shoulder in a flirtatious manner, which seemed practiced, but she usually wasn't this open. It was probably because she had a few drinks.

Jason had a smile on his face the whole time, and they seemed to be having a pleasant conversation.

I downed a beer in one gulp and lit a cigarette, feeling inexplicably uneasy.

When they walked over together, I suppressed my emotions, greeted Jason, and pulled Emily to my side, introducing them to each other.

Jason was a bit surprised and disappointed when he found out Emily was my wife. At that moment, I confirmed that Emily was still in his heart.

Seeing that Emily was unfamiliar with him, I understood that Jason had never confessed to her all these years.

At that moment, I also doubted whether Jason's concern for Emily was romantic. After all, he had many opportunities over the years, at least more than I did. He was also more straightforward and honest with her than I was. The game continued, and when it was my turn, I said I would drink, but Emily held down my bottle. Immediately, I realized that her odd behavior today might have a lot to do with me.

Emily asked me, "Are you with me to get back at Arthur?"

Her question came so suddenly that I was completely unprepared.

Of course, I wasn't with her to get back at Arthur, but since she asked, she must have heard something. I didn't know how much she knew, and for a moment, I fell silent.

She looked disappointed, dropped her glass, and got up to leave. I grabbed her.

She clearly didn't believe I was with her because of Martin, but how could I tell her the truth? I couldn't.

Emily shook off my hand and left. At that moment, I didn't have the courage to chase after her because I hadn't figured out how to explain it to her.

In the surprised eyes of everyone, Jason chased after her. With him there, at least I didn't have to worry about her safety.

Twenty minutes later, I finished my beer, left the bar, and went to her old place, sitting on the stairs and smoking an entire pack of cigarettes.

She was so angry at the time that I guessed Emily wouldn't come back to my place. She would probably come back here.

When she appeared with Jason, she was staggering, and Jason was supporting her the whole time.

She hadn't drunk much at the bar, so it seemed she had drunk a lot more with Jason after leaving.

I took her from Jason, but she shook me off. Even though she could barely stand, she insisted on stumbling up the stairs on her own.

At that moment, I was annoyed that I made her so sad.