Chapter 94
Hudson clenched his fists tightly, inhaling deep breaths as he felt the disappointment and despair settling in his heart. He knew he deserved this treatment from Cherise, but it still hurt to be rejected like that. Now he knew how Cherise felt whenever he rejected or ignored her throughout their marriage.
But Cherise stood by him and tried hard for three years despite that and more mistreatment from his mother and sister.
This wouldn't deter him from going after her. He needed her back no matter what. His heart ached to hold her, to show her how much he loved her sincerely now and how he wanted to cherish her.
Even though his body wanted to force her, corner her, and do things like he used to, his mind was stronger. He needed to change, which meant no more being cold and domineering in front of her because he knew she wouldn't like it and pushed him away if he was still like his old self.
Hudson knew he was an aloof and domineering man by nature, which made it more difficult not to corner her and claim her, especially now that he had found out he was possessive of her, too.
He just hoped his mind could keep being strong so he could keep his body from doing what they wanted, such as kissing her whenever he met her in the future.
Hudson turned to leave the dance floor and join Keith and Finley when suddenly he heard a cry from the dance floor. He saw Emely had fallen and was rubbing her leg lightly through her gown with teary eyes.
Hudson rushed toward her and crouched down next to her. "What happened, Emely? Is your leg hurting?" he asked, unable to contain the anxiousness in his voice and face.
Emely's leg sometimes hurt after she had saved him from being hit by the car when they were younger, and this was the other reason why he couldn't just leave her to fend for herself other than his promise to Luis. "What happened?" Finley and Keith appeared beside them.
"Emely's leg is hurting," Hudson said and easily picked up the trembling and sobbing Emely into his arms. "I'm going to bring her to the specialist hospital now."
"We'll follow you," Keith said.
Hudson nodded, and when he turned to leave, his eyes met Cherise, who was once again surrounded by Katherine, Paula, and Tristan, and he saw her mocking expression.
He wanted to explain what was happening, but Emely whimpered and looked at him with tears running down her cheeks. "Hudson, it hurts so much."
Hudson was torn between what to do, but Finley patted his shoulder and said, "Go ahead. I'll explain to Cherise. I need to apologize to her for how I treated her last time, too."
With great reluctance, Hudson nodded. He glanced one last time at Cherise, wanting to convey his feelings through his eyes, but found she wasn't looking at him anymore.
"Don't worry, you have the rest of your life to do it," Keith assured Hudson, knowing what was in his best friend's mind.
Hudson nodded in gratitude and left the banquet with Emely in his arms and Keith following him.
Emely buried her face in Hudson's chest, hiding her triumphant expression. She knew Hudson still cared about her. Fortunately, she still had that saved-him-from-accident incident to guilt him since her every other plan had fallen apart. Finley arrived in front of Cherise's group and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. He felt awkward to face Cherise. Even more so now that he knew Cherise was the Alster's heiress.
"What do you want?" Paula asked him with suspicion and barely concealed disgust.
"...." Finley felt himself blushing and continued as he looked sheepishly at Cherise, "I want to apologize for everything I have ever said to you."
Cherise just smiled thinly. She was not surprised because she had expected people to change after knowing her real Identity.
"Of course, you want to apologize to her now," Paula mocked. "You are scared Cherise would get your family bankrupt, right?"
"I've never thought of that," Finley defended himself, feeling offended. "I really wish to apologize to Cherise sincerely even before I knew of her identity. You can ask Hudson about it." "Hudson is your friend," Paula sneered again.
"You can ask Keith!" Finley exclaimed exasperatedly. "He was always nice to Cherise when Hudson and Cherise were married. He even asked Hudson to treat her better last time and for me to stop insulting her!"
"And what?" Paula asked, then mocked him again. "One day, you fell, knocked your head on the pavement, and was suddenly enlightened to apologize?"
"Oh my God!" Finley threw his hands in the air. "Yes, suddenly I was enlightened because I saw how well she could fight and became her fan. Then I also found out how scheming and vicious Emely was! Are you happy now?" "Why are you asking me?" Paula scowled. "You should ask Cherise since she's the one you are apologizing to."
Finley glared at Paula. Wasn't she the one who interrupted and asked him so many questions? This woman was really insufferable!
Still, he turned toward Cherise and apologized with all his sincerity again, "Cherise, I'm so sorry for everything I've ever said to you. I know I've hurt you with my words, and I'll take any punishment you want to give me." Cherise cocked her head to one side and smirked. "Anything?"
Looking at Cherise's expression, Finley swallowed nervously and nodded. "Anything." But then he remembered what Paula had said before, so he rushed out to add, "Just please don't make my family bankrupt. It was all my fault and had nothing to do with them." "How about having a fight with me?" Cherise asked with a smirk. "Since you said you became my fan after you knew how good I am at fighting. Why don't we spar?"
Finley nearly wanted to cry because he knew he would not win against Cherise after seeing her sparring with Logan. He was spoiled by his parents, and he never really learned to fight like Hudson or Keith. How could he win against her? But if that were what it would take for her to forgive him, then he would bear it.
He nodded and agreed slowly in a small voice, "Okay. As long as you forgive me and we can become friends after that, I'll spar with you."
But then Cherise laughed, making Finley feel like a fool. Was she just mocking him?
"Do you think that's all it takes for me to forgive you?" Cherise asked.
"Then what..." Finley gulped again. He was really scared of Cherise now. The first punishment was already bad enough; what sort of other punishment would she give him?
"Oh, it's easy," Cherise waved her hand in the air. "You need to feel what I felt all those times when you insulted me. And I know just the right person to do it."
Cherise turned to Paula and asked with eyes filled with mischievousness. "Paula, you game?"
"To insult him?" Paula asked, grinning. "Hell yeah!"
"That's that, then." Cherise looked at Finley, who had gone as white as a sheet. "Whenever Paula has free time, you will accompany her and just let her insult you without grumbling or complaining." Paula had the sharpest tongue in their group and would be the best person to do it.
"And one more thing," Cherise said. "If I ever hear you insult anyone who does not deserve to be insulted, especially because of their background, I can't be blamed if your family suddenly goes bankrupt." Finley went even paler, if that was possible. Cherise really wanted to punish him severely!
Paula snapped her fingers in front of Finley's face and asked, "You heard her?"
Finley nodded fervently. What could he do other than agree with Cherise? He was the one who dug his own grave, and now he had to lie in it.
"Just... Just let me know when you'll want to spar." Finley could already feel the bruises he would get and the embarrassment he would feel to be defeated by a woman.
"Give your number to Paula," Cherise commanded, and Finley felt like he was talking to Hudson. Her aura and presence could match Hudson. Something he had never thought he would feel from a woman before.
Finley obeyed her, and after Paula had saved his number, she shooed him away. He was happy to leave but then remembered his promise to Hudson.
"Oh, right," he said and informed Cherise, "Emely's leg was hurting, so Hudson had to take her to the hospital. She saved him before, and he feels indebted to her, but I can assure you there is nothing going on between the two of them now."
"I don't care whether they have anything between them or not," Cherise said boredly and looked pointedly at him.
"Okay." Finley nodded and thought how pitiful Hudson was. It would not be easy to get Cherise back. "I'll get going now. Thank you for giving me the chance to redeem myself," he said and left the banquet.
"He doesn't know what kind of torture would be in store for him, does he?" Katherine laughed, as did the rest of the group members.
They all knew sparring with Cherise and being insulted and belittled by Paula would most probably make a spoiled playboy like Finley cry.
Just when they were going to enjoy the banquet further, even though the guests had thinned out since Charles had retired to his bedroom, Tristan groaned and said, "Evil ex-mother-in-law is coming our way!" Everyone looked at the direction Tristan was looking and saw Dahlia making her way toward their group with a fawning smile.
"Bet she's going to apologize, too," Tristan whispered.
"Cherise," Dahlia greeted her in a voice void of disgust. It was a tone Cherise had never heard from her before. "I want to apologize for all my past behavior. I didn't know you are-"All content © N/.ôvel/Dr/ama.Org.
"The heiress of the Alster family?" Cherise cut her off and continued the rest of her words for her.
"Yes." Dahlia nodded and sighed regretfully. "If I'd known, I wouldn't have treated you badly."
"You still don't realize your fault, do you, Dahlia?" Cherise asked with an arched brow. "You will keep insulting those you think are beneath your level."
Dahlia flushed with embarrassment because Cherise's words were spot on. "Let's not talk about it, shall we? The important point is that I'm apologizing to you now, and I promise I won't ever mistreat you again." Cherise laughed out loud at Dahlia's audacity to say those words to her.
"Do you think I'll forgive you just because you apologize?" Cherise ridiculed her. "After all the verbal and physical abuse you did to me and let your servants do to me, do you think I'll forgive you easily, Dahlia?"
"What can I do to earn your forgiveness, Cherise?" Dahlia asked, even though, in her heart, she was unwilling to say those words. She wanted Cherise to forgive her for her own gain, and she wouldn't go as low as begging Cherise for forgiveness. "I want you to be treated the same way you treated me during those three years," Cherise said lightly.