Chapter 38
Trimmed ivy and ferns decorated a stone path. The Pinault family mansion stood proudly behind silver gates, flanked by trees. Flowers lay below them. A smile bloomed on Emily’s face when memories of being scolded for picking off their colorful petals resurfaced.
It was her grandparents’ home. The place of her youth.
“Darling, deep breaths. You’re squeezing the daylights out of my hand.”
She looked at Nicolas with a sheepish smile. “Sorry! I didn’t notice.”
He gave an understanding smile.
Her eyes took him in. The man looked too good to be true. Navy, slim-fit suit, a sleek watch hugging his wrist and his scent—god, his scent was her aphrodisiac at this point.
Admiring him did wonders for her anxiety.
Which sounded ridiculous. Staring at a man should never be a valid coping mechanism.
And yet…watching him, listening to the cadence of his voice, it was like her anxiety had been put into a corner for a timeout.
Emily envied that he could do what she failed to. She was also grateful for it.
Her biggest concern of all though, other than her family accepting Nicolas, had been her annoying cousins, Brenda and Bridget.
Yes, they were twins, but that wasn’t the point. What mattered was their habit to take anything and anyone she cared about. It wasn’t just rivalry. It was hidden contempt, repeated so often that Emily stopped sharing what she loved at all.
Years have passed and the twins went abroad to study until they returned, but old habits tend to die hard. She even recalled Bridget pulling Jake away into a corner once to try to seduce him. Emily wondered why he’d never fallen for Bridget’s tricks.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Nicolas’s eyes scanned Emily’s face. “We can always head back and tell them you’re not feeling well. I know I asked to meet your family, but we really don’t have to right now.”
“I’m fine. Well…at least I think I’ll be. I’m in a good enough condition.”
“You’re making this sound like we’re going to war.”
“Oh, we might as well be.”
He looked at her, now a bit alarmed.
“My family…we’re complicated. Like the Kardashians level. A rich, messy, and judgmental pack. And we’re very blunt. Just a heads-up.”
He took her hand back in his. “It’ll be fine.”
Taking a deep breath, Emily stood at the front door and rang the bell.
The door swung open. “Miss Emily!”
Dorothy took Emily’s hands in hers, patting the top of them affectionately.
Nicolas pulled away to give the two women space for their reconciliation.
Emily was in shock at such an act from Dorothy who was the most composed person she’d ever met. She’d learned the arts of equanimity from her caretaker. Seeing Dorothy’s face give way, breaking into a forlorn look made Emily’s heart heavy.
“This is Nicolas,” Emily introduced when Dorothy released her hands. “He’s my husband.”
“Miss Emily, you’re married?” Her face drew together in shock.
“Yes,” Emily affirmed. “It kind of happened.”
“I didn’t even get to see you walk down the aisle…”
“We had a quick ceremony at the courthouse, but not an official church one yet. I can assure you there’s nothing you’ve missed,” Nicolas was quick to assure.
“Well, I’m most certainly looking forward to it,” Dorothy said as she gave him a broad smile. “Please, come in.”
As they made it past hallways, Emily was attacked in a bear hug. “Aw, Emmy, I’ve missed you!” Chelsea cooed in a baby voice.
“Emmy…” Nicolas whispered, eyes twinkling once again at the nickname.
Emily blushed. “Chels…” She pried her sister’s arms off her.
Chelsea finally noticed the man standing there. Her mouth fell open. If she hadn’t closed it a few seconds later, Emily was sure a trail of drool would’ve followed.
“And who is this…” She trailed off, eyes scanning him like he was one of those limited-edition Hermès Birkin bags she loved so much.
Emily resisted the urge to facepalm. Of course. When it came to handsome men, Chelsea was Superman and they were her kryptonite. “Chels, I’d like you to meet Nicolas. Nicolas, this is my older sister, Chelsea.”
The two shook hands, Chelsea’s tightening and holding on longer than they should have.
“Stop.” Emily intervened, eyes flicking between them with mortification. “He’s my…my husband.” The words tumbled out like an awkward confession.
Chelsea looked like she was struck in the chest. “What?”
“Yeah…um…surprise? I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier!” she rushed out. “It all just happened so fast and—”
“You’re married?!” her sister shouted.
“That’s what she said.” Nicolas’s tongue poked the side of his mouth, fighting a smile.
“Hold it there, hot stuff. This is family business.”
“He is family,” Emily blurted.
Silence.
She froze, eyes darting to Chelsea and Nicolas’s stunned faces. Crap.
“Ohhh, you’ve got some major explaining to do! You’d never do something like get married on a whim, Emmy. You only called off the wedding with Jake a few months ago!”
“With all due respect, it’s my life and I don’t need anyone’s permission to get married. And why is everyone treating me like I can’t do anything outside of the norm?”
“You’re married?”
The three of them turned to face the man of the hour. Richard Pinault.
Emily withered on the spot. “Grandfather…”
“I asked you a question, child.”
She flinched at the coldness in his tone.
Richard’s eyes turned to assess Nicolas who stood there, noticing the exchange. “Who might you be?”
“Nicolas Re, sir. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” He outstretched his hand, a polite smile making way.
She saw her grandfather’s grayed eyebrows fly up in surprise. Of course, he’d heard of Nicolas before. He practically owned the entertainment industry. In her grandfather’s world, those were the kind of people to make note of.
And now, that man was her husband.
She could see the war playing out on her grandfather’s face, pride wrestling with indignation. His jaw tightened, but his eyes flickered with something else.
He shifted his weight, leaning onto his cane, then reached out and clasped Nicolas’s offered hand.
Emily released a breath she didn’t know she was holding.
Then her grandfather turned to her.
“You have some nerve,” he chastised. “Getting married without telling us.”
Her stomach dropped. There it was. The disappointment. “I didn’t think you’d care after kicking me out.”
“We didn’t kick you out,” he corrected. “You left.”
She scoffed. “It’s the same thing, considering the ultimatum you gave me after I said I couldn’t stay with Mother and Father anymore.
What was it again?” Her voice sharpened.
“‘Stay, and inherit everything a Pinault succeeds, or leave and never dare to bear the name again’? You and Father are one of the same.”
He faltered, his mouth thinning. “I was upset. You’ve always done what you were told.”
“That’s because of how you all raised me!
” Emily’s voice screeched. “I was raised to please you—to please everyone. I know none of you wanted me to be an actress, and when you finally agreed, it was only under the assumption that I’d change my mind later on.
That I didn’t know what I wanted so young.
But I didn’t. I made a name for myself outside this family, and even then, it was leveraged.
Used strategically.” She couldn’t hide the disgust in her tone.
“Yes, I’m not going to inherit the family business like Chelsea is forced to, but at least I’m a pawn you can parade around for good publicity, right?
That’s why Jake made you all so upset. Any deviation from the girl you knew, that goddamn people pleaser, you all hated it so much you couldn’t accept that I’d been falling apart for a while now, way before him.
I didn’t know who I was, what I liked, what I disliked…
nobody gave me the chance to figure that out.
I was just told to fit inside a box, new boxes every single time.
I was literally having an identity crisis for God’s sake!
I was confused, alone and just haunted by darkness.
So when things piled up, should it have been a surprise that I broke down? ”
Her chest rose and fell. “Do you know what it felt like when you told me my anxiety and PTSD were made up? That I was just being weak? When you and Father joined forces to push me forward instead of helping me heal?”
A hand met her lower back.
It was Nicolas.
She could recognize him by his touch at this point.
“I felt like I wanted to die.” The movement on her back ceased.
“It was as if nobody in the world cared about me anymore. I know that wasn’t true, but that was hard to tell my brain at the time.
My brain that thought if that stalker had done something to me, left physical proof, then maybe you would have cared.
Maybe you would have taken me more seriously. ”
Chelsea gasped. “Emmy…”
“I already knew I had to leave. Father’s actions were just the nail in the coffin.
” Emily blinked away the tears. “I know you all think what you’ve done was for my benefit, so fine, I chose to forgive you.
But don’t mistake my forgiveness as a permission to treat me the same way.
I’m not a child anymore. I’m an adult who’s learning who I am and what I deserve. What she should’ve deserved.”
Her grandfather stood in grim silence.
“Let’s go.” Emily turned to take Nicolas’s arm.
The last thing she saw was Chelsea mouthing an “I’m so sorry”.