Chapter 18
Emily’s POV
I
I stared at the nurse, as she introduced herself, her voice calm and professional. “Good morning, Miss Emily. My name is Amanda, and I’ve been appointed by Mr. Keith to assist you during your recovery.”
It took a moment for her words to sink in. My mind was still fuzzy from the painkillers, but one thing was clear: Keith was behind this. He had hired a nurse to come to my home, to take care of me without even consulting me. It was so typical of him–making decisions on my behalf, assuming he knew what was best for me.
“I’m sorry, but you must be mistaken,” I said, crossing my arms defensively. “I didn’t hire a nurse, and I don’t need one. You’ve got the wrong place.”
Amanda’s expression didn’t change. She seemed unfazed by my resistance, which only irritated me more.
“Miss Emily, I understand this is unexpected, but Mr. Keith was very clear in his instructions. He insisted that I stay and take care of you during your recovery.”
I clenched my fists, anger bubbling up inside me. “Well, Mr. Keith
Chapter 1
has no right to make decisions for me anymore. If he told you to come here, he was out of line. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, and I don’t need your help.”
Amanda didn’t flinch. “I’m afraid I can’t leave, Miss Emily. Mr. Keith made it clear that my presence here is non–negotiable. He’s concerned about your well–being.”
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside me. “I don’t care what he said. You need to leave, or I’ll have to call the police.”
Before Amanda could respond, the doorbell rang again. I was tempted to ignore it, but the persistent ringing forced me to answer. When I opened the door, a delivery man stood there, holding a clipboard and looking a bit harried.
“Morning, ma’am. I have a delivery for you,” he said, gesturing toward the driveway.
“What is it?” I asked, my patience wearing thin.
“A brand new Land Rover, the latest model,” he replied, pointing to the shiny black vehicle parked outside.
“What?” My eyes widened in shock. I hadn’t ordered a car, and there was only one person who would do something like this- Keith.
Nina, who had been quietly watching from the living room, walked over and peered outside. “Oh my god, that’s gorgeous, Emily. It must be the latest model.”
I turned back to the delivery man, my voice trembling with a mix of disbelief and frustration. “Is this from Keith?”
The delivery man nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Mr. Keith arranged everything. He said it was a gift.”
A gift? Keith had never been one for grand gestures, at least not with me. This was so unlike him, and the sudden change in his behavior was throwing me off balance.
Before I could respond, Keith himself walked through the door, as if on cue. He greeted Nina with a casual familiarity that made me uncomfortable, as though they were old friends and I was the outsider in my own home.
“Keith,” I started, my voice trembling with barely controlled anger, “what the hell is all this? I didn’t ask for a car, and I certainly didn’t
ask for a nurse.”
Keith met my gaze, his expression calm, as if everything he was doing made perfect sense. “You’re Zane’s mother, Emily. You need to be taken care of, and you need reliable transportation. I’m just trying to help.”
“I don’t need your help!” I snapped, the frustration boiling over. “I’m
Chapter 18
not your responsibility anymore, Keith. You never bothered to do any of this during our marriage, so why now?”
Amanda and Nina exchanged uneasy glances, clearly
uncomfortable with the tension between us. I grabbed Keith by the arm and dragged him into the kitchen, away from their prying eyes.
“Why are you doing this?” I demanded, my voice shaking. “What’s your game, Keith? You think you can just waltz back into my life and start making decisions for me? We’re divorced, remember?”
Keith sighed, rubbing the back of his neck in a way that suggested he was trying to keep his cool. “I’m not playing any games, Emily. I‘ m just trying to make sure you’re okay. You don’t make enough to support yourself and Zane the way you should. You didn’t get any compensation from the divorce, so accepting my help will save you a lot of trouble.”
His words stung, bringing back painful memories of all the times Lily had belittled my profession, making me feel small and insignificant. My anger flared, and before I knew it, we were shouting at each other, our voices echoing off the walls.
“You think this is about money?” I shouted, my voice cracking. “This is about control, Keith! You can’t stand the thought of not being in charge, so you’re trying to worm your way back into my life. But I don’t need your charity. I don’t need you.”
Keith took a step closer, his eyes narrowing. “This isn’t about control, Emily. It’s about making sure you have what you need.
You’re stubborn as hell, and you won’t admit it, but you could use some help right now.”
Before I could fire back, Nina walked into the kitchen, her expression anxious. “Hey, let’s take a step back,” she said gently. “Emily, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have a nurse around, just until you’re fully recovered. And Keith, she’s right–this is her life. You can’t just make decisions for her.”
I glared at Keith, my heart pounding in my chest. I didn’t want to give in, didn’t want to accept anything from him, but Nina’s words. were starting to make sense. I was tired–tired of fighting, tired of feeling like I had to prove I could handle everything on my own.
After a long, tense silence, I finally exhaled, the fight draining out. of me. “Fine,” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper. “The nurse can stay. But this car-” I gestured toward the driveway, “-is going back. I don’t need it.”
Keith’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. “If that’s what you want,” he said, his tone clipped. “But the nurse stays.”
Amanda, who had been hovering in the doorway, nodded
respectfully. “Thank you, Miss Emily. I’ll do my best to make sure you’re comfortable.”
I didn’t respond, too exhausted to care anymore. Keith lingered for a moment, as if he wanted to say something more, but then he simply turned and walked out of the kitchen. I heard the front door open and close, the sound echoing in the silence that followed.
1641
Keith left me a brand–new phone. I stared at it, a mix of emotions swirling inside me that I couldn’t quite untangle.
I didn’t want his help, yet a small part of me was grateful that he had thought about everything I’d lost in the explosion. It was a simple gesture, but it felt like another thread pulling me back into his orbit.
As I stood there, trying to process everything, Nina walked over and gently squeezed my shoulder. “You’re doing great, Emily. This is a lot to deal with, but you’re handling it,” she said softly, her words meant to reassure.
Before Keith left, he leaned in unexpectedly and kissed my cheek, a gesture that caught me completely off guard.
My gaze drifted to the door, where Keith had just disappeared moments before. I didn’t want him to be so gentle, so considerate. It only complicated everything. If only he were like before–cold, distant, and easy to hate. It would make all of this so much simpler to hate him.
