A SLUT!
A SOCIAL CLIMBER!
A GOLD DIGGER!
"Emily must have drugged him. Why else would Nolan marry a nobody like her?"
It was all over the internet as Nolan's fans and trolls expressed their opinion on her marriage to their idol. To the millions that follow Nolan, she was just using him, accused of riding on his coattails.
"What about Kristin? She should be Nolan's wife."
"Jennifer, Sophia, or even Annie would have been a better choice than her." Several fans even started comparing Emily to Nolan's other love interests, citing that she was not even qualified to lick their shoes.
"This is crazy." Emily could not believe the amount of negative feedback that flashed on the screen. One stupid mistake could easily erase everything that she had worked hard to build.
Her reputation.
Her career.
Her life.
Everything had blown out of proportion as news about her association with the famous actor spread like wildfire across the globe.
"These are all lies," Emily whispered, though she could deny it all she wanted, that would not change the fact that she had married her mortal enemy and destroyed her career in just one night. "I shouldn't have drunk too much," she grumbled, finding no one else to blame but herself.
And that prick, Adrian, for fucking cheating on her.
And those delicious, expensive champagnes.
And she guessed those damn eyes that lured her into his arms.
"Well, wake up, Princess, but you fucking did," Leah snapped, unable to hide her exasperation. "Clearly, you weren't thinking," her manager concluded, pressing the remote for the television and turning up the volume as she found the entertainment news channel.
As if on cue, reports about her Las Vegas nuptials flashed on the wide screen. As if that wasn't bad enough, pictures of her and her ex also appeared on the mix.
"Geez, Emily, you'd just broken up with Adrian, not even a week later, you're wearing the ring of another man," Leah continued with her litany, acting like a mother hen who had just lost her eggs to the sly fox. "Of course, the press would have a field day."
"Let's look at the bright side. I believe some still think that you two would make a wonderful couple." Ruth interrupted, probably hoping to de-escalate the situation.
"Let's get one thing straight. We are not a couple. This is clearly a mistake." Emily hastily interjected before her friend came up with her crazy ideas.
A few years back, she would have been thrilled to be married to this man. She would have done anything to win his affection. But not anymore. Not after he had broken her heart. Not after he made her realize that he was nothing but a cold, selfish asshole.
"I think the only way to fix this is by asking for a divorce." Emily thought it was the easiest way to silence her haters and salvage what was left of her career. Besides, she could not imagine staying married to him.
What about Nolan? Her husband was most likely thinking of the same thing. Why else would he bail out the first chance he got? He was probably drafting their divorce at that moment.
"Maybe or maybe not." Leah countered, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with her. But her manager's pensive look told her that something was definitely cooking up in her head.
"I've contacted Kate Pearson. I'm letting her handle this PR nightmare." Leah wasn't obviously seeking her approval, but merely informing her about her impending plans.
Of course, Emily knew who that was. Kate Pearson was one of the best in the business. She could make or break a person's career in just a few news cycles. She could creatively weave each story to match the narrative she would like to portray to the world.
And then, BAM! Either Kate made you a star that everybody's talking about, or the pariah in the industry that nobody wanted to touch.
"Is that really necessary?" But the question hung in the air as she was interrupted by her phone ringing. When she saw the caller ID, she hastily excused herself and retreated to the privacy of her room.
Although she would trust her entire career to her manager, her personal life was a different story. It was a part of her life that she did not want the world to know.
"Mom, what is it?" Emily answered when she was finally alone. "Is Jonah ok?" She worriedly asked, thinking of her brother's condition first every time her mother called her.
Jonah was her fifteen-year-old brother. Although Emily was seven years older, they were still incredibly close. They grew up having each other's backs. Therefore, it broke her heart when she ran away and left him behind. She wished she could bring him with her, but at that moment, it was just impossible.
For a brief second, she could only sigh, understanding full well where this conversation was going. Although she was already earning significant income from her recent acting gigs, it was still not enough when it came to her father's gambling vices and her mother's lavish needs.
Unfortunately, she could not say no to them since they were still her parents. She still loved them despite how they treated her. Moreover, she was also doing this for her brother, who badly needed her support.
"Besides, we heard that you just married that famous millionaire actor, Nolan Maxwell. Maybe..."
Someone would think that her mother would call to ask about her well-being after seeing the news, but not Claudia. Emily already knew not to expect much from her or her father. To them, she was just a cash cow. As soon as they heard that she had made a career out of acting, they ensured that they milked her with every penny she had by using her brother as leverage.
"No..." Emily cut her mother off before she could finish her sentence, figuring out what she was about to say. She was not about to extort money from her husband. That was just insane. "I just sent you money last week. That is more than enough to cover Jonah's treatment for this month."
However, Emily knew that no amount of money would ever be enough for her greedy parents. Now that they heard she had married a millionaire, she believed they would not stop until they squeezed more money out of her.
"As I said, the treatment has gone up. The money had dried up. Unless you want to see your brother lying lifeless on a hospital bed, you will send us money now." Her mother unashamedly demanded before hanging up.
She felt like a knife twisted inside her heart as she was painfully reminded of what it was like not to be loved. First, her parents had always been indifferent to her. They had never physically abused her, but they never truly showed they cared either.
Then, there was Nolan and Adrian. Should she say more?
At least, she had Jonah and Ruth, and even Leah on her side. They were the ones who truly loved her.
"Hey, Emily, are you alright?" Ruth asked when she finally came out of her room. From the look on her friend's face, she probably guessed what had happened.
Emily only nodded, knowing that was not the time to discuss her family's situation when there were other pressing matters that needed their attention.
Ding! Dong!
"That's probably Kate now," Leah announced as the ringing at the door broke the silence in the room. "Please, let's just hear what she has to say." Her manager reminded her before letting their guests enter her apartment.
Kate appeared by the door, coming across as a woman who would not take any bullshit from anyone. She stood in her stylish business attire, looking elegant and exuding confidence. She definitely played the part of the woman in charge.
However, she did not come alone as two men, in smart, trendy clothes, walked closely behind her.
"What is he doing here?" She blurted in shock and outrage, seeing the man who tricked her into this incredulous situation.
Of course, she was angry to see him. But she did not fail to notice the way that he also stared at her when he finally looked in her direction. Compared to her, he looked more amused than anything else.
"I hope you don't mind if I brought them along with me," Kate said as she entered her living room with the two close by, completely ignoring her reaction. "I believe you already met your husband, Mr. Nolan Maxwell, and the other one is his lawyer, Mr. William Sawyer."
Evidently, Kate was not fazed by her outburst as she urged them to cooperate and sat next to each other on the long couch.
"She thinks we have some kinks in our marriage that we need to iron out." Nolan jokingly whispered near her ear as he bent closer, clearly not taking their situation seriously.
With his looks, charm, and success, many women would die to be in her shoes right now. But she was not one of them. The last thing she wanted was to be in the same room as him.
"Do we really need this? Does he have to be here?" Emily could not hide her displeasure at sitting right next to him. So, immediately, she scooted to the far side of the couch to put a space between them.
"Since I am also handling his case. I thought we should all work together." Kate answered in a "don't argue with me" approach.
Suddenly, she felt as if they were in detention after doing something naughty. It left her and her husband no choice but to sit quietly and listen while the adults discussed their situation.
More than an hour later, she sat across from the man whom she now called her husband with only one conclusion.
"What do you think of Kate's proposal, Emily, Nolan?" Leah asked, looking both of them in the eye.
"Let's end this."
"Let's make this work."
They simultaneously answered.
"I want a divorce." Emily insisted, staring her husband dead in the eyes, ignoring Nolan's response and Kate's plan.
"No, I don't agree." Nolan's unwavering gaze told her that he was not backing down from his decision either.
"Do you mind, guys, if I have a moment with my wife?"