Leave and never return.
Stephen, I saw an ad yesterday evening a threebedroom flat in the exact neighbourhood weve been eyeing. Its exactly what we need, and we could afford it, right? If we sell the house, we could help Emma finish her mortgage. Lets go see it, Emily said, her eyes shining with anticipation.
Stephen sighed wearily and waved her off. Not today. I was up until midnight finalising a report yesterday, and Ill probably be late again tonight. He gulped the last of his coffee, snatched the car keys and a folder of papers from the shelf, and left the house.
Emily exhaled, disappointed but unwilling to argue. She hated how Stephen had been hardly home lately arriving late, even working weekends. Still, his salary was good, and Emily longed to move closer to their daughter. They had been saving for years; every penny Stephen earned went into a savings account while they lived on Margarets pension and Emilys wages. Emily worked as a manager at the village Community Centre and ran a dance class on the side. It was tough, but living in the town near Emma and working in a large Arts Centre had always been her dream, so she endured.
Emily and Stephen had met in the county town while Stephen was in his final year at university and Emily was at a dance college. They fell in love so quickly that as soon as Stephen received his degree they married and moved to his little village.
Emily dropped out after a year, but she never regretted it; she now had a husband, Stephen, and a future together. She was certain they would share a long, happy life.
However, married life was not easy. Almost as soon as they settled into Stephens family home, the army drafted him for a year. Emily was already upset about the upcoming separation, and then Stephens mother, Margaret, made matters worse. From the moment she saw her son return with a wife, she despised Emily, refusing to speak to him and chastising him for the marriage: You promised! Emily tried to win her over, taking on any job she could, but nothing helped.
I asked you to speak to Mom beforehand. Why didnt you call her? What did she promise you? Why does she hate me? Emily pressed.
Stephen explained that two years earlier his sister had died at seventeen after a reckless romance with a man fresh from prison. The boyfriend was drunk on a motorbike ride to a neighbouring village, lost control, and his sister was killed. The boyfriend went back to prison. After the funeral, Margaret forced Stephen to swear never to marry without her permission. He broke the promise, which is why Margaret resented him.
Emily wondered whether she should live with Margaret, but she insisted she would stay, loving Stephen and determined to get along with his mother.
Within weeks Margarets heart softened. She saw Emilys hard work, cheerfulness, and kindness. Though Margaret still grumbled, she could not deny that Stephen had chosen a worthy wife. Emily also confided that her own mother had died eleven years earlier, and her father had remarried a woman with two young children. The stepmother had bluntly told her she must fend for herself now that she was an adult.
Dont think I married Stephen because of that, Emily blushed under Margarets stern gaze, I was given a council flat, a scholarship, and I would have survived. But I cannot live without Stephen I love him, truly love him.
Margarets eyes welled up, a mix of sorrow and relief. She embraced Emily, feeling a weight lift from her heart.
A year later Stephen returned, working at the district office and commuting daily. Emily became the organiser and head of the dance group at the newly built Arts Centre. Their salaries were modest, and Emma was born. Money was tight, but Margaret helped, looking after her granddaughter and never sparing a thing. Soon Stephen moved to a reputable firm, travelling for business and climbing the corporate ladder; his pay multiplied. The small village club was replaced by a spacious Arts Centre, and Emily remained its manager while continuing to teach local girls, taking them to competitions where they won prizes. Their life grew comfortable: a nice car, a renovated home, seaside holidays.
Everything was fine until Emma moved to the county town for university and married there. Emily missed her daughter and recalled her dream of working in a grand City Arts Centre. She suggested they save to buy a flat in the city where Emma lived, sell the village house, and help Emma pay off her mortgage. Stephen thought about it briefly, then agreed gladly, noting that their firm had a branch in the city, so he could transfer. He warned it would be hard: all his salary would have to go into a savings account, and they would live on Margarets pension and Emilys earnings. The whole family consented, and they began to save.
Life grew noticeably harder, but Emily never complained; she had never been spoiled. Stephen, however, started staying later and later at work, citing extra responsibilities that paid more. Emily believed him, never suspecting foul play, though his frequent absences nagged at her. When she finally voiced her worries, Stephen snapped, I work from dawn till dusk to earn more. Do you want me to quit? Decide whether you want me near you or a flat in the city, or whether well have a grandchild to visit by bus. Just bear with it.
Emily endured, though she could not calm herself. One night, after Stephen arrived home at 1:30am for the third night in a row, she finally said she no longer wanted to move, that she would be content staying as before if only Stephen would be home in the evenings so they could spend time together. Stephen listened, stripped, and went to bed facing the wall. The next night he came home even later.
Then Stephen vanished. He left for work in the morning and never returned. By evening his phone was off, and Emily could not reach any of his colleagues. In a panic she called morgues and hospitals, fearing the worst. She decided to travel to the city where his firm was located the next morning.
As she packed, Margaret stood nearby, breathing heavily, eyes swollen from sleeplessness. Dont worry, Mum, hell be found, alive and well, Emily whispered, hugging her gently. She tried to reassure herself, though tears welled and her throat tightened. Hes alive, I know it.
A familiar voice called from the bus stop, Hey, Emily! Are you heading into town? We could go together. Did you hear about Stephens bank withdrawal? He took a huge sum from his account at the building society a few days ago.
Emily stared, pale. What are you talking about? the friend asked, shrugging. I saw him paying a utility bill, thought youd know.
Emilys heart pounded. She rushed to Stephens office, only to learn from the receptionist that he had been dismissed a few weeks earlier and had apparently taken a new job elsewhere, unknown to anyone.
She went to the police to file a missingperson report. The officers took her statement seriously and promised to start a search. The next day, however, a detective called her in. Why didnt you tell us you divorced three months ago? he asked irritably. That changes everything. Did you find any of his documents at home? Did he take everything with him?
Emily stared, bewildered. The officer produced a copy of a court decree and a marriagedissolution certificate. She was stunned. When she returned home and told Margaret, the older woman gasped, covering her mouth. Im sorry, Margaret whispered, trembling, Stephen told me hed receive court papers in your name because of a fraudulent loan. He asked me to hide them so you wouldnt be distressed. He said his brother, a judge, would sort it out. I never knew it was a divorce. I swear I never meant to keep it from you.
Did he really cheat me out of our marriage? Emily whispered, sinking onto the sofa. Where is he? What happened?
Margarets voice broke. He sent me a text this morning saying hes leaving with another woman and theyll be married soon. He took all the money it was his salary. I thought I could move into a care home and leave the house to you, hoping youd forgive me.
Emily rose, stepped outside into the cold courtyard, feeling a chill that seemed to rise from within. She recalled the lilac bushes and birch trees they had planted together by the fence years ago, now towering strong like a reminder of what once was. She remembered winter afternoons sledding with Emma, the chaotic chase of a runaway pig, the laughter that had filled their home. Tears streamed down as the emptiness swelled.
I wont let you go, Mum, Emily said firmly, returning inside. Stephen betrayed me, not you. I love you as my own mother, and I know you never wanted to hurt me. She embraced Margaret, both weeping.
Later that evening, Emily and Margaret called Emma and explained everything. Emma was horrified by her fathers betrayal and swore she would never forgive him. She then offered her grandparents a place to stay with her and her husband, who were expecting twins. We have a threebedroom flat, enough for everyone. Sell your house and move here, she said.
Emily and Margaret looked at each other, tears turning to smiles. They agreed.
Stephen occasionally visited the city, but Emma never let him back into the flat. Perhaps he hoped to return to the family, but no one there awaited him any longer, not even his mother.
Through loss, deceit, and hardship, Emily learned that true security does not lie in money or a house, but in the steadfast bonds of those who love you unconditionally. The lesson stayed with her: cherish the people who stand by you, for they are the real foundation of a life worth living.
