Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Jason's hands were kinda sweaty and warm, fitting just right around mine.

"Eyes up, don't look down," a smooth, classy voice suddenly hit my ears.

Feeling all awkward, I snapped my head up and stared straight ahead. The grip on my hand tightened. He was showing me how to shift gears, hand-in-hand.

"When you shift gears, don't look down. You might swerve and crash." Jason was like a real coach, all precise and no-nonsense, making me feel a bit silly for being so nervous. So, I pulled myself together, started focusing, and stopped getting distracted.

Later, I got braver and even dared to speed up, feeling the rush of controlling the car.

"Not as tough as you thought, huh?" Jason said.

I nodded, super pumped.

When I'm into something, time just flies. My stomach growled, and I checked the time it was already 10 PM.

"Hungry?" Jason glanced at me with a grin.

I scratched my head, feeling a bit sheepish. "A little."

"Let's head back then," he said.

We swapped seats, and Jason drove us back to the villa. Ethan wasn't home yet.

Jason said, "I'll whip up some late-night snacks. Not the healthiest, but better than being hungry. Hang tight for just a sec."

I guess I was too tense learning to drive, 'cause my whole body ached. I flopped onto the couch, said "Okay," and grabbed the remote, flipping through channels.

As I watched, my eyelids got heavy. A slight noise woke me up. The TV was off, the living room was dark, but I smelled something familiar.

"You're back?" I mumbled sleepily.

Ethan answered, carrying me upstairs.

After laying me on the bed, he coughed lightly. "Next time, if you're sleepy, go to bed. Remember, there's another guy in the house."

I was a bit stunned. "Jason? Right, he said he was making snacks."

Ethan said, "I saw. The snacks are still on the table. Want me to heat them up?"

But I wasn't hungry anymore, just wanted to sleep. "No, let's sleep."

Instinctively, I hugged Ethan's waist, but then remembered the tie incident and quickly pulled away, turning to face the other way. But he soon hugged me back, thankfully without disturbing me.

I must've been really tired 'cause I fell back asleep fast. I guess I was really into learning to drive 'cause I was practicing even in my dreams, until a weird noise woke me up.

"Emily, what are you doing in the middle of the night?" A hoarse voice, mixed with heavy breathing, reached my ears.

I woke up completely. I had fallen asleep facing away from Ethan, but now I was nestled in his arms.

"What's wrong?" I asked, confused.

"What's wrong? Where are you touching?" he replied.

With his reminder, I suddenly realized something shocking.

Ethan suddenly blew a playful breath at me.

"I...I dreamed I was learning to drive," I said, embarrassed.

"Learning to drive?" Ethan's voice rose.

"Jason taught me to drive earlier, and in my dream, I was turning the steering wheel and shifting gears," my voice grew smaller and smaller.

"Then keep going," he said ambiguously in my ear.

The next morning, Bella called with good news. After showing Leonard the photos, recordings, and videos she got from Walter, Leonard kicked Andrea out of the house last night.

I had expected this outcome. With so much evidence, if Leonard didn't show some authority, he wouldn't be a man at all.

At that time, Bella felt like she had won a long battle, not knowing that Andrea would one day seek revenge on her. And scumbags often had unexpected ways of retaliating, just like Arthur. That day, after Ethan and Jason left, I was home alone.

Around 9 AM, the doorbell rang. I opened the door to find Sophie standing there. "Sophie, what are you doing here?"

Sophie smiled a bit awkwardly. "Emily, I didn't want to bother you, but I couldn't find anyone else to turn to."

It had been a while since I last saw her, and Sophie's belly was even bigger, with her feet slightly swollen.

"Come in and tell me what's going on," I said, taking her hand.

But she didn't come in. "No need, Emily. I just wanted to see if you had time to go to the prison with me. I need to buy some things, and it might be hard for me to carry them."

I didn't even think twice and told her to wait in the living room for a sec. I dashed upstairs, changed clothes, and then we headed out.

First stop, the supermarket. I could see Sophie was having a hard time walking. Being young, pregnant, and without her husband or other family around was rough.

Sophie picked out two sets of clothes. Since prison clothes can't have zippers, metal, or strings, it took us a while to find the right ones. She also loaded up on food, saying most of it was Richard's favorite. Sophie said, "I wanted to go on Richard's birthday, but I'm really scared of running into his parents. They hate me, and if I see them, I won't get to see Richard."

I totally got it 'cause his parents didn't like me either. I helped her carry the two big bags, and we grabbed a cab to Starlight City Prison.

Everything we bought had to go through a strict check before it could get to Richard. After a bunch of boring procedures, we finally got to see him.

I planned to wait outside, but Sophie clung to my hand, looking super nervous, so I went in with her.

We waited forever in the visiting area. Sophie, one hand on her belly, sat up straight, eyes glued to the door on the other side of the glass. I could feel her tension and anxiety.

When the door finally opened, she gripped the table edge. I looked too and saw a bald guy walk in.

Richard didn't look like Ethan, so maybe they had different moms. He had decent features but a thin face, probably from prison life.

When Richard saw Sophie, he frowned a bit. Sitting across from her with the glass between them, he raised his chin slightly, eyes full of defiance and pride, not what you'd expect from a prisoner.

He was young, still had that cocky vibe of someone in their early twenties. I bet prison had matured him a bit, but it was hard to imagine what he was like before.

Young women often dig arrogant guys, which is probably why Sophie liked him.

Sophie picked up the phone to talk to him, her hands shaking. I didn't know what she said, but Richard suddenly shot a sharp look at me.

Then he turned back to Sophie, moving his lips. I couldn't hear, but it didn't look good-his face was irritated, and his frown showed impatience. Suddenly, Sophie covered her mouth and started crying.

I straightened up, took a few steps closer, and heard Sophie sobbing, "Our baby is about to be born. It's a life. Even if you don't want him, he's already here. No matter how much you dislike him, he's still your child." Those words hit me hard. 'Are all men so heartless? Just 'cause they don't get pregnant, do they have no feelings for their own kids?'

A surge of anger hit me. I stormed over, grabbing the phone from Sophie, and glared at Richard. "Richard, are you even human? Do you know how hard it is for Sophie to be pregnant alone? You can't be with her, but you can at least

understand her. She has turned her back on everyone for you. Don't you feel any guilt towards her? Even if you don't love her, you have a responsibility to bear. Your baby's on the way, and you're still hurting her? You've got no business being a free man."

Richard's face darkened from my rant. He coldly curled his lips, and a mocking voice came through the phone. "You really are Ethan's wife, just as arrogant and conceited as he is."

"Emily, no, don't talk to him like that," Sophie cried heavily, yet she still defended him.

That was her tragedy. Just because she liked Richard, he had the power to hurt her at will.

I was about to snap her out of it when I saw her face suddenly go pale, and she gripped the table edge tightly.

"My, my stomach hurts," Sophie said, sliding off the stool.