Ex husband's Plea for Forgiveness

There was no way Emily would accept defeat to anyone, most especially to Melinda. Jonas had always belonged to her, ever since they were mere children. Sure, she might have left him behind years ago, but she had good reason to do it.

She was in dire straits then; he had no penny to his name. She needed someone who could help her elevate her status, and Jonas wasn’t that man yet. He wasn’t given any right to the Gu family inheritance.

If she’d only known that Melinda would enter the picture at the time of her absence! It wasn’t even Jonas, but Nelson, who wanted to take Melinda into the family, going as far as using Jonas's right to inheritance as bait to get them to wed!

She made the right decision by coming back just in the nick of time. But she had underestimated the old man’s stubborn resolve. She had underestimated Melinda as well, the bitch!

And now she was on the verge of losing everything again. She could never let that happen; she knew the only person powerful enough to reverse her circumstances was Jonas.

He had always served as her contingency plan when things got rough, and Emily was sure that this time wouldn’t be any different. After all, he came running all the way from Japan when he heard she had gotten injured.

But when they saw each other again, and after she explained her situation, all she got was a flat and resounding refusal. "I made it thoroughly clear the last time. I wouldn’t be helping you in any way anymore."

Jonas never was a man who got back on his word. He was firm in his resolve when he made his decision, and he would always stand by it. Besides, he had made a promise to Melinda, and that alone carried a significant weight over everything else.

He also knew that if he would give in yet again to his childhood friend, his wife would only misunderstand his intentions. He was having a rough enough time already; he had no reason to invite further troubles into their marriage.

"Are you being serious right now?" Emily asked incredulously. "Are you really going to be so cruel? Don’t you see that I’m being bullied? Are you just going to let this continue?"

"What I don’t want to continue is you constantly running to me and disrupting my time with my wife! I know you well enough to know that if I help you again, it would never stop; these scenes will only keep on repeating themselves. I’ve made a promise to my wife and my grandfather, Emily. There’s no longer anything you can count on me for."

"Jonas, how could you change so much," Emily started to sob. "You always protected me! Are you forgetting all those times, when we were still children?"

"That was in the past. You’re not a child anymore." Jonas didn’t waver. There wasn’t much in him that Emily could still exploit anyway. She had already overstayed her welcome in his life, and for far too long, too.

"You’ve been in the entertainment business for so long now, do you expect me to believe you never learned or gained anything to protect yourself with? It is by far one of the most ruthless industries out there."

She recognized the cold resolve in his eyes, and it was at that time that she knew he would never fold. Emily racked her brains to find something to guilt him with, a chip, something from the past, anything.

"All right. All right, but what about this?" She pulled out a bracelet from under her pillow. It was a simple silver chain with a single bell as its charm.

She held it out to him with trembling hands, and her face was now streaked with unstoppable tears. A testament, perhaps, to her talents as an actress.

Jonas's eyes narrowed sharply. Unbidden, his mind traveled back to his childhood, and hazy bits of memory played across his vision.

He was taken back to the time when he sneaked out from the mansion. His grandfather was away that time, and nobody was keeping him under close supervision. He came upon a rather large pond, and decided he would fish in it, and bring his hunt back home as a trophy.

Clumsy boy that he was, he slipped and fell into the water. Although it wasn’t too deep, it was deep enough that a boy his size could drown in it.

He struggled in the water for what felt like hours, until Emily came walking by. She found a tree branch and threw it over him and she pulled the gasping boy back to land.

He had sworn to her then that he would protect her all her life, in honor of his gratitude. He gave her the bracelet as a token of that promise.

hospital bed and took it from her hand. The silver still gleamed, in spite of its

that was a good sign. "I have always cherished this," she continued to sob. "I will never forget the moment you promised that you will protect me

that exact moment, too. As a matter of fact, that time was always at the back of

thought he’d done pretty well in keeping that promise. He had always defended Emily against her detractors, and even fought with his grandfather several times because of

several years doing anything and everything to make him

they’re trying to dismiss me in the agency. They’re taking away my role from

it. They just want to get rid of

hung her head, and her crying started to get

know what to do anymore. I need this

me, I’ll be relegated to the ranks of the has-beens, and newcomers would just grab all the prospects that would have been mine! Please help

don’t know anyone else who can. Please. For the sake of

him with pleading eyes, perfectly projecting the character of someone

closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

taking back this bracelet," he finally said, and that cold expression was back in his face. "This will truly be the last time I ever

any aces, Emily.

realized he had no pockets. He found that he was still wearing the fleece jacket,

out of the ward. It had only been a few hours since he last saw her, but

showing up at the Gu's mansion, so he called William and had his secretary

to call his wife. He

hear her voice. In the end he refrained from calling her, and slept a restless

tour. The guide was already waiting outside, and she promptly refused his services as soon

never been before, she found herself wandering along the places she had previously

the country had lost its former allure. She soon packed up her bags, cut her

his clothes for work. His sudden return brought a buzz in the company, and the employees were incessantly twittering

say that he would be

is he back so soon?" Only William—ever the cool and efficient secretary—acted as though nothing was

regarding the impending bidding. Things were looking good

underestimate them regardless," Jonas cautioned his secretary. He had a high regard

to know each other really well in such a short time, but he could tell

meetings, firing instructions left and right. Naturally, Nelson was notified

Melinda to return to the mansion. The hours went by, and as morning turned to

only then that he discovered Melinda was still in Japan, and that his idiot grandson had left

was a fool who was being led by his nose over and over again.

Jonas had finally finished his

for him to call, he realized it was the crew that was

the unwavering secretary could no longer help himself. "Boss, are you going to lend a hand to

and William decided not to ask for details. He hurried to see to the task at hand, and arranged for

influential, the crew members immediately responded