Momma's boy

Jane tried to understand Emery as she asked, "She wants to break up, but you don't agree?"

Emery had returned to the office a few days ago after trying to avoid Jane. He had been coming to the office every day without fail. The hardworking man had returned. If Erza hadn't knocked some sense into his thick skull, Emery would still be locked in a room bottling up his feelings.

After their last conversation, she hadn't got the chance to wrap up things. There were still unanswered questions she wanted from Emery. She wants to try to understand Emery's decision for not wanting a divorce despite his loveless marriage with Rhea. It seems to her Emery is conflicting himself. That was why she brought up the conversation about the divorce Rhea has been wanting from Emery.

"I promised my mom that I would care for her," Emery said in a low voice. His eyes were still on the computer screen, reading a document. Occasionally, his long fingers stroked the mouse and strummed the keyboard, typing something.

"I'm curious, Emery. You don't actually love her, but you're trying to protect your marriage. Rhea isn't an object that you can just discard."

Emery covered his face with his hands momentarily before leaning back in his chair and staring off into space. "You're suggesting I should let her go and risk angering my mother for generations to come?"

"So you're more afraid of your mother than you are sorry for Rhea?" Jane felt like she could shake Emery at that point.

"I have a special bond with my mother that will last a lifetime, so I feel responsible for taking care of her more than others."

Jane let out a deep sigh as she heard Emery's indifferent response. Thankfully, their relationship didn't progress to marriage. She simply couldn't bear being with a man who was overly attached to his mother.

Sadly, Rhea is caught in a difficult position where she must choose between being perceived as ungrateful or obedient, as Emery never fully accepts her. The burden now falls on Rhea to win over Emery's heart. Will she succeed?

RHEA felt light-headed when she heard about Jane's earlier conversation with Emery.

That afternoon she received a call from Jane asking for them to have lunch together. Even though Rhea was uncomfortable meeting Jane secretly behind Elery's back, she somehow agreed to the meeting. This was the second time she had a conversation with Jane about her marital problem with Emery. How ironic? A wife was consoled by her husband's ex-lover! Then elephants can fly!

Rhea understood that Jane had no intention of badmouthing Emery or talking behind his back when she told her about their conversation that morning. She had asked Jane to help her understand why Emery was reluctant to get a divorce during their last meeting.

After listening to Jane, Rhea fell into shock. "Really?" Luckily, she had already taken a seat. If not, she might have fainted on the spot.

All this while, Emery has agreed to their marriage because of their grandparents' will and his mother's request to uphold the unwritten will that happened years ago while they were still kids? They have been married for a year, and Rhea thought a year should be enough to fulfill the will. Alas, in the unwritten will, it was not stated that they should uphold the marriage forever. Since both of them have obliged the will, there was no reason to stop them from ending it. But why did Emery still want to uphold the loveless marriage? It's just ridiculous when he says that he doesn't want to be on his mother's bad side.

"Do you love him?" Jane gave Rhea a meaningful stare. In order to improve their relationship, one of them must first let go of their resentment. Jane believes that Rhea should be the one to take the first step.

Rhea remained quiet for a moment. She contemplated her own emotions towards Emery. They had been married for over a year but had not yet been able to conceive a child because neither of them wanted the added responsibility. Moreover, Emery did not seem interested in having kids.

Although he was not her first choice, she agreed to marry Emery due to her late mother's will. At the time, she did not have a boyfriend, and Emery, being a handsome man with a strong family background and a notable architecture firm, seemed like a good match. He treated her well, never being rude or forcing her to do anything she disliked. He provided her with everything she desired without question, making her life seem perfect. However, despite all this, she felt lonely and empty inside. There was something incomplete about her life with Emery. They rarely had meaningful conversations, and she did not know much about his personal preferences, only learning about them through Erza or her mother-in-law.

Jane shakes her head and sighs, "I'm sorry, but there doesn't seem to be any love between you and Emery. This is not a good sign." She is not interested in finding out Rhea's opinion of Emery based on the expression on the woman's face.

"If you want a relationship to work, you have to put in effort, Rhea. You can't just hope that everything will fall into place miraculously. Emery is not a bad person, you just need to get to know him better. Trust me, once you do, you'll fall for him."

"I see you're speaking from experience, Jane," Rhea remarks with a sour expression and bitter tone. One of the reasons Rhea hasn't pursued a romantic relationship with Emery is because she believes he still loves Jane. Why bother trying if she's just going to be second best?

Jane smiles empathetically, noticing Rhea's suspicious gaze and guarded tone.

"Emery and I broke up a long time ago, Rhea. It happened back in college, and it's ancient history now. He's not the type of man I want to marry," Jane explains patiently, although she's repeated this to Rhea numerous times already.

"Why?" Rhea remains skeptical, wondering why Jane rejected Emery. Is there something wrong with him? Does he have a hidden dark side?

Jane regarded Rhea warily. She hesitated to express her dissatisfaction with Emery's mother's exaggerated behavior toward Rhea, as it might not be helpful in defending Rhea's marriage. Jane reasoned that speaking poorly of others was unwise and believed Rhea would eventually come to her own conclusion.

"I'm not sure what to say if faith keeps us apart," Jane remarked with a shrug. She aimed to give a neutral response that wouldn't upset Rhea.

"Perhaps the timing isn't right," Jane suggested, but Rhea remained obstinate and refused to accept Jane's words.

With a heavy sigh, Jane said, "It seems as though you're still envious of our past romantic experiences, indicating that you have feelings for Emery. Unfortunately, you're unwilling to confront them. Good luck, Rhea!" Jane grabbed her purse and stood up, unable to tolerate Rhea's childish behavior any longer. Jane would only intervene if it impacted Emery's well-being.