Chapter 8:
She was done playing pretend with James.
She couldn’t stay here another minute.
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Emma drove home, booked the earliest flight, and would leave tomorrow night. She folded thirty paper cranes, placing them by James’s bedside.
That night, she slept more peacefully than ever.
All she knew was freedom was within reach – everything else could be dealt with
later.
The next day, she packed everything and took one last look at the home she’d lived. in for three years.
Apparently, letting go of the man who’d consumed all her love only took less than ten days.
James had taken off.
returned home after Emma’s n
Still not fully sober, he stumbled into the bedroom to sleep.
“Emma…”
He leaned against the doorframe, calling her name. No response. James finally noticed the flat, empty bed – Emma wasn’t home.
He checked his phone 11 PM. Where could Emma be?
James turned around, calling Emma’s name into the empty living room. Silence.
That’s when he noticed something was wrong.
Many pieces of furniture were missing, most notably the coffee table Emma had designed herself.
It was her most precious possession, though James had always complained it was too low and told her to get rid of it.
Was Emma just acting out because of this fake divorce?
James’s heart began racing, an ominous feeling creeping over him.
“Emma, are you home?”
Still silence. James searched every corner of the house. Nothing.
Frustrated, he called her phone – it was turned off.
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1:04PM Mon 10 Mar
08
He opened their text chat, still showing their divorce discussion.
He’d written paragraphs. She’d only replied “okay.”
James felt unexpectedly anxious, realizing Emma might never respond to his messages again..
Sure enough, when he sent a message, he got a red exclamation mark.
James stared in disbelief at what he was seeing.
Emma had blocked him.
Finally, he realized how serious this was.
James leaned against the wall, wondering where Emma could be.
He tried reassuring himself – Emma was just angry. They hadn’t filed the divorce. papers yet, so they weren’t really divorced.
James tried to sleep, trying to ignore everything happening.
But sleep wouldn’t come.
Finally morning arrived, and James drove straight to the Winters‘ mansion.
After marriage, James rarely visited anymore.
As a child, he’d often come here the Fosters and Winters were close, and his parents frequently brought him over.
In his memories, Emma had always been a bright, cheerful girl. How had she become so quiet in their three years of marriage?
It was only 8 AM – no one answered the doorbell, so James waited in his car. He checked his phone, searching Emma’s social media accounts – blocked
everywhere.
James’s whole body tensed with anger. He lost control, slamming the steering wheel.
“Emma… how dare you?”
He hit the Mercedes’s steering wheel so hard it nearly broke. Overwhelmed with frustration, James got out and lit a cigarette. Suddenly his phone vibrated he jumped, hoping it was Emma. It was Lucy.
Her message was playful: “Mr. Foster isn’t coming to work today?”
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1:04 PM Mon 10 Mar
08
James couldn’t help remembering how just days ago, he’d proposed at her
birthday party.
–
He knew clearly he was just placating Lucy he couldn’t really divorce Emma. James had drunk too much that night; his memories were blurry.
He only remembered Lucy stripping in front of him, then blacking out, waking up
in a hotel.
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