They spotted me and shared a laugh, perfectly synchronized. Hudson didn't even glance up. He kept attending to Emily, hands steady, utterly unbothered by my presence.
"Hudson, quit fussing over her and look. Your wife actually showed up."
"Told you she would." Emily's voice dripped with satisfaction. "She's like a dog with a bone. Won't quit until she gets what she wants."
Hudson let out a cold scoff, then leaned down close to Emily's ear, murmuring something soft that coaxed her to turn her head slightly and roll onto her side. He offered to wash her hair himself.
Emily was thrilled. Anyone could see it. But she put on a show of wide-eyed innocence, pressing a hand to her chest like her heart might burst from the attention.
"Oh no, Mr. Mason, you really shouldn't. That's so beneath someone of your status. I'd feel terrible."
"Don't worry about it. I want to do this for you. How could it possibly be beneath me?"
Her cheeks flushed crimson, the color spreading to the tips of her ears. She'd fallen straight into his trap of affection, and his friends piled on, egging them both forward until Emily didn't know which way was up.
"Wow, Emily, you really hit the jackpot. I've never seen our Mr. Mason this devoted to any woman. Washing her hair with his own two hands? That's not just thoughtful, that's downright worship."
"Seriously. The man's an iceberg with everyone else, but around you he turns into a peacock in mating season, fanning his feathers for all he's worth, desperate to make sure you see how good he is to you. I think he's actually fallen hard."
Hudson chuckled low in his throat and told them to knock it off before they embarrassed Emily. Meanwhile, I stood there like a ghost. Invisible. Watching.
Alerts flooded my phone one after another. The death toll in the disaster zone was climbing fast. Infections had already broken out in areas where temperatures were rising. The situation was spiraling, and it wasn't slowing down.
My in-laws hadn't replied to a single message. No calls, either. There was a very real chance they were in serious trouble.
I knew I couldn't wait any longer. Every second mattered. I pushed past my humiliation and urged them again to lend me the remaining million dollars.
The group exchanged glances. Nobody said yes. Nobody said no. Every pair of eyes drifted toward Hudson.
He raised his head slowly, and at last, his true purpose surfaced.
"You don't need to borrow anything. I'll give you two million, no strings attached. But I have one condition. Agree to it, and the money's yours immediately."
"What condition?"
"Sign the divorce papers. The moment your name hits that line, I transfer the funds. You have one week to move out of my house."
He reached into Emily's bag with practiced ease and pulled out a divorce agreement, tossing it at my feet. Two condom packets tumbled out with it. He didn't flinch, didn't scramble to hide them. If anything, he wanted me to see. Wanted it to be the thing that finally killed whatever hope I had left, so I'd walk away for good.
I gripped the papers, and something inside me went cold. But beneath the chill was a fury that burned white-hot.
"What is this? Those are your parents out there. You're the one who should be saving them. Instead, you're using a million dollars to blackmail me into a divorce?"
"Save the speech. All you need to do is sign." His tone didn't waver. "If it weren't for those two, I never would have married you in the first place. I've endured seven years of this. It's over."
While the words left his mouth, his hand drifted to Emily's cheek, stroking it gently. Right in front of me. Then he leaned down and pressed a slow, deliberate kiss to her forehead.
Emily let out a soft whimper, palms flat against his chest in a performance of reluctance. A heartbeat later, his mouth found hers, and the kiss turned consuming, the two of them tangled together like the rest of the world had ceased to exist.
I stood frozen. For a long moment, I couldn't move, couldn't look away.
Then I reached into my pocket, pulled out a pen, and signed the divorce papers.
"It's done. Transfer the money."
A notification chimed on my phone. The remaining million had landed. With two million dollars secured, I dialed the charter rescue team immediately, my voice steady and clear.
Get his parents out. As fast as humanly possible.
