My Past Life Was My Greatest Fortune

Emily Goes To Daniel

Emily stormed into the house with Preston following behind her. The moment she entered the living room, she threw her handbag onto the sofa.

“Mom, that bastard actually slapped me!”

Her mother, Martha, immediately stood up. “What happened?”

Emily angrily recounted everything that had happened at the restaurant, from Maverick refusing to give them the money to the humiliating way he had spoken to them before ending their relationship.

By the time she finished, Martha’s expression had changed. Instead of feeling angry, a smile slowly appeared on her face.

“Then what’s there to be angry about?”

Emily stared at her. “What?”

“You’re finally free from that useless man.” Martha sat down and looked at her daughter thoughtfully. “This is actually the perfect opportunity.”

Emily frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“Daniel.”

The moment she heard that name, Emily’s expression changed. Martha immediately noticed. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

Emily remained silent. Daniel was the son of a wealthy businessman. His family owned several companies, and unlike Maverick, he had always lived a comfortable life. But there was one problem. Emily had never really trusted him.

He was handsome, but nowhere near as attractive as Maverick. His build wasn’t particularly impressive either, and she had always suspected that he was the type of man who couldn’t stay faithful to one woman.

That was precisely why she had kept Daniel at a distance while refusing to completely let go of Maverick. She had wanted the best of both worlds. But now Maverick had walked away.

“I don’t think Daniel is suitable for me,” Emily muttered.

Martha’s face immediately hardened. “Not suitable?”

“Yes.”

“What exactly is wrong with him?”

Emily hesitated. “He’s always surrounded by women. I don’t know what kind of person he really is.”

Martha scoffed. “And Maverick was better?” Emily’s face tightened. “He at least—”

“At least what?” Martha interrupted her. “He could barely support himself? Could only earn enough to keep you comfortable? Or perhaps you mean the man who refused to hand you two hundred thousand dollars when your brother was in trouble?”

Preston’s expression became awkward. Martha turned toward him. “Your brother is already being threatened by his creditors. If that money isn’t dealt with, what do you think will happen?”

Emily lowered her head. Martha’s voice became sharper.

“Daniel may have his flaws, but he has money. Real money.” She leaned forward. “If you don’t go to him, who is going to deal with your brother’s two-hundred-thousand-dollar debt?”

Emily clenched her fingers tightly in her lap as the weight of her mother’s words pressed down on her. She hated admitting it, but Martha was right. Maverick was gone, and Daniel was her only remaining option.

That evening she sat alone in her room, staring at her phone for a long time before finally forcing herself to dial Daniel’s number. The call connected after only two rings.

“Emily,” Daniel’s voice came through, smooth and unsurprised. “I was wondering when you would call.”

She swallowed hard and got straight to the point. “My brother owes two hundred thousand dollars. The creditors are already threatening him. I need help.”

There was a short pause on the other end. Then Daniel spoke again, his tone calm but firm. “I’ll settle the full two hundred thousand for you. Every cent.”

Relief flashed through her for a brief second before his next words wiped it away.

“But you already know I’m not the type of man who hands out money for free. You’re coming to my place tonight. No excuses, no delays.”

Emily’s grip on the phone tightened. “Daniel, can’t we at least meet somewhere public first and talk about it?”

“No,” he cut her off without hesitation. “You want the two hundred thousand dollars or not? Come over tonight, or find the money somewhere else. Those are your only choices.”

The line went quiet for a moment as Emily sat frozen, realizing she truly had no room left to refuse.

Emily had little room to refuse. She arrived at his apartment later that night, her heart heavy. The moment the door closed behind her, Daniel’s polite smile disappeared.

“Take off your clothes.”

She hesitated. “Daniel, we can talk about this. The debt—”

He stepped forward and slapped her hard across the face. The sharp sound filled the room. Emily staggered back, her cheek burning, eyes wide with shock.

“I said take them off,” he ordered, his voice cold. “I’m paying two hundred thousand dollars for this. You’re not going to stand there and waste my time.”

When she still didn’t move fast enough, he grabbed her arm and forced her toward the bedroom.

She tried to pull away, but he was stronger. He pushed her onto the bed, pinned her down, and ignored her protests as he tore at her clothes.

Emily struggled, but every time she resisted too hard he slapped her again or tightened his grip until she stopped fighting.

By the time he was finished using her, she was completely exhausted, her body sore and marked with faint bruises on her arms and wrists.

She lay on the bed the following morning, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her body ached, and the memory of the forced night still lingered.

Yet she forced herself to think about the money. Two hundred thousand dollars. Daniel had handled it without hesitation. Maverick, on the other hand, hadn’t even been willing to give her two thousand.

Thinking about that, Emily’s bitterness slowly returned. At least I finally chose a man who actually has money. She sat up slowly.

'When Maverick sees me again, I’ll make sure he regrets humiliating me.' That thought gave her enough strength to get dressed.

Later that day, Emily arrived at the Grand Horizon Restaurant at 128 Maple Avenue with Daniel. The moment she stepped inside, her eyes widened. Everything around her looked expensive.

The elegant decorations, the polished floors, the perfectly dressed waitstaff… She had never imagined that she would one day enter a place like this without worrying about the price.

A waiter immediately greeted them with a respectful smile. “Good afternoon, Miss. Your table is ready.”

Emily’s chin lifted slightly. For the first time, she felt as though she had truly stepped into the world of wealthy people. Then her eyes suddenly stopped moving. A familiar figure was sitting at one of the tables.

Her expression froze. “Maverick?”

He was sitting there calmly. And across from him sat a beautiful woman. Emily stared in disbelief. How is he here? This was the Grand Horizon Restaurant.

Even she had rarely had the chance to eat somewhere like this before. Yet Maverick was sitting there as though the place belonged to him.

Her shock quickly turned into anger. Without thinking, she walked straight toward his table. “Maverick!”

The man raised his head as their eyes met. Emily stopped in front of him, staring at his expensive clothes before looking at the woman sitting beside him. Her disbelief was obvious.

“How did you get into a place like this?” She pointed toward Claire. “And who is she?”