**Diary Entry 16th June**
Waking up that morning was a struggle. Emily had spent a sleepless night in her cosy, warm bedroom. The argument with her husband the previous eveningcruel and unjusthad left her utterly drained. It had erupted over his demands to sell their flat and invest in some shady business venture.
She dragged herself out of bed, downed a strong cup of coffee, and began packing his things into a large travel bag. Only then did she notice his passport was missing.
*”Right. So he really did leave on his own. Good riddance,”* she muttered, hot tears spilling down her cheeks.
James had threatened to walk out before, after every row, but things always smoothed over eventually. They carried onher as a senior sales assistant at the department store, him chasing questionable schemes, always searching for his big break. And now, hed come to her with his latest idea: investing in a shipment of brandy from Azerbaijan, to be bottled at a local distillery and sold through backstreet shops. He swore the deal was solid, that the distillery was on board, that thered be proper inspections.
But Emily saw right through it. It was a scam, plain and simple. Worse still, the upfront cost was astronomicalmoney they didnt havehence his insistence on selling the flat. That was what had sparked the fight.
The flat had been left to her by her parents. She flat-out refused to sell it, knowing full well theyd end up homeless. James called her a penny-pinching miser, and after a blazing row, he stormed out. She knew exactly where hed goneto his ex-wife, Louise.
Louise had divorced him years ago, but lately, shed reappeared, newly single after leaving her wealthy husband. Shed started calling James, inviting him over. Hed drop by, claiming it was just for old times sake. Emily had always suspected that if it werent for Louises kids, hed have moved back in permanently.
Now, though, she felt nothingno jealousy, no anger. Just numb indifference. James had failed as a husband, as a man. Hed strutted about, pretending to work himself to the bone, when in reality, he was only ever looking for the next quick buck. Well, good riddance. Let Louise bankroll his ridiculous scheme.
Emily wiped her tears, took a deep breath, and decided it was time to take control. No more wasting energy on James and his harebrained ideas. The flat was hers, and so was her future. She grabbed her phone and called her old friend Charlotte, who worked at a top law firm.
*”Charlie, I need your help,”* she said firmly. *”James is gone. I want a divorce. And I need to make sure he hasnt dragged me into any debtsor worse.”*
Charlotte got to work immediately. Within days, shed uncovered that James had indeed tried to pull off his brandy scheme. Hed signed dodgy contracts with his so-called partners, even tried to use the flat as collateralbut thankfully, without Emilys signature, none of it held up. Worse, hed pawned his fathers car for an advance. How hed convinced the old mana stern, retired army majorwas beyond her.
Meanwhile, James, convinced of his own brilliance, had moved in with Louise. Flattered by his attention, shed agreed to back his venture, even dipping into the savings shed wrung from her ex. Shed shipped the kids off to her parents*”Gran dotes on them, let her deal with them for a while.”*
James promised her the world, spinning tales of imminent riches. He borrowed from mates, all taken in by his pitch, and paid a hefty sum upfront. Thenshockinglythe brandy never arrived. His partners vanished, the distillery denied all knowledge, and James was left drowning in debt, with lawsuits from Louise and the others.
The moment she realised shed been conned, Louise kicked him out. He tried crawling back to Emily, but shed already changed the locks and filed for divorce. Left with nothingno family, no money, his reputation in tattershe was soon arrested for fraud and handed a prison sentence.
Free of the toxic marriage, Emily thrived. She took out a small loan against the flatnot for some dodgy scheme, but to open her own eco-friendly beauty shop. Her retail experience paid off; within months, shed cleared the debt and turned a steady profit. Charlotte helped with the paperwork, and for the first time in years, Emily felt secure.
Only one question nagged at her: *How had she ever fallen for a man like James?* Youth? Naivety? Probably. Theyd met at her mothers workplace Christmas party. At twenty-five, with university friends drifting away, shed been lonely. Her mum had hoped shed hit it off with one of the cheerful lads from accountsnot James, brooding and recently divorced.
But hed captivated her. Thirty-three, sharp in a suit, full of grand plans about *”working for himself.”* Her mum had warned her: *”Dont get serious with this one.”* Shed seen right through him. But Emily, smitten, hadnt listened.
Three months later, her mother was gone. Cancerhidden until the end. James had been her rock then, moving in, refusing to leave her alone. A year later, they marriedjust as he quit his job to chase another doomed venture. Then came the miscarriage. *”Maybe it just wasnt meant to be,”* hed said, cold as ice. Soon after, he started staying out late. And thenwell, she knew the rest.
Now, sitting in her tidy little office, Emily gazed out the window and smiled. She thought of all shed endured, of her mothers wisdom. *Oh, Mum. You were so right.*
But life was hers now. James, rotting in some prison cell, could wallow in regret for all she cared. Her future was bright.
***
The next morning, a warm Sunday, Emily bought a basket of red rosesher mothers favouriteand visited her grave. Birds chirped in the trees; the sun was gentle. The photo on the headstone showed her mum, still young, still kind. The woman whod tried so hard to protect her.
Emily smiled. *”Its all over, Mum. Dont worry about me anymore.”*
The roses swayed in the breeze as if in answer. She placed a hand over her heart, feeling its steady beat, warmth spreading through her palm. Tears came, but they were cleansing.
She remembered her mothers last words: *”My darling, I love you. Ill always be right here in your heart. When things get hard, just listen. Youll feel me. Dont grieve too longpromise me.”*
Emily knew thenshed never betray that love again. No more mistakes. No more pain. Just forward.
