Married On Paper To The Billionaire
Chapter 16: Guess Who’s Back!

"What the hell just happened?"

"Emilia, calm down. There's a perfectly sensible explanation for why Kane did that."

"I'm listening."

Lillian sighed. "Look, it's deeper than you think, but let's just say Kane did what he had to do to save everybody's asses."

"I don't think I'm part of the 'everybody' you're talking about. I just got thrown under the bus on national TV and you're telling me my ass got saved. How?" "Kendra's family was blackmailing us."

"Us?"

"Yes. The entire Beaumont family. She knows things about us that will ruin our reputation if the public ever got wind of them."

"Hold on. You mean you guys used me as the sacrificial lamb to save yourselves?"

"Stop being dramatic, Emilia. This will blow over quickly. There's a new celebrity reality show starting this weekend. This issue will be old news by then."

"I can't believe this. That woman almost killed me, and you guys are letting her go over some lousy family secrets? Are you kidding me?"

"I don't know what you want me to say. Everything is going to be fine, relax."

"What did you do?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you. Samuel was mad this morning and mentioned something about you keeping secrets from him. Now, here you are supporting your brother in freeing a deadly criminal from prison. What did you do, Lillian?" "Don't be ridiculous," she scoffed and stood up from her bed where she'd been sitting.

"Did you kill someone? Is that what Kendra has over you?"

"Please, stop asking me wild questions, Emilia. I don't have time for this."

Emilia was frustrated. She'd thought Lillian was one of her closest allies in the Beaumont household but that was turning out to be false now.

"If you'll excuse me, I'd like to get ready for Crystabel's physical therapy," said Lillian aloofly. "The therapist will be here any minute now."

Emilia knew she was being dismissed. She wasn't going to get any information from her sister-in-law, so she might as well leave her alone.

She went to the suite she shared with Kane and found her mobile phone ringing. It was Chloe calling.

"I know, I know. I watched it live," she said when she answered the call.

"Why do those people keep using you as a scapegoat?" Chloe asked. "What did you ever do to them?"

"I don't know. I'm just so confused right now."

"Have you talked to Kane?"

"No. I don't think I want to. I'm so mad at him right now!"

"Did he explain his reasons for the press statement?"

"No, but his sister said it had to do with Kendra's family blackmailing him. They know something about the Beaumont family that Kane and his folks don't want the public to know." "Damn... Do you know what it is?"

"No. They're not telling me anything. I feel like an outsider."

"That's sad. What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know. I have to talk to Kane first. I don't want to, but I have to."

"I feel you, sis. Let me know if you need me. You know we're always here for you."

"Thanks, Chloe. You're a gem."

After the phone call, she went into the bathroom to take a shower. When she returned, there was a text from Kane. It simply read, 'I'm sorry.'

Just then, she got a pop-up notification from one of her social media accounts, letting her know that her name was trending. She opened the app and saw that Kendra had been released from detention and she was already talking trash about her.

Her rival had released a video on her Instagram account which she titled, 'Guess Who's Back!'

Emilia ignored the feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach, and she clicked on the play button. Kendra's makeup-free face filled the screen, and she began to talk.

"Hey, guys. Thank you so much for all the love and support. I couldn't have done it without you guys. I felt your positive energy even while I was inside those morbid police cells.

"So... I wanted to come on here and set the record straight for you guys. First of all, Emilia Taylor or whatever she calls herself is a bitch. Everything that happened to me in the past five months was her fault. That shameless social climber wasn't satisfied after snatching Kane Beaumont from me, she tried to ruin my life too."

Emilia didn't want to watch the rest of the video, but she couldn't stop herself. It was as if her eyes were glued to her phone screen against her will and she couldn't peel them off.

"She literally sold her virginity to Kane so that he could help her poverty-stricken family survive. And don't believe that sweet angelic image she likes to portray in public. Emilia has a serious drinking problem. When she and Kane were first married, she got so drunk one night that she fell down two flights of stairs and had a miscarriage."

"Oh, my God!" Emilia screamed, covering her mouth with her hand.

"She tried to pin it on me, but Kane saw through her lies. I was finally vindicated when she was caught red-handed, smooching her lover in public. I thought that was it for them, but she cooked up more lies about me even while they were divorced. That was how I lost Kane again and my pregnancy. It was a very dark time in my life but I'm a trooper, so I carried on with my life."

As you reach the final pages, remember that 000005s.com is your destination for the complete story. Share the joy of reading with others and spread the word. The next chapter is just a visit away! "Bloody liar!" Emilia screamed at her phone.

"Now, let's get into the whole shooting thing," Kendra continued. She paused dramatically before she started speaking again. "So, here's what really happened. After Kane and I broke up, we were still on good terms. You guys know that I and that man have a long history together, so he reached out to me to tell me that he was getting married to Emilia again. I was shocked, like totally shocked. But he then explained to me that he was doing it under duress because Emilia had fished out some nasty secrets about his family and was blackmailing him."

"I can't believe this..." Emilia whispered. Kendra was flipping the script on her again.

"I wasn't surprised," Kendra was saying. "That snake was ready to do whatever it took for her to become Mrs Beaumont again. Anyway, he begged me to stop by the bridal boutique and wish her well. He said it was Emilia's idea because she wanted to be sure that nothing was going on between Kane and me anymore."

Emilia sat on the floor, watching the video with rapt attention, and waiting to hear the next round of lies that would fall out of Kendra's mouth.

"You all know that I love Kane and I would do anything for him. So, I went to the boutique and asked to see Emilia. I was directed to the changing booth where she was trying on her wedding dress, and I said hello. That bitch cussed me out and laughed in my face, talking about how she won again. She was super drunk and probably high on drugs too."

"What?"

"I was disgusted. I mean, I was like, you know what, I don't have time for this nonsense. As I turned around to leave, she grabbed my hair and started to hit me. I didn't see the attack coming, so I was caught off guard. I screamed for help, but nobody came. I got desperate and pushed her away. That was when she lost her balance and smashed her head on the wall. To be honest, I don't know where that story about a gunshot came from."

Emilia stopped the video and threw her phone on the bed. She'd heard and seen enough. She'd thought that that press statement from Kane was the worst thing that could happen to her, but this video from Kendra took the cake. There was a knock on her door, so she quickly wiped her tears and answered, "Yes?"

"Emilia, dear. It's me," said Elsie from the other side of the door.

"Come in, Mother."

Elsie entered the room and closed the door softly behind her. She was dressed in an exquisite Dior bandage dress that hugged her perfect physique like a glove. If it wasn't for her grey hair, she would pass for a woman in her 30s. "Oh, darling. You've been crying. I'm so sorry."

"Why would Kane do that to me? Why would he release such a damning statement without even telling me first?"

"My dear, he was only trying to protect you."

"How come everyone else got the memo except me? Why?"

Elsie sighed and sat at the edge of the bed near Emilia. "Listen, dear. I know this is going to be hard for you to hear, but Kane did the right thing." "What?"

"Family comes first. You protect your family first and then sort out the logistics later. He'll make it up to you, don't worry."

"Why are you making this seem as if it's not a big deal? Would this have been your reaction if Lillian was thrown to the wolves as Kane just did to me?"

"Lillian would do whatever it took to protect the family," Elsie replied rigidly. "She wouldn't spend the entire day crying and whining when she could as well be crafting a fitting response to that wretch that has been running her mouth on social media all morning."

As you reach the final pages, remember that 000005s.com is your destination for the complete story. Share the joy of reading with others and spread the word. The next chapter is just a visit away!

"So, you've seen Kendra's video?"

"No, but my PA gave me a pretty detailed review of it. Look, one of the perks that come with being a member of the Beaumont family is knowing how to come back from a beatdown. If you're going to remain a part of this family, you'll need to grow a spine and stop playing the victim each time something embarrassing happens."

Emilia didn't know what to say. Elsie was supposed to be consoling her, not bashing her too. Her mother-in-law wasn't even showing an ounce of sympathy for her unfortunate situation.

"You know what? I know how to cheer you up," Elsie said brightly. "Get up and get dressed. We'll go to The Vault and buy the prettiest jewellery they have on display. My treat!"

"Uh- "

"Come on, get up. I'll ask Lillian if she'd like to go with us. I'm sure she wouldn't want to miss an opportunity to add to her obscene Cartier collection."

She stood up and kissed Emilia on the forehead. "Take your time, dear. I'll be in my office. Come and meet me there when you're ready."

Emilia remained on the floor for several minutes after her mother-in-law left the room. So, this was how it was going to be. They were going to sweep this whole mess under the carpet and simply dismiss her feelings.

"To hell with this!" She said to herself and got up. "I've had enough of this disrespect."

She hurriedly got dressed, dragged her Louis Vuitton suitcases out of the closet and began to pack. She loved Kane but she loved herself more and she would no longer continue to be on the receiving end of his blatant disregard for her feelings or reputation.

When she got to the garage downstairs with her suitcases, one of the chauffeurs showed up to help her.

"Don't worry," she said crisply. "I need the keys to the Range Rover."

"Which one?"

"The black one."

"Which one of them?"

"For heaven's sake, give me the damn keys to the car!"

The man hurried away and returned a few seconds later with the keys. "Where are we going, ma'am?"

"Get out of my way," she snapped at him and dragged her loaded suitcases to the Range Rover of her choice.

"Should I get one of the bodyguards to go with you?" The chauffeur asked.

"Leave me alone, Chris!" She snarled at him and hopped into the driver's seat.

She hadn't driven a car in over a year. It felt good to be sitting behind the steering wheel and moving a big vehicle like this one.

She felt in control as she manoeuvred the car out of the garage and towards the front gate. Elsie was right after all. She needed to stop playing the victim.

It was time for her to take charge of her life and stop letting everyone else control the narrative of who she was.