One Man Band System

For a few moments, Eric and Emma simply stood in silence, staring at Vivian, while Vivian stared back at them. Vivian’s eyes flicked over to Emma, then drifted down to her hand wrapped around Eric’s. In just five seconds, Vivian’s expression went through a whirlwind of emotions, from disbelief and shock to jealousy, and finally anger, before she quickly forced her face back into composure.

Eric read Vivian’s face and chose not to react. He turned to look at Emma beside him.

"Let’s go," Eric said.

"Yeah... let me lead the way, babe," Emma replied.

Eric and Emma turned to leave, but before they could take a step, footsteps echoed behind them.

"Wait, Eric!" Vivian called out.

Eric stopped and turned back, and Emma did the same. Vivian came to a halt, flinching slightly when she saw the icy look on Eric’s face, staring straight through her as if reading her mind. Taking a step forward, she forced Eric and Emma to step back.

"Can we talk for a second?" Vivian asked softly.

"If you have something to say, say it," Eric answered.

"Um... in private," Vivian replied, shooting a quick glance at Emma.

Eric didn’t offer a verbal answer. Instead, he wrapped his arm around Emma’s shoulders and pulled her tightly against his side.

"Say whatever you have to say right here... in front of my fiancée," Eric said bluntly, his voice cold.

Hearing his words, Vivian looked as though she had just been hit by a freight truck, a look of deep hurt washed over her, though she scrambled to recover her composure.

"Oh... fiancée... I see. Could you just spare me five minutes?" Vivian asked.

"Fine, but please don’t keep them waiting," Eric answered, pointing toward the two officers standing behind Vivian.

Vivian turned to look back at the two police officers, who were watching her attentively without stepping in. Turning back to Eric, she bit her lip and lowered her head. After a long pause,

"I’m so sorry... back then... I should have trusted you instead of turning to Jason and leaving you. I should have stood up for you when you were accused... I truly regret it, and every single day that memory replays in my mind, eating away at me," Vivian said.

Eric remained dead silent, not a trace of a smile on his cold face. Emma kept holding his hand tightly, her quiet gaze reassuring him that she was right there by his side, choosing not to interject. Eric looked back at Vivian.

"Okay... thanks," Eric said curtly.

Hearing his response, Vivian lifted her head, looking at Eric with a bewildered expression as his face remained completely detached.

"That’s... all you have to say?" Vivian asked.

"What else am I supposed to say?" Eric asked, cold and sharp.

"Do you... hate me?" Vivian asked, staring at him.

"Not at all," Eric answered flatly.

"Can’t we just talk like we used to? I want to tell you so much, to talk to you... I’ve changed now," Vivian said.

"There’s nothing left to talk about. Alright... your five minutes are up. I’m leaving," Eric said.

Eric stepped back, keeping his arm around Emma as she turned with him, walking away from Vivian. But suddenly, Vivian reached out and snatched Eric’s arm. Eric instantly flicked her hand off and turned back around.

"Why are you acting like this with me? Didn’t you use to care about me so much? I regret everything, Eric... I haven’t been able to eat or sleep all this time... please don’t be like this," Vivian pleaded.

"Like I said, I’m not angry, I don’t hate you, and I literally feel nothing toward you anymore. So please, stop bothering me," Eric said.

Vivian looked as if she had been hit by a freight train all over again. If Eric still harbored hatred toward her, it would mean she still occupied space in his mind. But the Eric standing in front of her was completely out of reach, he looked at her like nothing more than a casual ghost from his past. Her face flushed red as she shot a sharp glare at Emma, pointing a finger directly at her and startling Emma slightly.

"Is it because of her?" Vivian demanded.

"This has nothing to do with Emma. We’re done, so please stop bothering us," Eric answered calmly yet coldly, sounding like he was talking to a complete stranger. Eric pulled Emma closer. "Let me take you home, babe," Eric said.

"Yeah... let me go with you," Emma replied.

They turned and walked out of the lobby toward the parking lot. Vivian reached out her hand, but her feet stayed frozen. Biting her lip, tears began pooling in her eyes as the reality set in: Eric was completely beyond her reach now. The two police officers approached her side.

"Excuse us, ma’am, but we need to head inside," one of the officers said.

"Alright... officers, I’m sorry," Vivian replied.

They went inside, tears streaming down Vivian’s face as she kept her head lowered. Meanwhile, inside the car, Eric sat in silence for a moment after getting in. Both of his hands rested on the steering wheel, his face completely expressionless. Emma turned to look at Eric and placed her hand over his on the wheel.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked.

Eric turned to see Emma looking anxious yet careful not to overstep, though he could clearly see the unwavering conviction in her eyes. Eric smiled and reached over to rest his hand on her head, pressing a kiss against her forehead.

"I’m fine. Just caught off guard seeing her at the hospital," Eric said.

"But... now that you’ve seen her again, how do you feel?" Emma asked, fully aware of who Vivian was.

Eric considered her question. He genuinely felt nothing toward Vivian at all, though he was clearly annoyed that an unwanted distraction had popped up right when he already had a plate full of problems.

"Annoyed that we didn’t get to head home right away," Eric answered candidly.

"Oh... I see... that’s good then. So why did you look like you were in such deep thought?" Emma asked, confused.

"How to tell Chloe, Monica, Priya, Heidi, and Laura back home about the letter from my dad," Eric answered.

Emma’s expression shifted instantly. She pulled her hand away from Eric’s and gave his arm a light shove, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.

"You really are something, aren’t you? Don’t even worry about that—let me be the one to talk to them," Emma said, annoyed.

"Haha... sorry, you’re cute when you’re mad," Eric teased.

"Ugh... you’re so annoying," Emma replied, turning to swat at Eric gently.

After fooling around for a bit and getting their energy back to normal, they stared into each other’s eyes and kissed. Once they finished, Eric looked back ahead and started the car, driving back toward his penthouse.

***

Meanwhile, back at the penthouse, Chloe, Monica, Priya, Heidi, and Laura, who had all just returned from their respective homes, sat on the sofa, gathered around the coffee table. Laid out in front of Laura were adoption and custody transfer papers, shifting guardianship from her parents to Joe.

"So you’re Uncle Joe’s kid now?" Chloe asked.

"Yep... it’s all because my dad’s company took a hit and was headed for bankruptcy. Besides, I wasn’t really close to him or my mom anyway... so yeah, that’s how it went. Anyway, there’s one more thing I need to talk to you guys about," Laura answered.

Laura pulled a creased, yellowed envelope from her pocket and placed it on the table.

"What’s that?" Monica asked.

"Just open it," Laura answered.

Priya picked it up and opened it, her eyes widening as she read the letter. She looked up at Laura.

"You were arranged to marry Eric too, just because Uncle Joe and Eric’s dad were like brothers? It’s even notarized and everything?" Priya asked.

"Yep... wait... what do you mean too?" Laura asked.

Priya opened her bag and pulled out a letter identical to Laura’s and Emma’s, except this one was signed by her mother, turns out Ethan had once been in a relationship with Layla as well. Seeing Priya pull out an identical notarized document, the faces of Chloe, Monica, and Heidi instantly changed. They then proceeded to pull out their own identical letters, leaving Laura and Priya utterly confused.

"Don’t tell me... you guys too?" Laura said.

"Yep... my dad was best friends with Eric’s dad," Chloe answered.

"Hmm... my mom used to date Eric’s dad too," Heidi added.

"Same here, my mom did as well, before she met my dad," Monica added.

Staring at the five matching letters laid out on the table, all five girls fell dead silent, completely speechless. Priya then turned to look at everyone.

"So... that means we’re all Eric’s fiancées?" Priya asked.

"Looks that way," Chloe answered.

"What about Emma, though?" Heidi asked.

"Hmm... we’ll talk to her," Monica answered.

"Agreed," Priya and Chloe replied in unison.

"But please, let’s not be too harsh on her. We all know how Emma is," Monica said.

"True. Even with a written agreement in place, she still demanded an entire day with Eric to herself. It’s not fair," Heidi said.

"Enough. Tonight is girls’ talk. Eric isn’t joining, and we’re taking a one-day break," Chloe said.

They fell silent again, staring down at the letters on the table. Meanwhile, inside Eric’s car, Emma suddenly sneezed. "Achoo!"

"What’s wrong?" Eric asked.

"I don’t know... just a sudden sneeze," Emma answered, wiping her nose with a tissue.

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