Page 3 of Killing Emma

“Emma, please.” He beats his fist into the heavy black door, the sound of his desperation echoing into the still night. “I just wanna see you.”

Oh fuck, there are real tears. I can see the moisture glistening as he looks back over at the door. Every ounce of my cold blood recoils.

“Can you see this?” I ask Manny, keeping my voice in a near whisper.

“Yeah, but I wish I couldn’t. This guy is pathetic.”

I nod, my curiosity piqued at the thought of this man showing so many emotions, and deadpanned Emma, always blank faced. “What’s she doing? I can’t see inside.”

“She’s standing two feet away from the guy on the other side, holding her wine and staring at the door. I don’t know if she’s going to answer it or not, but she looks stone cold.”

“Unreadable Emma.”

I can’t wait to break her open and take a peek at what’s inside.

Chapter Two

Emma

Fuck him.

I think…

I bite down on my lip and take a step forward. Ten years of marriage gone. All because he tripped and fell into his secretary’s vagina last year. That’s what I had assumed—and had been right. He bought a lot of nice jewelry, and none of it ever showed up at my house. He went on a lot of late-night runs and never came home all that sweaty.

He wasn’t the Jared that I fell in love with. That Jared swept me off my feet, loved me unconditionally, and always acted like I was the most beautiful woman in the world. However, that was before three miscarriages and failed IVF treatments. Back before this house began to feel so fucking empty.

“Emma, please,” he cries on the other side of the door.

My lip ticks as I consider hearing him out, but the other part of me considers sending the ring doorbell footage to Lydia. She might think this is funny. Or cruel. His cruelty, not mine. I’m not cruel. I’m just buzzed and tired. All I want is to move on.

“Emma, I love you…”

I roll my eyes and rip the door open. “Just sign the papers, Jared.”

His baby blue eyes light up at the sight of me—they never did that until I kicked him out of the house. “I don’t wanna sign them, Emma. I wanna work this out. You know I do. I want you. I want us.”

“I don’t.”

“Why?”

“Because I just don’t,” I exasperate. The words are empty, but it’s what my lawyer told me to say. He told me to be strong. That this is best. He also tried to take me out to dinner. I think that’s a conflict of interest.

Fuck men.

“Come on, honey,” Jared reaches out, his hand brushing mine.

I catch my breath and pull it away. “No. You made your decision when you slept with someone else. We have nothing to show for the last ten years, either.”

“Emma, it was just a rough time…” The hurt on his face burns. It threatens to tear my heart out and stomp on it all over again. I could give him a second chance. I could let him back in.

I could.

“I know you love me,” Jared’s words come out soft. “I know we can work through this if you just give me a chance. I stopped seeing Melanie.”

Melanie. Stupid fucking Melanie.

Except that’s not true. It’s not her. It’s him.

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