It’s been two weeks since Paris. I made sure to avoid Claudia at all costs, which actually wasn’t easy to do. Everything was seemingly going okay, when I received a call from one of my publicists Andrea Malloy.

“There’s a story about you that’s brewing.”

“What kind of story?” Things like this was nothing new. There was always something being said in tabloids, and gossip tabloids.

She started to speak but hesitated. “It’s a silly rumor, about infidelity.”

I paused, because that sure as fuck had my attention. Normally stories like that, I didn’t care about, because I knew shade was always going to be thrown around. “They’re saying you had an affair with your coworker, and that the affair eventually turned violent.”

My finger was tapping on my desk, as I tried to take in what she was saying. “What coworker?”

She sighed. “A Claudia Schaffer. Are you familiar with that name?”

“Yes,” I gritted out. “Yes, I am.”

“The sources claim to have proof that’s set to be leaked within a matter of hours. A video of some sort.”

“That’s great, Andrea, what the fuck are you doing to stop it?”

“We’re trying, even offering a settlement not to go to the press. So far they’re not biting.”

“Well, whatever you’re offering them, double it. Fuck, triple it. I don’t give a fuck, just do it now!”

I hung up the phone. I needed to get home. My first thought was to get Emmalin out of town and secluded somewhere until this whole thing boils over. I first made a call to Glenda inquiring about the whereabouts of Claudia. She apparently has been on leave all week. I thought about going to her house, but that would only look worse.

I finally got home, and Emmalin had just walked into the living room with some cleaning supplies. She looked up at me and smiled. “Hey. What are you doing home early? Magda just brought Emersyn back home from the park, she’s worn out. Apparently, she likes throwing bread for the ducks to feed.”

I stepped toward her. “Let’s go away. Me, you, and Flick.”

She looked at me strangely. “Okay…when?”

“Now.”

Her mouth dropped to the floor. “Now? As in right now?”

I nodded, dragging her to our room. “Yeah, now let’s pack.” I stopped when we got to our room. “In fact, don’t even worry about packing, I’ll have new things where we’re going.”

She laughed, pulling her arm away from mine. “Haha, very funny, Grayson. We can’t just go away.” She went back into the living room and grabbed the cleaning supplies again. I had just noticed the TV was on, the volume was low but still audible.

“Fine, I’ll humor you. If we were to go somewhere, not that I’m saying we are, but where do you want to go?” she said, while spraying the glass table.

“Your pick. I don’t care.”

She smiled as she rolled her eyes and glanced toward the TV. She picked up the remote, turning the volume up. “You’re in the news again. No shocker there,” she laughed as she looked back to the TV. Her smile slowly faded. Fuck. Me.

“Emmalin,” I spoke calmly. “I need you to look at me and not at the screen.”

Her gaze met mine briefly, before they darted to the flat screen behind me, where I had no doubt the video footage was playing. Her eyes grew wide, and her hand covered her mouth. She was transfixed at the scene that played out before her. I slowly turned my head to the screen, not wanting to see what I already knew was there.

“The CEO of Mandrake Towers, Grayson Mandrake, has put himself in the middle of a domestic abuse scandal with one of his employees. Sources have allegedly confirmed that Mr. Mandrake and Ms. Schaffer had a previous relationship that lasted a year off and on. Sources have also confirmed that Mr. Mandrake has a rather unusual taste in regards to his sexual relationships; he enjoys tormenting and being aggressive with his partners. Our sources state that their relationship started off innocent, but then Mr. Mandrake made numerous advances toward Ms. Schaffer. As their relationship progressed, Mr. Mandrake then became aggressive and combative. Sources have confirmed that Mr. Mandrake lives a rather extreme sexual lifestyle.”

It then cut to a video of Claudia in a white button-down coat with oversized glasses, hiding her face as the paparazzi crowded her. She acted like she didn’t want to be bothered, but it was the smirk on her face that said she was enjoying it. A few minutes later, it showed Claudia standing next to her lawyer. “My client wishes this to be a peaceful situation, and we will do everything we can to make sure justice is served. The simple fact is Grayson Mandrake abuses women, and I’m almost certain that others will come forward. I can only imagine, the onslaught of torture that his wife goes through.” My hands balled into fists at the referral to Emmalin. After a few minutes of Claudia’s lawyer giving a statement, it finally went to commercial. I turned back to Emmalin, who was still staring at the screen. I slowly crossed in front of her to block her view.

“Emmalin,” I whispered. She finally looked at me, as if she was seeing me for the first time in her life. She wasn’t looking at me with love or adoration like she normally does. I couldn’t read her, and that’s what scared me the most. Emmalin has always been good at schooling herself, but usually left a crack open for me to find my way in. This time, there was no crack. Everything was sealed shut. I stepped forward again, and she took a step back. “Emmalin?”

Suddenly, she made a pained sound as she clutched her stomach, turned, and ran out the room. I was on her tail, reaching her as she got to the bathroom and lifted the lid of the toilet in time to empty everything she had for breakfast. After a few minutes, she slowly got up, went to the sink, and splashed water on her face. She reached for the mouthwash and after she spit, she finally met my gaze in the mirror.

I was on guard, because anything could happen. She wiped her mouth, turned, and stood in the middle of our bedroom. She wasn’t saying anything, just standing there. I was about to reach for her when she stepped forward and went into the closet. I knew what she was about to do, and I had to put a stop to it.

She emerged with a bag and a few of her things in hand, carelessly stuffing what she could in the bag. When she turned to grab more things from the closet, I grabbed her arm to stop her and grabbed her bag, throwing it off the bed. She glared at me with such hate.

“Talk to me,” I urged her on. She pulled her arm from my grasp before finally staring at the ground, taking several deep breaths.

“I keep telling myself that any minute now you’re going to tell me that it’s not true. That everything I just saw out there wasn’t true and that it was some fucked up joke.” She continued to look at the ground as she spoke, and finally she looked up at me. “But you haven’t,” she whispered. “Why, haven’t you said it? Why haven’t you denied it.”

She wiped away a tear. “Say it, Grayson. Say that everything that was on that news channel wasn’t true. Tell me you didn’t…” her voice cracked as she pleaded to me. For as long as I’ve known Emmalin, I’ve always promised her that I would never hurt her. I never wanted to see her in pain from something that I did. Yet, here she was barely keeping it together, begging for me to tell her I didn’t just fuck everything up and break her.

I took a deep breath. “I don’t remember any of it happening. We celebrated after the meetings went better than expected. We drank…a lot. She started to help me to my room, but she needed to stop at hers first and…I just remember waking up the next morning and I wasn’t in my room. I was in hers.” I took another step toward her.

“Is this why you wanted us to go away? Was it so you could buy yourself some time?”

“I wanted to protect you.”

“You protect me by not lying to me and not trying to fuck around!” She covered her mouth, as if saying it was physically making her sick. She went back to grabbing her things out the closet.

“Emmalin, what are you doing? You can’t leave. We need to talk about this. I didn’t fuck her!”

She exited the room, going into one of the spare bedrooms that held some of Emersyn’s things, and she started putting them in another bag. Panic started to take over. She was going to leave and she was going to take our daughter with her. She started to move past me, and I blocked her way. “I need you to stay. Please don’t do this.” I reached out to touch her, and she froze.

“Fuck, Emmalin, please! I am begging you.”

She slowly shook her head. “I can’t stay here with you right now. I need to think and have a clear head before talking to you. Emersyn and I will find a place to stay, until I work something out.”

“I’ll go.” It pained me to say it. “I’ll go,” I whispered again. “I’ll pack a few things, and I’ll leave, and give you some space.”

“You don’t have…”

“I’m not letting you and Emersyn go when it’s better if I did. I don’t want her getting confused by being in a different surrounding. She should be in her home. Our home.” As if sensing she was being talked about, Emersyn’s cries filled the speaker, and it just now dawned on me that I had to say goodbye to her. I walked to her room and gently picked her up from her crib, hushing her.

“I can…”

“She’s my daughter, too. I won’t be kept from her,” I snapped, then immediately regretted the words that came out. Emmalin looked at us with pure anguish on her face. “I didn’t mean it like that.” Emmalin was already retreating back as I rocked Emersyn, and she finally quieted down. I gave her a tight squeeze, kissed on top of her head, and placed her back in the crib.

There wasn’t much I needed to pack. Everything I needed was at my office apartment. Emmalin stood in the living room, facing the mantle, as I grabbed my keys.

“I’ll stay in my office apartment for a few days.” She glanced at me over her shoulder. I ran my hand through my hair. “I will fix this, Emmalin. I’ll get to the bottom of it, I swear.” She was twisting her wedding ring around her finger, deep in thought. I walked to the elevator, and she walked behind me. I hesitated pushing the button, but knew I had to. I slowly stepped in. Emmalin wouldn’t look at me.

“Tell me one thing, before I go. I don’t care what it is, just one thing you’re thinking. I need to know you’re here.” I touched my chest over my heart.

She slowly licked her lips, before meeting my gaze. The elevator doors started to close, and that’s when she said it. It was low, but we both knew I heard it.

“I would’ve spent the rest of my life with you.”