The Second Marriage Chance

Sarah

Josh was invited into the office to handle the situation discreetly rather than causing a public scene. Thankfully, a small, well-appointed meeting room is prepared for visiting business partners.

This room called the Summit Room, is where Lexi and Jakob usually work when they’re at Highland Hills overseeing the LoveLogic project app development.

At this moment, Josh is seated in the Summit Room. Two trusted security guards stand watch near the door. Looking professionally detached, Jakob sits across from Josh with his laptop open, but his attention is focused on him.

In the main office, I introduced myself to Mike and Sophia.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both in person,” I greeted them, trying to sound warm despite the turmoil in my mind. Mike gave a firm handshake, and Sophia smiled.

“It’s an honor to meet you face-to-face finally, Ms. Sarah!” Mike replied enthusiastically.

Forcing a smile, sweat formed on my forehead. I was waiting for Philip to arrive, as Trey had already alerted him that Josh was here in the office.

“Please forgive me for only meeting you now, even though the job was taken on months ago. I’m dealing with some personal issues.”

“Of course, that’s completely understandable!” Mike responded quickly, sounding sympathetic. “President Cornell has always been very kind and understanding to our team.”

Sophia, who had been quiet until now, suddenly spoke up, “Um, Ms. Mitchell, if you don’t mind me asking… why is Josh being watched in the Summit Room?”

Emily cleared her throat, seemingly wanting to warn Sophia about her question.

I forced another smile, trying to hide my tension. My heart raced, but I kept my voice steady. “If you recall, there was a sex tape that spread last month. I just want to question how he could do that to me.”

Sophia’s cheeks immediately flushed a deep crimson, and she looked down at her feet, clearly embarrassed.

“Ah, right! It’s good that President Cornell explained and brought in an expert to tell the public it wasn’t you, Ms. Sarah,” Mike replied.

Emily smoothly interjected, “Anyway, we have a meeting scheduled. I’ll take both of you to meet with the jewelry shop owner this morning. They want to discuss how to prevent any future security issues.”

I considered doing this. The last thing I wanted was for Mike and Sophia to witness any potential confrontation with Josh. It would create a terrible first impression, especially after how long we’d been communicating virtually.

However, if the suggestion came from me, it would seem like I was hiding something.

“Thank you for your hard work. Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you.” I handed my credit card to Emily. “Please, take good care of them. Treat them to a nice meal on me.”

As I spoke, Emily and I shared a long, meaningful glance. Her slight nod conveyed that she understood the delicacy of the situation and would handle it discreetly.

Emily continued, calm and professional, “Mike, Sophia, please wait for me in the lobby. I need to organize the documents we’ll need for the meeting.”

Mike and Sophia nodded and headed for the elevator. Once we were alone in the main office room, Emily’s professional demeanor softened. She wrapped her arms around me in a comforting embrace.

“Thank you, Emily!” I said, grateful she knew exactly what to do.

“I’ll take care of them, don’t worry. You focus on what you need to do here,” she assured me.

I nodded as Emily squeezed my arm before following the two assistants out.

Left alone in the room, I sank into a nearby chair, my thoughts racing. For a month, Philip had shielded me from all this, handling everything independently. I was already grappling with panic attacks, and the last thing we needed was for me to be overwhelmed by postpartum issues.

But now, I needed to confront this head-on. I couldn’t remain in the dark any longer. Philip would definitely argue against it, but the thought of staying isolated at Serenity Pines while all this unfolded was unbearable.

Five minutes passed before the door opened, and Philip entered with Assistant Alex. He strode over and embraced me.

“Are you okay?” he murmured into my hair. Then he pulled back, his expression serious. “I’ll take care of him,” he said, already turning toward the Summit Room.

I grabbed his arm, my grip firm. “I’m coming!” I insisted, my tone leaving no room for argument.

“No, Sarah! He’s dangerous!” he shot back.

“No!” I countered, a sudden realization dawning on me. “Philip, is there something you’re not telling me? The impostor Sarah Mitchell is missing. Josh said earlier, the woman went to Luminary Productions last month… Did you meet her?”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

It hit me then that there had been no updates on what the fake Sarah had been up to. Something was definitely wrong.

“Boss, I’ll wait outside,” Alex said, clearly uncomfortable with our argument.

Philip’s jaw clenched. “She’s under Mr. Beckett’s control,” he admitted reluctantly. “Honestly, I have no idea what’s happening to her now. She might even be… dead.”

I bit my lip, my mind racing to piece together the fragments of information. Mr. Beckett was one of the businessmen I’d interacted with during virtual meetings at Aspire Financial Group. I had heard that Megan had scammed him out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. He was also rumored to be the valid owner of Megan’s villa.

The pieces of the puzzle were coming together. To sum up, Megan had created a fake persona as a sophisticated lady, claiming to be the daughter of wealthy European aristocrats. But it was all an elaborate fabrication. She was using money from various sources to maintain the lavish lifestyle she had invented-that of a refined, affluent socialite.

“My impersonator-you mean she’s Megan?”

Philip nodded grimly, confirming my suspicion.

“Now it makes sense!” I exclaimed, my mind racing. “I just need to know Josh’s role in all this.”

Without waiting for Philip’s response, I hurried out of the room. In the hallway, I saw Assistant Alex, who seemed unsure how to meet my gaze.

“Sarah!” Philip grabbed my arm to restrain me. “You’re not strong enough yet! What if Josh hurts you? We don’t even know his motives.”

“I have a motive! I wanted to grab a gun and go berserk! Move!” I yelled at him, my voice sharp and filled with fury.

Alex flinched at my outburst. When I glanced his way, he looked genuinely afraid and quickly retreated toward the room Philip and I had just left.

Philip released my arm as if he’d been burned. Frowning, I strode purposefully into the Summit Room. All eyes immediately turned towards me as I entered.

Jakob stood up. “Guys, I know there might have been a misunderstanding between you two, but we have some news.”

“What is it?” I asked, glancing at Josh, who remained seated, fists clenched tightly on the table, staring at the floor.

Trey cleared his throat before responding, “He doesn’t remember his past.”

“Ahhh!” Josh groaned and angrily tugged at his hair. I flinched, and Philip’s security team instantly went on high alert.

Josh’s gaze was restless as he spoke, “I have these… visions that I see. I- You can’t leave me like this, Sarah! I know you’re married. It’s in the news, but you came with me and said you left President Cornell!”

Philip’s eyes narrowed at Josh’s words, a flash of anger crossing his face. I shot him a warning look, silently pleading for him to stay calm.

“I’m sorry, Josh, but I’m not the woman you’ve been with these past few months.”

His lips parted in shock.

I continued, “It was Megan. Only she could mess with your head like this… I’m not the woman in your residence right now, or the woman… you slept with or had a relationship with. That’s not me…”

“Aaugh!” He screamed, clearly struggling to accept my words. He abruptly stood and headed towards the door. Philip’s security team tensed, their hands moving to their weapons. But Josh just rushed past me and out of the Summit room.

Everything that had happened hit me all at once. I couldn’t hold back any longer. Tears filled my eyes, a blend of relief, sadness, and strong emotion.