Waking up that morning was difficult. Emily had spent a sleepless night in her cosy, warm bedroom. The argument with her husband the day before had been cruel and unfair, leaving her utterly demoralised. It had erupted over Daniels demands to sell their flat and invest in some dubious business venture.
Emily got up, drank a cup of strong coffee, and began packing Daniels things into a large suitcase. Only then did she notice his passport was missing.
«Right, so hes left on his own. Good riddance,» she muttered, hot tears streaming down her face.
Daniel had often threatened to leave after their fights, but things had always somehow smoothed over, and they carried on. She was now a senior sales assistant at a shopping centre, while Daniel drifted between shady odd jobs, chasing his big break.
Finally, hed proposed investing in a business importing brandy from Azerbaijanshipped in bulk, bottled at a local distillery, then sold to independent shops. He swore there were contracts in place and full inspections would be done, but Emily saw right through the scheme. It was flimsy at best.
Worse, the upfront cost was astronomical, with promises of tripled returns. Of course, they didnt have the money, so the flat would have to be sold. That was the final straw.
The flat had been Emilys inheritance from her parents. She flatly refused to sell it and risk ending up homeless. Daniel called her a penny-pinching miser, they rowed violently, and he stormed out. Emily knew exactly where hed goneto his ex-wife, Claire.
Claire had divorced Daniel years ago, then reappeared suddenly after leaving a wealthy husband, taking their two children and the house with her. Shed been calling Daniel, inviting him over. He went, claiming it was just nostalgia. Emily had always suspected that if not for the children, hed have moved back in permanently.
Now, she felt neither jealousy nor angerjust dull indifference. Daniel had failed as a husband and as a man. He postured, pretending to work tirelessly, but in truth, he was just hunting for a quick payday, as he put it. Good riddance. Let Claire fund his ridiculous scheme.
Emily wiped her tears, took a deep breath, and decided it was time to take control. She wouldnt waste another moment on Daniel or his harebrained ideas. The flat was hers, and so was her future. She picked up the phone and called her old friend Charlotte, who worked at a top law firm.
«Charlie, I need help,» Emily said firmly. «Daniels left, and I want a divorce. And I need to make sure he hasnt dragged me into any debts or scams.»
Charlotte got to work immediately. Within days, she uncovered Daniels brandy schemehed signed dubious agreements with Azerbaijani partners and even tried to mortgage the flat. Thankfully, without Emilys signature, the deals were worthless.
Worse, Charlotte discovered Daniel had pawned his fathers car for an advance. How hed convinced the stern, unyielding man, Emily couldnt fathom. Her father-in-law, a retired army officer, was famously rigid. Daniel must have spun some elaborate lie.
Meanwhile, Daniel, confident in his «genius plan,» moved in with Claire. Flattered by his attention, she agreed to back him, even investing her savingsmoney shed squeezed from her ex. She sent the children to her parents, freeing her to rekindle their past.
Daniel promised her riches, spinning tales of quick wealth. He borrowed from gullible friends, paid the suppliers, and waited for delivery.
But the brandy never arrived. The Azerbaijani partners vanished with the money, and the distillery denied any deal. Daniel was left drowning in debt, his fathers car gone, and facing lawsuits from furious «investors,» including Claire.
Enraged, Claire threw him out. He tried crawling back to Emily, but shed already changed the locks and filed for divorce. Daniel ended up with nothingno family, no money, and a ruined reputation. Soon after, he was arrested for fraud and sentenced to prison.
Emily, free from the toxic marriage, flourished. She took a small loan against the flatnot for risky schemes, but to open her own eco-friendly beauty shop. Her sales experience helped the business thrive, and soon she repaid the debt, earning steady profits. Charlotte handled the legalities, and for the first time, Emily felt truly independent.
Only one question nagged herhow had she ever loved a man like Daniel? What had blinded her? Youth? Naivety? Probably.
Shed met him through her mothers work. At twenty-five, with university friends drifting away and no new prospects, shed been lonely. Her mother took her to a New Years office party, hoping to introduce her to bright, cheerful colleagues.
But it was Danielbrooding, closed-off, still raw from his divorcewho captivated her. At thirty-three, he was handsome, polished, and restless. Hed stalled in his career, tired of «working for the man,» as he told the impressionable Emily when they started dating.
Her mother had begged her to reconsider.
«Please, darling. Dont fall for this man,» shed said, her voice strained.
Emily had flushed with disbelief.
«Why not? Hes serious about me. So what if hes older? I dont want boysI want a real relationship. Hes steady, caring»
«You grew up without a father. You might be seeking that missing figure in older men without realising it.»
Her mother, well-read and sharp, had seen the warning signs. But Emily wouldnt listen. She was already smitten.
Three months later, her mother passed awaylikely hiding her illness to the end, still trying to protect her daughter.
In her grief, Daniel had been her rock. He moved in, never leaving her side. A year later, they marriedjust as he quit his job, chasing grand dreams. Then came the miscarriage, another devastating blow.
Daniels cold response»Maybe it wasnt meant to be»stung. While she grieved, he started disappearing at night. Then came the final betrayal.
Now, sitting in her cosy office, Emily gazed out the window and smiled. She thought of all shed endured, of her mothers wisdom. How right shed been.
Her life was full of promise now. Daniel, locked away, could regret his choices all he likedit meant nothing to her. She was building her own future, and it was bright.
The next day, a warm Sunday, Emily bought a basket of crimson rosesher mothers favouriteand visited her grave. Birds chirped in the trees as she stood before the portrait of her young, smiling mother, the woman whod tried in vain to steer her from mistake.
She touched the headstone gently.
«Its over, Mum. Dont worry about me.»
The roses swayed in the breeze, as if in answer. A warmth spread through her chest, as though her mother were near. She remembered her last words:
«My darling, Ill always be with youright here in your heart. When life gets hard, listen to its beat, feel its warmth, and know Im beside you. Dont mourn me too much, promise?»
Emily pressed a hand to her chest, feeling the steady rhythm. Tears spilled, but her heart was light. She knew thenshed never betray her mothers memory or make another bitter mistake. Some lessons, once learned, stay with you forever.
