Chapter 3-The Jewelry

Months later The sun had set, and the skyscrapers of Manhattan were shining bright. Emily had worn her favorite pair of baggy jeans and a black crop top and got ready to go out. She was meeting her friends at a new bar in the Meatpacking District. The last time they saw her was at Emily's wedding. Immediately she got into her car, her phone buzzed with a text from Alexander. "Hey my sunshine, I'm in Chicago for work. I'll be back tomorrow." "What a busy bee you are. I'm heading out for a night out with the girls," she replied back. "Alright, be safe. I love you." "I love you." Emily smiled, put on her phone, started the engine, and drove down the busy street; she watched as the city lights went by. The night was beautiful. She pulled up to the curb on Gansevoort Street and turned off the engine. She could see her friends waiting for her outside the bar, chatting and laughing together. As she stepped out of the car, Vivian, her childhood friend, was the first to spot her. "Oh my gosh! Is that Emily?" she squealed, rushing over to give Emily a big hug. "Wow, marriage really looks good on you!" Selena chimed in, eyeing Emily's glowing complexion and bright smile. Chloe, sipping on a cup of Coke, raised an eyebrow. "Until he breaks her heart," she said with a sly smile. "Come on, Chloe. Just because things didn't work out for you doesn't mean they won't work out for me." Emily said playfully rolling her eyes. Chloe snorted. "Yeah, right. Don't come crying to me when it all falls apart. By the way, you look really pretty tonight." Emily smiled, but before Chloe could say anything else, she interrupted. "Shh, shh, let's just go inside." The girls burst out laughing and followed Emily into the bar, ready to let loose and have a great time. At the bar, Emily slid onto the stool next to her friends, they squealed in unison, hugging her tightly. "Girl, we've missed you!" Selena shouted while he held Emily at arm's length. "How was the honeymoon?" Emily grinned, feeling a flush rise to her cheeks. "It was amazing. Paris is so romantic." "I bet," Chloe said, winking. "So, what's it like being married?" Emily laughed. "It's weird, but good. I keep expecting someone to tell me it's all a joke." The girls giggled, clinking their glasses together in a toast. "To Emily and Alexander!" they chorused. As they sipped their drinks, the conversation turned to their jobs, love lives, and everything in between. Emily felt like she was back in her element, surrounded by her friends and the pulsing energy of the bar. "So, what's new with you guys?" Emily asked, leaning in curiously. "Well, Selena got a new boyfriend," Chloe said. "Ex-boyfriend," Selena corrected. "It didn't even last a month. I think Chloe's attitude towards relationships is rubbing off on me." "I told you men are trouble," Chloe said. "Not all men are bad," Emily said. "Alex loves me and he's a good man. He's just busy with work." "That's something I couldn't handle," Vivian said, bringing a box of pizza to the table. "I want to see my man when he's awake. People are different, though. Since you married a billionaire, it's expected that he'll be busy." While they were eating pizza and chatting, Selena brought up an interesting topic. "Speaking of which, I heard someone very rich bought a special jewel for his girlfriend." Chloe's eyes lit up. "You mean the jewelry that's only made once every 20 years? I've heard it's very expensive." Selena nodded. "Yes, that's the one. I heard a billionaire bought it and it has the letter E on it." Emily's curiosity got the best of her. "Do you have a picture of it?" She asked, trying to sound casual. Selena pulled out her phone and started scrolling through it. "I think I saw a picture of it online somewhere. Let me check." As Selena searched for the picture, Emily's mind was racing. "Aha. Found it" It was the same necklace Alex had ordered on their honeymoon. She had been waiting for Alex to give her the jewelry, but he hadn't said anything about it. She decided to put it out of her mind and enjoy the night with her friends. The next morning, Emily woke up late. She quickly got dressed and called her dad. "I'm on my way, Dad. I'm serious. I didn't forget your birthday!" Her dad was upset with her for being late. Emily explained, "I slept at my friend's house, that's why I woke up late. But I'm coming now. My driver is fast, so I'll be there soon." Emily ended the call and turned to her driver, Justin. "Justin, can you please drive faster? My dad is going to be really mad at me." Justin chuckled and said, "Okay, ma'am. I'll get you there as fast as I can." The Johnson's house was filled with guests who came to celebrate Mr. Johnson's 60th birthday. Mr. Johnson was a well-known wealthy and humble man who was ranked one of the top 15 wealthy businessmen in London. Emily stepped out of her car, wearing a beautiful purple fitted gown that showed off her petite yet cute figure. As she walked into the mansion, all the guests turned to look at her with admiration. She was the wife of Alexander, the billionaire who was ranked number 5 in the whole world. "Emily!!!" her father exclaimed, spotting her across the room. "Dad!!" Emily ran to him, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. "I missed you, Dad." Her father hugged her back, holding her close. "I missed you too, baby. How have you been? Is Alexander treating you well?" "Yes, Dad, he is," Emily replied, smiling. "And where is he?" her father asked, looking around the room. "He's in Chicago for business," Emily explained. "But he'll be back tonight." Her father frowned, looking concerned. "So, he's not putting you as his priority? As a married man, he should make time for you. He should cut back on some of his business dealings." Emily nodded, feeling a little defensive. "I know, Dad. But Alexander's business is important. And he loves me, I know that." As Emily and her father chatted, her stepmother appeared, wearing a fake smile on her face. "Stepmom," Emily said, smiling back at her. "Emily dear, you look lovely as always," her stepmother said, but Emily could tell she didn't really mean it. Emily ignored her stepmother's insincere comment, too happy to let it bother her. "Where's Emilia?" Emily asked, looking around for her stepsister. "I'm here," Emilia said, stepping out from behind her mother. Emily's smile faltered as she saw something that made her heart skip a beat. Around Emilia's neck was the necklace that Alex had ordered, the one that Emily had been waiting for him to give her. Emily's eyes widened in shock as she stared at the necklace. Why was Emilia wearing it? And how did she even get it? Emily's mind was racing with questions, a lot of questions.