She wrapped her arms tighter around me, trembling herself. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I’m sorry for being weak. For never leaving your father when I should have. For letting you grow up thinking this kind of pain was normal.”
I cried harder, gripping her hand. “Please, help me. I don’t want to live like this anymore. Nathan—he’s been lying to me. Amber… she’s not innocent. Lorenzo—he’s Nathan’s son. She lied to everyone.”
My mother stiffened. She looked at me, eyes wide, shocked, then whispered, “If that’s true… then ask for help from your brother. Reid will know what to do.”
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.
“What are you doing?” he asked, voice cold.
“I’m going on a vacation,” I said simply, not bothering to look at him.
“Vacation?” He let out a humorless laugh. “After what you did to Amber? You think I’d let you go anywhere?”
I turned to him, frowning. “What are you talking about? I just got back from the hospital.”
He slapped me, sudden and hard. The shock made me stumble backward, my hand gripping the edge of the bed.
“She was kidnapped!” he shouted. “Amber—and Lorenzo! They’re gone! And the men who did it said it was your brother Reid!”