Chapter 10 I Would Like to See You

• "Did you see that? I'm completely broke! After the contract ends, do whatever you want with the lawsuits!" Emilia exclaimed before turning on her heel and retreating inside.
• She was left with few choices. Her company was in a precarious position, and at that moment, she felt utterly humiliated in front of her neighbors; she might never regain her sense of pride.
• Upon witnessing Emilia disappear into the house, Zelda quickly followed her inside.
• "How disappointing! I was hoping we could secure some funds!"
• "Hmph! Just wait for the court to come after your assets!"
• …
• Leaning against the door, Emilia rubbed her throbbing head, absorbing the remarks outside and feeling an overwhelming sense of futility.
• "Emilia, please don't blame me. We originally owed them money, and they weren't pressing us for it. But once they caught wind of your company's imminent collapse, they all came rushing to me for payment. I couldn't bear the shame, so I gave them what I could…" Zelda explained, standing close to Emilia.
• "Please, don't blame me. This 45 thousand isn't nearly sufficient… I didn't even solicit you for it," Zelda continued.
• "Mom, are you suggesting you want more from me? You can choose not to assist, but can you at least refrain from sabotaging my situation? You've been unkind to Chester at home; I tolerated it for so long, but now look where we are—Chester and I are divorced!" Emilia shouted, tears in her eyes.
• "Hmph! I think he just refuses to give us money. He's obviously affluent yet remains indifferent to our plight!" Zelda retorted angrily.
• The thought of Chester residing in such a grand home only fueled Zelda's rage.
• "Enough! I don't want to hear anymore!" Emilia waved her hand dismissively and retreated to her bedroom.
• Zelda fell silent; although Emilia had merely expressed her frustrations, she recognized that her actions had deeply wounded her daughter.
• Back in her room, Emilia reached for the bottle of red wine and poured herself another drink.
• …
• The following day, a throng of creditors surrounded Emilia's company, effectively sealing off all exits.
• "Sherry, we need a plan quickly; those creditors are back!" the company accountant burst into the office, seeking Sherry's guidance.
• "It appears Emilia didn't contact Chester yesterday," Sherry mused, furrowing her brow in contemplation.
• "We can't let the company collapse like this. Miss Parker's phone is unreachable, so I'll head to her residence. You need to distract them!" Sherry directed the accountant.
• "Understood!"
• Sherry maneuvered through the crowd and drove to Emilia's house.
• Half an hour later, Sherry pressed the doorbell at Emilia's home.
• Zelda answered the door.
• Normally, Sherry would address Zelda as Madam Knott out of respect for Emilia, but this time she bypassed that courtesy and headed straight for Emilia's room.
• The knowledge that Zelda had contributed significantly to the company's current crisis only intensified Sherry's frustration.
• "Hey, Sherry, what are you doing? Emilia is resting!" Zelda called out from behind her.
• Disregarding Zelda, Sherry pushed open the door to Emilia's room.
• Emilia was already awake, staring blankly at the wall.
• "Have you been drinking again?" Sherry inquired, glancing at the bottle on the table.
• Sherry poured Emilia a glass of water and sat down across from her.
• "Emilia, are you absolutely certain it was Chester who assisted you?" Sherry asked.
• "Yes." Emilia shut her eyes and nodded, her feelings swirling chaotically within her at that moment.
• "Emilia, you know that Chester is affluent. He didn't become your family's live-in son-in-law for financial gain; he did it out of love for you!" Sherry stated, offering Emilia a glass of water.
• "I know, but what significance does that hold now?" Emilia accepted the glass but hesitated to drink, her fingers gliding over the surface as if she were trying to absorb its warmth.
• "Emilia, Chester is not Kinlandian. Following this divorce, he probably won't linger in this dismal place. It's truly rare to meet a man of his caliber in life. Don't you wish to meet him?" Sherry suggested.
• Emilia remained mute, simply cradling the glass in her hands.
• Observing Emilia's despondent state, Sherry let out a deep sigh.
• Prior to her visit, Sherry had planned to convince Emilia to reach out to Chester for assistance with the company's dire situation. However, seeing Emilia's state prompted a shift in her thoughts.
• While Sherry served as Emilia's secretary, she was also a long-standing friend and partner in the company's development.
• Sherry realized that if Emilia continued to ruminate on this matter, she would likely succumb to despair. Encouraging her to meet Chester could serve as a means of closure.
• "Of course, this is simply my perspective. Whether or not you decide to meet him is entirely up to you. You needn't fret about the company; I will support you until the very end. I won't surrender a single cent to those creditors until the contract concludes!" Sherry declared before departing.
• Once Sherry left, Emilia raised the glass and took a sip.
• The warm water trickled into her stomach, providing a soothing sensation.
• Yet, her thoughts were consumed by Chester, the man who continually haunted her dreams following nights of intoxication.
• The night of inebriation, contrasted with her newfound clarity, led Emilia to reminisce about the myriad moments shared with Chester, realizing the extent of Chester's sacrifices for her.
• Since the passing of her dad, Chester had quietly tended to her needs, offering unwavering support while enduring the unreasonable demands imposed by her and Zelda. Even during their divorce, he refrained from acting out in anger toward Zelda.
• Emilia recognized her need to apologize to Chester and made a concerted effort not to think about him.
• However, the more she tried to suppress thoughts of him, the more he infiltrated her mind…
• Suddenly, she spotted her slippers beneath the bed and recalled an evening when she had returned home, planning to find her slippers but forgetting their divorce, instinctively calling out Chester's name.
• Chester had already embedded himself deep within her heart…
• Emilia retrieved her phone, searching for Chester's contact number, intending to call him. Yet, her finger hovered over the calling button, then withdrew.
• In that instant, she felt that directly calling Chester was somewhat intrusive—a notion she had never previously contemplated.
• After a moment of deliberation, Emilia opted to send him a text message.
• 'Chester, I would like to see you.'
• This concise message had taken her some time to write before she finally sent it.
• …
• Meanwhile, Chester gazed at the unexpected message from Emilia, taken aback.
• Emilia reached out to me? And she wants to meet? What could her intentions be?
• His mind swirled with a torrent of emotions.
• 'Okay.' After some reflection, Chester responded, acknowledging that Emilia had initiated contact. He decided it would be prudent to meet.\