From a young age, Emily knew she was beautifuleveryone told her so.
«Our little girl is so pretty, stands out from the rest,» her mother would happily say to colleagues and friends.
And indeed, most agreedthough their elderly neighbour, Mrs. Harris, sometimes muttered, «All children are lovely, but not all grow up to be so striking.»
By the time Emily finished secondary school, she had blossomed into a tall, elegant beautythough with a haughty, demanding streak. Boys flocked around her, eager to please, and she enjoyed every moment of it.
She had hoped to attend university but didnt get the grades, so she settled for a college diploma in retail management instead.
«Darling,» her mother said, «why dont I get you a job at the factory lab? Its easy worknothing too heavy, and certainly better than retail.»
«But what about my diploma?» Emily protested.
«Honestly, who works in their field these days?» her mother scoffed. And so, Emily became a lab technician.
By then, she had grown even more striking, fully aware of her allure. She fell for David, an engineer from another department. Their romance was fiery and fastwithin months, he proposed.
«Marry me before someone else snatches you away,» he said with a grin.
«I will,» she replied eagerly.
Their wedding was typical for the timeheld in the factory canteen, modest but crowded with guests. Soon after, Emily discovered she was pregnant.
«David, were going to have a baby,» she announced.
«Thats wonderful!» he said, embracing her.
Their daughter, Sophie, was bornpretty, just like her mother. For a while, life was happy.
But as the years passed, Emily changednot in looks, but in attitude. She began treating David like a servant, snapping orders while he quietly cared for Sophie. She stayed late at work, claiming overtime, though David knew no one in the lab worked extra hours.
«David, your wife was seen dining with the factory director,» colleagues whispered.
«David, why marry a beauty if you cant keep her?» friends teased.
He ignored them, though rumours swirledEmily was moving in influential circles, far above his humble station. Soon, she was involved with Anthony, a high-ranking official who spoiled her with jewellery and designer gifts.
David became withdrawn, handling everything at home while Emily dictated orders. He never considered divorceSophie needed her mother.
Then came the upheaval of the recession. Anthonys position crumbled, and soon, so did his freedom. Emily was questioned, briefly detained, and though released, her reputation was ruined. She returned home feeling filthy, humiliated.
Their savings were goneDavid had sold half their belongings to support her during the ordeal. She lost her job. He didnt leave her, but their marriage became a hollow arrangement.
For a fleeting moment, remorse gripped her. «David, dont go. Forgive meit wont happen again.»
He stayed, but he couldnt bring himself to touch her. «You were with other men.»
«I did it for us!» she argued.
Yet she strayed again, this time with a younger assistant named Adam. She rebuilt her life with borrowed money, renting a souvenir stall in a tourist-heavy area. Within years, she owned two shops.
«David, meet me at the airportIm flying to Turkey for stock,» she ordered. «Or better yet, quit your job and help me.»
«Im no businessman,» he muttered.
«But I need a mans strength!»
«Plenty of unemployed men out there,» he said coldly.
So she took Adam as both assistant and lover, hiding in hotels with him. Money flowed, but her marriage remained a sham.
Time passed. Sophie married and moved away. One New Year, Emily returned from China looking shockingly youthfulno wrinkles, her figure restored.
«How much did this cost?» David asked.
«Everything,» she laughed, showing empty handsno rings left. «But worth it.»
She couldnt stop. The treatments drained her funds, and then David had a heart attack. He returned from hospital aged, frail.
«God, is this what Id look like if I hadnt spent the money?» she muttered, staring at him, then at her reflection.
«Emily, stay with me awhile,» he sometimes begged.
«I canttime is money,» shed snap.
Then came the blow. Adam handed her a folder at the shop.
«Read this.»
«What is it? I dont have time»
«Its ownership papers. Everythings mine now. Youre done.»
Lawyers confirmed itshed signed everything away in her haste.
Returning home, desperate, she turned to David. «We need money.»
«We have nothing left.»
«The flat, then.»
«Nonot our home!»
«Well sell it, buy something cheaper,» she said coldly.
«And what will I do?»
«Ill buy you a computer. You can live online.»
She laughed, already planning her next comeback. Shed rise againshe always did.
But as she counted her losses, a bitter truth settled in: beauty fades, and trust, once shattered, never fully mends.
