Chapter 6:
She silently counted twenty–eight days until she could leave.
Emma forced herself to stay focused and started packing. She’d take everything of hers from this home – important items abroad, the rest to her parents‘ house.
Thinking of her family made Emma’s head throb.
The Winters and Fosters had been close family friends for generations. Their
divorce would create an ugly rift between the families.
Lost in thought, Emma’s phone rang – her mother calling.
“Emma, dear, how are things with James? You barely talk to me anymore. Are you pregnant yet? You need a baby to keep a man – I’m worried about you not conceiving.”
Her mother’s rapid–fire questions left Emma speechless.
“Say something, sweetie…”
Emma took a~
breath and sighed, “Mom, please leave it alone.”
Emma felt little connection to her birth mother. Her parents were always busy working, rarely spending time with her, giving what little attention they had to her
older brother.
Sometimes Emma felt she was just a pawn for her family’s social connections. Her mother continued nagging: “You can’t stay childless, can you? Your body’s letting you down.”
Emma instinctively touched her stomach, lamenting again how poorly timed this
pregnancy was.
“Mom… what if…” Emma gathered her courage and asked quietly, “What if James. and I got divorced?”
As she finished speaking, she noticed James standing in the doorway – she hadn’t
heard him come home.
Hearing Emma’s words, James strode over with furrowed brows and snatched her
phone.
“Emma, what did I tell you?” James practically snarled. “I told you not to tell anyone – you did this on purpose, didn’t you?”
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Her mother hadn’t heard their exchange, just screamed: “You ungrateful child! Have you lost your mind? If you get divorced, your father and I will never be able to show our faces in society again!”
James grabbed Emma’s hand, his eyes warning her to stay quiet.
“Mom, Emma’s just joking. She’s been in a mood lately, but we haven’t fought. She’s just being dramatic – we’re not getting divorced. I love her too much for
that.”
Emma heard her mother’s attitude flip completely.
“Oh, I knew it! I’ve known you since you were little, James – I couldn’t have misjudged you. Emma can be thoughtless – please be patient with my daughter.” James made some polite responses and hung up.
His eyes were cold as he stared at Emma.
“What exactly are you trying to achieve with all this drama?”
Emma smiled faintly. “Nothing. Just a joke – you’re not angry, are you?”
The words James had prepared died in his throat.
Again, she was brushing off the conflict so lightly.
He’d been ready for a huge fight, but he was starting to realize he couldn’t read
this woman anymore.
She no longer got jealous, no longer lost her temper, no longer showed the passion of their young love.
Emma had become like a still, bottomless pool.
Her attitude left James with mixed feelings.
For the first time, he held back his temper.
“Without filing the papers, we’re not really divorced, understand?” James offered.
casual reassurance.
Emma just nodded absently and went to the bedroom to rest.
Emma’s repeated coldness left James at a loss. Frustrated, he followed her into the
bedroom.
Emma immediately got under the covers to sleep. James stood by the bed and
sighed deeply.
