She cupped my face gently. “I can’t divorce your father, Emerald. But you can. It’s not too late for you. You can still save yourself.”
Her words clung to me long after she left.
Days passed. My leg began to heal, but my heart didn’t. Nathan never came—not a single visit, not even a message. The only thing that came was a blow I didn’t expect.
Scrolling through my phone, I saw his face on social media. Nathan. Smiling. Standing beside Amber and Lorenzo at a restaurant. Their hands intertwined, their smiles perfect. The caption read: Family lunch after a long week.
My blood ran cold. Family. That word was mine once.
How dare they?
That night, I received a message from Reid.
Reid: I heard what happened. Rest for now. I’ll take care of the divorce. Three days. Just hold on, Emerald. After that, everything changes.
For the first time in years, I let myself believe him.
When I was discharged, I returned home. The house felt unfamiliar—too quiet, too empty. I started packing my things, one by one, carefully folding away the pieces of a life that had already ended.
I was almost done when the front door opened. Nathan walked in, the sound of his footsteps sharp and impatient.