Morning After
The early morning light filtered softly through the curtains of Jesse’s bedroom. He stood in front of the mirror, buttoning his crisp white dress shirt with steady but distracted fingers.
His dark hair was still slightly damp from the shower, and he had already trimmed his light stubble to perfection.
The navy suit pants hung perfectly on his lean frame, but his mind was already racing far ahead of the day.
He would go to the office and confront Alexander about his behavior the previous night. The coldness, the rudeness, the way he had spoken to Emery, the way he ignored it, it had to stop. Jesse couldn’t stand by and watch anymore.
His gaze drifted to the bed.
Emery was still asleep, curled up under the blanket on his side of the bed.
She looked so peaceful, her long hair spread across the pillow in soft waves, the bangs framing her face, her eyes closed in restful sleep.
One hand rested lightly on her growing bump, the other tucked under her cheek. The sight made his chest tighten with a fierce, protective love mixed with deep regret.
He allowed himself one quiet moment to just look at her: the woman he loved, the mother of his child, before the weight of the day pulled him back.
There was a sharp knock on the door.
Jesse walked over and opened it.
Harper stood leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, a smug smirk already on her face.
“Well, well,” she drawled. “Look who’s back in the house. I guess your little tantrum didn’t last long. Mom must have talked some sense into you.”
Jesse’s expression hardened. “I allowed you back so you’re here. But the rules still stand, Harper. Don’t mess with Emery.”
Harper opened her mouth to retort, eyes flashing with irritation, when her gaze shifted past him into the room.
Her eyes widened dramatically.
Emery was still asleep in Jesse’s bed.
Harper’s mouth fell open, then curled into a malicious, triumphant grin.
“Oh my God,” she said loudly, voice dripping with scandal. “What the actual fuck is this? Emery? In your bed? In your room? At this hour? What is happening?”
Jesse stepped forward, blocking her view, his voice low and dangerous. “Fuck off, Harper.”
Harper didn’t back down. She leaned to the side, trying to get another look, her tone turning shrill with glee.
“No way. This is gold. You’re sleeping with your own sister-in-law?
While she’s pregnant with Alexander’s baby?
Wait until Mom hears about this. Or better yet, Alexander himself.
This is going to blow up so beautifully. ”
Jesse’s eyes blazed with fury. He didn’t give her any explanation. He didn’t defend himself. He simply stepped closer, voice ice-cold and final.
“I said fuck off. Get out of here before I drag you out myself.”
Harper laughed, but there was a flicker of unease beneath it. She raised her hands in mock surrender and backed away.
“Fine, fine. But this isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”
She turned on her heel and walked away, already pulling out her phone, no doubt ready to spread the gossip.
Jesse closed the door firmly behind her, exhaling sharply. He turned back to the bed, where Emery was still sleeping peacefully, unaware of the storm that had just passed.
He stood there for a moment longer, watching her, the ache in his chest deepening.
Then he finished dressing, grabbed his jacket, and left the room quietly, determined to confront his brother before the day got any worse.
×××××××
Alexander woke slowly in the luxurious hotel room, the soft morning light filtering through the half-drawn curtains.
Camilla was still clinging to him, her body warm and curled against his side, one arm draped possessively across his chest. Her breathing was even and peaceful, her hair spilling over the pillow like a dark waterfall.
He stared at the ceiling, a heavy wave of guilt crashing over him.
He shouldn’t be doing this.
Not while he had a wife waiting at home.
Not while she was pregnant.
The thought of Emery: quiet, fragile, carrying the weight of a marriage she never asked for, twisted something deep inside his chest.
He had promised himself to stand by her, to provide for her and the baby. And yet here he was, tangled in sheets that smelled of another woman’s perfume.
But this was Camilla.
The love of his life.
The woman he had carried in his heart for years.
Loving her secretly had never been his choice. It had simply happened: a quiet, persistent ache that refused to fade.
He couldn’t help it. Every time she looked at him with those tear-filled eyes, every time she whispered how much she had regretted leaving him, the walls he had built around his sense of duty cracked a little more.
Camilla stirred beside him, her fingers tracing lazy circles on his chest. She pressed a soft kiss to his shoulder and smiled sleepily.
“Good morning,” she murmured, voice husky from sleep. “I’ll order us some coffee. Strong and black, just how you like it.”
She slipped out of bed, pulling on a silk robe and padding barefoot toward the phone on the nightstand. “Room service? Yes, two coffees... one black, one with a splash of oat milk. And some fresh fruit, please. Thank you.”
Alexander sat up slowly, the sheets pooling around his waist. The moment she left for the bathroom, he reached for his phone on the bedside table.
The screen lit up with notifications.
Too many missed calls.
From Emery.
Then from Jesse.
A string of texts.
And one voicemail.
He hesitated, thumb hovering over the play button. With a heavy sigh, he pressed it and brought the phone to his ear.
Jesse’s voice came through, raw and furious:
“Alexander, I swear to God, if you don’t pick up tonight I’m going to tear you into pieces tomorrow. Pick up the phone. Emery is waiting! At least think about the baby, goddammit.”
The message ended.
Alexander lowered the phone, staring at the dark screen for a long moment.
Guilt twisted sharply in his gut.
But then Camilla’s words from the night before echoed in his mind: her tears, her claims that Emery had encouraged her to run, that Harold had favored Emery, that he had been manipulated into this marriage.
He exhaled slowly, the conflict warring inside him.
“This time,” he murmured to the empty room, voice barely audible, “I’m choosing myself.”
He placed the phone face down on the nightstand and leaned back against the headboard, closing his eyes as the weight of his choices settled over him like a heavy cloak.
Camilla returned a moment later, smiling brightly as she climbed back into bed beside him, pressing a kiss to his cheek.
“Coffee’s on the way,” she whispered.
Alexander didn’t answer.
He simply pulled her closer, letting the warmth of her body drown out the guilt for a little while longer.
×××××××
Emery stepped out of the bathroom in the bedroom, still damp from the hurried shower. She had woken up in Jesse’s room to Melania gently shaking her shoulder, whispering that it was morning.
Panic had flooded her. She had rushed back to Alexander’s room, heart pounding, praying no one had seen her.
Now she stood in front of the mirror, combing her hair with slow, careful strokes, trying to steady her breathing. The bangs framed her face, still flushed from the rush and the lingering guilt.
The door was suddenly thrown open with a loud bang.
Rebecca and Harper stormed in.
Rebecca’s eyes were blazing with fury. Harper’s face was twisted in disgust and triumph.
“Look at her!” Harper snarled, pointing an accusing finger. “This fucking parasite! She’s playing both my brothers! Sleeping in Jesse’s bed like a whore while pretending to be Alexander’s perfect little wife!”
Rebecca stepped forward, her voice ice-cold and venomous.
“We know what you did last night. Harper saw you in Jesse’s room at dawn.
You think you can sneak around behind Alexander’s back?
Carrying his child while spreading your legs for his brother?
You’re disgusting. A cheap, manipulative gold-digger who wormed her way into this family and now thinks she can have it all. ”
Emery’s hand froze mid-comb. Her eyes met theirs in the mirror, but she didn’t flinch. She turned slowly to face them, comb still in her hand, her voice quiet but steady despite the rapid beating of her heart.
“I didn’t sleep with Jesse,” she said firmly, though her cheeks burned with humiliation. “I fell asleep in his room because I was exhausted and worried about Alexander not coming home. Nothing happened. I’m not playing anyone.”
Harper laughed bitterly, stepping closer.
“Oh, please. Save the innocent act. We all know you’re not some fragile saint.
You’ve been eyeing Jesse since day one. The way he defends you, the way he looks at you, it’s pathetic.
You’re nothing but a slut who got lucky with one brother and is now trying to sink her claws into the other.
Alexander deserves better than a used-up replacement like you. ”
Rebecca’s eyes narrowed, her tone cutting like a knife.
“You think because you’re pregnant you’re untouchable?
You’re not. You’re still the same girl from nowhere who stole Camilla’s place.
If I find out you’ve been sneaking into Jesse’s bed again, I will make sure you lose everything: this house, any support, even the right to see that child after it’s born. You’re a guest here. Remember that.”
Emery’s grip tightened on the comb until her knuckles turned white. Her voice rose, sharp and defiant, though tears stung at the corners of her eyes.
“I am Alexander’s wife,” she said, meeting Rebecca’s gaze head-on.
“Whether you like it or not. And I’m carrying this baby.
I won’t let you threaten me or my child.
I didn’t ask to be here. I didn’t ask for any of this.
But I’m here now, and I won’t let you treat me like dirt under your shoe every single day.
If you want to throw me out, do it. But don’t expect me to beg for your approval. ”
Harper’s face twisted with rage. “You dare talk back to us? After everything we’ve done for you?”
Emery’s stormy eyes flashed. “You’ve done nothing for me except make my life hell. I’m done being silent.”
Rebecca’s lips pressed into a thin, furious line. “We’ll see how long that bravery lasts when Alexander finds out what kind of woman he married.”
The two women turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind them.
Emery stood alone in the room, breathing hard, the comb still clutched in her trembling hand. Tears finally spilled over, but she wiped them away fiercely.
She refused to be their doormat.
Even if it cost her everything.
×××××××