Chapter 736


    The sun rose and set as everyday passed quickly.


    Time seemed both slowly and quickly at the same time. Even though she could have given anything


    to peel the pages off her calendar any quicker, Simon was finallying back from his business


    trip, and so was the moment for their decision - the decision after their four-year marriage.


    Perhaps it was only because she had one too many nights alone in the spacious bed, without her


    man to warm it and share its space with her, that Emily felt her heart hanging in suspense.


    The reminder from her cousin had prodded her into asking Simon tentatively about what would


    happen to them, and Simon, being the sharp and quick- witted person he always was, would never


    have missed her gist.


    He replied with only a chuckle, as she recalled as her eyes wandered to the silver ring on her finger.


    She caressed it, feeling it rotating around her finger. Then she spied the two S''s engraved on the


    ring. He told her before that he specially asked the smith who fashioned the rings to engrave the


    very alphabet they both share in their names and she remembered how he had slid the ring into her


    finger at Sagria City.


    Emily set her mind at ease.


    Tina was in front of her since God knows when, holding a wireless microphone and waving it in front


    of her face. "Hey, wakey wakey Emily! Interview''s over! Time to pack up!"


    "Oh oh oh!" It was only then that Emily came to her senses.


    She, Tina, and two colleagues from the TV station hade to the newly opened construction site


    opposite the river early in the morning for the opening ceremony of a new project to unveil a new


    facade for the city. ZF was constructing two more openspace parks and all news dailies and


    channels were invited to cover the event.


    Emily shut down the machine on her shoulder and held it in her hands.


    Tina was also packing up the microphone and rolling up the wires when she bumped Emily''s arm,


    "Hey, Emily, I think I saw Boyd!" "Boyd? Where is he?" Emily was stunned.


    Tina pointed a finger across her shoulder, "There! Beside the yellow crane behind you! I saw him


    just now during the interview!"


    Emily had been standing with her back to the crane all along so she did not notice that. But Tina


    had been standing in view of the camera and hence she saw Boyd right from the start of the event,


    even though she earlier grappled if she should tell Emily about him being present.


    Emily jerked her head around to find him.


    She turned suddenly and Boyd hardly had any chance to hide. Still jittery over his own promise that


    he would never darken her door anymore, he hastily and clumsily dove to the back of the crane.


    He appeared to be sick, as he covered his mouth to muffle his coughs.


    Emily recalled the encounter she had with Tina at the public square a few days ago and knowing


    better, she decided to hand the machine over to Tina.


    She had been able to face Boyd with calmness andposure three years ago. The memories


    they shared had all but dissipated into the wind like fine dust and all she felt about him was like a


    former friend she once knew. Meeting him once again would cause no ripple to her.


    Emily dug out a sachet of tissue and gave it to him as a form of reciprocation for the kindness he


    showed her before, "Here, take it!"


    When she saw a drunken Addy Swan clinging to Simon''s arm that night, she had left quietly,


    wandering through the dark like a lonely dog. That he came to her and talked to her made her very


    grateful indeed.


    "Thank you!" Boyd took it, thanked her. Hastily, he exined, "I am not stalking you, Emily. One of


    the contractors of this project is thepany I''m working for. I know about the mediaing, but I


    didn''t expect to see you, and knowing that you might feel troubled to see me, I thought I might just


    keep away."


    Emily nodded her head. That exined why did she fail to find the foreman of this project because


    he had been busy hiding from her.


    Remembering how he had found her sitting alone in the dark that night, Boyd''s forehead creased


    deeply. He grappled with hesitation and asked carefully, "How have you been all these years,


    Emily? Mr. Chin... How is he? Are things good between you two? Please don''t misunderstand! I''m


    only concerned as a former friend. Nothing more!"


    He exined more, afraid that she might misunderstand her.


    "Yes." Emily nodded with a smile. Politely, she asked, "What about you? Surely you and Mis. Xu are


    well?"


    As much as she still harbored disgust and indifference to Maeve Hsu, she knew how they loved


    each other. She could see the love in their eyes thest time they met.


    Then she recalled the beautiful almond-shaped eyes of a certain someone. She whose eyes also


    failed to hide the apparent love she kept inside her.


    Emily''s heart skipped a beat.


    She came back to her senses and Boyd was clutching the sachet of tissue she gave him and he


    said gently, "Emily, I''m divorced."


    "Ah?! You''re divorced?" Emily was stunned.


    "Mmhmm," Boyd nodded. "We signed the papers two months ago. Maeve was against it at first, but


    I went to court. I remember I told you before, Emily. Being together with Maeve had never been


    what I wanted. I needed time and now, I''m able to be free. Free from the threats and manacles that


    hold me. I''ve regained my freedom!"


    But I lost you.


    Those were the words Boyd wanted to say, but he could only keep them buried in his heart.


    For he knew full well that he had lost Emily the moment she caught them at Crocus City. He had lost


    his right to im her as his.


    Emily stared at him nkly. Of the things she expected to hear, she did not anticipate this. But


    surprise aside, Emily had little sympathy for Maeve. After all that she''s done, it all boiled down to


    nothing?


    She didn''t say much. One nce at her colleagues, she saw Tina were packing their gear into their


    car and they quickly exchanged their goodbyes and she trotted back to rejoin them.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    The next day was a weekend. Emily did not sleep in. She got up to apany Tina and her


    daughter in their visit to the hospital.


    I''s transnt a few years ago was sessful and she was now just as active and energetic as


    any other child who had been fortunate enough to escape the ensnarement of disease and


    afflictions. But she was still young and just to be safe, they would visit the hospital for a check-up


    every six months.


    With her hair tied in two adorable pigtail braids, I was ying with her doll when they entered the


    elevator. She showed it off happily to Emily, "Look, Aunt Emily! This is what Papa brought me from


    his business trip! It''s not any ordinary doll! It''s a Secret Angel!" "She''s so pretty. When I grows


    up, you can be like her!" Emily smiled.


    "Heh heh heh!" I smiled shyly. But her face contorted into a worried frown, "But Papa said girls


    shouldn''t show off outside."


    Emily peered at the little girl''s face and noticed how she lit up whenever she spoke about Wilson.


    "Tina, why did you not call Wilson toe with you for I''s check- up?" she blurted suddenly.


    After all, Wilson was I''s biological father. He should have been here. But Emily quickly regretted


    asking the question as soon as she spoke it for Tina''s face fell as she croaked, "He must be busy


    with his wedding..."