Reality Sinks In

CHAPTER TWELVE

PLAYLIST NUMB BY MAX JURY

"when I sing my stranger blues,

I make it on the local news,

Everybody likes to see you lose,

And hang you high to rest under the rain"

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Emilia's POV

who knows one day I will be labelled as "the other woman" my parents will have a heart attack when they heard that their daughter is a whore? I want to be positive behind all what is happening but maybe this is my fault, I put myself into this mess after the situation happened at the coffee shop business was booming for Joe and Martha but I didn't take that being on a positive note, business at the coffee shop is booming because people wanted to question me always how did you do it? Is it true? Do you want his money? Blah blah blah blah blah. All the people attacking me questions is stressing me out causing me to be ashamed of what I did that day, also ashamed for even calling, texting and facing Mark why did I put myself in situations like this again?

"Honey you can go to the kitchen if it is so stressful for you to be here in the counter" Martha said worriedly, Martha and Joe has been cheering me up since the accident, Joe almost punched a customer for asking me to do the dirty with him for a price. When things get tough Martha will make me go to the kitchen to bake and she will take the orders for me just to keep me out of the people's eye and in her free time she taught me other pastries to bake which help take my mind off things sometimes they even offer for me to sleep in their house so that I will feel protected not watched.

"no, I'm fine Martha I just can't hide forever I got to do my job and I got to show people that i'm innocent or even not guilty how am I supposed to know that he is in an arranged marriage" I said distressed after I see the headlines regret came flooding in me, Mark has been calling me a few times even france but I can't really show them my face or even talk to them and that night I end all communications with him, with Sam and I'm glad or a bit disappointed that he didn't check up on meor whatever but I didn't expect him to

"you're right maybe he will b going to tell you at some point I see that young man and I know there is something in his eyes that I can't really grasp" she said while getting a slice of apple pie and handing it to me and I couldn't resist but take a huge bite from it

"that guy is a jerk" I heard Joe scoffed somewhere it's a good thing we're already closing and there are only a few people left inside the coffee shop

"Joe don't say that, the boy is in an arranged marriage he didn't get to choose who he will be with for the rest of his life of course t one point he will be crushing or even fall in love" Martha said glaring at Joe now leaning on the other side of the counter

"well if he is not a jerk then he should've done something about the photos being on the papers" he said and I heard Martha sighed she know she will not win this one argument I was so preoccupied with eating the apple pie I wasn't really eating well in the last few days due to stress and exhaustion then I heard a voice

"Em can I talk to you for a minute" I heard Mark's voice and I froze and I can't even look at him his voice is soft and tired I turned around and see that he looks nothing like the Mark I knew before his hair is tousled, he has dark spots under his eyes

"Hi Mark do you want somewhere private?" I asked and to be honest I was so ashamed to even look at him he nodded and I ask Martha and Joe if we can go to the roof top of the coffee shop which they agreed so that we can have privacy