That morning, waking up felt like lifting a weight. Emily had spent a sleepless night in her cosy, warm bedroom, haunted by yesterdays cruel and unfair row with her husband. It had all started when James demanded she sell their flat to invest in some shady business venture. The argument had left her drained, hollow.
She dragged herself out of bed, gulped down a strong cup of coffee, then began packing Jamess things into a large travel bag. Thats when she noticedhis passport was missing.
So hes really gone. Good riddance, she muttered, hot tears spilling unchecked.
James had threatened to leave before, storming off after every fight, only to slink back days later. Things would settle, for a while. Theyd carry onher as a senior sales assistant at the department store, him flitting between odd jobs, chasing his next big break.
And then came the brandy scheme. A tanker of the stuff, shipped from Spain, he said, to be bottled at a local distillery before selling to independent shops. He had contacts, deals lined up. He swore thered be inspections, legal paperwork, the distillery was on board. But Emily saw right through itsome half-baked get-rich-quick fantasy.
Worse, the upfront cost was staggering. A fortune, he claimed, that would triple their money. They didnt have that kind of cash, of course. So the flather parents flathad to go. Thats what started the fight.
She refused point-blank. Sell their home? Risk everything? James called her a penny-pinching coward. The row exploded, and he left. She knew exactly whereto his ex-wife, Rebecca.
Rebecca had divorced him years ago, then reappeared out of nowhere, newly single, wealthy from her last marriage, with her two kids and a spacious house. Shed been calling James lately, inviting him over. Hed drop by, claiming it was just nostalgia. But Emily always suspected, if not for the kids, hed have moved back in for good.
Now, though, she felt nothingno jealousy, no rage. Just numb indifference. James had failed as a husband, as a man. All bluster, no substance. Always looking for the next big score. Well, good luck to him. Let Rebecca bankroll his mad scheme.
Emily wiped her tears, took a deep breath, and made a decision. No more wasting her life on James. The flat was staying hers. Her future was hers alone. She picked up the phone and called her old friend Charlotte, who worked at a top law firm.
Charlie, I need help, she said firmly. James is gone. I want a divorce. And I need to know if hes dragged me into any debts or scams.
Charlotte got to work. Two days later, she uncovered the truthJames had already signed dodgy contracts with his Spanish partners, trying to use the flat as collateral. Luckily, without Emilys signature, the papers were worthless.
Worse, hed pawned his fathers beloved Jaguar for an advance. How hed convinced the old mana stern, no-nonsense army veteranwas a mystery.
Meanwhile, James, smug in his brilliant plan, had moved in with Rebecca. Flattered by his attention, she agreed to back him, even dipping into the savings shed squeezed from her ex. She packed the kids off to her parentsgran doted on them, after allclearing the way for her grand reunion.
James promised her the world, spinning tales of quick riches. He borrowed from gullible mates, paid the Spanish suppliers, and waited for his tanker of brandy.
It never came. The partners vanished, the distillery denied all knowledge, and James was left drowning in debt. The Jaguar was gone. Lawsuits piled upfrom Rebecca, from his furious investors.
Rebecca, livid, threw him out. He tried crawling back to Emily, but shed changed the locks and filed for divorce. Left with nothingno family, no money, his reputation in tattersJames was soon arrested for fraud. Prison was the last stop on his sorry road.
Emily, free of the toxic marriage, blossomed. She took out a small loan against the flatnot for scams, but to open her own eco-friendly beauty shop. Her retail experience paid off; within months, she repaid the debt and turned a steady profit. Charlotte handled the legalities, and for the first time, Emily felt truly in control.
Only one question nagged herhow had she ever loved a man like James? What had she seen in him? Youth? Naivety?
Theyd met at her mums workplace. She was twenty-five then, her university friends drifting away, no new prospects in sight. That New Years Eve, her mum took her to the office partyhoping shed click with one of the bright young lads there.
But it was Jamesbrooding, divorced, ten years olderwhod caught her eye. Handsome, sharp in a suit, full of grand plans. Sick of working for the man, hed said. Hed make his own luck.
Her mum had warned her. Dont fall for this one, love.
Emily had balked. Hes serious, Mum. Mature. He cares about me.
Her mum, ever perceptive, saw the danger. You grew up without your dad. Sometimes, that makes a girl seek older men, looking for what she missed.
But Emily wouldnt listen. She was already in love.
Three months later, her mum was gone. Cancer, silent until the end. James had been her rock then, moving into her flat, refusing to leave her side. A year later, they marriedjust as he quit his job to chase bigger things.
Then came the miscarriage. A crushing blow. Jamess cold wordsMaybe it wasnt meant to becut deeper than grief. He started staying out late. And then, the final betrayal.
Now, sitting in her tidy office, Emily gazed out the window and smiled. She thought of all shed endured, of her mums wisdom. How right shed been.
Her life was hers again. James, rotting in some prison cell, could stew in regret. It meant nothing to her now.
The next morning, a rare day off, Emily bought a bouquet of crimson rosesher mums favouriteand visited the graveside. A warm summer breeze rustled the petals as birds sang overhead.
The photo on the headstone showed her mumyoung, vibrant, the woman whod tried so hard to shield her from mistakes.
Emily smiled softly. Its over, Mum. Im alright.
The roses swayed, as if in answer. She pressed a hand to her chest, felt the steady beat of her heart, the warmth spreading through her fingers. Tears fell, but for once, they didnt sting.
She remembered her mums last words: *Ill always be with you, love. Right here, in your heart. When things get hard, listen for it. Youll know Im near.*
And she did. She knew. Whatever came next, she wouldnt let her down again.
