Chapter 2 but with a few conditions

Emily didn't know what time it was when she started to wake up from her sleep. When she felt the empty space beside her in bed, Emily immediately looked around. She saw Axton standing facing the window. However, what puzzled Emily was that Axton was on the phone at that moment. The question that arose in Emily's mind was who Axton was calling in the early hours of the morning. Emily closed her eyes, trying to sharpen her hearing as Axton looked in her direction.

"It's you who forced me to do all of this, and I had no other choice, Grace," Axton suddenly said, making Emily's heart race when he mentioned someone's name.

"Maybe if you had ended your marriage with Ethan directly, I wouldn't have married Emily," Axton continued, causing Emily, who was listening to all of Axton's confessions, to grip the thick blanket covering her body.

Emily listened as Axton continued to sigh repeatedly, as if he were tired of the argument they were currently having over the phone.

Emily still remembered vividly the first time Axton came to her without bringing Grace, her own best friend.

One month earlier...

Emily had just arrived at her apartment and intended to rest immediately after a long day at work. However, her intention was interrupted when the doorbell of her apartment rang, causing Emily to get up from her seat.

"Yeah, hold on a moment," Emily called out, taking hesitant steps to open the apartment door. The next moment, Emily was completely frozen when she saw Axton standing in front of her.

"You, what's going on?" Emily asked with a puzzled look, making Axton pause for a moment.

"May I come in? There's something I need to talk to you about," Axton said with a cold tone and a stiff posture. Emily could only nod, and they fell silent for a few moments in Emily's living room, as if Axton had no intention of immediately revealing his purpose.

Emily felt nervous, more nervous than when she was first interviewed for her job. Finally, Axton spoke again, causing Emily to straighten up.

"I'm sorry for disturbing your rest," Axton said, making Emily shake her head, although she was slightly bothered.

"I need to ask for your help," Axton continued, making Emily blink her eyes.

"Ask for my help, from me?" Emily asked, pointing at herself, making Axton nod.

"I don't know who else to turn to. I feel completely lost, and you know, my relationship with Grace, how it is," Axton said again, making Emily nod.

Emily knew their love story all too well, from the first time Grace met the man who was admired by all the women on campus, to their relationship and marriage. Emily had witnessed their love journey, and although they were close, she still felt awkward around her best friend's ex-husband. That's why their conversation felt so stiff right now.

"I also don't know why I ended up at your apartment, but maybe this is the answer to all my unanswered questions," Axton said, making Emily even more uncomfortable with his presence. Axton didn't immediately reveal his intention to come to Emily's apartment at this late hour.

"You also know that Grace has remarried Ethan, and I know that Grace must have told all her reasons for marrying Ethan, but in the end, it seems like she's already committed to her marriage," Axton continued, as if expressing his regrets to Emily. Emily remained silent, being a good listener.

Emily knew well how they had a strong love for each other but also realized that both of them were very stubborn, with emotions that were hard to control. That's why divorce became the only way, even though their issues could have been resolved amicably, but their high egos led them to part ways, leaving behind a deep regret.

Emily also knew about their plan that was giving her a headache. How Grace agreed to set her up with Ethan.

"But I don't know the whole story about both of you, even though Grace is my friend, she doesn't share everything she goes through," Emily said, slowing down her voice at the end of the sentence, making Axton pause for a moment while observing Emily's sad expression.

"Grace might not have told everything, but overall and in broad strokes, I know that you must be aware of the core of our issues," Axton said again, making Emily nod.

"And my visit tonight is to plead for your help," Axton said with a pause, making Emily even have difficulty swallowing her own saliva.

"Will you marry me?" Axton suddenly said, causing Emily to hold her breath for a few seconds before widening her eyes.

"What? Marry you?" Emily asked to confirm, making Axton nod. However, Emily burst into laughter, even though it felt awkward.

"You're joking, right? This must be impossible. How could you ask me to marry you? I thought this was just a sign that you're frustrated and making impulsive decisions like this," Emily said, making Axton shake his head.

"Do I look like I'm joking with such a serious face like this? Besides, it's not April Fools' Day. There's no reason for me to lie to you," Axton said, making Emily immediately stand up from her seat.

"No, no, no. I think you've come to the wrong person. How could you come to your ex-wife's best friend to propose marriage? You don't want to ruin our friendship, do you?" Emily asked, making Axton sigh deeply.

"Because you're the only one who can understand, and by marrying you, Grace will realize her mistake," Axton said, leaving Emily speechless.

Emily didn't know whether Grace and Axton were aware of her feelings or not. What she was sure of was that, over the years, she had successfully hidden her feelings well, keeping her admiration and love for Axton, her best friend's husband, to herself.

Emily didn't know when those feelings had emerged. She also didn't know why those emotions suddenly filled her heart, unstoppable and undeniable. Now, Axton had proposed to her for a clichéd reason, to make Grace divorce Ethan, and Emily had reluctantly accepted. Despite facing Grace's anger for being perceived as a traitor, Emily went along with the decision. But Emily knew that this wouldn't be smooth sailing, as she had finally set some conditions for Axton.

"All right, I accept your proposal, but with a few conditions," Emily's decision marked the beginning of their love story.