Chapter 2
Ever since Ethan signed the divorce agreement, Emily had stopped pretending.
She no longer woke up at five every morning to make the kids a healthy breakfast.
No more waiting up past midnight to fix Ethan his hangover soup after another late–night “business dinner.”
All the little things she used to do–things she once thought were her duty as a wife and mother–she handed them off to the staff without a second thought.
At first, no one noticed the shift.
But then small cracks started to show.
Lucas showed up late to school and got a warning from his teacher.
Lily couldn’t find her homework.
Ethan’s prized pocket watch stopped ticking.
The housekeepers scrambled to keep up, but nothing was ever quite right.
The kitchen sink overflowed with dirty dishes.
Toys littered the living room like landmines.
And Ethan’s shirts? Always just a little wrinkled, never quite crisp enough.
The once spotless house–once run like clockwork under Emily’s quiet hands–was slowly falling apart at the seams.
When Ethan pushed open the bedroom door, he found Emily by the window, bathed in the soft spill of afternoon sun, a book resting gently in her lap.
He didn’t step inside. Just stood there, voice low and sharp.
“How long are you planning to keep this up?”
Emily closed the book and met his gaze.
“I’m not doing anything.”
“Then why aren’t you taking care of things around here?” He walked a few steps closer, that faint scent of his cologne–rich and familiar—trailing behind him. “Still mad about last time?”
“I’m not mad,” she said simply. “I just don’t care anymore.”
Ethan narrowed his eyes, tapping a knuckle against the edge of her desk.
“Why?”
“I’m tired.” Her voice was calm, eerily so. “We’ve got staff. Let them earn their pay.”
Her mind flashed back to her past life. The one she had barely survived.
She used to get up before sunrise. Ethan’s coffee had to be exactly 185 degrees. His sandwich toasted to a perfect golden crisp.
The kids‘ clothes? Hand–washed, socks pressed flat like store displays.
And for what?
For Ethan’s tenderness–all of it reserved for Sophia.
For her kids‘ growing attachment to “Auntie Sophia.”
For a lonely, forgotten death on her sixty–second birthday.
Ethan’s tone turned colder.
“If you’re gonna throw a tantrum, at least own it. Don’t act like a sulky child.”
Emily gave a tired smile. “I’m not throwing a tantrum. I’m taking a break.”
Before the words even left her mouth, the door burst open.
Chapter 2
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Lucas and Lily stormed in, little faces full of fire.
“Mommy’s just lazy!” Lily shrieked. “We want Auntie Sophia to take care of us!”
“She’s nicer than you! She works harder! She’s a million times better than you!” Lucas added, his voice echoing through the room.
Ethan kept his eyes locked on Emily like he was waiting for her to crack.
But she just inhaled slowly and said, almost in a whisper, “If you all think she’s better, then bring her here. I won’t stop you.”
Silence fell like a hammer.
Ethan’s expression darkened.
“You sure about that?”
Emily didn’t flinch.
“Dead sure.”
“Daddy, let’s go!” Lily grabbed Ethan’s sleeve, jumping with excitement. “I want Auntie Sophia to come right now!”
“We don’t need you anymore!” Lucas stuck out his tongue at her, fists clenched. “Go away! Leave this house already!”
Ethan looked at her one last time. Her face was still, unreadable. She didn’t blink.
He turned away without a word.
And just like that, he left–with both kids in tow.
Emily stayed where she was, listening to the sound of the engine fading into the distance.
She closed her eyes.
It wouldn’t be long now.
Soon, they’d get exactly what they wanted.
She’d leave.
And this time, for good.
