"I know you would say yes." Nolan pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as if he was afraid to let her go. "You just made me the happiest man in the world." He continued before he sealed his words with a tender, passionate kiss.
Of course, Emily said yes. How could she even say no to the man who had always possessed her heart? It felt like all her dreams had come true as she found herself in his sweet embrace. This, she thought, was what she wanted: a happily ever after with the man she loved.
But then, reality intruded.
"Excuse me, Miss, wake up. We just landed." A stewardess tapped her gently on the shoulders, pulling her out of Lala land and making her realize that it was just her imagination, running wild.
"Damn you, Nolan! Why can't you just leave me alone?" Emily sighed, slightly relieved that it never actually happened.
In truth, if her memory served her right, the opposite happened last night. When he proposed that they stay married, she quickly shut him down.
When he suggested that they should go away together on a honeymoon, she told him what exactly she thought of his idea.
"You can go to hell!" But she was definitely not coming with him.
The following morning, the first thing Emily did was to pack her bags and book the first available flight she could find. Not even caring if she was flying economy as long as she could get as far away from them, or precisely him, as fast as possible. She was leaving, but not with him.
Despite her manager's advice or Kate's recommendation, she still wanted a divorce. It was the only solution she would accept under the circumstances. She was not about to play house with the man who broke her heart. Not for money, a career, or fame.
With a good, reliable baseball hat, wide, dark rimmed glasses, and the right makeup, she was able to disguise herself as plain and ordinary Jane. By the way, that was her real name, Jane Watson. She was just an ordinary girl who dreamt of making it big in Hollywood.
Emily Davis was her screen name, given to her by her manager.
Of course, only a few people were aware of that. Emily didn't mind concealing her identity with an alias. Actually, she preferred it that way, not wanting her private life splashed all over the news for everyone to see.
"Are you sure about this? Can't you just consider staying married to Nolan?" Her friend tried to stop her, citing that pretending to be Nolan's wife might not be that bad. "Kate might be right. It might salvage your career if the fans see that the two of you are very much in love."
Three years ago, she would have done anything to be in this situation. Just like in her dream, she would consider her marriage to Nolan the fulfillment of all her fantasies. But now, it was just a nightmare that she just wanted to leave behind and forget.
"Besides, running away from the problem would not solve anything." Ruth insisted, still begging her to reconsider leaving in the middle of the brewing storm. "Can't you just give Nolan another chance?"
Emily knew her friend was only thinking of what she believed was best for her. As much as she wanted to confront this problem head-on, she knew this was one of those storms that she just had to ride out until it calmed down. Facing it now would just worsen the situation.
"Definitely not." Running away was the last thing she planned to do. But giving Nolan another chance. Never. That would never happen. He had already burned every bridge that connected them.
"I'm just taking my much-deserved break. Besides, what they were suggesting is outrageous." She would never agree to that. And nothing they said would change her mind.
Luckily, her latest movie just finished filming. She didn't have any commitments for the next few weeks. Hopefully, by the time she got back to her life and career, things would be easier to resolve.
For now, she would enjoy this time for herself as the plane landed on a small, isolated island, a booming tourist destination that many were talking about. But instead of booking a room in an exclusive hotel or resort, she rented a jeep and drove herself on the outskirts of town.
"Oh my, look who's come to visit." The woman who opened the door shouted as soon as she saw her.
Soon, the entire foyer of the big house became crowded with little people who wanted to see who was by the door.
"Ms. Jane, you're here."
"It's Ms. Jane."
"Look, it's Ms. Jane."
Tiny excited voices filled the room as one by one they welcomed her to their home.
"Hey, girls and boys... Come on, let's give Ms. Jane some room. I'm sure she is tired from the long trip." Mrs. Beth, the caretaker of The Nurturing Nest, an orphanage that caters to abandoned kids and abused mothers, pastored the kids out of the way. "Now, go back outside and play."
"As for you, you should have called." Mother Tessa appeared by the door as soon as the kids left. "I'll have someone prepare you some snacks, but first, why don't you rest?"
A few minutes later, she was shoved into a room that she occupied whenever she came to visit. It had been two years since she first volunteered at this place. Now, this would be her fifth time. And she believed it would not be her last.
Emily loved visiting this place, an old, rundown plantation mansion. It was converted into a shelter for those with no place to stay. It might not be the same as those first-class hotels, but it provided more than she would ever need, a place where nobody would ever think to find her.
It was her safe haven, somewhere she could be herself, away from the cameras and the eyes of the public.
Being famous had its rewards and privileges, but it also had its many downsides. One thing was her freedom. The more she climbed the ladder to stardom, the more she lost a piece of herself. In this place, she could reset. She could be Jane Watson again, the plain girl who was just like the girl next door.
"Ms. Jane, are you awake?" A soft voice and a gentle knock on her door roused her from a light nap.
Emily didn't plan to sleep, but she still ended up dozing on a chair by the window while watching the kids play in the backyard. It was just so peaceful in this place that it seemed to chase all her problems away.
"Liza, is that you? Come in." Emily immediately recognized the young girl's voice.
Liza was one of the first orphans she met at the orphanage. Now, she looked at the fine young girl who had probably grown a few inches taller since her last visit.
"Ms. Jane, we're really glad that you came to visit. We've missed you." The young girl sweetly told her, acting a little bit shy.
"I'm also glad to be here," Emily replied, finally feeling relaxed and at home. In truth, she felt more love in this place than when she was in her real house, the one that she left behind to start a new life. If only she could bring her brother with her, then her family would be perfect.
All she needed was Jonah. But it was not as simple as she had hoped for. The lawyers had told her that it would be difficult to win custody of her brother in her situation. Even though she already had money, her brother would still need a stable home. So far, her parents have been able to provide that.
In fairness to her parents, they treated Jonah differently from her. Even though her father, Bobby, was an alcoholic and chronic gambler, and Claudia, a social first-class bitch, they still attended to Jonah's every need. Sometimes, Emily could not help but wonder if she was truly part of that family with the way they treated her.
Except for Jonah, her parents never showed her any affection unless they needed something from her.
"Anyway, Ms. Jane, Mother Tessa wants me to inform you that you have a visitor waiting for you downstairs," Liza informed her before excusing herself to attend to her chores.
Visitor?
Who could be visiting her in this place? Emily never had visitors before.
"Liza probably heard wrong," Emily concluded as she fixed her crinkled clothes and combed her fingers through her messy hair. Then, she followed the child downstairs, ready to assist with whatever tasks were to be done.
As soon as she reached the long hallway that led to the main receiving room for guests, she heard noises, specifically conversations. The first voice was undoubtedly Mother Tessa, but the other one sounded familiar, too.
No! That could not be him.
It must be the jetlag still playing tricks on her mind.
Emily hastily dismissed the silly idea, but the closer she walked toward the living room, the more her heart started to race.
The more she heard the voice, the more she could not ignore the possibility.
"Geez, what was he doing here?" Emily could not deny it anymore as her eyes landed on an all too familiar head and eyes that seemed to bore through her very soul.
"Jane, aren't you full of surprises?" Mother Tessa cheerfully said when the older nun saw her. "You didn't tell me that you've got married." The woman happily congratulated her. "You should have told me that your husband would also be joining us."
"Isn't this a nice surprise?" Mrs. Beth seconded as she joined them with snacks for their unexpected guest.
"Well, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you." Emily could think of nothing else to say, both shocked and confused by her current situation.
"What are you doing here?" She whispered to her husband as soon as she sat right next to him. How did he even know where to find her?
"I hope you don't mind if I suddenly show up." Her husband charmingly said to the two who ran the orphanage.
"Of course not, Mr. Nolan. You're always welcome to visit the kids, just like Jane." Mother Tessa said. "Why don't you show your husband to your room so he can rest before dinner?" She suggested.
Damn! She came here to stay away from him. Now, she had to share the same room with him.
"Come on, Wifey, why don't you show me to our room?" Her husband subtly teased her, but there was nothing she could do but force a smile on her lips.
How much she wanted to wipe that smug look off his face? But at that moment, all she could do was show him the way. "Follow me, Hubby."