One evening, after she got home from work. She was surprised to find Henry's sisters waiting for her at her house.
They wanted to give her a large sum of money and in turn she had to sell Henry's share back to the Gold family. She denied. She knew they wouldn't stop at this if they hadn't got what they wanted yet.
That night Gideon called to say sorry for his sisters and told her that on Saturday she had to attend her duty to represent her husband at the party since one of his friend's daughter was getting married.
Which happened tonight.
Her hand was on Gideon's arm as they made their way into the party. She was wearing a nude sand dress that hugged her curve, her hair was pinning back from her face, fitting into a perfect widow look.
She walked to the table where both sisters were sitting. She greeted them but Anne, the oldest sister turned to talk with the served boy instead of greeting her, leaving her hanging and embarrassed by the whole table, where they looked pity at her and gossipped right in front of her face.
Nobody talked to her at the party either.
She gulped her embarrassment down and turned to Gideon.
"I'll be back in a minute."
"Where are you going?"
"Bathroom, please." Not wanting him to ask or worry about her further.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded and walked off.
Emma had Drizella on her arms tonight. They had just arrived at the same party. Both smiling and posing as a couple for the camera.
Driz wanted her to come with her this evening. At first, she wasn't interested, it was a waste of time. This kind of social event.
She hated gossip, especially those people who love to yep.
Upon hearing that her friend's father was Albert Gold. She's all but interested in going.
Gold as in Regina's late husband. That's how old he was.
She felt disgusted at the stomach.
Driz was the star at the entrance right there. All the flashlights and shuttering sounds of the camera were on to her.
But all she could see at that exact moment was someone in front of her, who was head down, walking quietly by herself in the hallway, clearly wanting to blend into the wall.
Regina was beautiful, prettier than the everyday look of her at the office. She had never seen Regina dressed regal in this kind of event.
Simple but gorgeous, the complete opposite of what Driz was, her girlfriend was glittering and sparkled with prettiness, and her dress was short cut but Regina's look was very demure yet perfect.
She walked toward the way Regina left but Driz called her first.
"Where are you going?"
"Gotta pee." Driz nodded and let her go.
Emma followed Regina outside, and it turned out Regina wasn't going to the bathroom.
She saw Regina standing beside the pool of the hotel in the garden area. The air was clear and fresh.
She stepped up behind Regina, not making a sound to startle the other woman.
She wanted to rile her up, it was a golden opportunity to be left alone with her. She wanted to see her reaction, wanted to know what her feeling or thinking was.
"Trying to catch a wealthy spouse back home at this event? It's not easy to do just that so you came out here to cry, right?"
Regina turned to face her with a light scowl on her face.
"I suggest you go to the funeral, maybe you would get an old spouse along the way home." She continued while stepping closer to Regina.
"Thanks for the advice but if I get to go to the funeral of people around here. I'd keep it in mind."
Emma's eyes hardened at the comeback. She didn't prepare to hear Regina say things like this. Not in a million years that Regian would taunt her back, clearly not at the office.
"Don't turn my word on me!"
"I'm not, just trying out your suggestion." Regina shrugged.
"Loot at you, all dressed up with makeup and diamonds. Your tail is changing again. That's why you have the urge to argue with me, isn't it?! Don't forget that I'm still your boss, not your friend." Emma spat, seeing those brown orbs still harden made her angry even more.
"You came to announce that you're the wife of the bank owner right? Even though he left you with so much money you still cling to the past, not let it go. Pathetic."
"I'm not so different from you then. Everything that happened was in the past and yet, you're still clinging to it like it was your lifeline, obsessed with me, offending me every single day just for your liking. That is more pathetic." Regina gave her a victory grin before walking past her.
She gripped Regina's arms. Regina stopped and stared at her.
"I didn't tell you to go then you can't go." She pulled her closer to her front, Regina almost fell but still held her balance with one hand, a worried look on her face.
"What are you doing? Let me go!" Regina hissed.
"No."
She stared at the frown on her face, at those perfect eyebrows, at her perfect makeup, at the bridge of her nose, and that perfect red lips.
This close she could see Regina's old scar on her upper lips. They were breathing so close together. She didn't want to let go but had to when a voice called her from behind.
"Emma! There you are."
They pulled away and she turned to see Drizella walk over to them with Gideon beside her. Four of them were gasping at each other in recognition.
The world was rounded indeed.
"Oh, you're with Regina already, Emma?" Driz asked with a lifted eyebrow.
"You know Regina?" Gideon turned to ask Driz.
"Yes, she's the new secretary of Emma." Driz smiled and turned to introduce her to Gideon and Gideon to her. "Emma this is Gideon, we're at the same uni in Boston. Gid this is Emma, she's Regina's boss, by the way."
Emma was surprised to know that Drizella knew this man. She took his handshake anyway.
"I never thought that your boss was the same age as you, Regina. I thought she would be older." Gideon asked Regina right in front of her, even though she stood right there.
He had no manner and she hated him on the sight already.
"I wasn't thinking that I would get to see my secretary with a…" She paused then continued. "-friend in the same event." She stared him down, wondering who the fuck he was that seem to be too familiar with Regina.
"Gideon and I, we're not friends," Regina added.
"Woahh, so that means…" Driz teased.
"Regina is my father's wife." He answered them both. Driz gasped slightly.
While she was surprised indeed.
"Yes, I'm Gideon's stepmother, he's the child of his first wife. Henry was from the second and I'm his third wife." Regina explained.
Emma looked at Regina, suddenly a flash of guilt appeared for insulting her earlier, but seeing how her stepson was handsome and he seemed to have an eye for Regina made her feel a tiniest bit of jealousy.
This situation was so much worse than she thought it was.
Regina was back inside the party with Gideon but he got dragged away by his two sisters, clearly not wanting him to be seen with her in public. Regina walked to the waiter and grabbed a glass of champagne in hand. She walked around the party.
All she could see and hear was people eyeing her and offending her as she passed along the way.
Is she having an affair with Gold's son, Gideon?!
When they read the will, I heard that the sisters went all crazy!
She looks so young, such a pity to have an old man as a husband.
Damn them all. Henry was worth every gossip for this. She bottled up her glass and decided to go home.
Emma stood watching Regina from inside the party. She watched as Regina was not so welcome in this party as much as the brunette wanted to.
"Emma, Gideon texted me to take care of Regina for him. Have you seen her?" Driz asked beside her.
"Yes. She just walked out." She hadn't finished her sentence as Driz was already running after Regina in the hallway.
"Driz! What are you doing?!" She called after her and ran too.
It was luck then that they could follow Regina out in time as Regina was still in the hallway.
"Regina! Where are you going?" Driz asked with worry in her voice.
"I'm going home." Regina looked surprised to see them here with her and answered with a small smile.
"How? You came with Gideon, right?"
"Yes, but I can hail a cab. Don't worry."
"Let Emma take you home, please."
"What? Me?!" Emma snapped her head back at Driz.
"I'm fine. Thanks for the offer though." Regina gave them a hesitant smile.
Emma was not satisfied with Regina's answer at all. Regina was being arrogant for nothing when she was such a damsel in distress. She clearly needed their help but was too stubborn to ask for it.
"No! Driz told me to drive you home then I have to. Even though I don't even care how you make it back home, I have to force myself and drive you home, understood?"
"Emma! Why did you speak like that? Well, Gideon asked me to look after you, please don't deny our offer."
Regina finally nodded with a small smile on her face.
Emma was satisfied after that.
"See that wasn't so hard. Stop being such a stubborn head."
"Em…" Driz sent her an eye.
Emma smiled at her girlffrined. "Wait for me at the front while I go get the car, okay?" She kissed her cheek before going, not caring about the other brunette at all.
She ended up at Drizella's home first. She wanted to drive Regina insane. But before she could do that Regina suddenly stepped out of the car and closed the door, making her have to follow Regina out.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?!" She grabbed Regina's wrist, not letting Regina go.
Regina turned around, face revealing nothing.
"Calling a cab. Drizella is not here now. You don't have to do what your girlfriend told you to. So no need to force yourself to send me home."
How dare Regina use her words back at her. She felt her head throbbing at how hard to get Regina was. She opened the passenger door.
"Get in the damn car, Regina. If you don't do what I say then I'll not go anywhere! I'll wait here." Emma stared hard at her until Regina sighed and gave in.
They drove away, not far from the house when she couldn't stand the silence in the car any longer. Being in the same space and close to Regina made her lose it all.
She put on the brake and stopped the car immediately.
"We need to talk." She said, getting out of the car and Regina followed suit.
"What are you talking about?" Regina looked confused. She turned to face Regina as they both were on the sidewalk.
"How high do you have to climb up to get what you want, huh? The father is dead now you're going to marry off that stepson too!?" Emma couldn't help but speak her mind.
Regina was stunted, her brown eyes were glistening clear in the middle of the night.
"Well, I have to collect a large amount of money. And about Gideon, you seem to think like everybody else then I don't have to explain anything to you."
"No need to explain! Because your actions speak louder than words." Emma was getting angry the moment Regina opened her mouth. She stepped closer when she saw those brown orbs in front of her shined with some unshreded tears. She tightened her fist.
Regina was so closed off. When all she wanted was to know or see that Regina cared for her just a little bit. Maybe explaining why she left her but Regina acted like she was a total stranger, not someone she used to…love.
"If you came back just to make me hate you more, you shouldn't come back at all," Emma said.
"If you hate me that much why don't you fire me?"
"I will! But before I do that you have to help me finish my plan first." Emma smirked.
Suddenly a plan formed in her head. She wanted Regina to hurt, to suffer, to see her being happy with Drizella. Anything that could provoke the same feeling she used to feel when Regina left her.
"You have to teach everything about your job for Drizella. The most important part is you have to teach her to love me harder. You know that well if you still remember what being in love was like. Well before you married for money, of course."
Regina stood still for a moment before a smirk appeared on her red lips.
"Love can't be taught, dear. If you love her enough, she will return the flavor." Regina finished and turned around, about to get the chance to open the car door.
Emma hated the smirk, and the cold tone, it was like Regina din't feel anything for her. Their love back then was just a joke to her because she wasn't rich enough back then.
"Yeah, I used to love someone. I love her so damn much." She said to the back of Regina as Regina stopped, her hand was on the car door, listening to her. "It was more than enough, the love I had for her. But she left me to marry an old rich man because of the money? I don't fucking understand so you don't stand there and told me to love others enough. It's all bullshit."
She wanted Regina to react to something but all she got was nothing. She walked closer.
"And remember that now I love Drizella so much and I'm sure as hell that she wouldn't leave me to marry off a man because of money like someone I know." Emma hissed out against the back of Regina's ear.
"I'm happy for you. I'll try to make Drizella love you a lot. More or less it's up to you."
How can she say that after Emma had just told her that with a still face?
Fuck it.
"Just go home by yourself then. I don't like to go to a stranger's home." Emma said.
"Oh, I don't like a stranger to send me home either."
Emma could only stare at her when Regina tilted her head to look at her. Fine if she wanted to be a stranger to her.
She didn't care.
Regina could rot in hell.
She would never forget or forgive the brunette for causing her so much pain and suffering. Regina was selfish and broke her heart into a million pieces.
And now Regina was back to make her hate her even more.
She stomped back inside the car and fled away, leaving Regina on the sidewalk.
She would hurt her like she did with her.
