Chapter thirteen. It's all about competence and character.

Caution. There is a talk of rape in this chapter.

For the last one week emily has learnt her stubbornness was a child's play in comparison to Paige's. The house has been tensed up. Paige has refused to act on Alison. Nick, Betty, Akin, Pru and Spencer have all quarrel with her, but still she refuses to act. Even emily was caught between talking to her wife to see reason and hating her for signing such with her lover. She felt a jealous rage towards paige for loving somebody to that extend. paige was unmoved with all emily pleading with care and then with anger. She didn't even show any sign emily was talking to her until she screamed in excitement when her friend's brother scored at the super bowl. Then she sat back down smoking while watching the game without any care emily was standing there looking at her in shock.

Emily then and there realizes that a lot of work was caught up for her when it came to this paige, her wife.

Spencer did everything to make paige see reason, but she wouldn't budge. Spencer was the only one that knew about the clause apart from paige and she couldn't do anything because she was acting as Paige's and company lawyer at the same time. So she tried one last time.

She went up to paige's study while emily was watching in the sitting room. Just as she enters and paige sees her, she knew why she came again!.

"Not now Spencer, not now". Paige says and continue working on her laptop.

"If you don't take out your head out of your ass is not my fault an trying to do it for you".

"Excuses me?".

"You have got to say something b, you have got to. We're running out of time here. You're making my parents think am incompetent and I don't like to look stupid you know it". Spencer was losing her cool with paige and paige just didn't care.

"Maybe my father was right. Alison was a good fuck. She turned my senses unlike my wife". Paige bitterly says, but Spencer ignored her comments. She too wanted to talk to paige about that, but now wasn't the time. They are fighting a tougher fight about their empire. This could wait.

"We fight our fights. we fight the fights that needs fighting b!".

"Gosh! Why are you always pushing me to do things I tell you I don't wanna do Spencer?!".

"Because if I didn't, you would have let Nick get to you so bad you would have been an addict or a whore somewhere in Europe or African by now!". Paige features changed. She is now angry, shocked!, Spencer had brought up bad memories she only knew.

"Fuck You Spencer!, Just Fuck You!. You hear me? I Said Fuck You!".

It was a low blow from Spencer what she said. When paige was younger, she was rebellions. She dropped out in Switzerland. Just partying and taking drugs. She was once found at a whore house by Spencer. Luckily She got there first before the police raided the house. Spencer and some of their friends there took paige to a rehab. They signed her in without anyone knowing. She spent one month there. Spencer didn't tell even Akin. They got some chick and paid her to be in Paige's classes. At the end of the month, Spencer knelt crying in front of paige pleading then threatening her when paige wasn't moved like now. if she chooses to continue that life she was never going to see her again. She was also going to have to break her brother's heart. she swore she was going away from Akin's life forever if paige didn't stop.

They were still in school. But paige knew she needed Spencer for not just herself, but Akin too. He had already told her, Spencer was going to be his wife. He has loved her even then very much. It was going to devastate him should Spencer leave and paige knew Spencer could do it. So, for her brother and the love she has for her best friend paige struggled, but she moved past it eventually.

Now, paige was mad Spencer brought it up. She had to say those things to make paige wake up from her nonchalant behaviors about the serious case at hand. Spencer mellow down to defuse the tension she just brought.

"B, you're the most nicest person I have ever met. You're saved so many lives. put a lot of people through school. You have been a blessing to thousands of people without even knowing b, but now thousands of people jobs are at risk if you stood quietly and let Alison get away with this because you're angry with Nick".

"Are you afraid of loosing your job Spencer?". Paige asked Spencer.

"You can always get another. We both know it". Spencer again ignored paige remarks. She wasn't there to play games with her.

"B you have deeper love for TMH than anyone I know, you practically raised TMH. What does it say to you when 45% of your workers in the last one week have doubted your ability and loyalty to our empire?".

"Spencer, It hurts that my father listened to Alison then concluded without listening to me". Paige sighed.

"He didn't have a choice. They called the meeting. Her father and her had the floor. when it was your turn, your anger wouldn't allow you speak up". Spencer reasoned. She was annoyed with paige, but she didn't want her anger to make things worse. She had said all she could for the last week. She was tired and frustrated. She walks to the door then stopped and spoke without turning to paige.

"Your wife is not like all those girls Batman. When the timing is right am pretty confident she will be far more better than Ali and the rest. I-I will like another meeting tomorrow. So I will call for it. if my best friend and sister, Paige McCullers shows up at that meeting?, I would really love that meeting. If she can do it for me, She will really make me very very happy". She walked without turning back leaving paige to herself. Emily was standing outside in case a fight broke out. She heard them screaming at each other. Spencer patted her shoulder and left.

The next morning paige asked every one to be there she was ready to make a deal with Alison and Kenneth. Alison arrogantly and proudly walks into the conference room and sat down on the chair paige normally sits as the manager of TMH. When Paige enters, she found a seat near Spencer and sits down without even a glance Alison or Nicklaus. He was the first to get there. She couldn't sleep for days. Veronica and Peter have found solutions, but they waited to see what paige was going to do first. Paige cleared the throat before addressing them without a single paper in her front.

"The last time we were here, Alison and her father brought the so called papers that I signed most of our shares of the company and other things to her. It made my father and some members of the board doubt my competent and character. I have been the MD of TMH for the last fifteen years. I most tell you all without hesitation being MD of such a distinguished empire is entirely about competence and character". She looks to her father "For the record yes, Alison has been between my legs several times and we both liked it". Paige continued with a straight face at her father without any sign of being sarcastic. She is very serious and hurt. he of all people could doubt her dedication to her work. She loves her work. She has ever been in love just once and after what Nicklaus did that time..., she never dared to give her heart again until now. Thats why she slept around. In all honesty paige enjoyed the relationship with Alison. they have been friends since childhood. They were different, but have always pushed each other sometimes for good and other times it was bad. So bad those times that all paige good wishers hated her. Paige also wanted them to last because they both didn't care about marriage. It was easier for them not to be legally attached. though it was paige who always thought so.

"Though my sex life has nothing, Absolutely nothing to do with this. Years ago I overdosed when I was really down. at one of my worse moments because of my father. Alison used the opportunity to make me sign. Even though I was high, I still signed because I knew it wouldn't hurt us". She turns to Alison while still speaking.

"TMH isn't easy. TMH is more Advance than any company I have ever come across. We have made it so good that you, Alison have got to want it so bad to dare take it away from us. I have known You for like forever and I have been under the assumption that the reason why you are manipulative and vindictive about everything is simply because you didn't get it. Well I was wrong. The problem is not that You Alison DiLaurentis didn't get it, the problem is that you can't be IT!. There are too many problems in the world and we need the right people in the right places to solve them, even here at TMH. You Alison can't solve anything. You're only interested in two things and two things only. making people afraid and making money". Paige looks at Spencer and nodded her head. Spencer brought out some papers.

"Alison you will never be what you want to be on someone's else's handwork. You and I were never in the same level like that. the vulture and the kite do not scramble for food: the vulture is a scavenger, but the kite, a predator. How it is you ever thought for a minute you were ever smarter than me beats me. It seems You have forgotten so soon about all the favors I did for you while in school and out of it". She smiled bitterly and threw the papers at Alison and her lawyer.

"Look closer. there is a clause somewhere you and your lawyer felt to find. It says there 'if I was an ONLY child'. You see you have always asked me why I treated Akin as my brother. And I have always answered 'he was like a brother since my father married his mother'. You have NEVER asked if my father had LEGALLY adopted him or not. So, If you'd check the date you will notice my father had adopted Akin a week after their marriage. What it basically means in plain words is that, this bastard child as you have always called him has burnt your fraud into flames!". Paige turns to Akin he was smiling so big. Since she started this was the the only time everyone breath out. The Conference room has been tensed up in silence. Paige didn't even look at her father when she finished and she wasn't done with Alison still. All the members there were smiling in huge relieve.

"Secondly, even if Akin wasn't adopted you would have still lost. You forgot you sent me the breaking news of my twin?. Though she is of blessed memory, but no court would have still given you the ownerships because both my father and I didn't know she existed. Am sure Spencer here would have willing eaten you and your scumbag lawyer alive in courts". If Spencer and Akin had their way they would have eaten paige Alive. They were beside themselves.

"Your ways have finally made you lose the best thing you've ever had". Alison was fuming, her lawyer had whispered to her they have lost. Paige continued.

"ME". She said softly. Alison looked away. She knew she has really fucked up real bad this time. Paige then turns to Kenneth.

"You Mr DiLaurentis should get a better lawyer than Alision's. nope, better than Spencer. Good luck trying, but I doubt you will get one though. I am going to make sure I take everything back including the house you live in and all that is in it. If you will excuse us now, we will like to continue this meeting without you guys".

The whole place quite. Some people yet to comprehend how something so serious days ago is now settled when paige acts. Nicklaus knew his daughters brilliance, but his anger got the better of him again. He didn't move or say anything. He was too embarrassed to speak. He has disappointed his daughter yet again.

Alison and her devastated looking father walked out in a hurry. He couldn't say anything to Nick. Paige looked dead serious he knew even Nicklaus couldn't do anything to help him even if he wanted to. Akin rushed to where paige was seated gave her a hug and and kissed her all over her face. members started laughing to change the atmosphere of the room. But paige wasn't done yet. She smiles and kissed her brother who was behaving like a nine year old, but when she turned to Nicklaus it was like a different person entirely.

"You have done a lot of horrible things to me and I have forgiven you each and every time. The next time you ever doubt my loyalty and my hard work to this company even if I were high or having ten girls between my legs. If you do it, I will leave. I swear it this time!. And don't you ever, ever dare belittle anything about my wife the way you did again. Should I choose to spend whatever the hell I want on her is my fucking business, my business!". She stood up to her office.

"Spence?, thank you for your hard work and advice as always. Please see to everything I have said". She wanted the Hastings to know they weren't needed. Spencer was in control. She knows Spencer didn't like to look incompetent at all, most especially in front of 'I know it all Veronica and Peter'. She left Spencer and her parents, Akin, her father and the other members in total relieve. Spencer nodded, wink and smile at her with a lot of love and respect. paige also nods back before existing the room. Spencer and everyone else is happy she is happy too.

About two hours later Alison ranged the bells to the mansion. Eve was shocked to see her. But greeted her anyways. Alison told her she was there to congratulate emily and wish her well. Eve told her paige was out, but she insisted on seeing emily anyways. Eva wasn't happy. She thought she wasn't going to see Alison ever again. Alison walked up the stairs since she knew the house. She has lived there before. She knocked on paige and Emily's place. Emily was back earlier. She has been worried about paige. She had never seen her that angry and paige had refused to talk to her. She came back earlier so she could force paige to talk to her.

"Hi am Alison DiLaurentis. Paige's ex and best friend. Can I come in?. Am to wait for paige. She said she would be here in ten minutes". Emily instantly didn't like her, but asked her in since she said paige was coming. Emily went to the kitchenette to bring some freshments for their guests. She didn't want to seems rude.

Down stairs Eve had ranged paige. She informed her Alison had gone up to see emily. Paige told her to run upstairs and be with emily and also call the security immediately. When eva got up, the doors were locked Alison had locked the doors from inside. As emily was coming back from the kitchen, she heard frantic knocking. So she hurriedly drops the tray for Ali and moves to open it. Alison came from behind and put the drugged hankie on Emily's nose then holds her. Emily wasn't all out, but she was weak lying down just like Alison wanted.

"Paige hurt me. she hurt me really badly. She destroyed my reputation and career today. She broke my heart months ago when she married you. I didn't even know until two weeks ago when I saw the gossip she spent $50k on your stupid photo!. We were suppose to get married!. I wanted to come over months ago, but couldn't leave that stupid course. she stopped replying my text and picking my calls. I knew something was up. I didn't know though that she was seriously playing me this time!". Alison torn Emily's shirt and removed her suit trouser. Emily was in panties and her bra only.

"Am going to rape you. am going to have my way with you emily. Paige can't have you all to have self can she?. She will feel the pain of what I felt today once she finds you naked, raped and even killed!". Alison started kissing emily by force, trying to spread Emily's legs to position herself properly to rape her. Just when she was going to start fucking her by force, she heard gun shots. The security couldn't break the door so, paige asked them to simply shot the fucking locks.

As paige enters and sees what Alison was doing, she saw red. she ran faster than Eva and the securities. She pulls Alison up pushes her to the wall hard. Alison broke her nose. Everyone thought paige was going to do her worse, but she didn't . She simply stood their staring at Alison for a few seconds then turns to emily. Emily was down, but she noticed paige hesitance for that few seconds. but then paige decided something else again. She turns back at Alison and gave her a hard deadly blow to the already broken nose. She felt. Paige went back to emily. Eve was already attending to her, she helped her up. She has already covered her up and taking her to the mastered bathroom. Alison was bleeding she got arrested and taken away.

"Eva, let me do it". Paige says.

"No!. You're the cause of all this!. And you even just stood there looking at her after what she did to me!. You didn't want to hurt your lover that hurt me!". Emily was weak and tears were spilling from Her's eye, but she was angry and hurt with paige for putting her in such a position.

"Emily you need to relax in the tub and take something to help you sleep it off. Am sorry this happened to you. I got here as soon as eva called me. Please let me help you". Emily could see paige was genuinely disturbed, but she couldn't get pass the fact that she didn't tell her ex she was married and worse her ex was a psychopath who wanted to rape her!.

"Eva will do it for me Please. I need you to go sleep in another room, I need sometime alone".

"What? No!. You need someone to be here for you now. And that's me". Emily hissed.

"Nope that someone is not you. Just go, leave me alone please!". Without waiting for paige, emily walked to the bathroom. Eva who was equally devastated walks to paige.

"Batman, don't worry I will take care of her. And I will make sure I talk to her. For now please give her time, she is till in shock. Go get the tablet for her I will make sure she takes it". Paige nodded then walks to the connected wardrobes and got some of her things to go to the other room. She personally rushed to the pharmacy and got some medicine for emily.

Eva helped bathe emily. With a lot of hot water then massaged her body with heat oil then gave her the tablets paige gave her to give her. Emily dosed off fast. Later in the night she woke up with nightmares paige ran to her when she couldn't sleep and heard emily screamed. Emily pushed her, but she still stayed with her until she felt asleep. She sat down watching emily the whole night. It was early in the morning went back to the other room and slept.

In the morning, paige asked emily if she wanted to see a doctor. If she wanted to talk to somebody she said no she was okay. Betty rushed back from her trip. She was pissed at paige for being so careless. She blamed her for not properly ending things with Alison who she knew had the tendencies of a crazy person. Betty personally took care of emily. She fed her and put emily to sleep rubbing her back of playing with her hair. Having been raped herself, she was relive it didn't get to that with emily. It is a devastating experience. She still sees a therapist once in a while. She made sure she talk more sense into paige and Nicklaus to see to it Alison gets helps serious help. She was seriously mad at them both, they stayed far away from her. They knew it was a sensitive topic to her.

Wayne, hanna and Ashely flew in two days later. Hanna went crazy at paige. Spencer and Pru tried to reason with her, but she wouldn't hear it until Betty apologized on be have of paige and the entire family. She promises nothing like that will Ever happen. Wayne spoke to Nicklaus. He told him all about what Alison was mad about. He used his resources and found out Alison was locked up without bail until her hearing. He was happy paige did brilliant in saving their company from Alison dubious act. Aria and Shana also flew in. They were all mad at Paige at first, but later forgave her when they were told she gave Alison what she deserved. Hanna and wayne were like "that's more like it".

The house was a full house. they made emily more lively and relaxed. Paige and emily kept stealing glances at each other whenever all of them were seated talking or watching in the sitting room. Four days later emily felt much better. The drugs paige prescribed worked. Paige wanted her to talk to someone she refused. She was okay she said. she wasn't too mad at Paige anymore though.

That day, She notices Paige's knuckles were bandaged. The next day. the door to the room paige was staying at was open when emily was passing. she saw paige trying to clean the little bruises remaining there. Emily just walked in and collected the cotton wool and starts cleaning it for her.

"Violence doesn't solve everything you know". She wasn't looking at Paige while she spoke.

"I know". Said quietly says.

"I just..I just don't understand why you hesitated to do anything. Not beat her, but You just stood there paige". Paige could see Emily was worried, and it meant Emily also notices everything she does. Paige noted that.

"If I hadn't taken that minute, God knows it would have been worse. she would have been taken out in a bag or stretcher. Please don't ever think I stopped because of her. And I want you to also know I will never allow such happen to you again. If it means I will have to use violence so be it. Am sorry emily. No one will ever hurt you like that again. I promise you". Emily was filled with emotions. The sincerity of paige words moved her. They kept starring at each others then emily spoke.

"I know. Thank you for saving me. it means a lot you came in time". Paige just nodded. While they were busy looking at each other hanna was busy watching them.

"Well love birds we're leaving. If you will just see us off you can continue what ever you're doing or much more... Emily rolled her eyes and starts moving toward hanna.

"Emily?". Paige called.

"have you told hanna what I said about the pictures?". Paige asked emily.

"Yes, wifey she told me. You just want to take away all the fun. I was gonna bring out more of Emily's pictures for my next auction. The last one was a blast and I don't mean just the money. We were all sweating do to the tension between you two. Emily, it was like Paige was contemplating fucking or killing you it seems at the auction. and Paige, Emily was drooling all over you. I could see it thirty feet away". Emily quickly pushes hanna out the room before she says anymore. She slightly turns to see Paige's reaction before turning back while smiling. They made eye contact with paige smiling too. Paige too knew Emily's feelings without hanna even saying it. She took the first aid box back in the cupboard and follows them out. Emily wasn't still friendly with her dad, but she treated him well. Betty asked them to come back whenever they wanted and they were all grateful they all came for emily.

Next, well I love next...Dunno if you would.

Cheers!