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Chapter 2 Media Exposure

Just then, a ruckus broke out outside the door. Reporters, tipped off and ravenous for scandal, had been lying in wait, ready to expose this illicit encounter to the world.

The door burst open, and the reporters flooded in, their cameras flashing like crazy, all aimed at George and Emma.

"Mr. Russell, we heard you're with the Jones family's daughter. Can we get a comment?" one of them shouted.

"Get out!" George's face twisted with anger, his eyes blazing as he glared at Emma with pure disgust.

"George, I swear I don't know how they found us," Emma stammered, covering her face, feeling a mix of shame and panic.

"You don't know? Isn't this exactly what you wanted?" George snapped back, his eyes bloodshot, wishing he could vanish on the spot.

And that's exactly what he did.

"Don't ever let me see you again," he spat, straightening his clothes and storming out, ignoring the reporters' questions.

The reporters swarmed him, their flashbulbs lighting up the room. George's back felt colder with each flash, while Emma stood there, tears streaming down her face, feeling utterly hopeless. "George..."

The Russell family was the top dog in Lakeside Haven, known for their academic prestige. George's grandpa, Charles Russell, was a stickler for tradition. When he heard about the scandal, he immediately announced George and Emma's engagement to the public.

Emma had been smitten with George since she was ten, holding onto a promise he made back then. For twelve years, she worked hard to better herself, just to catch his eye.

The prospect of marrying him felt like the culmination of a lifelong dream for Emma, a fantasy she had nurtured with unwavering devotion. But now, it was a waking nightmare.

George didn't love her; he despised her. He hated her for making him betray the woman he truly loved, Emma's sister, Anna Jones.

Three months into their marriage, George hadn't shown her a shred of kindness, but Emma took it all in stride. She dreamed of George being as gentle as he was when they were kids, hoping he'd remember his promise and fall for her.

But those were just dreams.

Lately, she'd been feeling off, so she went to the hospital alone.

Sitting in the exam room, the news of her pregnancy hit her like a wave. She was over the moon, imagining the future. "I'm really going to be a mom!" she whispered, filled with joy.

But when she called George, all she got was his voicemail. Each unanswered call deepened her anxiety and helplessness, compelling her to keep the news to herself.

As night fell, she knew George wouldn't be coming home. In three months of marriage, he hadn't spent a single night at home. Emma spent every night alone, knowing exactly where he was.

She took a bath and slipped into her favorite black silk nightgown, ready to rest when the door suddenly slammed open.

George walked in, saw her outfit, and frowned.

"Trying to seduce me again?" he said coldly, his eyes devoid of warmth.

Emma froze, her hopes dashed.

"George, it's not like that..." she tried to explain.

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