Marrying my friend's ex-Husband

Everyone immediately applauded, and it ended with a kiss between the two when the bride and groom exchanged their sacred vows in front of the pastor, family, and wedding guests.

The wedding blessing continued into the reception on the same day, with Emily occasionally glancing towards Axton, who maintained a flat expression while looking at the guests enjoying the music.

"Axton," Emily said, finally getting Axton to look in her direction.

"Are you tired?" Emily continued, but Axton didn't change his expression in the slightest. He didn't even pretend to be a happy groom at their wedding.

"I'm not tired. Just take care of yourself," Axton replied, causing Emily to lower her head. Maybe she wasn't tired, but from his expression alone, Emily could tell that Axton wasn't enjoying their wedding party in the least.

Emily could only sigh deeply. That's how the reception went. They would smile and stand when guests approached them to offer their congratulations. After that, Emily and Axton didn't exchange a single word. Even Axton's smiles felt forced.

Until finally, the moment that made Emily's heart race was when the reception was truly over. Emily chose to enter one of the hotel rooms that had been prepared for the newlyweds, where their wedding had taken place.

Emily could only sit in front of a large mirror, which now reflected her looking sad in her wedding dress that was still clinging to her body. The entire day had truly drained her, even though they hadn't invited many guests, but for some reason, it had been exhausting for Emily.

Emily decided to take a deep breath. She had been wearing the wedding dress, which now clung to her body, for quite some time. It was time for Emily to take it off and change into something else. However, suddenly, Emily's face reddened, and she felt a warmth as she imagined tonight being her first night with Axton. She quickly shook her head; of course, that wouldn't happen. Just the thought of it made Emily laugh at herself.

"Think rationally, Emily," Emily mumbled as she tried to remove her wedding dress. But her movements halted when the bedroom door opened, and Axton appeared, looking at her.

For a moment, they could only gaze at each other. Even in that brief moment, Emily felt like time had stopped until Axton finally stepped forward, making time return to normal.

"I thought you were already asleep," Axton said as he walked past Emily without paying much attention to her. Emily could only watch Axton's firm back as he began to remove his clothing one by one, starting with the suit and tie that had made him feel stifled throughout the event, then rolling up his shirt sleeves. After that, Axton looked back at Emily, who remained silent, leaving her transfixed.

"I was just about to rest," Emily quickly said, realizing that she had been caught staring at her husband now. Axton only responded with a serious expression, folding up his shirt sleeves.

"Are you planning to rest in that dress? I don't think it's comfortable," Axton said as he walked over to a table where there was a bottle of wine and two matching crystal glasses. Emily could only look at the wedding dress still clinging to her body.

"I mean, I'll change my clothes first before resting," Emily replied, but Axton remained silent.

Axton was occupied with the wine he had poured into his glass, sipping it slowly, while Emily just sighed deeply. She felt like a shadow in the room.

Finally, with caution, Emily dragged her wedding dress into the bathroom, as it was impossible for her to change in the same room as Axton, who was enjoying his drink. Emily slowly began to reach for the zipper of the dress she was wearing, but several attempts failed, eventually making her stare at the large mirror in front of her.

"You're not done yet?" Axton asked from behind the door, snapping Emily out of her reverie. Panicked, Emily stood up. Of course, Axton must also want to use the bathroom. Then why had he spent so much time in there?

Emily walked, dragging her dress, and opened the door, "Do you want to use the bathroom?" Emily asked, peeking from behind the door with a face now focused on Axton.

"Of course, I also need to rest soon," Axton suddenly said, pushing the door. However, he fell silent when he saw Emily still wearing the wedding dress.

"You don't intend to wear that wedding dress all night, do you? Or is it because you really like this dress?" Axton asked, making Emily shake her head. Of course, just the thought of it made her uncomfortable.

"Then why?" Axton asked again, making Emily only offer a awkward smile.

"I'm having trouble opening this dress; my hands can't reach," Emily replied while trying to reach for the zipper on her back, showing it to Axton, who let out a long sigh.

"You could have asked for my help, you know," Axton said. After that, he just entered the bathroom, making Emily step back. Without a word, Axton grabbed Emily's shoulders and turned her to face the large mirror in front of them. Emily could only be fixated on Axton's face, which was also looking at her.

"What's with your expression?" Axton asked, making Emily place both of her palms on her cheeks. Her flushed cheeks were so obvious in Axton's eyes, Emily thought, and she could only shake her head.

"I'm fine," Emily replied again.

"That's not what I mean, but you seem frightened when you look at me. Am I scaring you?" Axton asked, making Emily shake her head once more. Yes, actually, she was scared. How could she not be afraid when facing a man who hadn't even given her a single smile, from the beginning of the event until they were both in a room like this.

"Any woman in her position would probably feel the same way," Emily thought. She felt somewhat stiff when suddenly Axton began to unzip the dress on her back. Her face grew even warmer and redder when she felt Axton's fingers accidentally brushing against her skin.

Until finally, Emily could see Axton, who was now looking at her. Their gazes locked on each other, making time around Emily seem to stop. Finally, Axton leaned his face close to Emily's.

"All done; you can change now," Axton said in a voice almost like a whisper. Emily could feel the warmth of Axton's breath against her ear. It made Emily blink her eyes a few times, watching as Axton left the bathroom, leaving her with various thoughts swirling in her mind.

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.

Axton parked his car in front of a minimalist-style house located in an upscale residential area in the city center. This medium-sized house had a very spacious yard, but the plants in the garden were limited, consisting of only a few lush trees and a fountain in the middle of the garden.

"Get out," Axton said, causing Emily, who was mesmerized by the view of the house, to nod her head. She stepped out of the car and joined Axton, who was already in conversation with a middle-aged man. Emily wasn't sure if this was Axton's new home or just a rented house for them. Previously, Emily knew that Axton's house was not in such an upscale neighborhood, and it was not a place he or Grace had lived before.

The middle-aged man talking to Axton stopped their conversation when he saw Emily getting out of the car, mirroring Axton's reaction.

"David, let me introduce my wife, her name is Emily," Axton said, making the middle-aged man smile faintly and nod his head.

"And Emily, let me introduce him; he used to be the caretaker of this house. You could say he also oversees the workers here. His name is David," Axton added, making Emily return a smile to David. Despite his older appearance, David still looked very fit with a tall and robust physique.

Emily then observed the very spacious garden, but unfortunately, the variety of plants was limited. It wasn't clear if this was the house's design concept or if Axton simply didn't prefer too many plants in the garden.

"Alright then, David will show you around the house," Axton said, about to turn around. However, Emily reached for the edge of Axton's shirt.

"You're not coming?" Emily asked, causing Axton to look at his wrist before answering.

"I have to finish up some work. You know, we just had a break a few days ago, so I need to tidy up my schedule going forward," Axton replied before heading inside the house. Emily watched him with a frustrated expression, feeling that Axton could have taken her to explore the house right away.

However, when David approached, Emily finally nodded, and they entered through the main door. They walked directly into the main living area, which opened up to the entire space. Emily could see several rooms divided by partitions and a staircase leading to the second floor. With slow steps, Emily began to notice several paintings displayed in the main area, and she started to think that Axton might indeed not be fond of ornaments or other decorations. His minimalist-style house looked simple, neat, yet still exuded a luxurious atmosphere.

"This is the family room, and to the right is the living room. This is the lounge area; the master enjoys reading books here when he's at home," David explained, and Emily nodded. However, she furrowed her brow afterward.

"Does Axton rarely come to this house?" Emily asked, making David nod.

"As you knew before, Mr. Axton used to live in another house with Mrs. Grace, and this is the second home he has ever occupied before marrying Mrs. Grace. It seems from now on, he will be living here with you," David explained, making Emily nod.

Emily had just learned that Axton had such a nice house. When Axton was still dating Grace, Emily knew he lived in an apartment. Perhaps this was the result of his efforts before marrying Grace, thought Emily, who then continued her exploration of the house.

The house felt spacious enough to start a family, not too big but not too small either. Emily felt comfortable here and followed David to various areas such as the kitchen, the backyard, and several other rooms before they headed up to the second floor.

"There's Mr. Axton's office; he usually immerses himself in his work in there," David said, pointing to a slightly ajar wooden door. Emily saw Axton busy with documents and a computer screen in front of him. Emily just nodded, not wanting to disturb Axton's concentration. She then turned and approached David.

"And over there is the master bedroom, the room he usually occupies, and there are a few guest rooms and lounging areas on this floor," David explained, making Emily nod. She began to memorize the overall layout of the house, which wasn't too difficult because the house wasn't very large.

"Thank you for accompanying me around here," Emily said to David, who only nodded.

"It's my duty. Shortly, there will be a vehicle bringing Mrs.'s belongings. I'll need to instruct some workers to unload them, and you can rest right away," David said before preparing to leave. However, something crossed Emily's mind.

David hadn't informed her where Emily would be resting, but Emily decided not to ask him. She felt it wouldn't be proper to inquire of David. It would be better to ask Axton directly later, Emily thought, and she allowed David to go about his tasks.

Emily hadn't even opened her master bedroom yet. Currently, she chose to return to Axton's workspace. Even though Axton was focused on his work, Emily wasn't too concerned. She didn't want to make the situation awkward. Emily took a slow breath before finally opening Axton's already slightly ajar office door. Axton looked at her as usual, without a smile or any other expression.

Emily didn't know why Axton always seemed so stiff. She decided to ignore it and walked closer to Axton's cluttered desk, which looked very messy at the moment.

Axton quickly closed his laptop when he saw Emily walking towards him. Emily then asked, "Are you busy?"

Axton replied, "Yes, you can see for yourself, I have a lot of work. What's up?"

"Didn't you take a day off from the office tomorrow?" Emily asked again.

"Yes, and I plan to use this day off to work on some strategies related to other fabric materials," Axton said, making Emily nod. Axton seemed very focused on his work and didn't have any intention of chatting with Emily about anything else.

Emily attempted to strike up a conversation, "I just finished touring the house with David. It's a comfortable house."

Axton only nodded while continuing to check the documents in front of him with fabric swatches attached. Axton was an entrepreneur who owned a fabric factory, and several fashion companies collaborated with his fabric factory in their fashion product manufacturing. Emily realized that Axton's company was very advanced, as seen from the house he lived in, the vehicles he owned, and perhaps other hidden assets she wasn't aware of.