Escape from Mr. Whitman (Emma and Theodore) novel Chapter 119

Chapter 119

“Really?” Her aunt’s delight was impossible to miss. “When are you coming? Just tell me, and I’ll take care of everything for you.”

“It’ll be a while, Auntie. Not until August, I think.”

Her aunt’s smile grew so wide her eyes nearly disappeared. “With me here, you have nothing to worry about. I’ll handle all the expenses too, so don’t even think about it. Oh Emmie, after all these years alone overseas, I finally have family coming. You have no idea how happy this makes me.”

They talked for ages, neither wanting to end the video call.

When it finally ended, Emma spotted tears glimmering in her grandmother’s eyes. “Emmie, your aunt’s had it tough, you know…”

Emma knew that better than anyone.

Her father always resented her grandmother for supporting her aunt’s studies abroad–he couldn’t even make it to college himself.

But Emma knew her aunt got out there by sheer grit. She got into university on her own, then won a full scholarship, working part–time jobs overseas while studying. Her grandmother was just a grade school teacher, and with a son like Emma’s dad–always burning through money–where would she have found the extra cash?

Her grandmother always wanted to help her son, but he never gave her the chance. He barely scraped 200 points on his final exams. What right did he have to complain?

“Emmie, wait a moment.” Her grandmother stepped into her bedroom and returned holding out a bank card, eyes shining with tears. “Take this, dear. There’s a little money in it–use it while you’re away. Please, don’t make things hard on yourself. Back then, I couldn’t help your aunt, and she suffered for it…”

“Grandma, I’m fine. I have plenty of money,” Emma smiled. “Really, I do.”

If there was one thing she didn’t lack these past five years, it was money–Theodore had always made sure of that. She’d managed to save quite a lot, and he’d even put several properties in her name.

A sudden idea struck her. “Grandma, why don’t you come with me? Come study abroad with me.”

Her grandmother looked startled, waving her hands in protest. “Oh, I couldn’t! That

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Chapter 119

wouldn’t do at all.”

But now that the thought had taken root, Emma couldn’t let it go. Before, she hadn’t known her aunt was in England; now she did. Wouldn’t that mean the three of them could finally be together again?

“Grandma, just get a visitor or family visa and come with me!” Emma looped her arm through her grandmother’s, coaxing her playfully. “You’ll miss me, and my leg isn’t great. It’s my first time traveling so far on my own–won’t you worry about me?”

Her grandmother hesitated, torn.

“Tell you what, I’ll talk to Auntie tomorrow, and we’ll see what she thinks, okay?”

Emma knew her grandmother worried about being a burden to her aunt–after all, life overseas hadn’t been easy for her, even if she’d never once complained. But Emma could look after her grandmother herself; she didn’t need her aunt to shoulder it. And besides, with Auntie there, her grandmother would finally get to see her daughter

again.

The thought of the three of them reunited in a foreign land made Emma so happy she could hardly sleep that night. She had her visa interview the next day, so she went to bed early.

Before turning in, she looked up the process for getting a visitor or family visa, and once she had the basics down, she scrolled through her social feed–only to stumble across a post from Theodore.

The picture showed two hands tightly clasped: a woman’s slender fingers adorned with a gigantic diamond ring and a designer watch, a man’s hand bearing a simple

silver band.

The caption read: “Everything I’ve done in my life has been to give you a piece of clear blue sky. Don’t be afraid–I’m here.”

Beneath, their mutual friends had commented: “Theodore, you and Emma always seemed so perfect together. I’m honestly jealous.” That was from a high school classmate.

Another comment: “I never would have guessed, Theodore. You two kept things under wraps even back in school.”

Everyone from high school knew the handsome, popular Theodore had married quiet, graceful Emma–the girl who rarely spoke but danced beautifully. But no one knew that the person Theodore truly loved wasn’t her.

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Jared had commented too: “Theo, you’re such a stand–up guy!”

Emma laughed bitterly. Was that what a stand–up guy looked like–hurting his wife to protect someone else?

She hadn’t planned on getting involved, but Jared’s comment was just too much. She couldn’t help herself and typed beneath the post: “Mr. Whitman, whose hand are you holding?”

She’d barely hit send when a message popped up.

It was a screenshot, sent over with a note from Renee Chance, another old classmate: “Emma, so you haven’t blocked me after all!”

Emma wasn’t sure what Renee meant, but looking at the screenshot, she realized it was Theodore’s post–this time only showing the classmates‘ comments. Renee must not have known Jared, and Emma’s own comment hadn’t appeared yet when the screenshot was taken.

Emma replied: “Why would I block you?”

Renee responded: “You disappeared for five years. Ever since you got married, you stopped coming to reunions, dropped out of all our group chats, and cut off contact with everyone from school.”

Emma froze.

She’d withdrawn from the world, she knew that, but reading Renee’s words felt like a slap–forcing her to see just how small her world had become. Whether it was her marriage or her own choices, she’d let herself be trapped in a tiny circle.

Renee sent another message: “And Theodore too–he hides you away. Whenever we have a reunion, he always says you don’t like socializing. If we didn’t know him from school, we’d probably think he was keeping you locked up somewhere.”

Emma’s heart sank.

So he had been meeting up with their old friends–but never told her about it. Not

once.

How could she explain to Renee that yes, maybe she wasn’t the most outgoing, but that was never the reason she skipped reunions? The truth was, Theodore simply didn’t want to acknowledge her as his wife in front of their friends. If it were Cecilia, she thought bitterly, he’d be parading her everywhere. Whether it was business dinners with the Browns or the Sebastians, the person on his arm was always Cecilia. The woman he showed off to the world–always, always Cecilia.