Chapter 214
By the time I got to Emily's place, Milly had already been checked and was back.
The doctor said she'd caught a slight chill and her stomach was a bit irritated. He prescribed some mild medicine and told us to keep her warm and watch her diet.
Milly was now curled up in the soft big bed in Emily's guest room, sleeping with rosy cheeks.
Emily tiptoed out of the room and closed the door gently behind her. When she saw me, she immediately came over and gave me a big hug.
"Congratulations," she whispered excitedly in my ear, "You're finally free. The sky's the limit now. All those scumbags and homewreckers can go to hell. Nothing can stop you from finding happiness and success anymore."
Her words were blunt and harsh, it was full of satisfaction at getting back at them for me.
I didn't join in cursing them, but the resentment that had been stuck in my chest for years seemed to slowly fade away with her words.
A long-lost feeling of lightness grew from deep inside me.
"Thank you," I hugged her back and said sincerely.
When Milly woke up, she was in much better spirits.
I asked her, "Milly, mommy's going to have dinner with Emily and William tonight to celebrate. Can you go play at grandma's house first?"
Milly sat at the edge of the bed, blinking her big eyes at me. In those clear eyes, she seemed to understand something.
She didn't ask questions, she just nodded obediently, "Okay, mommy. You go ahead. I'll listen to grandma."
Her understanding made me feel both comforted and a bit sad.
I dropped her off at my mom's. Seeing my relaxed expression, mom didn't ask much, she just smiled and told us to have fun.
That evening, I arrived at the cozy little bar Emily had mentioned.
The place wasn't big, but it was quiet with soothing music.
I had just reached the door of our reserved room and hadn't pushed it open yet when I heard Emily's angry voice from inside:
"George, that bastard, how dare he..."
I pushed open the door and walked in.
Emily's cheeks were flushed with anger, her chest heaving, her finger almost poking William's nose across from her.
William was frowning, looking helpless.
Seeing me come in, their argument stopped abruptly.
"What's wrong?" I pulled out a chair and sat down, looking between them, "I could hear you arguing from outside."
Emily immediately said, "Grace, perfect timing. I'm so mad! Guess who I just ran into in the bathroom?"
"George and that bitch Sarah, in a private room upstairs. The waiter said George's dad Albert set it up!"
She got angrier as she spoke, her voice rising, "This is only the first day after the divorce! The paperwork just went through , he couldn't wait to bring his mistress to meet the parents. Albert, that old bastard, never liked you anyway. He always thought you weren't good enough for his son. Now he's finally getting his wish—the daughter-in-law he approves of is making it official! I want to go up there and flip their table!"
William rubbed his temples, trying to calm her down, "Emily, keep your voice down. I know you're upset for Grace, but acting on impulse won't solve anything. Our company still has projects with the Smith Group. Making a scene won't help anyone."
"Projects? Damn the projects!" Emily was furious, even turning on William, "William, do you have any backbone? Your friend is being treated like this and you're still thinking about business? Is business more important than what Grace has been through? You're afraid of offending George—well, I'm not! I'm going up there right now to tear that fake face off Sarah!"
Just as Emily was about to get up, I reached out and gently pressed her arm.
"Emily," I called her name, my voice calm.
Emily turned her head. Her eyes were getting red—angry and upset for me.
I didn't say anything. I just quietly took out my phone from my bag, unlocked it, and opened an Instagram account I'd blocked but never unfollowed.
Sarah's.
I didn't need to look hard. The latest post on her feed was from twenty minutes ago.
No caption, just one picture.
The photo was taken from a side angle. In the dimly lit private room, a man's tall figure from behind.
He wore a dark gray shirt, his shoulders straight. Just from the back, you could feel that familiar cold detachment and authority.
The smug caption read: [The clouds have cleared, fresh air arrives. From now on, no one can stand between us anymore.]
I would recognize that figure anywhere, even if it turned to ashes.
It was George.
Emily leaned over to look and immediately started shaking with anger, "Is she shameless? Who is she showing off to? She's the homewrecker who should be torn apart!"
William saw it too, his frown deepening, but when he looked at me, his eyes showed more concern.
My face showed no expression. I reached out with my index finger and gently tapped the screen.
The phone screen instantly went dark, shutting out that painful image.
"William's right," I looked up at Emily, my tone so calm it was almost flat, "What matters most to us now is making money. They can meet whoever they want, post whatever they want. It has nothing to do with us."
Emily froze, as if she hadn't expected this reaction from me, "Grace, you..."
"I know you're trying to stand up for me," I interrupted her, my voice still calm. I even smiled at her, "But it's really not necessary. If we make a scene, we might not be the ones who end up embarrassed."
"If George dares to be this obvious, he's prepared to deal with it. If we go up there, what will we get besides giving people something to gossip about?"
I paused and looked at William, "Besides, the company is growing. The collaboration with the Smith Group makes me sick, but it really is a good stepping stone. There's no need to ruin everyone's hard work because of my personal grudge. William's thinking is sound."
William looked at me with complicated eyes—relieved, but also deeply pained.
He understood. It wasn't that I didn't hate them or wasn't hurt. I was just pressing those overwhelming emotions down hard beneath reason and reality.
I knew what choice was best for me and my friends right now.
Emily looked at my calm face. That burning anger seemed to be slowly doused by cold water, leaving only a sizzling heartache and helplessness.
She slumped back in her chair, her eyes even redder, "Grace, I just feel it's so unfair to you. Six years—your best six years—all spent on the Smith family, on George."
"And what happened? It all just prepared the way for that bitch. Just thinking about it makes me want to slap Sarah to death!"
I patted the back of her hand but said nothing.
Whether it was worth it or not, there was no point discussing it now.
Sunk costs—I couldn't get them back.
William changed the subject at the right time, his tone hesitant, "Grace, I heard from people in our circle that George gave you two villas and cars in the divorce settlement?"
I nodded, "Yes."
"What about the kids?" William asked carefully, "Milly's with you, but Jack..."
At his question, Emily suddenly realized—she'd been so angry about George and Sarah that she'd almost forgotten about the children.
She immediately looked at me, her eyes becoming cautious, almost disbelieving, "Grace, did you really give up custody of Jack? Sure, sometimes he can't tell right from wrong and gets influenced by Sarah, but he's your biological son! How can you just let that mistress raise your own child?"
The word "biological" was like two red-hot irons, searing the most festering wound in my heart.
The pain made me almost curl up instantly. A surge of sharp agony mixed with towering hatred rushed to my head.
No one knew that Jack wasn't my biological child at all.
He was Sarah and George's child.
To protect Sarah, George had added harsh conditions to the divorce agreement, requiring me to hide this truth forever, or else face legal action for damaging the child's mental health.
So my pain, my grievances, the betrayal and deception I'd endured all these years—I couldn't tell even my most trusted friends.