31. Gemma
How did everything fall apart in a few seconds? Yesterday, I’d been happy in Elijah’s arms, dreaming of a future together this morning. And now, that future is in ashes, destroyed by the man beside me.
“Your performance needs to get better. I’ll let it slide. This time.” Oliver pats my knee in a mocking gesture before starting the car.
We drive back to the city in suffocating silence.
I stare out the window at the sea stretching before us. I should have known Oliver wouldn’t give up control over me. Should’ve questioned more about him stalling. But I’ve been foolish.
This was supposed to be the start of a new chapter in my life, free from Oliver, free to explore a genuine relationship with a man who cares... cared for me.
The scenery outside blurs past me, numb inside. The events of the past day replay on a loop—the joy and wonder of my time with Elijah, his proposal, and the confrontation with Oliver that shattered everything.
My fingers curl into fists, nails biting into my palms. I should have told Elijah the truth from the beginning. He deserves so much better than the half-truths and lies I fed him. I’m a fucking hypocrite.
Fresh tears start pooling in my eyes. Elijah is gone, and I have no one to blame but myself. Not even Oliver.
When we pull up outside my building, Oliver halts at the street.
“So, relax a bit. I’ll call you,” he says.
“What do you want me to do after that?”
“Told you. Go to a few meetings with me, and you’ll get your precious divorce. Be patient and ready when I call.”
“You’ve already destroyed my chance at happiness twice. Isn’t that enough for you?” I fixate on the car in front of us.
“Not nearly.” Oliver’s eyes gleam. “I need you to do a few more things. You can get out now.”
After taking out my suitcase, he drives off, leaving me alone with the ruins of my life. I sink down onto the steps of my building, tears rolling down my cheeks.
Elijah’s face flashes in my mind, twisted in anger and betrayal, those stormy eyes accusing me. Tears sting my cheeks, blurring the city lights outside our apartment window. The knot in my stomach won’t undo itself.
I’m sorry, Elijah. Will you be able to forgive me?
How did everything even go so wrong?
There has to be another way. And then I will make sure Oliver signs those damn divorce papers and suffocates on them.
After calming down a bit, I get up to our empty apartment. Mary is still in Italy, and Lil is on her wellness trip. I’m alone.
I lie on the couch for what feels like hours until the door bursts open. Mary and Lil rush in, dropping their bags.
“Gem, what happened?” Mary sits beside me, concern etching her features and gathering me in her arms. Lil kneels before me, a comforting hand on my knee.
I take a shaky breath and choke out the story. “He’s threatening to ruin everything if I don’t help him. I’m responsible... and then Elijah was there, and Oliver told him about our marriage, as the divorce didn’t go through yet, and now... Elijah hates me.”
“Why does he need your help? What does he want?” Lil asks.
I wipe my eyes with another tissue. “I don’t know exactly. Meetings. All I know is that I have to pretend we’re back together, or he’d go through with it.”
“That bastard,” Mary says. “But Elijah, didn’t he do something?”
I nod, wiping away fresh tears. “He did. But I couldn’t… I lied to him so he would let me go. I’m so stupid. I should’ve been honest from the start. Then it would’ve been different...”
Lil smooths my hair. “It’s gonna be okay.”
“Why are you guys even here?”
“Connor and I took the next flight back,” Mary says.
Lil averts my eyes. “Sebastian told me about what happened, so we came back together. Gem… you should tell them the truth.”
“No. You know how protective Elijah and Bash are. If I tell them, they’ll go after Oliver, and it’ll only escalate.”
Mary squeezes my hand. “They can help. You don’t have to do this alone.”
“No,” I say. “I won’t put them in danger. Oliver is unhinged, and there’s no telling what he might do.”
Lil’s gaze is piercing. “But what if he tries to hurt you?”
“He won’t. He... needs me for whatever his plan is.” I wipe my eyes, taking a deep breath. “I have to play along until I can get those damn divorce papers signed. Then it’ll be over.”
Mary and Lil exchange a worried glance.
“I understand you want to protect them,” Lil says. “But they deserve the truth. Don’t you think Elijah at least has a right to understand why you lied?”
My stomach twists. She’s right, but the thought of telling Elijah everything fills me with shame. He looked so betrayed when he found out Oliver and I are still married.
“I... I can’t face him,” I say. “Not yet. Give me some time to figure this out.”
Mary nods. “Okay. We’re here for you. Whatever you need.”
“But you have to promise that if Oliver tries anything, you’ll tell them right away,” Lil says. “No more secrets.”
I hesitate. The thought of Oliver getting anywhere near them chills me to the bone.
“Please,” Lil says. “We want you to be safe.”
“Okay.” I let out a shaky exhale. “I promise.”
Lil pulls me into a fierce hug, and Mary joins in, sandwiching me between them.
“It’ll be okay,” Mary says. “We’ve got your back.”
I cling to them, allowing myself a tiny sliver of hope. With my best friends by my side, I can find a way through this mess, after all.
Mary decides to lighten the mood by putting on a rom-com movie, my favorite feel-good genre. A warm glow from the TV screen illuminating the living room as I rest my head on a mountain of cushions. Lil is curled up on my left side, Mary on my right. We share a bowl of popcorn, giggling over the character’s antics and swapping favorite quotes, and, for a little while, I lose myself in the story.
The doorbell rings, pulling me from my sleep on the sofa, and I glance at the clock. It’s noon. Mary should be at work.
“Lil?” No one answers.
The ringing grows more persistent as I make my way over to the door.
Maybe.… I’m filled with dread as I peep through the peephole. It’s not Oliver. Much to my relief, it’s Bash in a polished black suit with his blonde hair tousled.
“Hey, Bash, come in.” I step aside after opening the door.
“Thanks, sis.” He walks past me, sets his briefcase down near the couch, and examines the pillow paradise Mary and Lil had arranged for movie night.
“I ran into Elijah earlier today.” He turns, worry written all over his face.
I try to ignore the fear that creeps up inside of me. “Really?”
“He looked like hell, Gem.” Bash studies me for a moment, hesitating. “We talked about what happened with Oliver.”
“And?”
“I’m worried about you both. I don’t know what the hell is going on, but he’s hurting, and so are you. So, please tell me. What is going on? And why did you leave with Oliver, that scumbag?”
“Elijah and I... we’re over. For good this time. We’re over, and Oliver and I made up.”
“I don’t believe that for a second.” Bash studies me. “You two have been through too much to throw it all away like this.”
“People change. Feelings fade.” I wrap my arms around myself. If I say it enough, maybe I’ll start to believe Elijah and I are truly over.
“Gem, don’t do this. Don’t shut me out. I’m here for you, whatever you need. I’m your brother, and Elijah loves you. But we can’t help you if you don’t tell us what the hell is going on.” His words cut deep, ripping open wounds that have begun to scab over.
I blink back tears, breaths coming fast. “I’ve gotten back together with Oliver. That’s what’s going on.”
His eyes widen in shock, and I feel like I’ve slapped him across the face.
“Please don’t be mad.” My voice shakes. “Oliver and I... talked.” More like he blackmailed me. “I have a longer history with Oliver, and throwing that away...”
“You’re lying. You can’t stand the sight of him. Why would you get back together?”
My heart pounds against my chest, every beat screaming at me to tell the truth. But I can’t risk it. I can’t let Oliver hurt Bash or our family and if I tell him anything, he will try something.
“He apologized.” My hands tremble. “And he... we want to try it again.”
Bash’s eyes narrow. “With what did he threaten you?”
“He didn’t threaten me. I told you, Oliver, and I decided to try again.”
“I don’t believe that for a second. You’re lying to me, and I want to know why.”
I lift my chin, summoning every ounce of strength I have left. “Believe what you want. I’m back with Oliver, and that’s the end of it.”
He takes a step closer, his broad frame towering over me. His green eyes bore into mine, searching for the truth I’m hiding, and I force myself to hold his gaze.
“You don’t have to do this alone.”
But I do. This time, I have to protect him. I have to fix my mistakes.
“Thank you. But there is nothing to fix.”
I can see the battle raging inside him—the desire to help me and the respect for my decision.
“Fine. Do it your way.” With that, Bash breaks away from me and strides away, the door slamming shut behind him.
What am I doing? The only thing for sure is that Oliver lurks out there, waiting to strike again. As long as he’s around, Elijah and I don’t stand a chance.
I drop to the floor, the cold tiles beneath me anchoring me to reality.
The air feels thick around me, suffocating me as I try to come to terms with the reality of my situation. I’m trapped. I close my eyes, willing the tears to stay at bay, but they spill over, hot and bitter, tracing their way down my cheeks.
The sound of the door makes my head jerk up. Lil is beside me in an instant, gathering me into her arms. After calming down, Lil wipes the tears from my cheeks with a tissue.
“You didn’t tell him?” she asks.
I shake my head.
“He could help.”
I nod, swallowing around the lump in my throat. “But I don’t know what Oliver would do if he finds out... I don’t know what to do.”
“Shh, we’ll figure this out together, okay?”
“He can’t know.”
“Okay,” she says. “Watch a movie and eat ice cream? I bought some.”
A watery smile tugs at my lips. “That sounds perfect.”
Lil ruffles my hair. “Great. Now, I’ll put the groceries away, and you find something for us to watch. We’ll veg out the rest after that.”
I nod, wiping my eyes once more.
As Lil handles everything in the kitchen, I slump onto the couch.
We settle in to watch some cheesy made-for-TV movie while eating ice cream.
Lil stays by my side the whole time. She doesn’t speak, offering a silent comfort that soothes my jagged edges. Exhaustion washes over me, and my eyes drift shut.
The buzzing of my phone jolts me awake while Lil sleeps beside me on the couch. Seems like we both dozed off.
Still hazy, I reach for the buzzing phone and glance at the screen, only to see Oliver’s name flash before me.
“Hello?”