The CEO's Empathy Pregnancy Pains
Chapter 118 Returning to the Brown Mansion

When Emily clicked on the PR article, she couldn't believe her eyes.

The whole piece was about how Michael, the president of Smith Corporation, was just having dinner with his wife, her family, and friend. It was all a big misunderstanding. No mention of a mistress or any threats to his wife. There was nothing about a divorce or a new relationship announcement that Emily had been expecting. So, did Michael still want to keep their marriage going?

Emily felt like she was overthinking it. Maybe Michael was just worried this mess would hurt Smith Corporation's reputation.

Her racing thoughts calmed down. She went to the kitchen to tell Anson not to make her dinner tonight, grabbed her bag, and left the Smith Mansion.

Meanwhile, the online chatter shifted. Michael's fans, both career and looks-wise, started defending him and Smith Corporation against the earlier negative comments. Sophia was freaking out, and Evelyn was super anxious.

Evelyn said, "Didn't you say Michael would use this chance to announce your relationship to distract everyone? Didn't you say you had secured your spot as the Smith family's mistress? Didn't you say your dad and I could rely on the Smith family and live comfortably?"

Evelyn went on, "You're completely delusional! Can you stop doing things without a plan? Now what? You've become a total joke! Michael's gonna be extra careful now and won't think about going out with you. Let's see how your cleverness helps you now!"

Evelyn's words cut deep, stabbing at Sophia's heart. Sophia's face twisted with rage, her misunderstanding of Michael and hatred for Emily growing like a poison she couldn't shake. "What do you know!" Sophia shouted.

She slammed her dressing table, making bottles of skincare products crash to the floor.

Evelyn was startled, eyes wide as she yelled back. "Why take out your anger on me? If you have the guts, go confront Michael instead! You've been with him for years, and now? He doesn't want to deal with this mess, so he..." Before Evelyn could finish, Sophia's face darkened. She thought she had everything under control. Where did it all go wrong? She couldn't figure it out, so she decided to replace Michael and get some answers.

But there were still reporters outside, waiting for more dirt. Sophia knew if she caused any more trouble, Michael would definitely catch wind of it.

After thinking it over, Sophia decided to stay home. On the phone, Michael couldn't see her expressions, so she could play the weak and pitiful card.

Meanwhile, the road to the Smith Mansion was smooth. The neighbors were all high-class folks who didn't care about online gossip. They only cared about their earnings, what they learned, and how they grew. It was a nice vibe. Even the kids were super polite. When they saw Emily's stunning face, they'd stop and say, "You're so beautiful."

For a moment, Emily was on cloud nine. That good mood lasted right up until she reached the entrance of the Brown Mansion. Emily had come to talk to Hayden about the shares, but she never expected to be ambushed by reporters at the entrance.

"Emily, can you explain what happened at the Japanese restaurant last night?"

"Emily, do you prefer to be called Miss Brown or Mrs. Smith?"

"Emily, is your marriage with Mr. Smith just for show?"

"Yes, Emily, does Mr. Smith have special feelings for Sophia? Are you aware of their private interactions?"

"Emily..."

It was unbelievable how these reporters could ask such things. Now she understood why Michael had warned her not to go out before he left.

Emily was speechless, but thinking about how Michael had just portrayed their relationship online as "happy and loving," she had to play along to keep the PR article's effect intact.

"First of all, I'm glad everyone is paying attention to Smith Corporation and our family's private matters," Emily said, assuming the role of the Smith family's mistress, calmly and graciously thanking the reporters.

"Someone asked if I prefer to be called Miss Brown or Mrs. Smith. I just want to say, I am both Miss Brown and Mrs. Smith. You can call me whatever you like, I'm fine with it."

"And, yesterday at the Japanese restaurant was really a family dinner. My husband Michael has already addressed this on the company's official account, so I won't go into it further."

"Lastly, although Sophia and I are half-sisters, it's not impossible for us to have a meal together. The fact that I'm standing here at the entrance of the Brown Mansion answering your questions is the best proof of that. The Brown family has a good relationship, so there's no need to worry too much. Thank you."

After speaking, Emily waved her hand, signaling that she wouldn't take any more questions. She had answered everything, leaving the reporters speechless and allowing her to leave.

The entrance of the Brown Mansion finally quieted down.

Emily breathed a sigh of relief and turned to knock on the door.

"Oh, what a rare sight. I wondered who it was, turns out it's the mistress of the Smith family! What are you here for, to laugh at our Sophia? Forget it, your dream might fall through! Our Sophia is fine. She was taken away by Michael's men long ago. Now the two of them are probably secretly meeting somewhere. Oh, it's like a movie, betraying the whole world for you. Just thinking about it is romantic!"

It was Evelyn who opened the door. As soon as she saw Emily, her pent-up frustration exploded. Even though she was suffering inside, she couldn't let her appearance slip.

As for maintaining Hayden's reputation and the facade of being a virtuous stepmother, she couldn't be bothered anymore.

Seeing Evelyn's arrogant attitude and hearing her words, Emily was stunned, and a nerve deep in her heart tightened.

She really didn't expect Michael to be such a philanderer. With the online public opinion so intense and reporters chasing non-stop, he casually had his men release a PR article to maintain Smith Corporation's and his own reputation, and then turned around to hook up with Sophia.

Then what about her? Did Michael ever consider her feelings for a moment? Well. They were about to get divorced, so why would he consider her at all?