"Emma, wake up."
Emma flinched, jolting upright, her heart hammering in her chest. For a moment, she thought it was William's voice waking her. But when she looked up, it was Wena standing over her.
"It's already brunch. You overslept," Wena said, arms crossed.
Emma blinked, feeling the heaviness in her eyes. She knew they were swollen again from crying through the night. Shame burned in her chest. How pathetic. She was supposed to be strong. She had always told herself that no matter what, even if she was alone, as long as she had herself, she would be okay. But right now, no matter how much she pretended, she wasn't okay.
Without warning, Wena tossed Emma's phone onto the blanket beside her. "Read that."
Emma stared at the phone, her stomach knotting with dread. Had Wena read the messages? She didn't dare ask. "I don't want to," Emma muttered, looking away.
Wena sighed, exasperated. "Emma, you have to face this. You need to decide what to do, and in order to do that you have to face it, and move on. You can't keep running every time things get sour."
Emma swallowed hard but refused to look at the phone. Instead, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Fine," she said. "I'll eat breakfast, first."
"The kids are already at school," Wena informed her before heading downstairs.
Emma sighed and trudged to the bathroom. She splashed cold water on her face, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Enough crying. Today is the first day of moving on. She didn't know if she really believed it, but she had to start somewhere.
She was wearing her old pajamas, the fabric soft and familiar against her skin, and padded downstairs, yawning. "What's for breakfast?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.
Then she froze.
A man was sitting at the dining table. Even before he lifted his head, she knew who it was. The way he held himself, the quiet intensity in his posture,it was him.
William.
Emma sucked in a sharp breath and ducked out of sight, pressing herself against the wall at the base of the stairs. Her heart pounded so loudly she was sure he could hear it.
"Emma?" William's deep voice called out, laced with tension.
She squeezed her eyes shut. Damn it! How had he found her?
Footsteps approached, but before William could come any closer, Emma runs upstairs again only to be stop by Wena who appeared at the top of the stairs, arms crossed, looking unimpressed.
"What are you doing?" she asked, watching Emma crouch against the wall like a trapped animal.
Emma scrambled to think of an excuse. "That man downstairs—uh, I don't know how he found me, but can you tell him I'm not here?" she whispered desperately.
Wena raised an eyebrow. "Who is he?"
Emma panicked. "Debt collector!" she blurted. Then, hesitating for only a second, she added, "I got into a huge debt in the city… that's why I'm hiding."
Silence.
Wena just stared at her, unblinking. "Really?" her sister finally said, completely unimpressed.
Emma gulped. "Yes! Really."
Wena leaned in slightly. "Should I ask William about that?"
Emma's stomach dropped. She knows.
Wena smirked. "Get back down there, or I swear, I'll tell William to come up here and drag you down himself."
Emma's eyes widened. "You wouldn't."
Wena turned on her heel. "Try me."
Emma let out a defeated groan, pressing her forehead against the wall. Why is this happening? She had left to get away from William, from everything. And now, he was here.
And she wasn't ready.
Not even close.
Emma's pulse pounded in her ears as Wena pulled out a chair and sat down, gesturing at the both of them. "Sit," she ordered. Emma hesitated, her eyes darting toward the door. If she ran now, could she make it?
Wena must have read her mind because she shot her a warning glare. "Don't even think about it."
Emma let out a slow breath and reluctantly sat down, keeping her gaze fixed on the table. She could feel William's presence like a storm brewing across from her. He was staring at her, she knew it, but she refused to look at him.
Wena crossed her arms. "Now, talk."
Silence.
The only sound in the room was the faint ticking of the wall clock and the distant clatter of dishes from the sink.
Emma clenched her fists on her lap. "There's nothing to talk about."
William let out a humorless laugh. "Are you serious right now?"
She flinched but didn't respond.
"Emma," he said, his voice quieter now, strained. "You just disappeared. You shut off your phone. You didn't even let me explain."
Emma's head snapped up, her eyes blazing. "Explain?" she spat. ""Explain what, William?! Did I imagine it? That entire ballroom just collectively hallucinated when your mother introduced you as a married man?"
William exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand over his face. "It wasn't what you think."
Emma let out a bitter laugh. "Wow. That's sooo classic!"
"Let me explain…" William plead.
Emma swallowed hard, gripping the edge of the table. She didn't want to say it out loud. Speaking it would make it real all over again.
But her sister was right. She needed to face this.
She took a deep breath. ""Then explain," she challenged. "Because what I saw was you, on stage, being introduced by your mother as a married man. And Ada...oh, Ada... hanging onto you like she's done it a thousand times before."
William leaned forward. "It was a mistake," he said firmly. "Ada and I are not married. We were never married."
Emma let out another laugh, this one harsher. "Oh, right. So your mother just—what? Had a stroke and started declaring random women as your wife? That's your defense?
William sighed and raked a hand through his hair. "I didn't know they were going to announce it that way," he admitted. "I had no idea what Ada and my mother were planning. They ambushed me with it in front of everyone. I was just as shocked as you were."
Emma crossed her arms, skeptical. "And yet, you didn't correct them, you did not say anything."
William looked away for a brief second, jaw tightening. "I" He exhaled. "I was caught off guard. I needed a second to process what was happening…."
Emma scoffed not letting William to finished his excuses "And in that second, you let me walk away. You let everyone believe that you are married and that I AM just your side kick! "
"What?!" Wena shouted "This bloody fucking guy? Makes you his side chick?!" she picks up the bread knife and points it at William.
William instinctively leaned back, hands up in alarm.
Emma's eyes widened. "Wena! Put the knife down!" she hissed, trying to wrestle it away.
William, clearly rethinking his life choices, cleared his throat. "That is NOT true," he said quickly. "I corrected it that same night! That very same moment, I told everyone it wasn't true. And when I went to find you, you have disappeared. You blocked my number, left the city. I waited for you at our home, but you never came back."
Wena's head whipped toward Emma. "Wait. Your home?" she repeated. "You were living together?!"
Emma winced. She had conveniently left that part out.
Wena gaped. Then, after a long pause, she set the knife down. "Okay. That's it. I need alcohol."
Then she pointed at William. "You. Out."
William stiffened. "What?"
"Out. As in, leave. Get lost. Shoo."
She turned to Emma. "And you—" Wena jabbed a finger at her. "You have a LOT of explaining to do."