Love On The Edge: Stay With Me, My Precious Darling
Chapter 1 Let’s Get A Divorce
Emma Cooper boarded her flight home after three grueling months of filming.
Today was also the final day of Emma’s contractual marriage.
The four-hour journey felt endless, but at last, the plane touched down.
Once she retrieved her suitcase, she made her way toward the exit, expecting a company car.
But as soon as the doors slid open, she spotted someone familiar–Edwin Reid, the Jenner family’s long-time driver.
He stood by a sleek black Rolls-Royce, his posture rigid and respectful, waiting.
Dragging her suitcase, she approached. Edwin immediately took over, wordlessly opening the car door for her.
Inside, a man sat in silence. His presence was cold yet commanding, encased in a perfectly tailored black suit.
His sharply chiseled face devoid of any expression, he didn’t look up–not even a glance her way.
It was Ricky Jenner, her husband of two years. His unexpected appearance caught her off guard, though she quickly remembered why he was here.
Their arrangement was ending today. Of course, he would show up.
Emma slid into the car, maintaining a careful distance, the space between them as silent and tense as ever.
For two years, Ricky had made it clear–he didn’t want her close. Tonight was the first time they had been seated so near, and the closeness felt foreign.
The faint scent of his cologne lingered between them, familiar but distant, like everything about him.
Edwin quietly loaded her suitcase into the trunk and slid back behind the wheel. As the car pulled away from the airport, the silence inside grew suffocating.
Ricky’s expression remained as cold and distant as ever, his presence casting a shadow over the space. Emma’s heart raced, each breath coming in shallow, uneasy waves.
Twenty minutes later, the Rolls-Royce rolled to a stop in front of the Jenner family’s grand estate. Before Emma could collect her thoughts, the butler rushed out, swiftly opening the door.
Ricky stepped out first, his long strides carrying him toward the house without so much as a glance in her direction. “Let’s go to the study,” he muttered, his tone clipped, not even bothering to slow his pace.
Emma’s nerves had been on edge the entire ride. She knew what was coming. The moment she entered the study, she saw Ricky pull out a stack of papers from the desk drawer, tossing them in front of her.
“Let’s get a divorce,” he said.
Emma’s heart twisted painfully in her chest, but she remained composed.
She had loved Ricky for ten years, and wearing the title of Mrs. Jenner had never brought her closer to his heart. His body, his soul–none of him had ever belonged to her.
“Nicola is old enough to marry now, isn’t she?” Emma said, her voice trembling despite her best effort to keep it steady.
Ricky’s brow twitched slightly, a flicker of impatience crossing his sharp features. He didn’t bother responding to her comment. Instead, he immediately extended the pen toward her, a silent demand.
Emma forced a smile, but it felt like a crack in her mask. Without her usual makeup, her lips looked pale, and her face seemed drained of life. The exhaustion was undeniable.
“Just sign it,” Ricky said, emotionless and firm.
She accepted the pen and, without sparing a glance at the contents of the contract, flipped to the last page and signed her name. The act felt final, yet hollow.
As she placed the pen down, Emma glanced up at Ricky. His eyes, still striking, stared back at her with an icy detachment that sent a shiver through her. It was as if he was looking at a stranger, not his wife.
“It’s getting late. I’ll move out tomorrow, if that’s alright?” Emma asked, her voice fragile, her smile tense as she searched Ricky’s face for even a shred of warmth.
But Ricky’s response came swift and sharp, dashing any hope. “Edwin will take you to a hotel.”
Was he really sending her away this very moment? Not even allowing her the courtesy of one last night under this roof?
Her forced smile faltered, then vanished altogether. The silence between them stretched, heavy. Their eyes locked for a fleeting moment before she turned away, her heart hardening with each step as she left the room.
In her bedroom, Emma took the suitcase she hadn’t even had the chance to unpack. When she dragged her suitcase downstairs, the maids rushed to help, but she waved them off, her smile weary. “Thank you, but I can handle it.”
They exchanged helpless glances, standing quietly in a line as they watched her approach the door.
In the two years she had spent in this house, Emma had grown to care for the people here. Everyone, except Ricky, had shown her warmth.
A pang of sorrow hit her, but after enduring two years of emotional isolation, she no longer had the strength to fight.
It was over. Time to move on, and finally, let go.
Despite the searing pain ripping through her chest, Emma remained dry-eyed. She had learned how to hide her emotions well.
As she slid into the backseat of the car, she forced herself to appear composed. Edwin drove her through the city streets and dropped her off at a five-star hotel.
Without a word, he left. Inside, Emma checked in and powered on her phone, which had been off for hours. There was a missed call from her father, Colby Cooper.
She inhaled deeply, bracing herself as she dialed his number. Colby picked up almost immediately.
“Emma, Nicola’s condition has worsened,” he said, his voice rough, weighed down with exhaustion and worry.
Emma’s heart skipped a beat. “What? When did this happen?”
“About a week ago.”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” she asked.
“You were busy filming. I didn’t want to burden you,” Colby explained.
Emma paused, the silence between them heavy. Her mind flashed back to two years ago, when she had donated her bone marrow to save Nicola Cooper.
The realization hit her–she knew exactly why her father was calling. “What do you need me to do?” she asked, her voice steady but resigned.
“No, there’s nothing you need to do. Ricky’s already taken care of everything–he’s brought in top doctors, and the hospital found a bone marrow match for Nicola from the registry. You just need to visit when you can,” Colby said.
Emma stayed silent, her chest tightening. Colby, sensing her hesitation, gave her Nicola’s room number and urged her to come soon, mentioning how much Nicola missed her.
A sharp pain gripped her heart. She managed a weak “okay” before quickly ending the call, unable to hear more.
That night felt endless. She tossed and turned on the unfamiliar hotel bed, her mind racing. By 2 a.m., she gave in, ordering a bottle of red w*ne. She drank most of it before finally drifting off into a fitful sleep.
The next morning, close to noon, Emma was jolted awake by her phone ringing. Her agent’s voice was quick and urgent on the other end.
She pitched the idea of her joining a popular rural reality show–one that guaranteed fame for all who participated.
“I’m not interested. I need a break,” she replied, her voice groggy with exhaustion.
Her agent snapped, clearly frustrated, “A break? Do you think you can take a break whenever you feel like it? Look, you’ve been in this industry for three years. You’ve turned down intimate scenes, refused reality shows and avoided any publicity stunts with male celebrities. The company has bent over backward to accommodate you! But what now?”
Her voice grew sharper. “Three years in, and you still lack ambition. Keep this up, and your career will be done.”
“Then let it be done.”
“Emma, you…”
Her agent’s voice was cut off as Emma ended the call without hesitation.
The frustration simmered inside her, but she didn’t dwell on it. She headed straight to the bathroom, ignoring the incessant buzzing of her phone.
After a long shower, feeling slightly more clear-headed, she decided to reach out to Jenifer Howard, a close friend she hadn’t seen for a while.
Emma asked if she could stay at Jenifer’s place for a few days. Jenifer was thrilled and agreed, coming over to pick her up almost immediately.
Once settled at Jenifer’s, Emma unpacked her things and shared a quiet meal with her friend. That afternoon, she made her way to Ecatin General Hospital.
Standing outside Nicola’s room, Emma watched through the glass as the caregiver tried feeding her sister.
Nicola, frail and pale, managed only a few bites before she began to retch. Emma’s chest tightened with a sorrow she couldn’t fully articulate.
Nicola was her half-sister, five years younger and barely twenty now.
They had been inseparable as children; Nicola had always looked up to her, following her everywhere. But everything changed when they both fell in love with Ricky.
Two years ago, when Nicola was first diagnosed with leukemia, Ricky had been beside himself with worry. That was when the truth hit Emma–Ricky didn’t love her. His heart belonged to Nicola.
Chapter 2 You Don’t Deserve To Be Around Nicola
Back then, Emma’s bl*od test results had come back clear–there were no complications, no signs of rejection. She could save Nicola.
In truth, Emma wouldn’t have hesitated to donate her bone marrow to a stranger, let alone her own sister.
But before she could even voice her decision, Ricky had already thought of her as cold and indifferent, assuming she wouldn’t step up to save Nicola.
He was so desperate that he even knelt before her, pleading for her help–a sight that shattered Emma’s heart.
Never in her life had she seen Ricky humble himself for anyone like that.
She had known Ricky since they were kids. From elementary school to high school, they had been inseparable. Childhood sweethearts, as some might have called them.
Ricky used to get into fights with other boys just to defend her, and he would stay up late into the night to help her prepare for exams.
She had believed, naively, that after all those years of being by his side, she would eventually earn his love. But she was wrong.
Feelings, she had come to understand, were never won by logic or time.
Emma was never as good at acting cute or knowing exactly how to please Ricky as Nicola.
While he cared for both of them, the way he doted on Nicola was always more tender, more genuine.
He must have loved her deeply.
The thought pierced Emma’s heart, and her eyes stung with unshed tears.
What hurt most wasn’t just Ricky’s love for Nicola but the fact that he had assumed she was heartless enough to let her sister die.
That judgment, so harsh and wrong, had infuriated her. In a moment of blind anger, she had demanded that Ricky marry her.
She wanted to be his wife.
Even though the marriage would only last two year, she had believed–foolishly–that it would be enough time for Ricky to fall in love with her. But reality, sharp and unforgiving, had torn that hope apart.
She had lost. Miserably.
“You still have the nerve to show your face here?”
A biting voice yanked Emma out of her thoughts.
Emma quickly wiped away her tears and turned to see Verena Cooper standing behind her, her expression instantly turning cold.
Verena, her stepmother, was forty but looked a decade younger. With her perfectly styled hair and chic designer clothes, she exuded elegance and control.
When Emma was still mourning the loss of her mother, Verena, who had been the family’s servant, got pregnant.
The father of the baby was Colby.
“Spare me the crocodile tears!” Verena sneered, brushing past Emma as she entered the hospital room.
Emma swallowed her frustration and followed behind, forcing herself to remain composed.
When Nicola saw her, a faint light flickered in her otherwise tired eyes. “Emma,” she said softly, a trace of warmth in her voice.
Emma smiled, walking over to gently take Nicola’s hand. “I heard you’ve been missing me.”
Nicola nodded, her expression gentle. “I haven’t seen you for three months. I really missed you.”
Emma’s heart twisted painfully. Nicola, with her innocence and kindness, made everything so much more difficult.
How could her own sister, the one she’d loved and cared for, be the one standing between her and the man she longed for?
When Nicola had fallen ill, Emma had crossed a line she could never uncross–using that tragedy to secure her place as Mrs. Jenner.
She had expected Nicola to resent her for it, maybe even despise her. In her mind, their meetings would be cold, filled with resentment and distance. But Nicola still cared about her as though nothing had changed.
And that was the hardest part of all. Every time Emma looked at her sister, the guilt became unbearable.
“I’m taking a break right now, so I’ve got plenty of time to spend with you,” Emma said, her eyes still red from emotion, but she forced a smile.
Nicola’s face lit up. “That’s amazing! I want you to visit me every day until I’m discharged, okay?”
“Of course, I’ll be here every day,” Emma replied warmly.
From the side, Verena rolled her eyes, glaring at Emma with open contempt.
She held her tongue for Nicola’s sake, but every time she looked at Emma, her anger flared. She couldn’t forget how Nicola had become a shell of herself when Ricky married Emma.
Fighting her bitterness, Verena coaxed Nicola to sleep. Once Nicola was asleep, she turned to Emma, her voice cold. “Ricky’s coming soon to see Nicola. If you don’t want an uncomfortable scene, you’d better go.”
Emma stood silently, taking in her words. After one last glance at Nicola, now peacefully asleep, she turned and headed for the door.
Just as she reached the doorway, Verena’s voice cut through the air once more. “Don’t bother coming back. After everything you’ve done to her, you don’t deserve to be around Nicola.”
Emma didn’t say a word.
She walked out, her steps heavy with the weight of a truth she’d long grown accustomed to carrying.
Emma quietly closed the door behind her and collapsed onto a bench in the corridor. She buried her face in her hands as tears flowed uncontrollably, her body shaking with silent sobs.
Jenifer had been waiting outside in the car for far too long. Concerned, she decided to head into the hospital to check on Emma.
When she entered the corridor and saw Emma hunched over on the bench, looking utterly defeated, Jenifer was about to rush over when she noticed Ricky stepping out of the elevator.
He paused when he spotted Emma, but after a brief pause, he walked toward her.
Emma had been following Ricky everywhere since childhood; she knew the sound of his footsteps anywhere.
Hearing that familiar rhythm, she quickly wiped her face and tried to compose herself, though the effort felt futile.
“Are you here to see Nicola?” she asked, forcing a smile as she looked up at him.
Her eyes were swollen from crying, with streaks of smudged makeup on her face. She looked fragile, a shadow of her usual self.
Ricky’s response was indifferent. “You’ve already visited her?”
“Yes,” Emma whispered.
For a moment, something in her appearance must have stirred a hint of sympathy, because Ricky, in an unusual display of kindness, added softly, “Don’t worry. Nicola will be undergoing a bone marrow transplant soon. She’ll get better soon enough.”
“I know.”
With just those words, Ricky simply turned to push open the door to Nicola’s room. But before he could step inside, Emma couldn’t help but call after him, “Please, take good care of her.”
If she couldn’t have him, then maybe it was time to let go, to give him back to Nicola–the one he truly loved.
Ricky paused, his hand on the door. Without turning to face her, he replied in a voice laced with restrained anger, “I don’t need you to remind me. I’ll take care of her.”
His words were sharp, each syllable weighted with frustration. Emma flinched.
She had already signed the divorce papers, freeing him from their hollow marriage, giving him the chance to return to Nicola. This was what he had always wanted, wasn’t it?
So why did he still seem so furious with her?
Was he really that eager to be rid of her? Did he hate her that much?
Ricky disappeared into the room, but Emma remained frozen on the bench, her eyes locked on the closed door. She felt hollow, lost in the emptiness of it all.
Jenifer, who had been watching from a distance, couldn’t bear it any longer. She rushed over, gently pulling Emma to her feet and dragging her away from the hospital ward.
In the days that followed, Emma continued visiting the hospital, but she no longer went inside Nicola’s room. She only stood by the door, looking through the glass to catch a glimpse of her sister.
Sometimes she would see Ricky taking Nicola for walks outside, their closeness painfully clear. From afar, she would watch, a quiet spectator to the life she had no part in.
Ricky’s coldness toward her was always in stark contrast to his gentle care for Nicola, a contrast that left Emma with a deep, aching wound that never seemed to heal.
A month later, Nicola successfully underwent her bone marrow transplant. There were no signs of rejection or complications, and her recovery was progressing smoothly.
For the first time in a long while, Emma felt a sense of relief.
In the past month, Ricky spent nearly all his time at the hospital, constantly by Nicola’s side. He seemed to have forgotten about going to the courthouse with her to finalize the divorce.
Emma had watched enough of his affection toward Nicola. She was ready to close this chapter, ready to walk away and rebuild her life.
That day, she made up her mind to call him. The phone rang for what felt like an eternity before Ricky finally picked up.
“What is it?” he asked, his tone as cold and detached as ever.
Emma didn’t hesitate. “When are we going to finalize the divorce?”
There was a heavy pause on the other end of the line. When Ricky finally spoke again, his voice was distant, but his words caught her off guard. “I haven’t signed the papers yet.”
Her heart skipped a beat. After all this time, he still hadn’t signed the divorce papers?
Emma froze for a moment, her mind racing.
Why hadn’t Ricky signed the papers yet?
Could he have changed his mind? Was there a possibility he no longer wanted the divorce?
The thought was fleeting and absurd, and she quickly dismissed it.
Ricky had always wanted to be free of her. Now that Nicola was recovering and old enough to marry, there was no reason for him to hold on. This delay couldn’t possibly mean anything different.
“Meet me at the courthouse tomorrow at nine,” she said, her tone sharp, leaving no room for discussion before hanging up the phone.
Meanwhile, in Ricky’s office.
For two years, Ricky had been waiting for this moment–the end of their marriage.
The divorce papers had been drawn up months ago, prepared by his assistant, ready for the final signatures that would sever their ties for good.
He had thought the moment he signed would bring relief, a clean break. But after Emma had actually signed them, something gnawed at him. A strange unease he couldn’t shake.
Ricky wasn’t sure anymore, not even of himself.
He wasn’t something to be traded or handed over between two women. His decisions were his own–no one else had the right to make them for him.
He calmly finished his work, then pulled the divorce papers from his desk drawer and tore them to pieces.
“Divorce?” Ricky’s lips twisted into a mocking smile. “It’s not that simple. The game has just begun.”
……
====
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished.
From Ricky’s perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage.
He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another.
Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years.
As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear.
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