Chapter 53

Shirley was floored by the scene but didn't dare to slam the car door.She knew waking up Patrick, especially when he was drunk and cranky, wouald be a disaster.

Standing by Patrick's car, she whispered, "Patrick? Can you open the door and let me in? I'm still outside." Her voice was shaky and filled with anxiety as she stared at the car, feeling totally lost. Seeing no response from him, Shirley felt embarrassed as people around her started whispering. She felt like she was close to Patrick, yet somehow far away because she was unsure how to really get into his heart. When Patrick was sober, he was sweet to her, but once he drank, all he could think about was Emily.

At that moment, Shirley was burning with jealousy and resentment. She couldn't wrap her head around why Emily was so important to Patrick. She didn't think she was any less than Emily, so why did he care more about her?

Suddenly, Shirley remembered there was a key to Patrick's car at Emily's old apartment. Thinking Patrick wouldn't wake up anytime soon,she quickly hailed a cab to Emily's previous place. Sitting in the cab, Shirley was filled with anticipation,believing that getting the key would give her more chances to be with Patrick, maybe even make him like her. As she looked at the night scenery outside the window, she silently vowed to make Patrick her husband.

Not long after Shirley left, Patrick felt thirsty in the car and reached out to pat the passenger seat. calling out. "Emily.Give me a hangover cure pill. My head hurts! Can't you hear me?"

When no one responded, Patrick finally opened his eyes. He thought, 'Where is Emily? Could she be in another man's bed right now?' The thought of her pushing him away during the day and even biting him made Patrick even more irritable. He pounded the steering wheel several times, honking the horn loudly, startling pedestrians who cursed at him as they passed.

Patrick was convinced that Emily had betrayed him. But he couldn't understand why. He had given her a job, sent money to her mother in prison, and covered her brother's medical bills.What more did she want? Just an insatiable woman!

Or was she simply tired of him? Was that why she was ready to move on to Marlon?

Looking at his watch and realizing it was past midnight,Patrick remembered how angry he was when he went to find Emily earlier that day, wanting to bring her back to him. But what had he done? He had choked Emily. However, Emily would rather be choked by him than come back with him.

Leaning back in his seat, Patrick stared blankly ahead, feeling a mix of anger, self-blame, and regret. He knew his actions had hurt Emily, but he didn't know how to make amends. He felt like he might really lose Emily.

With these thoughts. Patrick's mind cleared up a bit. He opened the glove compartment and found the hangover cure pills that Emily habitually prepared for him, along with a bottle of water. He swallowed a few pills, leaned back in his seat to rest for a moment, then drove back onto the road.

Looking at the hangover cure pills in his hand. Patrick felt a weird sense of strangeness. He remembered how Emily used to be so obedient and thoughtful towards him, and her recent behavior was totally unexpected. If she wasn't seeing someone else, she wouldn't be treating him like this! The thought of Emily possibly being with Marlon right nowv made Patrick's blood boil with anger, wishing he could just throttle both of them.

Patrick parked the car at the entrance of Hughes Manor, where it was already pitch black inside. He thought to himself,'Are Emily and Marlon hooking up right now?' The thought made his heart ache with a mix of resentment and fury. If it weren't for the fear of making the news headlines in Pearl Peak City the next day by storming into Hughes Manor, Patrick would have lost control. He clenched his hands tightly on the steering wheel, just like he had gripped Emily's neck earlier that day.

Realizing that Emily truly didn't want to be with him,Patrick suddenly felt a bit scared. He thought to himself, 'Was Emily out of her mind? Could she really just let go? Or was she playing some twisted game, trying to make me chase her? No,

she must be in cahoots with Marlon, putting on a show to make hm jealous. That had to be it.'

He slammed his hand against the table, the sharp sound slicing through the silence. Leaning back, he felt frustration wash over him like a tidal wave, a tight knot forming in his chest that made it hard to breathe. It was suffocating. With a sense of urgency, Patrick took out his phone and repeatedly called Emily, only to hear her voicemail message.

Filled with anger and jealousy, Patrick couldn't believe that Marlon had actually taken Emily away, nor could he believe that Emily would leave him so easily. He kept dialing the phone, hoping to hear Emily's voice, even if it was just a scolding.

After a long day of work, Emily had just taken a shower and was wrapping her hair while revising the plans from the day.Every year, there was a jewelry exhibition, and this year's exhibition was held in Sunshine Bay City. Emily wanted to establish herself in the Hughes Group, so she needed impressive pieces to showcase.

She kept adjusting her thoughts, sketching all the jewelry designs that had come to mind over the years on paper. For example, the pieces she saw when she and Patrick attended auctions. However, Patrick never got her a gift on his own; He'd toss her something extra, like it was an afterthought, once Shirley had her gift.

At that time, she would imagine a scene in her mind,hoping that one day when Patrick bought these things, it wouldn't be some random gifts, but a piece of beloved jewelry given wholeheartedly.

Sitting at the table, Emily focused on drawing the designs,her eyes filled with determination. She knew that only by succeeding in her work could she truly be independent and break free from her current predicament. Thinking of Patrick's attitude towards her, she felt sad, but she told herself to be strong.

Emily also thought about Lisa, who was still bravely fighting addiction. When she was younger, she had also wanted to make a beautiful piece of jewelry for Lisa, but Lisa had been poor and busy for many years, and even ended up in a rehab center without a decent piece of jewelry. A tear glistened in Emily's eyes as she felt sorry for Lisa, hoping for her early recovery and wanting to design the most beautiful piece of jewelry for her to feel her love.

Emily also wanted to design a set of jewelry for Melissa.Despite Melissa's prestigious background, she liked quirky things and wasn't interested in traditional jewelry styles.She refused to wear the precious jewelry her grandparents gave her.

If she could design a unique piece of jewelry for Melissa,Melissa would surely be overjoyed. Just thinking about her excitement upon receiving the gift made Emily smile; Melissa

was the first friend who had given her confidence and unconditional support, so she was determined to create a unique piece of jewelry for Melissa.