Her Ex-husband Is A God Of War

8

He pushed through the crowd until he made it to the front.

Roger was on one knee, right there in front of Emmy.

“Will you be my date?” Roger asked.

Emmy blushed. Beaming, she stretched out her hand, and Roger slipped the ring onto her finger.

“He’s so romantic!”

“I wish I was Emmy.”

“They’re so cute!”

“When will someone propose to me like that?”

Just before Charles could reach the gate and leave it all behind, he saw it.

The kiss.

Emmy clung to Roger like her life depended on it, like she had something to prove.

While they were married, Emmy barely let Charles touch her. A hug—only when her father was around. And even then, it felt like a favor. He respected that. Gave her space. Thought maybe, just maybe, she’d open up someday.

Turns out, none of it ever meant anything.

“Hey,” he heard a woman's shout. The voice was familiar to the voice of the woman he met last night.

He continued walking.

“Man in black jacket and earring,” the woman shouted again.

He still didn't stop. He had no time to waste. First he had to figure out a lie to tell his godfather. The man would really laugh at him if he told him he divorced Emmy.

A hand pulled his jacket from behind. He turned around with rage.

“What do you want?!”

The woman smiled at him. “Hi.”

Oh…this same woman. The woman he met at the bar yesterday. “What do you want again?”

“Let's discuss in my car. People are watching,” she said.

“I don't have anything to discuss with you.”

“But I have something to discuss with you.”

“Ma'am, you might not know this but men get pissed off if you keep forcing yourself on them. I'm not interested in you,” Charles said.

“Can I get an autograph,” someone from nowhere asked, holding a marker to them.

At first, Charles had no idea who the person was talking to until the woman collected the marker.

To Charles’ greatest surprise, the young man pulled up his shirt and requested for the autograph to be made on his chest.

Charles was still looking at them in amusement when more people came rushing to them. They soon pushed him away from his position just to get closer to the woman.

“Excuse me,” he asked a young man. “Who is she?”

The man looked at Charles like Charles was some alien. “You don't know Miss Sadie?”

“Yeah…”

The man shook his head and walked off muttering, “crazy,” as he left.

Curiously, Charles pulled out his phone and typed the name on the search engine. It brought the image of the woman out. His lip was slightly parted, surprised as he saw how famous she was.

But what did she want from him?

His phone rang. It was his godfather calling.

Cursing under his breath, Charles walked away from the noise to answer the call.

“Have you eaten today?” His godfather asked.

“I'm no longer a kid.”

“You are, man, until the day I die. What's going on? Heard some rumors that you divorced Emmy.”

Shit. Nothing got passed this man's ears. “Yeah, that's true.”

“What's going on? Didn't you tell me you love her?”

Yeah. He told him he loved her because he thought it was love to always want to please her.

“Does that mean you still haven't found someone you love, Charles? Tell me. What's going on?”

“Well…”

“Last time we spoke—that was barely twenty four hours ago, you asked me what to get for her on her birthday. Say something, dude. You don't love her, do you?”

It all hit Charles at once.

Maybe he never really loved Emmy. Last night, watching her make out with another man, he didn’t feel shattered—he felt… free. Almost like a weight had finally slipped off his chest.

“Charles?”

But he’d never let anyone tell him how to feel. Never let them corner him into admitting something that sounded weak. Call him cold if they want—but he'd rather be heartless than be seen crawling back.

“I’m in love with someone,” Charles said, lying through his teeth.

Admitting he was wrong about Emmy? That what he felt wasn’t love? That wasn’t happening.

Truth was, he’d never loved her. She was just someone who seemed good enough to keep him from dying from boredom during the vacation.

“What is going on? You didn't love Emmy? Did you lie to me then?”

“Yes,” Charles quickly lied.

“Who did you love? You told me you are in love with someone.”

“Sadie,” Charles said without thinking.

“What the fuck!” His godfather shouted at the other end and at once, Charles thought he had been caught. “Sadie Wyatt?!”

“Yes. She's the one I am in love with,” Charles said quickly.

“Damn. You have a really good taste. You could have told me all these while, huh? I'm sorry. I had no idea.”

Charles held his breath. Did his godfather fall for his lies? So easily?

“That mean the plan will still go accordingly?”

“Yes. Of course,” Charles lied.

“So, before you end the vacation, you'll have a child?”

“Come on. I only have four months before the vacation ends. Giving birth takes more than that.”

“You still have five months. This month is not over yet, so count it too. By the way, I'd love to speak with Sadie.”