Not Today

When Emery Hayes noticed how much Marcus struggled to give her a response, she was surprised by how much it hurt her.

What did this mean? Why was she so strange today?

Nevertheless, she still found herself wanting an answer and this surprised her even more!

After what felt like hours, Marcus broke his silence but...

"Why are you suddenly asking me that?"

It wasn't the answer that Emery was looking forward to.

Was it that hard for him?

"I don't know." She sounded blunt yet nervous at the same time. "I only know that I need to hear an answer to my question." She observed his gaze and asked, "You don't want to answer?"

"That's not it." Marcus Pierre appeared confused and flustered. "I can't. I'm not even sure myself."

Emery didn't say anything and a few seconds passed by in silence but this time, it was Marcus who was feeling most of the pressure.

"Emery... " He walked a step closer towards her as he called her name but... his voice died when she took a step backward. He can't even bring himself to move forward anymore as if his legs were glued to his place!

"During the past days, whenever I talked or acted like I didn't trust you, I never mean it," Emery Hayes muttered. "But not today. I don't trust what you said just now. I have a feeling that you don't want to answer me because... I won't like your response."

"I don't -"

"And if that's the case, I don't think I can answer your question either, Marcus. The barrier that I talked about won't allow me to and... I don't want you to take pity on me or be good to me just because I'm your fiancee who fails to remember the complicated past we shared."

For the first time since she woke up from a coma, Emery sounded so firm that it scared Marcus Pierre! Nevertheless, he felt as if something had swallowed his tongue. His mind completely went blank!

"I want to go and rest at home," Emery suddenly muttered and it was enough to drive Marcus to the verge of panicking. However, he can't bring himself to argue; not when he can't even give her the answer she wanted.

"Alright. I will drive you home," he replied but... Emery shook her head.

"You can stop doing that kind of thing for me," she said to her fiance who raised a brow. "I can walk on my own now and I will take care of myself. I already bothered you so much."

She didn't give him any time to respond as she made her way to the door right away.

Recovering from the shock that her words gave him, Marcus Pierre was back to his sense and he hurriedly went after Emery. He caught up with her on the staircase and he grabbed her hand to hold her back.

"Let me drive you home. It's your first time here since you lost your memory. You won't even know your way back home." He was gazing down at her, desperate yet hopeful at the same time but...

Emery slowly freed herself from his grip. "I will be fine. I can also take a cab."

She resumed her steps and walked down the stairs while Marcus stared at her, unsure of what to do.

"Emery, please..."

She halted when she heard his plea but she didn't turn around to look at him.

"I just want to be alone for a while, Marcus," she responded to him. "We can talk later."

With that said, she resumed her steps and left the Pierre family mansion while her fiance stood still in his place, staring at her until she was out of his sight.

She might change a lot but... it seemed like she still had that stubbornness in her.

The usually calm and composed Marcus Pierre was rooted in his place, staring at the empty doorway as he struggled with what to do.

Should he ignore her words and go after her? But... it seemed like her stubborn nature had found its way back to her and from experience, he knew that she won't listen to him.

But what if she got lost?

Marcus ended up covering his eyes as she didn't know what was the best option.

After a hard debate, he walked down the stairs and then outside. He approached the security guard who he first spotted.

"Do you need anything, Mr. Pierre?" The guard promptly asked the young master of the mansion who was standing right opposite him.

"My fiancee just left but her condition is still not good and I'm worried. Can you follow her and make sure that she reaches home safely? You know her face, right?"

Though the guard appeared to be flustered, he still nodded. "I understand."

"Thank you. And I would appreciate it if you don't let her notice you."

"Alright. Please rest assured."

Marcus nodded and the guard quickly left to go after Emery who left alone just a while ago.

* * *

Not even aware of the presence of the guard sent by her fiance who was watching over her from a distance, Emery was still walking alone on a path she wasn't even familiar with. Though many available cabs passed her, she didn't even bother to hail one. She just kept on walking and it had already been half an hour!

By now, her legs that only recovered recently were in pain yet she was too busy with her thoughts to take note of it.

Why was she so bothered by that question she asked her fiance?

Their engagement was an arranged one and she was well aware of that. But why did it matter to her to know if Marcus was being good to her just because she was her fiancee or if there was another reason?

More reason.

Marcus couldn't even give her an answer and maybe because of that, she found herself pathetic for the first time since she woke up from a coma.

If her memory wasn't wiped out, maybe she won't have to struggle like this.

While she was mindlessly walking on whatever path was laid before her feet, she was snapped out of her maze-like thought by the sound of her ringtone. Not halting her steps, she took out her phone from her bag. When she looked at the caller ID, she was a bit flustered but she promptly answered the call.

"Hello." She wasn't even aware of how tired and downhearted she sounded but it immediately alerted the person on the other line.

"Emery, aren't you at home? I call to ask how you're doing," Catherine Sage warily said from the other line.

"I'm not at home but I'm fine now, Miss Sage. Don't worry about me." She didn't sound convincing at all but... she was too out of her mind to notice it.

"Then where are you?" Catherine Sage asked her from the other line.

Emery tried to answer but... she slowly halted her steps when she realized that she didn't know where she was. Putting her phone closer to her ear, she glanced around and muttered, "I don't know. Where am I?"