Terms and Tensions

Emily decided to take the week off from work to spend more time with Grandma. Growing up, she had always been close to Mrs Stratton, especially since her mother had left when she was little. Every day after school, Emily would rush to Stratton's, where Grandma would have the afternoon desserts ready for her, eagerly listening to how her day had been. Their bond, while not conventional, was remarkably close.

As Emily cherished these precious moments with Grandma, her tranquility was shattered by the persistent ringing of her phone. Reluctantly, she answered, only to find Olivia at the other end of the line. Despite her initial resistance, Olivia's insistence eventually wore her down, and Emily reluctantly answered.

"Miss Winters, I want to make it clear that my decision remains unchanged," Emily stated firmly. "You don't need to keep calling me."

Olivia Winters was momentarily at a loss for words, searching for a response. "So, nothing will make you change your mind?" she finally asked, her tone subdued.

"Nothing" replied Emily.

"Emily, do you still remember that I helped you before? Can I ask you to return the favor?" Olivia's voice softened as she made her request.

Emily bit down on her lip, feeling conflicted, but remained silent.

"You don't have to answer me right away," Olivia offered gently. "Can we meet up tomorrow?"

After a moment's hesitation, Emily agreed, her mind swirling with thoughts.

At the cafe, Olivia's demeanour had shifted, her once sweet and soft expression replaced by a cold, steely gaze. Emily couldn't help but smirk, recognizing that Olivia was no longer pretending.

"You owe me, Emily," Olivia began, her tone dripping with superiority.

"So that makes you think you can order me to kill my baby for you?" Emily retorted firmly. The word "kill" caught Olivia off guard.

"Well, you can't say it like that," Olivia attempted to deflect.

"Why not?" Emily replied icily. "Isn't that what you're asking for?"

Olivia found herself speechless in response. "Well, if you were me, you wouldn't want the love of your life to have a baby with some other woman either" she argued.

"Some other woman? I don't have to remind you that I'm still his wife, and I have every right to keep my husband's child," Emily asserted fiercely, realizing that Olivia could never see things from anyone else's perspective.

"To return your favor, anything but this," Emily continued, her voice resolute. With a sigh, Olivia handed her an envelope containing documents and said, "I've prepared a contract for you. If you agree to this, we can call it even."

As Emily scanned through the documents, she quickly noticed several alarming clauses.

First, she must leave the country immediately after the divorce and remain absent for the next five years.

Second, she cannot mention anything about the child in front of Alex Stratton.

Third, she would receive a substantial amount of child support from the Winters until the child reaches the age of 18.

"Why can't I mention anything about his child in front of him?"

Olivia's eyes flashed with panic, but she quickly composed herself and began with her planned response. "Well, I understand how important the child is to you. I wouldn't want Alex to take the child away from you," she reasoned. "To be honest, I don't believe I could care for your child better than you could."

Olivia seized on the opportunity, hoping Emily wouldn't risk losing her child by mentioning anything in front of Alex. After a tense pause, Emily met Olivia's gaze and stated firmly, "I won't sign this contract."

Olivia's eyes widened with anger, but she quickly composed herself. "I'll give you some time to think about it," she stated tersely.

"No need," Emily replied firmly. "I won't sign anything, but I will agree to your terms. If you agree, we can call it even," she added, her tone icy.

Olivia paused, contemplating Emily's proposal. "How can I be sure that you won't go back on your word if you don't sign?" she questioned skeptically.

Emily let out a laugh, a hint of mockery in her tone. "Olivia, why are you so insecure? Besides, it was you who saved his life," she added pointedly, noticing the flicker of anger that crossed Olivia's face at the mention of saving Alex's life. "Even if I sign, I could still breach it. You never know for sure," Emily continued, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. "If you don't believe me, there's nothing more I can do."

Olivia clenched her teeth in frustration. "Are you sure I can trust your word on it?" she demanded.

"Yes," Emily replied firmly.

"Fine, deal," Olivia conceded, extending her hand. Emily glanced at it but made no move to shake it. "We're even now," she declared, her voice unwavering.

On the day before the surgery, Emily dozed off by Grandma's bedside as Alex entered the room. Just as he was about to speak, Grandma signaled for silence and nodded towards Emily. Despite her attempt to stay asleep, Emily was startled awake by the sound of Alex's footsteps. Confusion clouded her face as Grandma explained, "You fell asleep while I was telling you stories from our old photo album."

Emily quickly offered an excuse for her fatigue, claiming she hadn't slept well the night before. Grandma insisted that Alex take Emily home to rest, but Emily adamantly refused, wanting to stay with Grandma until the surgery the following day. "I'll be fine here. I have nurses and doctors taking care of me," Grandma reassured them.

During the ride back home, Emily remained silent, wanting to speak with Alex but avoiding the driver's presence. Alex noticed her hesitation and attempted to engage her in small talk about Grandma's upcoming surgery. Once they arrived home, Alex advised Emily to go to bed early and get some rest, expressing concern over her frequent naps.

"Alex," Emily began tentatively, "should we go to the lawyers to sign the paperwork before or after Grandma's surgery tomorrow?"

His demeanour instantly darkened, and he fixed her with a piercing stare that sent shivers down her spine. Realizing her mistake in bringing up the sensitive subject the day before the surgery, Emily hastily apologized, but Alex's anger flared.

"You really want a divorce tomorrow, don't you? Cannot wait for one more day!" Alex accused, his tone sharp with frustration. Emily attempted to explain, but Alex cut her off, declaring that they would proceed with the divorce first thing in the morning as she wished before storming out of the room.