Hello, Ex! I Finally Found My Worth!-Chapter 115: The Past Is Past

The hospital room felt quieter now, softer somehow, with just the rhythmic beep of the heart monitor and the distant hum of rain outside.

Alex sat close to Emma, their hands intertwined on the blanket, his thumb gently stroking over her knuckles in a steady rhythm. It was a small comfort, the warmth of his touch anchoring her in the present.

Though they weren't saying anything to each other, the silence wasn't uncomfortable between them.

Emma had thought that after everyone left, she'd feel awkward being alone with Alex but surprisingly, she didn't feel awkward one bit. She was relaxed like it was the most natural feeling and she liked it.

She sighed inwardly when another thought crossed her mind. Margaret and her visit.

She had heard everything Margaret had said and even though she was still hurting from all the pain Jake had caused her, she wanted to let everything go. The past was the past.

"Alex," she began softly, her voice gentle but sure.

He glanced at her, sensing the shift in her tone. "Hmm? Is everything okay?" He asked looking at her, his brows creasing into a worried frown.

"I've been thinking about Margaret... and Jake," she said carefully, watching his face for any sign of resistance.

There it was. The shift in his demeanor, the way his jaw tightened, and the way his hand stiffened slightly in hers. He didn't like that she was talking about this.

"Emma," he said, voice low, almost warning. "Let's not talk about them right now."

She shook her head, pressing forward. "No, we need to. I know how you feel about them. I know they betrayed you, me, hurt you, me too. I know that Jake embezzled from the company. But Alex... Margaret is your sister. And whether you want to admit it or not, she's still family."

Alex exhaled, leaning back slightly in his chair, his hand releasing hers to rake through his hair. His expression was guarded, his eyes dark with a storm of emotions she knew he rarely let anyone see.

"Family doesn't stab you in the back, Emma. Jake stole from the business his family built and tried to ruin it because of his jealousy. He hurt you. He made you the talk of the country. And Margaret—" He paused, shaking his head. "Her selfishness almost cost me you. I almost lost you, Em. Let me not get you started on all she'd done to me since I got adopted into their family. You're here right now because of Jake and Margaret, Em. How am I supposed to just forgive that?"

Emma's voice softened further, but she didn't back down. "I'm not saying you should forget what they did. I can't forget it either. But you can choose forgiveness, just like me—"

"Emma..." Alex cut in but Emma shook her head.

"Just hear me out. I've been thinking a lot since... after everything that happened with Vanessa and me being here." Her gaze dropped to their joined hands, voice trembling slightly as she continued. "I could have died, Alex. Worse still? They could've taken advantage of me and still killed me. She had the mind to do all that because she considered me an enemy and Margaret... she wouldn't have gone so far if she also hadn't considered me an enemy or the reason you locked her son up. Right now, the thought of being in bad terms with anyone... it terrifies me. Life is too unpredictable. What if something happens, and the last words you exchanged were in anger? Like you and I? What if I had died and we didn't have the chance to confess our true feelings to each other? It's terrifying, isn't it?" She asked looking into his deep gray eyes.

He stared at her, the tension in his face shifting as the weight of her words began to settle in.

"I heard Margaret begging, Alex. And the way she was crying and pleading... it changed something in me. I don't think she's the same person she was yesterday. Maybe... maybe she deserves another chance."

Alex's lips parted, but no words came out. He looked away, struggling, as he processed her words.

Emma saw that her words were hitting him so she continued. "Jake stole from the company, yes. But you're the CEO. You have the power to show grace. You can choose to pardon him, to give both of them the opportunity to prove they've changed. If they betray you again, then at least you'll know you tried. But what if they don't? What if they learn from this? What if they grow?"

Alex let out a slow breath, his brow furrowed as he absorbed her words. His mind was a whirlwind—memories of Margaret's tearful apologies clashing with the sting of her past betrayals. He remembered the disappointment, the sleepless nights wondering how his own sister could deceive him.

But then he looked at Emma—her eyes so full of compassion despite everything she'd been through, her voice so steady even when she had every reason to be bitter.

She was right.

"So you're... asking me to trust them again?" he asked quietly, voice tinged with hesitation.

Emma shook her head. "No. I'm asking you to give them a chance. Trust takes time, Alex. But forgiveness... that starts with a choice."

Silence stretched between them, heavy but not uncomfortable. Alex was lost in thought, her words echoing in his mind as he replayed every moment—Margaret's pleading, Jake's shame, the anger that had kept him so guarded.

Finally, he sighed and nodded slowly. "I'll... think about it. I need time, Emma. This isn't easy for me. Accepting all they did... to you."

She smiled softly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "I know. Just don't shut the door completely, okay? You also need to remember that I've let go. You're the only person I want to focus my emotions on."

He nodded again, a smile tugging at his lips as he shifted closer, his eyes softening as he studied her face.

Though it was still pale but it was radiant in the dim hospital light. His hand came up, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as his gaze locked with hers.

"I've heard all you said. But right now," he said, voice lower, more serious, "I don't want to talk about them. I want to talk about us."

Emma blinked. "Us?" She asked totally caught offguard.

"Yeah." His lips curled into a small, almost nervous smile. "We're not just... contractually married anymore, Emma. Not after everything. We're in love, now. I'm in love with you. So, I need to know... what do you want? Do you want a real marriage ceremony? To show our love to the world or... you would prefer we leave things the way they are until our anniversary contract ends?"

Emma's breath caught hearing him say that. She hadn't expected that question—not now, not like this.

Her heart thudded in her chest as she thought about it. A real marriage? The idea was terrifying in its own way especially since she had once been married thinking they were in love only to be betrayed.

And she was still healing, still figuring out how to let herself be loved again without fear of losing everything. As much as she would love to remarry him, with a loving smile and exchange vows, she'd rather not.

But even in her doubt and fear, when she looked at Alex, all she could see was the man who had stayed by her side every second, the man who held her hand when she was unconscious, who hadn't left even when she told him he could. The man that had appeared just when she had needed someone.

She was torn between her fears and accepting this man's love in entirety. But in all, she would give it a trial.

With that decision, she shook her head, voice barely above a whisper and said, "We don't need to do anything different, Alex. It's what we're feeling that matters, not what people think. We could do a lavish anniversary but can we just be ourselves now?"

His eyes softened further, and a slow, heartfelt smile touched his lips.

"You're right. We can always do that. All that matters is that I love you and you love me back."

He leaned closer then, pressing his lips gently to her forehead, lingering there as his eyes shut for a heartbeat longer.

When he pulled back, his hand cupped her cheek, thumb brushing tenderly over her skin.

"I love you, Emma. More than I've ever loved anyone. And I don't need anything else to prove that. You're all I need," he said looking into her green eyes.

Tears welled in her eyes, but they were the good kind this time. She tilted her face into his palm, nodding as the warmth of his words filled every aching part of her heart.

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"I love you too, Alex. So much."

And in that moment, with nothing but the steady hum of the hospital and the rain easing into a soft drizzle outside, everything felt... right.

They had each other. And that was all that mattered.