Emily’s Dilemma: Seduced by Billionaire Brothers

It was Emily’s last day in Los Angeles and Emily knew she couldn’t leave without seeing her mother at least. Their last meeting was disastrous and Emily had spent every waking minute thinking about it. She had hovered over the woman’s number everyday, tempted to call, to apologize, to reconnect with the woman that disappeared most of her childhood but she just couldn’t. The revelations swarming above her, reminding her of the childhood she lost, the memories she could no longer recall. Her heart pounding beneath her chest, stealing the words from her mouth each time she hit the call button and she had to end the call immediately.

One time she let it ring till she picked.

“Hello!” She heard her voice, low pitched and concerned and her voice hitched, unable to speak

“Emily, talk to me” she heard her say again and she ended the call immediately. Her mother didn’t call back, and she was grateful for that, like she understood. She needed time.

But now, she was in Los Angeles, she knew she had to see her. She had sent a text and got an address back, now she waited.

She stood outside the heavy wooden door, the apprehension consuming her as her hand hovered over the doorbell. The resentment still festered within and she struggled to push it aside, but still it reared it’s ugly head and sat at the tip of her tongue. Memories, fractured and muddled, as she stood there, whispered fragments of her mother’s face, of her childhood, her father’s face that she tried to conjure but nothing came through, amplifying her senses of both bitterness and longing.

Emily held her trembling hands up about to knock, when the door gave way and she met her mother standing before her.

“I wondered how long you’ll take, and I became impatient” the woman said before giving way for Emily to come in.

Emily stepped into the house, it was a large house, shimmering with timeless elegance. She could even hear the distant sound of classical music floating through space.

Her mother stood, dressed in an elegant flowing dress that accentuated her grace and beauty, her face was thinner, her collar bones visible but still those porcelain features felt untouched by the passage of time.

“Come over here, I have a lovely garden we can sit and talk” Her mother, Alyssa led her through the house, through the back to a beautiful garden with wooden table and chairs, teapot and cups at the ready.

“Lovely of you to visit” her mother greeted, her eyes glimmering with a mix of icy composure and a hidden vulnerability that flickered for a mere moment.

“I just couldn’t leave without seeing you, judging from the last time we saw. I’m still processing everything”

“It’s very understandable dear, I didn’t expect sunshine and roses but I’m ready to work my way back into your heart” she stretched her hands forward to take Emily’s hand into hers and she let her, as rigid as she felt.

“How’s your grandmother?” Alyssa asked

“Haven’t seen her since she kicked me out months ago” Emily said “She didn’t like you very much”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Yea she hated my guts” Alyssa affirmed “Blamed me for her son’s death”

“Well she wasn’t wrong now was she?” Emily said and something seemed to flair in her mother’s eyes

“What about the trauma he caused -” Alyssa was going to say, her voice raised a bit but she stopped herself in time, she took a deep breath and that wide smile was plastered on her face.

“Well we shouldn’t talk about her then” Alyssa said

“Tell me about your husband instead, how did you too meet? I’ll like to know everything. Does he treat you nice? Last I heard is that he’s a billionaire, Ethan Hatton is it?”

Emily was about to speak, when the doorbell went off immediately and Alyssa sprang to her feet “Excuse me” she said but Emily stood up with her, as curious as a cat and following closely behind her.

Alyssa walked to the door, and opened to reveal a middle aged man, dressed casually in a simple jeans and a t shirt. He wore round glasses with a face full of beard it was almost impossible to see his lips, his woody cologne suddenly filling the air. Emily looked down at his hands and he was carrying a medical box.

“Oh Dr Evans” Alyssa said clearing Emily’s confusion, but still Emily noticed the nervousness dance in her eyes.

“Do come in” she opened the door wide for the smart looking man to come in and he smiled.

“This is my daughter, Emily. Complicated history, we’re just getting to know each other again” she looked straight into Dr Evans eyes, her gaze unwavering like a silent message passing between them before Alyssa turned to her, placing her hands behind Emily’s back and urging her forward.

“Emily, Dr. Evan. He has been my doctor for many years”

Dr. Evans turned to her, his eyes wrinkling with a smile beneath his glasses as he stretched out his hand for a handshake and she took it, delicate but firm.

“Doctor?” Emily looked between them “Are you sick or something?”

“Oh dear no, just a routine check up. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable, it’ll be just a minute” Alyssa said, walking inside the room with the doctor behind her.

Emily looked around the house, the quietness was haunting. The house was clean, too clean like no one lived in it. She decided to snoop around, she walked inside, her eyes finding the first door and her delicate fingers brushing against the surface of the closed door. She pushed and the door gave way immediately, her eyes swept over the neatly arranged furniture and carefully curated decor, exuding a sense of calm and normalcy.

She studied the bookshelf, intrigued by the amount of books stored within them, different titles and shapes. Her fingers found one and she retrieved it titled We Were Liars.

The edges were frail and worn from overuse, the smell of old paper suddenly filled her nose and she placed the book back.

Her eyes scanned the shelf more and her eyes suddenly found a book.

Gone girl by Gillian Flynn

She suddenly remembered her mothers words, the first time they met

“It was a classic gone girl all over again ”

Emily retrieved the book immediately from the top shelf where it was hidden, it’s surface covered with dust and she wiped it clean with her hands. She opened it, the first page reading

Boy loses Girl.