Escape from Mr. Whitman (Emma and Theodore) novel Chapter 230

Emma laughed out loud.

The truth was, she’d had moments like these ever since she was a child—after hours and hours of dance practice, exhausted and hungry, always dieting and pushing her body past its limit.

Even though she’d only been helping out backstage today, it was still tiring. Now, she could feel the hunger gnawing at her.

There was something wonderfully comforting about this foreign city at night. Everyone sat around their portable hot pots, the savory aroma curling through the air as they waited for their food to cook—utterly content.

Just then, Emma’s phone chimed with a video call. It was Theodore.

She remembered the message he’d sent earlier—he was back in Cresthaven. That meant he’d probably seen the divorce papers by now, and this was his response.

Without a word, Emma slipped away to the bathroom with her phone and accepted the call.

She hadn’t expected to see Cecilia’s face on the screen.

“Emma,” Cecilia called to her, moving through the frame.

Emma instantly recognized the setting. Cecilia was in her house—no, the house she and Theodore had lived in for five years. Cecilia was walking from the living room into the kitchen.

Theodore was there, cooking.

Oh, so this was meant to show off their domestic bliss?

“Theo!” Cecilia sounded almost frantic. “Come talk to Emma!”

Theodore glanced back at the screen—at Emma—for a split second, then turned back to his cooking.

Cecilia pressed on, more agitated. “Theo, explain to her!”

He ignored her.

“All right, put the phone down. Enough. Time for dinner,” Theodore said.

“Okay,” Cecilia replied, setting the phone down—but she didn’t actually end the call.

Emma’s screen now showed nothing but the kitchen ceiling, but she could still hear Cecilia’s voice coming through.

“Theo, ah—Theo, don’t—”

“I’m carrying you out.”

“No, Theo, put me down…”

“Ah… Theo, be gentle…”

What a joke.