Chapter 76: Shrouded in Doubt

Emily was sitting on her bed, thinking about everything that happened today. She was feeling emotionally unstable and devastated. Every word Sarah and Natasha said was replaying in her mind again and again. She wanted to believe Alex, but her mind was asking her lots of questions, making her doubt him. She wanted to call Nelson and have him come over to her house. She wanted to cry and tell him everything. But she also didn't want to keep dragging him into her affairs. He had already helped her so much. She didn't want to trouble him anymore.

She lay back on the bed and thought about going back to her parents' house. She would not come back until Alex set everything right, and if he got married to Natasha, then she would never come back. She would try her best to forget him. But she knew it was impossible. She couldn't forget him.

After a while, Emily's phone rang.

She sat up on the bed, reached out her hand to the bedside table, and picked up her phone. She looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Alex. She wondered why he was calling her. Shouldn't he be taking care of his mother and soon-to-be wife?

As the phone continued ringing, Emily picked up the call and said, "Why are you calling me? Shouldn't you be taking care of your mother? Don't call me again!" She hung up the phone without even hearing what Alex had to say.

Alex called again, but Emily only stared at her phone and didn't pick up the call. Despite Alex's repeated attempts, Emily remained motionless, fixated on the screen. She was aware that she should give Alex a chance to explain himself, but she couldn't shake her doubts about why his mother would deceive her. She couldn't comprehend why someone would tell such a lie if there wasn't some truth to it.

Shortly after, the phone stopped ringing and was replaced by the chime of a received message.

Emily once again picked up her phone and saw that Alex was now messaging her. She opened her messaging app to see what he was saying.

Alex: Listen to me, Emily.

Alex: I don't know what my mom and Natasha told you, but that isn't true. I only like you.

Alex: I really love you, Emily. So please talk to me. I have something important to tell you.

After hearing that Natasha was pregnant with Alex's child, she wanted to cut Alex completely from her life, but before that, she wanted to hear Alex's story too. In the end, no matter what the truth was, she knew She would never be able to erase Alex from her mind. He was imprinted in her memories and in her heart. It was impossible to remove him from her.

Emily dialled Alex's number, and before it even rang properly, Alex picked up the call.

"Hello, Emily, Are you listening to me? I like you. I only like you. Nothing happened between me and Natasha. I didn't do anything. It's her plan. I don't know why she's doing it, but please trust me. I really love you. I never thought of any girl other than you. I really love you. Please trust me."

"But…" Emily's lips trembled as she tried to say something. "Why would your mom lie? What would she get from it? And she even said,-" Tears started rolling down her cheeks. She bit her lip, so she wouldn't let Alex hear her cry.

"What? What did she say?"

"Just tell me already; don't hesitate. Tell me what they said to you. Please, Emily,"

After a while, when Emily felt she was alright, she took a deep breath and said, "I want to see you. I want to see you one last time."

"What do you mean by one last time? What are you planning to do?" Alex yelled, worried.

"I'm going to my parent's house, and I'm not coming back. I've had enough, Alex, I..."

Alex was silent for a moment, trying to process what Emily just said.

"Why do you think it's only you who are going through this? I'm also in pain. I am also struggling. Why do my mom and now even you trust what others are saying instead of believing me? Do you guys even love me?" Alex asked.

Emily was silent. She didn't know what to do or what to say. She also wanted to be with Alex, but she didn't want to do anything that she would regret later. She didn't want to take away the child's father, who hadn't even been born yet. She couldn't live her entire life regretting it.

"Alex, I love you. I love you a lot. But I can't do it. I can't steal you from Natasha and her baby."

"Baby?"

"What are you saying? Nothing happened between me and Natasha, so where did this baby thing come from? Stop overthinking." Alex sounded annoyed.

"I don't know. I want to trust you. But I saw it in your mother's eyes. She can't be lying about your and Natasha's child."

"But Natasha can be lying. Maybe she lied to Mom. Mom trusts her so much, so whatever she says, Mom believes it."

Emily paused for a moment as she heard that. Something clicked in her mind.

'Maybe he is saying the truth,' Emily thought.

"If you are lying, I'm going to kill you. I won't let you off easily."

"I'm not. I'm telling you the truth." Alex breathed a sigh of relief that Emily was finally listening to him.

"Let's meet at the Rose Restaurant tomorrow at eleven. Don't be late." Emily ordered.

"I won't. I will be there before eleven." Alex smiled.

"Okay," Emily said, and hung up the phone.

She once again lay on the bed and started thinking about what tomorrow would bring for her.