By admin A Romance In Passing Chapter 10
Emily stepped out of the airport, dragging her suitcase behind her, fresh off an international flight to Fremorla
As soon as she stepped out of the airport, she spotted Arthur and Teresa waiting just outside, holding a welcome sign. She hadn’t seen them in years.
The noise around het buzzed in her ears. When she finally reached Arthur and Teresa, the walls she’d worked so hard to keep up began to crumble all over again.
“Mom…. Dad… I’m sorry…”
Her voice broke as she looked at their faces–older, wearier than she remembered. The weight of guilt pressed down on her.
Tears streamed down Teresa’s face. She knew something must’ve happened between Emily and William. Emily wouldn’t have left so suddenly for Fremoria if it hadn’t.
Arthur pulled both of them into an embrace, his voice thick with concern. “Don’t cry. Let’s talk in the car.”
Once inside, Teresa reached over and held Emily’s hand. “Tell us what happened.”
“William cheated on me. He’s in love with his assistant…”
Just the mention of Aria sent a wave of hatred crashing through Emily’s chest, hot and unshakable.
She hadn’t told Arthur and Teresa what she’d been through with William and Aria–the bullying, the false accusations. Aria had even killed Emily’s beloved cat by throwing it off the balcony.
Emily kept her response brief, offering only a few vague words. She had no desire to talk about Aria ever again.
Teresa could sense Emily’s distress and didn’t push her to talk, at least not until she noticed the wound on her forehead.
“Emmy, what happened to your forehead?”
A wave of unease washed over Emily. She angled her head, letting her hair fall over the wound as she assured Teresa it was nothing.
But Teresa noticed right away. Her voice rose, sharp with urgency. “It was William, wasn’t it? That bastard!”
The silence hung between them until Emily gave a small nod.
From the passenger seat, Arthur slammed his fist against the door, fury spilling out of him. “That worthless piece of shit! What happened to all his promises? I
never should’ve let you stay with him in the first place!”
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“Dad, this isn’t about you or Mom. I’m the one who fell in love with him and chose to stay. I brought this on myself. But now I see him for who he really is. I won’t
walk away from you again.”
Arthur turned to look at Emily. She had grown thinner, and the sight of her carved a deep ache in his chest. Beneath the pain, fury simmered hot and sharp.
“Emmy, I’m calling the lawyers the minute we’re done here. Every last contract with Silverstein Group ends today. I’m not going to sit back and let that bastard
treat you like this!”
But Emily stopped him. “Dad, don’t blow up business over trash like him. Remember the agreement you signed? If we ever broke up, he’s barred from setting foot
in Fremoria.”
Arthur slowly came to his senses as her words sank in.
Seeing how much Emily had grown, Teresa pulled her into an embrace and gently rocked her, just like she used to when Emily was little.
“Alright. From now on, we’ll protect you. No one’s ever going to hurt you again. We’re never going back to that awful place.”
In the days that followed, Emily finally managed to get some real sleep. But everything that had happened in Aurendia still lingered like a bad dream, eating away
at her peace.
One day, she decided she needed to get out to clear her head. She boarded the bus and got off at a park a fair distance from home.
With her headphones on, she wandered down an unfamiliar path, letting the sunlight warm her skin and lift the lingering heaviness in her chest.
Out of nowhere, a sharp bell rang behind her. Before she could even react, a bike came swerving dangerously close.
“Watch out!”
A stranger pulled Emily aside just in time as the bicycle sped past. When her eyes finally settled on him, she realized he carried the look of someone from Aurendia.
“Thanks…” she murmured, still a little shaken.
“Don’t mention it.” The man smiled and gave his camera a little shake. “I’m Keith Jensen, a photographer. The way you were standing in the light just now was stunning. Mind if I take your picture?”
“I’d rather not…”
Emily refused and turned to walk away. But just as she did, she heard the sharp click of a shutter behind her.
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”
Annoyed, she turned to glare at Keith, only to find him casually aiming his lens at a cluster of plants nearby. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
Seeing the color rise in her cheeks, Keith asked, “Are you feeling down? It’s okay. How about I take a photo for you as a gift?”
With that earnest look in his eyes, Emily couldn’t bring herself to turn him down again.
He guided her gently, suggesting poses here and there. As he kept the compliments coming, her nerves began to settle.
“Look at this one. Your smile is gorgeous. You should smile like that more often,” Keith said excitedly, holding up the camera for her to see.
In the photo, Emily’s soft smile glowed in the sunlight. Just like he said, she looked so beautiful that it didn’t even feel like the person she’d come to know in the
mirror.
“These are amazing. Thank you.”
As she scrolled through the photos, a wave of emotion washed over her. After everything with William, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d smiled and
meant it.
As the sun dipped lower, Keith insisted on walking Emily home.
When they arrived at the Caldwell residence, he took out his phone. “What’s your number? I’ll send you the photos once I’ve touched them up.”
They exchanged contacts, said their goodbyes, and went their separate ways.
Watching him disappear down the street, Emily had the quiet sense that she’d just made her first friend in Fremoria.