“I really did dream of going to France. Daniel always said spending money on things like that was foolish.”
“Exactly. And who can stop you now?”
Emily finished her tea and went to the window.
Rain still fell outside.
But in her sister’s house, even the gray weather no longer seemed quite so hopeless.
“Sarah, could I stay here for a while? Until I get settled with work and find an apartment?”
“Of course. Ethan left for college, so his room is empty. Stay as long as you need.”
“Thank you.”
Emily hugged her sister tightly.
“And you know something? I think I might even be a little happy.”
“Happy? After everything that happened?”
“Yes. I’m frightened, naturally. There’s so much I don’t know about the future. But at the same time, I feel strangely light. As though someone has finally lifted an enormous weight from my shoulders.”
That evening, Emily sat at the desk in her nephew’s former bedroom and began updating her résumé.
Structural design engineer.
Eight years of professional experience.
Strong command of English.
When she read the finished document, confidence returned to her for the first time in years.
She truly had skills.
She could support herself.
A little before eleven, her phone rang.
Daniel’s name appeared on the screen.
“Emily, where have you gone? Mother is here. She brought all the papers…”
“I’m at Sarah’s.”
“What do you mean, you’re at Sarah’s? Who’s going to make dinner for me now?”
Emily almost smiled.
So that was what mattered to him.
Not her feelings.
Not the fact that she had left.
Not even the possibility of divorce.
He was worried about dinner.
“I don’t know, Daniel. Ask your mother to make something.”
“Emily, stop putting on a show. Come home immediately.”
“This isn’t my home anymore,” she answered calmly. “You explained that very clearly this morning.”
“You misunderstood me.”
“Then tell me what I was supposed to understand. That I’m expected to move into your mother’s apartment as an unpaid maid? That I should listen to her criticism every day and thank her for allowing me to stay?”
“Mother is a kind woman…”
“Your mother can’t stand me, and you know it.”
Daniel fell silent.
In the background, Emily heard Margaret’s voice. She was clearly coaching her son on what to say next.
“Listen,” Daniel said more quietly, “let’s meet tomorrow and discuss everything calmly. Without a fight.”
“There is nothing left to discuss. Tomorrow I’m going to begin the divorce process.”
“Why are you rushing into this?”
“I spent eight years taking my time. Now I’ve had enough.”
Emily ended the call.
Only then did she notice that her hands were perfectly steady.
The trembling was gone.
The next morning began with the comforting smell of fresh pancakes.
Sarah stood at the stove, humming cheerfully.
“Good morning, future divorcee!” she called playfully.
“Not divorced yet,” Emily replied with a smile. “But definitely headed in that direction.”
Over breakfast, the sisters began making plans.
Emily would rent a small apartment near her office, preferably somewhere close to the center of town.
She would finally enroll in French classes.
She would return to working out.
And perhaps she would adopt the cat she had wanted for years.
“What about children?” Sarah asked carefully.
Emily remained silent for a moment.
“I’ve realized something. All these years, I wasn’t only dreaming about a baby. I was imagining a particular family—the family Daniel and I were supposed to have. I wanted to have his child. But perhaps my body understood something before I did.”
“So your body was wiser than you.”
“Much wiser,” Emily said, smiling. “We’ll see what life brings. Maybe I’ll meet a good man, and everything will work out.”
At that moment, the phone rang again.
Margaret’s name appeared on the display.
“Are you going to answer?” Sarah asked.
“Why should I?” Emily said calmly, rejecting the call. “I have nothing to explain to her.”
But Margaret was persistent.
She called again and again.
After the fifth unanswered attempt, a message appeared:
“Emily, come over. We need to talk properly, like human beings.”
Emily studied the screen.
“You know what? I’ll go,” she said unexpectedly. “I want to hear what she thinks she has to offer me.”
Margaret opened the door almost immediately.
She looked unusually uncertain.
Emily was accustomed to seeing her mother-in-law commanding, severe, and absolutely convinced that she was always right.
The woman standing before her seemed different.
“Come in,” Margaret said quietly. “Would you like some tea?”
“No, thank you. Let’s talk first.”
Emily remained in the hallway.
“Daniel says you intend to divorce him.”
“That’s correct.”
“Because of the apartment?”
Emily looked closely at her.
Margaret truly seemed unable to understand.
“Margaret, answer me honestly. Do you consider me a good wife for your son?”
“Well…” Margaret hesitated. “Yes, generally speaking.”
“Then why have you spent eight years making it clear that Daniel deserved someone better?”
“I never said anything like that!”