That Woman, Emma.

Victor

"She's not answering my calls," Justin muttered, pacing the living room, equally soaked from the rain. Unlike me, who was drying off on the couch with Jasper's offered towel, Justin refused any attempts to dry off, fixated on reaching Emma. He rushed after her, but she slipped away before he could catch her. He searched but found no trace of her. The last glimpse I caught was her turning the corner. Panic etched Justin's face as he frantically dialed her number, then glanced at me, his tone tinged with accusation. "Did she say anything to you? Did you say something to her? Because, Victor, if you—"

"I didn't say a word," I lied. Revealing the conversation I'd had with Emma before her departure would only escalate Justin's worry for her and anger towards me.

Justin's skepticism was palpable. His nostrils flared as he leveled an accusatory gaze at me. "I can't shake this feeling that you're not being entirely truthful," he remarked, his tone laced with doubt. "You've always had this strange obsession with your ex-wife, and let's face it, you've brought nothing but pain to Emma..."

His words struck a nerve. Narrowing my eyes, I rose slowly from the couch. "Strange fixation?" I echoed incredulously. "Justin, she was my wife. Naturally, I'm attached to her. My marriage ended because..."

Justin scoffed, halting my defense. "It wasn't Emma who ended your marriage," he interjected sharply. "It was you and Ivy. Your relationships were already on rocky ground. Emma was just a pawn in your game to escape the pain you both felt. Nobody said it to your face, but we all saw how you both pretended to be happy—especially you! Even before Emma, you were putting in so much effort to salvage the relationship, Victor, but consider this — did she exert the same level of effort as you did? Emma made a mistake, she owned up to it, and she paid the price. But there's a limit to everything! She's not the same person anymore, and at least she has the courage to admit her fault—unlike you, who can't accept that your marriage was doomed even before Emma came into the picture!" Justin snapped, his words cutting deep. He turned on his heel and stormed away, the slam of his bedroom door reverberating through the house, leaving Jasper and me in an uncomfortable silence.

The rain had tapered to a gentle drizzle by the time I drove back home, the night having been spent at Justin's apartment. Jasper and I departed, with Justin remaining holed up in his room, leaving us with a sense of being unwelcome. Jasper took his car, and I took mine.

The alcohol had worn off. A few cups of coffee and the encounter with Emma in the rain had sobered me up. Driving in silence, my phone incessantly buzzed with notifications, but I paid them no mind. Ever since James disappeared and our firm was embroiled in scandal, my father had been trying to reach me, but I was too lost in my thoughts to respond. Knowing it was nearing dawn and that calls at this hour usually carried weight, the timing seemed inconsequential amidst the weight of the scandal hanging over us. There was no longer a discernible "right time" for calls in our tumultuous days, so I was confident it could wait until I reached home.

As I approached home, Justin's and Emma's words echoed in my mind, resurfacing a memory tarnished by my relationship with Ivy. "You didn't really do what husbands are supposed to do... You stood up for me against your wife. Ever thought about why? It wasn't just blind trust in me, maybe it was because you were already doubting her and your relationship with her."

Justin's words echoed in my mind next, "Your relationships were already on rocky ground. Emma was just a pawn in your game to escape the pain you both felt. Nobody said it to your face, but we all saw how you both pretended to be happy—especially you! Even before Emma, you were putting in so much effort to salvage the relationship, Victor, but consider this—did she exert the same level of effort as you did?!"

It was a time long before Emma entered the picture when both Ivy and I were consumed by our respective careers, leaving little time for each other. I vividly recall that evening when I suggested a getaway to a secluded, romantic spot for the weekend, hoping for some quality time together. The way Ivy dismissed the idea, recoiling from the notion, only served to amplify the growing chasm between us.