Chapter 355 - Three Hundred And Fifty-five: She Left
The third point of view:
"I'm sorry, your highness, but we couldn't find her," The leader of the guards Judy sent out reported back to him.
This can't be, he thought. From the cameras, he had seen Emily at the departure hall, and then she disappeared having sensed he was here.
"She's smart," Judy thought to himself. Emily couldn't have left the airport else the guards he placed at the entrance would have caught her - she probably knew that and was hiding. Where was she hiding? The man thought hard.
Then all of a sudden, as if his eyes were magnate to that scene, Judy watched a lady leave the restroom area. A-ha! The restroom! Why didn't he think of that earlier? That was the only place he hadn't thought of nor searched.
"Keep a look at the cameras and entrance. Do not follow me," He issued the command to Archie, his most trusted subordinate before leaving with the others.
Judy followed his instincts and went into the nearest restroom Emily could think of hiding in. As expected, the women in there shrieked upon seeing him, but his men cleared them out in a matter of minutes.
After making sure everyone else had left, Judy ordered his men to wait outside while he began to knock on each toilet stall. With years of experience, he could already tell when a toilet was empty or not, and right now, Emily had probably climbed the toilet seat so her legs would not be discerned - quite a good plan actually, but he was not giving up on her.
"You can come out now, Emily," He said standing in front of the stall he sensed she was in.
There was no response.
"Don't let me knock down the door, Emily. Come out," He added, "Please,"
In no time, there was a soft click and a woman covered from her head to her feet emerged. If it wasn't the fact he knew her height and body shape, Judy would have missed her with this amount of disguise.
"Thank God," Judy released a sigh of relief, pulling the woman into a hug that made breathing almost impossible.
"Can you let go?" Emily struggled to be freed but the man wouldn't let go. He didn't seem ready to release her.
"Judy, please," he was suffocating her for Christ's sake.
"I'm so sorry," He apologized, "Did I hurt you?" he checked her body for injuries.
"No," Emily wanted to inch away from him touching her. Not because it made her skin crawl or something, it just kept reminding her what she was about to leave behind.
"We should go," Judy grabbed her hand, ready to bring her home. He already had this disturbing feeling in his chest that whatever he was doing was ineffective, but he didn't want to believe it, he could change her mind.
"Judy, let go,"
"Emily, we can discuss this at home," He refused, still dragging her along.
"Home?" she snorted, "You mean the palace or the hospital? You just let me go!" She screamed at him this time, tears streaking down her face.
As stubborn as Judy was, his resolve burned away the moment those tears began to fall off her face. He realized he was hurting her by not listening. But he didn't want to listen, already having a suspicion where this all was going.
"I'm sorry but I can't return to the palace with you,"
"Emily…" his gaze softened
She shook her head stubbornly, "No, I can do this anymore so stop looking at me like that!"
He placed both hands on her shoulder, pinning her with his gaze, "We can settle this together,"
"I just lost my baby!"
"Our baby!" he corrected with blazing intensity, "Do you think I'm not affected as well,"
"Of course, you are," She acknowledged his share of the pain too, "But you would never understand how suffocated I feel each time I look at the mirror and realize I just lost a child - the child I've been searching for years - all because of the mother of the man I love," she cried, "I'm sorry, but I can't look at the face of your mother without having murderous thoughts. It hurts too much,"
"Then we can run away!" He suggested, "I, you and Akim! We can go live somewhere without her.... somewhere far... Somewhere you don't have to see her face. That should do, right?"
"I wish but you can't. You're a prince, Judy. You're the prince, soon to be king. And just like a mountain, you're a pillar that can't be moved. Hence, that dream of yours is impossible. Just leave me be, Judy,"
"No!" the man refused, "You're not leaving me, Emily. The queen has learned her lesson, she would not oppose us this time. I'll have the coronation moved up earlier than usual, then we can have eh... the wedding and coronation at the same time," He looked hopeful with this plan, "We can make another one. Lots of babies, Emily," He tried to convince her.
Emily's face darkened, a new wave of anger cursing in her veins, "How could you be this selfish?"?There was a hurt expression on her face, "You're asking me to live as if nothing ever happened?"
Judy was speechless, he didn't mean it that way. He was just so frustrated already he said the first thing that came to mind.
"Emily?"
"Get out of my way!" her eyes held anger as she tried to sidestep him.
"I'm sorry," Judy quickly hugged her from behind, "I'm sorry, Emily. Just don't leave me," He buried his nose in the crook of her neck, taking in her scent as he pleaded with her.
Emily cried harder, her heart was hurting, but there was nothing she could do. The deed has already been done. She lost her baby this time - and she wasn't over it- who knows what she would lose next? Her life?
She pulled away with effort, "I love you Judy but I have to go, please,"
"What about Akim?! Are you going to leave him just like that?!" there was anger under his tone.
"Akim has been with me for the past years, it wouldn't hurt for him to be with you this time. Moreover, we're not the first single parents out there, I'll figure out a way to go about it later," She told him.
"So this is it? After everything, you're just going to leave like that? What about me? Do you know what I went through those past years?! You're not the only one who sacrificed Emily! I did too!"
"Please Judy, don't make this any harder than it is right now!"
"No, you need to hear this" He took a step closer, "I waited for you! I refused to take a look at any other woman or princess betrothed to me that could have made my kingdom more prosperous than it is right now just to keep my promise to you! Do you know how hard that was!"
"Then go marry them!" She yelled back, took off her cap, and ruffled her hair from frustration, "Go and marry your betrothed bride or have a harem, I don't care! I'm sure every one of them is better than an aged, divorced, single mo - mmmm"
Judy swooped down and silenced her with his lips. It took Emily a whole minute to comprehend he was ferociously attacking her lips. There was nothing gentle nor romantic about this kiss. It was just hard and lustful, both trying to have one of them surrender to the desire. Judy poured out all of his emotions into this kiss; fears, insecurity, affection; hoping she would change her mind.
"Can't I change your mind?" was the question he asked as soon as they came up for air. He held her chin in her palm carefully as if she was a fragile egg, while the other stroked her face.
"I'm sorry, but I have to do this for the sake of my sanity," Emily told him, tears trailing down which she tried to wipe off but Judy was already on it.
"In the end, you're the one leaving," He laughed to himself, "Maybe, this is retribution for leaving you all of those years,"
"Judy…."
"It's alright. You can leave," Judy breathed, unable to believe he just said that. He was the type who never gave up what he needed. But here he was, giving up the person that meant the most to him.
"Really?" Emily was shocked. He was letting her go like that? She had thought she would put up more of a fight.
He looked the other way, saying, "You should leave before I change my -"
The man was stunned when Emily suddenly kissed him one more time. And unlike earlier, this one was longer, passionate, and full of regrets. In one word, she was saying goodbye.
"Thank you so much, Judy," Emily clasped his face, "And I want you to always remember that I love you,"
"I love you more than you know it," He rested his head on hers, caressing her face.
"Say my goodbye to Akim. I don't think I can face him," She said finally and turned to leave.
"Emily!" Judy called out in desperation.
She halted.
However, when he didn't say anything for almost a minute, she turned to smile at her and left finally.
Judy stood in that particular spot, lost in his trance until his guards awoke him with the news.
"Lady Emily has left,"
He took a deep breath, "Let's go," and left for the palace with his men. He would be okay, he continuously told himself. But then, the moment he came into his room and realized how empty his life was, he broke down into heart-wrenching tears.
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