Chapter 2 +5 Bonus Louis's POV As the first of morning light came creeping in through the curtains , I sat on the edge of the bed , watching Emily as she slept . Despite her peaceful expression now , I knew she had slept restlessly most of the night , tossing and turning in her sleep . Guilt formed a knot in my stomach . I knew it was because of me . I knew I was the reason for her sleepless night , even if she didn't yet . I had betrayed her . I broke a trust so fundamentally that I knew it would all be over if she found out . She would never look at me the same . again . Still , the selfish , cowardly part of me hoped she would never find out . Some things were better left unsaid . Maybe if I kept it hidden , I could protect her , protect us . Just keep telling yourself that , coward . 1/10 Chapter 2 3 +5 Bonus I looked at her one last time before slipping out of bed . And as I got ready for work , bittersweet memories came rushing in . I first noticed Emily on the sixth hole at Westridge Golf Club , struggling under a heavy bag while two older men jeered at her . Their cruel laughter echoed as she braced herself , her expression neutral . I was only half - focused on the match , but the moment I saw her , I was drawn in . I stepped between her and the men , asking , " Is there a problem here ? " One smirked , but I told them to take their jokes elsewhere and that Emily was with me now . She hesitated but followed me without a word . " You didn't have to do that , " she said finally , breaking the silence as we neared my group . Her voice was soft but edged with something I couldn't 2/10 Chapter 2 yet name . +5 Bonus " Maybe not . But I wanted to . " I slowed my pace , glancing at her . " What's your name ? " " Emily . " " Well , Emily , would you like to be my caddie for the rest of the day ? I'll pay extra if it's an issue . " Her lips parted slightly , as though she was considering refusing just to prove a point . But finally , she nodded . " Okay . " That was the beginning . I started asking for Emily every time I visited Westridge . I didn't even try to hide it - none of the other caddies compared to her . She was sharp , quick to learn the game , and she didn't wilt under pressure . Her focus , her silence , her resilience - I admired all of it . When she smiled , it was rare , but it knocked the breath out of me every time . 3/10 Chapter 2 +5 Bonus One afternoon , as we walked together between holes , she mentioned the debts she was trying to pay off - how she'd been balancing work since high school , trying to keep herself afloat . " I just need to get through this year , " she said , her tone too casual to hide how badly she wanted out . I offered to help then , but she waved me off . " No offense , Mr. Whitmore , but I'm not a charity case . " " Call me Louis , " I replied , grinning . " And fine . Be stubborn . " Then came the day she told me about the travel team . A group of girls , handpicked to caddie for events overseas . " They're doubling the pay , " she said , her eyes bright . " I could finish paying off my debts in months instead of years . " I didn't like it . I'd heard the stories - the things men expected from the women who traveled with them . " Emily , this isn't a good idea , " I told her flatly . 4710 Chapter 2 " You don't know what you're walking into . " " I can take care of myself , Louis . " But she couldn't . Not entirely . +5 Bonus I found her weeks later at a party in Vienna . She was pale and shaking , wearing a dress that wasn't hers , surrounded by men who couldn't stop staring at her like she was something to be bought and sold . I didn't think I just pushed through the crowd until I reached her . " Emily , " I said , quietly but firmly . Her head snapped toward me , her expression a mix of relief and disbelief . " Louis ? " " Come with me , " I said , offering her my hand . " Now . " She took it without hesitation . I didn't care that I burned bridges that night - didn't care what my associates thought when I left the party with her by 5/10 Chapter 2 +5 Bonus Back at the hotel , I told her as much . " You need to quit this , Emily . You can't keep doing this to yourself . " She stared at me , her hands shaking . " I don't have a choice . I need the money . " " Then let me help you , " I said . " You can pay me back when you're ready . No strings attached . " Her lips trembled . " Why ? " " Because you're better than this , " I said simply . She didn't answer right away . But the next day , she told me she was done with the caddie service . From there , everything changed . We started seeing each other . Slowly , carefully . She introduced me to her parents not long after , and I could tell her mother didn't approve . Over dinner , she asked , " How did you two meet ? " 6/10 Fmily stiffened beside me , but I smiled . " On a Chapter 2 +5 Bonus Emily stiffened beside me , but I smiled . " On a golf course . She was the best caddie I ever had . " Her mother wasn't amused . I could feel their judgment , their distrust . So I made an offer - a small investment in their family's struggling business . I didn't say it out loud , but we all knew what it meant : accept me , and you'll be fine . They didn't have to like me . They just had to let her be happy . And she was . For a while . *** But now , sitting at my desk at work , that certainty felt distant . The thought of what I'd done haunted me , what I had done with Maya . Like thinking of her had summoned her , Maya knocked on my office door . I glared at her a bit , but I couldn't be too mad at her . It was my mistake anyway . I had gotten drunk , and I had mistaken her 7/10 Chapter 2 +5 Bonus anyway . I had gotten drunk , and I had mistaken her for my wife . No one else did that but me . " We need to talk , " Maya said softly as she walked in . I nodded and shut the door behind her , closing the blinds to give us more privacy . I returned to my desk , leaned against it , and crossed my arms . " Well . What do you need to talk about ? " Maya seemed unsure , nervous even . Something I had never known her to be . Then she dropped a bombshell on me . " I'm pregnant . It's yours . " Pregnant ? Maya was pregnant ? My hands clenched into a fist at my side , angry at myself for messing my life up so completely . " Please , " Maya said softly . " I don't want anything from you . I just want to keep the baby . I won't give you any more trouble . " B / 10 Chapter 2 13 +5 Bonus I took another moment to breathe , then stood up straight and stared Maya down . " I won't deny you . the right to keep the baby . And I will help in other ways if I can . But stay away from Emily . If she finds out , things won't end well for you . " Maya's eyes were wide and filled with tears , and I almost felt sorry for her for a second . But her being pregnant didn't erase the fact that she had sex with her best friend's husband . And her part in my mistake would be something I could never forgive . " Okay , " she eventually said . " Emily will never find out . " I nodded once , firmly . " Good . " I stepped back around and sat down at my desk . " You can leave now , Maya . " As Maya walked stiffly out of the office , I had hoped beyond reason that my quilt would accompany her . But , of course , it only worsened . Maun haina nunAnant would anlunamalianta thinan 9/10 Chapter 3 +5 Bonus Maya being pregnant would only complicate things, making it more likely that Emily would find out the truth . There was no escape from my actions . I had made a bed , and now I had to lie in the dung of it . No. matter how hard I tried to convince myself otherwise , the truth revealed itself sooner or later .