Emily's Pov:

He was still and silent as a rock, his eyes widening like saucers, as if I had asked him the toughest question in the world.

I sighed. "Are you my real husband, Eddie?!"

He thought for a moment, then shook his head slowly.

"No, right!? Then you don't have any right to stop me from talking to any men!"

"But he is just some stupid sales tax manager!"

"I don't talk to people for their money, Edward!! Do you think I am your friend because you are a businessman billionare!?"

He hesitated. "I didn't mean it-"

"No. I don't care about your fucking money or anything! I care only about you and trust me, Eddie, money is not the thing I am looking for in my life!"

"So I don't love you and I am not your real husband is the reason you are talking to that dickhead guy!?"

See, I knew he never loved me. It was always clear as a crystal but I am glad he rejected me unconsciously. That way all my stupid hopes can go to gutter and die there peacefully while he would never get to know how much I once loved him.

"You really and seriously need to consider your priorities first. Lara is your priority and I am just your friend helping you to keep her happy!"

He looked understanding for a moment.

"I don't know anymore, Emi! I don't know what to do with Lara now! I am pretty sure she hates me now considering how the last time I behaved like a jerk to her!"

I put my hands over his, squeezing them, assuring him with a smile.

"Do you want to get together with her again!?"

He nodded. "Yes. I miss her so much yet I can't call her! I am sure she doesn't want to get back with me again!"

"Don't worry, Edward! Things will be right again! Give her some time and take some time off to persuade her! She loves you very much and I am sure she won't hold herself back for very long!"

He looked at me with admiration and happiness, smiling at me the best of his best smile but I didn't have any energy left to smile back at him.

So when he came forward to hug me tightly, I immediately backed away steps from him, reminding him again to come down for breakfast.

I always knew it was her, it never was me to begin with. But I was proud of myself for even trying again after being hurt by him so many times.

What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, I suppose.

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I put last bowl of food on table, serving each and every thing on plate while Edward ate in silence. I wasn't planning to eat with him anytime soon cause suddenly I lost all my appetite hearing him missing Lara and wanting to get together with her again.

"Your phone is ringing!"

He still was lost in his thoughts, eating his meal as if it was some tough ordeal.

"Edward, your bloody phone is ringing!"

He snapped at me, realising my sentence a second later to pick up his phone call.

I was washing the cups and crockeries when I felt his presence behind me. Immediately my body stiffened as soon as he put his hand on my shoulder and I turned around reluctantly but still didn't look at him.

"Eric is coming."

A huge grin broke in my face hearing his name.

"Really?! When!?"

I wiped my hands in my apron and looked at him for an answer.

"In two days! He said he completed all his studies and my uncle and my father now wants me to give him an elegant position in my company!"

"Woah! That's cool! Oh man, I missed him so much!? So so much!! Why didn't you tell me earlier that he was coming this early!? That way I would have done some huge preparations to welcome him!"

Edward stared at me incredulously, his mouth opening, closing and then again opening like a fish.

"What!"

"You still....you still like him that much!?! Wasn't he just your high school crush!?"

Oh damn!

Did I forget to tell you that Edward thinks I like Eric Jones, his handsome bloddy cousin!?

When I first wrote a love letter to Edward on renowned Valentines Day,
in my high school, mentioning my name on it, I was just about to write his name on it and had just wrote a 'E' when Edward popped out of nowhere in my room and scared the shit out of me.

I tried to hide the letter from him but he grabbed my wrists and snatched away my letter only to stare wide eyed at me.

I never heard the end of the day when in my haste to complete the name, I told him Eric's name and he was surprised and shocked to hear it. He told me he never thought of me as a person to carry a crush on someone.

Well you don't know a thing about me then, my inner self shouted at him!

I always thought that maybe one day he would get jealous and frustrated thinking about my crush on his cousin, and would come for me, accepting me as more than a friend.

But, on the contrary, he was quite cool and friendly about my crush, often teasing me when Eric would come around me or visit my house. I didn't believe him at all when in his ridiculous desire to help me out, he locked me with Eric in my room, winking at me to confess to him already.

It was very awkward, explaining everything to Eric but he understood my feelings anyway, understanding me and my facade.

He was the best brother I never had actually, always taking care of me and the only silly arguments Edward and Eric used to have were because they both wanted to play video games with me while I only could be available to one person at a time.

It was really childish of Edward, declaring cold war with me for weeks whenever I would decide to play with Eric ditching him but I knew he wouldn't remain mad at me forever 'cause he always had loads of his stuff to share with me, and he wouldn't let me live a day until he spills all his secrets with me.

"Don't start telling me now that you love him now after all these years!?"

I snapped from my line of thoughts to look at him, staring at me for an answer.

"Well.. Hell no! Do you think I am that desperate to fall in love!? No way! You know me! I am not that kind of person!"

He nodded, narrowing his eyebrows at me suspiciously.

"Won't you eat, Lily?"

I continued washing crockeries, wiping them with fresh cloth and placing them carefully on the kitechen counter.

"No. I am not that much hungry. I ate a big elephant sized sandwich last night! It's still not digested properly." I patted over my tummy to press my words.

"But still you need to feed yourself properly-"

"I am really fine, Edward. How about going to work 'cause it's already nine!"

I showed him my phone. "See, it's late! Go to your company right now! And wait!"

Quickly, I ran up the stairs to retrieve his phone and folders and returned some minutes later, huffing heavily.

"Here! Take this! And!" I slid a beautifully wrapped pink box of chocolates towards him.

"Give this to Miss Vermion! I behaved very badly with her last time! She musn't like me very much after all that and she knows I am your wife so she can have a bad impression of you as well! And I don't want some bloody false rumours to spread around of you and your company!"

"You seriously have a very bad habit of being extremely kind and selfless to others-"

"Don't tell her I sent them though, otherwise she won't take them! Tell her you saw her very distorted and mistreated last time so you bought these chocolates as a piece of apology from your misbehaved wife!"

"Lily! I won't say anything like tha-"

"It's for the sake of your company! You don't want my photo to come in a criminal category in newspapers right!? You would be charged for manhandling your assistant secretary and press wouldn't stay silent over such issues. Your enemies are just waiting for an opportunity to destroy you, Edward!"

"But-"

"No buts! Now go!"

I pushed him outside in his car, seeing Michael waiting for him for hours.

He bowed to me. "Good morning, Mrs Emily! Have a nice day!"

"Sure dear. Now go. Bye!"

I waved after his car as it disappeared between the streets. Sighing loudly and extremely tired from my works, I went to my room to dress properly and took my purse and phone to visit a special person.

A very very special person.

Lara Williams.

My best friend's girlfriend!

One woman. One beautiful woman who changed both of our destinies.

One who destroyed my hopes of living happily ever after with Edward but gave him the best happiness he could ever get in his life.

Her Love.

They say that 'to love and being loved in return is the best thing in the world!'

They say right though, I must admit!!

Things worked out for them pretty well I suppose.

I always thought that Lara was a big obstacle between me and Edward but years passed by like seasons and I never realized when I ended up becoming obstacle between the two lovers.

I took reluctant steps away from their love, admiring my own love from afar and just being happy by that only. It was tough at first but years of practice made me somewhat habitual to it.

But I should stop being an obstacle between two of them now!!

If I didn't like Lara being an obstacle between us then how much she would have hated me when Edward took my side, throwing her out of his office!!

Reaching her house, I sighed loudly, fanning my hands over my face to calm my nerves.

"Calm down, Emily! Calm down! She doesn't know anything about you! She's a great person ever, just like the one Edward fell in love with! And I have very much trust in his choice! Yes! Yes! I trust him! I trust her!"

I raised my hand towards the doorbell but retracted it suddenly. "No! No! I can't do this! No! Never!"

I shook my head again. "Yes! Yes! I can! And I will! That's my duty as a best friend! That's the least I can do for him!"

Nodding slowly to myself, I rang the doorbell. A minute later, Lara opened it, wiping her wet hairs with a towel, wearing her bathrobe.

"Hi! How are you!?" I waved at her.

She looked at me, scanning me up and down.

"You came two weeks late!"

She left the door open and walked inside, a cue for me to enter her house.

"Should I sit over here!? In sofa?" I asked her, attempting to sit on sofa.

"Don't ask me! Make yourself comfortable anywhere! I will make you some coffee!"

I put my purse over my lap, tapping my shoes in pure nervousness.

What should I say!?

What would she say!?

Does she know I am in love with Edward!?

Would she refuse to get back with Edward, after knowing the truth!?

"I asked you something, Emily!?"

I snapped out of my thoughts to look at Lara, with two cups of coffee, standing all beautifully dressed in front of me.

"I am sorry I slacked off suddenly! Can you please repeat your question, Lara!?"

"I asked what did you want to talk about, Emily 'cause you called me after so many years to meet with me so it must be something important!?"

I thought for a moment. "Yes it is. Something important!"

"Then ask it already"

"Edward wants to get back with you, Lara"

There was a long silence after I spoke my words and I almost thought that I was just dreaming about going to Lara's house and talking to her about her breakup when she didn't reply for minutes.

I took my coffee and sipped some.

"Don't you love him, Emily!?"

I coughed on my coffee violently, staring widely at her before composing myself immdiately to smile widely at her. "He misses you so much, Lara! Don't you think you have been mad at him for-"

"I asked you a question Emily!"

"I heard your question very clearly, Lara!"

"So why don't you answer it then!?"

I laughed nervosuly, taking sip of my coffee. "'cause it's so ridiculous!"

Lara raised her eyebrows at me. "Ridiculous!?"

"Yes. Ridiculous! Lara, how can you even think of that!? It's really horrible! Why would I love him? Of course he is my best friend and all but he has a beautiful girlfriend whom he loves her more than anything in the world and I am not that much of a cruel friend to come in between you two!"

"Who said you can't love a guy with a girlfriend!?"

"Oh please Lara, you are just being worried over nothing! He loves you, only you! I guarantee his love myself!
I have seen it clearly in his eyes! It's just that he sometimes gets overprotective of me, when someone talks bad of me in front of him and you have to understand that that's totally natural of him considering we have been friends for twenty years already!"

"But he kicked me out of his office?"

"I know. I know. I am so sorry for that on his behalf. Please forgive him. Edward isn't like that, I assure you! He always keeps the benefit of his loved ones first-"

"But he keeps taking your side, talking about you all day even when he is with me and it hurts my pride-"

"So you think he is in love with me then?!" I asked her, suddenly wanting to hear the answer from her own mouth.

"Yes!"

I laughed loudly, for maybe minutes, wiping tears from the corner of my eyes before looking at her.

"Really?! You think he would love some manly ugly shit like me who wears shirts and pants," I ran my hand over my attire, "And these sport shoes!?" I showed her my black sport shoes.

"That's totally impossible, Lara. Totally! Believe me, he needs a woman who would compliment him, who would look good in his arms when he goes outside in some events or functions and would suit his billionare name with a surname!"

I walked over to her side, sitting beside her and taking her hand in mine.

"Lara, he needs someone who completes him! And that's you! That's so not me! You are the real Mrs Jones, the one who he was supposed to marry! I am just a substitute! A part of a plan! Don't be threatened with me, please! Seriously, what gave you this ridiculous idea that he would love me!? Me!? Hah! That's a funny speculation!"

"I am afraid he already does!" she whispered.

"Can I use your washroom for a minute!?"

She smiled. "Sure, go straight and turn to your left!"

"Thanks. I'll be out in a second!"

I ran to the washroom, zipping my pants down to pee quietly.

Washing my hands carefully with a soap, I searched for a towel, but coudn't find one nearby.

Opening some cupboards, I searched for some fresh tissues when something fell off from between them.

I took some tissues to wipe my hands off before slowly bending down, I picked up the thing to find out that it was just a photo album.

But who keeps photo album in a washroom?! Wasn't it supposed to be kept safely in your closets?!

My curiousity was killing me inside slowly and slowly. Immediately, I flipped open the album to see the pictures of a beautiful little girl, with curly brown hairs and blue eyes, in different poses.

Blue eyes!?

I didn't know when I walked out of the washroom, staring at the pictures of this little girl with a smile on my face.

"What are you looking at!!?"

Photo album was snatched away roughly from my hands by angry looking Lara.

I quickly raised my hands in defence.

"I am sorry! I didn't mean to peek but I was curious as to why you would hide some album in your washroom so I looked into it without your permission!"

She didn't respond, instead hugged that album close to her chest.

"By the way, I know I am being too nosy since we aren't even friends, but may I ask who is she!?"

She sighed loudly, tears flowing from the corner of her eyes as she hugged the album close to her chest.

"Lara!? What happened?? Who is she!? Tell me?!"

"Emily!?"

"Yes! Yes.!I am listening, Lara! Tell me?"

"Viviana Williams!"

"Viviana!?"

She wiped her tears to look at me, her eyes puffy and tired from crying.

"Yes. She is Viviana Williams, my precious little daughter!!"