The afternoon was supposed to be perfect. Emma and Daniel had spent the day shopping, laughing over designer selections, and enjoying each other's company. The boutique's ambiance was warm, filled with the soft hum of classical music playing in the background. Emma was admiring a stunning silk dress when a familiar, chilling voice sliced through the air.
"Hey, mama. You done the abortions, or did you just transfer to another man?"
Emma's blood ran cold. Her breath hitched, and her hands trembled as she slowly turned to face the one person she never wanted to see again, Michael. He stood there, smirking, his eyes filled with malice and amusement. His presence alone was suffocating, dredging up memories she had fought hard to bury.
Michael was coming closer to touch Emma who was shivering from shock, not until Daniel who had been standing nearby, caught the words and frowned. His sharp gaze shifted between Emma and Michael, confusion evident in his expression. "Excuse me?" he asked, his tone clipped, demanding an explanation.
Michael chuckled darkly. "Oopsie! I guess you're the one who got caught. Chow chow!" He waved a mocking goodbye and sauntered off, leaving an eerie silence in his wake.
Emma felt her legs go weak. She could sense Daniel's eyes drilling into her, searching for answers, demanding them without a single word.
"What the hell was that about, Emma?" His voice was low, dangerously controlled, but she could hear the restrained anger laced within it.
Emma swallowed hard, her heart pounding. "That's Michael… he is supposed to be a friend who is just bitter…"
"A friend who is bitter? He doesn't seem like a friend," he cut her off sharply, his jaw tightening. "Who is he? And what did he mean by that?"
She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Michael… he's my ex. He's just trying to mess with me."
Daniel scoffed. "Mess with you? He mentioned abortions, Emma. That's not just 'messing around.'"
Tears welled in Emma's eyes. This was her worst nightmare coming to life. The past she had desperately tried to outrun was now staring her in the face, threatening to ruin everything she had with Daniel.
"Please, let's talk about this somewhere private," she pleaded, reaching for his hand, but Daniel pulled away, his expression darkening further.
"Why?" His voice was laced with betrayal. "So you can come up with a convincing lie? Emma, I want to be believe you and listen to you, is too hard to explain who he is over here?"
Emma shook her head frantically. "No, Daniel, please, I would never lie to you. I just…"
"Enough, it seems like you've already told a lie. And stop shedding those crocodile tears, they piss me off" he snapped, his voice cold and distant. Without another word, he turned on his heel and marched toward the exit of the boutique.
Emma followed, her heart shattering with every step. She could barely keep up as he stalked toward his car. He yanked the door open, got inside, and slammed it shut. Emma barely had time to slip into the passenger seat before he ignited the engine and sped off.
The ride back was suffocating and silent. Emma kept glancing at him, searching for some sign of understanding, but his face was stony, his grip on the steering wheel tight. The tension in the car was unbearable.
"I don't want to hear from you, until you're able to explain who that man was and what he meant by what he said."
"Daniel…"
"Please, Emma, do not make me yell. I am fighting to control my anger and one more word from you would ignite it. Just text me or send me a voice message when you get home."
Emma sank back into the chair, not wanting to piss him off or be yelled at, she hoped that just as her world came crashing down in a few seconds, and it should also get back together that instance. She wished she could turn back the hands of time and refuse to go into the shopping mall, or rather turn back the hands of time and never gotten herself involved with a man like Michael.
When they reached her apartment, Daniel barely waited for the car to stop before unlocking the doors. Emma turned to him desperately. "Daniel, please, don't do this. Let's talk."
He exhaled sharply and finally looked at her. "I don't know what to think, I am an over thinker, Emma, the fact that this guy is bringing up things I have no clue about or the fact that you have more cockroaches in your cupboard that I haven't heard about, makes me cringe. "
Emma felt like she couldn't breathe. "I was going to tell you. I just… I was scared."
Daniel let out a bitter laugh. "Scared of what? That I wouldn't love you anymore? That I wouldn't accept you?"
Tears spilled down her cheeks. "I don't want to lose you."
Daniel stared at her for a long moment before shaking his head. "I need time, Emma."
And just like that, he put the car in gear and drove off, leaving Emma standing on the sidewalk, shattered.
Emma stumbled inside her apartment, barely making it to the couch before breaking down. Sobs wracked her body as she buried her face in her hands. It was over. She had lost him.
Ava rushed out of her room at the sound of Emma's cries and immediately rushed to her side. "Emma? What happened? "
Emma couldn't form the words. She just collapsed into Ava's embrace, weeping uncontrollably. Ava held her tightly, stroking her hair and whispering soothing words. "It's okay, Em. Whatever it is, we'll figure it out."
"I saw him, I saw Michael and Daniel heard him say some nasty stuff" Emma sobs heartily. All Ava could do at that moment was console her and hope that this moment doesn't last.
Emma wasn't sure how she was going to fix this. Because she felt like she had truly lost everything.