After quite a while, Emily slowly opened her mouth and spoke grudgingly, but clearly, "I apologize.
Sorry."
Jacob narrowed his eyes.
'How could she be so transigent?' he thought in surprise.
At this moment, Bonnie was the happiest person in the room. She even forgot her place as a maid and
she felt like she had just become the hostess of this villa.
Now she was sure that he did not like or care for Emily at all. "Mr. Jacob, I can see that she is not
sincere at all... Anyway, I'm just a maid..." she pretended to still be aggrieved.
"Did you hear that?" He stared at Emily and continued, "Apologize sincerely, now!"
She gave a wry smile, and stared back at this man who had once been such a familiar and comforting
presence. He was now a stranger. "So, are you suggesting that I kneel and apologize to her, Mr.
Jacob?" she asked gently.
He stared into her misty eyes. It was as if a veil covered her intentions and thoughts. He could not quite
get a handle on this strange woman.
But he could clearly feel and see the sadness in her eyes.
Hiding from the uncertainty that her presence brought, he replied in a cold voice, "Kneel? Are you
always such a cheap bitch?"
She looked at him unblinkingly and said, "If you want me to..."
"So you mean that you would do anything I want you to do, right?" he asked, leaving the rest
unspoken. "Yes," she said simply.
However, her answer did not please him. Instead it brought a fresh bout of anger. 'Emily, where is your
dignity? Where is your principle? Don't you have any sense of self-respect?' he thought enraged. In the
end he held back all those questions and just warned, "Remember what you have promised."
Turning, he disappeared up the stairs, his words still echoing in the silent room.
Bonnie stood there not knowing whether she should follow him or stay. She cast a glimpse at the
motionless Emily and humphed, "What are you looking at? Apologize to me again, now! Just like you
said. Kneel down and apologize!"
"Go to hell!" Though helpless when she faced Jacob, her attitude changed when she was confronted
by the arrogant servant. Emily sneered showing her disdain, "What makes you think that you deserve
that?"
"You..." Bonnie stuttered. She felt so angry and yelled, "So you were pretending to be sorry! Just for Mr.
Jacob's sake! You never felt any remorse!"
"Remorse? I did not do anything wrong. Why should I show remorse?" Emily countered.
Bonnie clenched her teeth in blind rage, but as she remembered Jacob's attitude towards Emily she
sneered viciously. "I shall ask Mr. Jacob to chase you out of here!" she threatened.
Emily was startled by what she said.
She would never have been threatened by these words before, but now everything was different...
Jacob had become a stranger to her.
He was no longer the one who cherished her. She was no longer his treasure.
Sometimes, she would also feel confused whether he was still the one she once loved with her whole
heart! He had forgotten all their sweet memories, and only remembered his fake hatred for her. He was
a completely different person now!
However, she still did not want to give up.
She did not want to leave him to die within a month. So she could not desert him. 'Even though he
does not love me, I still love him! That's enough! All I long for now, is that he should live.
It's okay. It's okay. Everything will be fine. I can do this. For him, I can do this!' Emily comforted herself
secretly.
Bonnie noticed her expression change and sensing her weakness, she gave a cunning smile and
closed in for the kill, "Tsk-Tsk, it seems that someone is scared now, or am I mistaken? So it's time to
know your place. Apologize now!"
Bonnie raised her head high as if she was the hostess of this villa and Emily the servant!
Emily couldn't help being a little angry. She was just about to refute the instruction but was interrupted
by Jacob who had returned without their noticing.
"What are you still doing there? Come to my study!" he ordered.
He had observed them from the landing atop the stairs. He did not call her by name, but fixed his eyes
on Emily.
She moved one step toward him, but Bonnie was faster. She ran towards him with a sweet smile.
Of course, compared with Emily's apology, Bonnie cared much more about pleasing Jacob. "Yes, sir. I'll
be there right away," she said.
Jacob did not answer but turned around and left as if he was pleased with the answer.
It felt as if cold water was slowly freezing Emily's heart. Her veins choked with ice.
'So Jacob, you are not calling me, but Bonnie...' she quietly mocked herself.
In this painful moment, she felt more aggrieved than when he had forced her to apologize to Bonnie.
His study was a place where he did business, and there were many confidential documents kept there.
Apart from Emily and a few trusted subordinates, no one else had ever been allowed in there. He kept
it locked at all times.
'But now, he calls Bonnie in there. What does that mean?
Jacob, do you really like her... No! It's impossible! How could I even think of him like that...' she
struggled with her dark thoughts.
Emily slowly closed her eyes and wiped the floor mechanically. She had switched to autopilot, not
wanting to even think anymore. Her mind was beyond her own control, as she regurgitated
speculations about his relationship with the hired help, and what this meant for her.
Every minute thinking of him and Bonnie was a cruel and unkind punishment for her.
"Mommy, are you tired? Don't wipe the floor please," Beryl pleaded from the doorway. She did not
know when Beryl had come in, but she could feel her child's worry and concern for her in hot waves of
love, "Didn't Daddy help you? Didn't he scold that rude maid for you?" she asked with large eyes which
were bright with uncertainty.
"Of..." Her voice was broken. Emily cleared her throat from the bitter emotions and tried again, "Of
course he did. Don't worry. Mommy's body is not strong enough yet. I need to do more housework for
exercise, understand?"
Beryl did not fully understand what her mother meant but she always trusted her without any doubt.
"But won't you feel tired because of this?" she asked.
"Of course not. It makes me feel very happy," Emily tried her best to explain in an easy tone and
continued, "Look! I've changed the floor's color. Isn't it magic?"
Beryl did not see magic at all, but now that Emily said so she nodded her head and said, "Yeah,
Mommy. I want to wipe the floor, too!"
Therefore, they began to wipe the floor together, but Beryl was just playing and soon the floor was full
of white bubbles.
Emily watched her and felt the grace of a quite comfort in her heart.
'It's okay. It's okay. Everything will be fine in the end, ' she told herself.
...
Upstairs, Jacob stepped into the study with his usual feline grace.
Bonnie followed behind him. Flushed, she asked in a low voice, "Mr. Jacob, could you please wait a
few moments for me to wash my face and change clothes? I'm so sorry to be here in this manner..."
He paused and looked at her with surprise before asking, "Why do you follow me here? Did I call you?"
She was stunned and asked in disbelief, "Mr. Jacob, didn't you call me just now? Or were you calling
that woman..."
"That woman?" He swung about and regarded her frostily, "Who are you to dare calling her 'that
woman'?"
Regardless of what had happened, Emily had once been his woman and had born his child. He kept
her at the villa to vent his anger on, but that was his privilege. He would never allow anyone else to
bully her!
Frightened by the rage in his eyes, Bonnie's face turned pale and she hurried to explain, "No. I'm sorry
for the slip of tongue. It should be Miss..."
'Mr. Jacob just humiliated that woman, didn't he?
Why would he care for her so much all of sudden?' she thought bitterly.
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