Chapter 5

Emily was in so much pain that even breathing hurt. She forced a bitter smile.

Her mind was flooded with memories of Andrew standing in front of her, protecting her, saying he'd always be there for her.

But now, for another woman, he didn't even hesitate to slap her across the face.

"I'm sorry," Emily said, bowing deeply to Sophie.

Then she looked at Andrew and asked, "Can I go now?"

Andrew looked into her shattered gaze, his heart aching. He said, "This is your home. Where else would you go?"

Sophie said with a meaningful look, "Emily, this is your home."

Emily caught the real meaning behind her words. Sophie was trying to say: "So what if this is your home? You still have to swallow your pride and apologize, powerless to resist."

It hit Emily then: she wasn't the only one in Andrew's heart anymore.

"This place isn't my home anymore," Emily said, her voice steady.

With that, she turned and walked away without a second thought.

Emily wandered the streets with no destination, her cheek numb from the pain, but her heart felt like someone had ripped a chunk right out of it.

Seven years ago, after her mom died, she'd been completely lost until Andrew found her and took her in, giving her a place to call home.

Now, seven years later, Andrew's home wasn't hers anymore. She was lost all over again, not knowing where she belonged.

Suddenly, her phone rang. As soon as she picked up, Stella's cheerful voice came through. Stella exclaimed, "Mommy, I want to have seafood boil tonight."

Stella's voice was like a ray of light cutting through the darkness, giving Emily a sense of purpose again.

Emily choked back her tears. She said, "Okay, I'll take you to have seafood boil."

Emily told herself it was okay. She still had Stella, and from now on, she would make sure they lived a good life together.

That afternoon, Emily waited anxiously outside the kindergarten. Even after the security guard locked the gate, she still didn't see Stella anywhere.

She hurried over, her voice trembling with worry as she asked, "Excuse me, is there any child left inside?"

The guard frowned, confused. He replied, "All the kids have already been picked up. Are you a parent? Maybe someone else took your kid and didn't tell you."

Emily thought maybe Yvette had picked Stella up, so she called her right away. But Yvette said Stella wasn't with her.

"Emily, don't panic. Maybe Andrew took her?" Yvette suggested.

Emily knew that was impossible. Andrew had never once picked Stella up from school, and he even bailed on her when he promised to go to her sports day because he was too busy with work.

Stella cried all day after that, saying she didn't want to talk to her dad anymore.

Emily was so panicked that she didn't notice someone sneaking up on her.

Suddenly, a handkerchief clamped over her face, and a sickly-sweet, chemical scent filled her nose. She clawed at the attacker's arm, fighting with everything she had, but her body started to go numb.

Everything went dark, and she blacked out.

When Emily came to, she found her hands and feet tied up with rough rope. Stella was curled up beside her, looking so small and helpless.

Emily managed to shift herself a little, using her shoulder to gently nudge Stella. She said, "Stella, wake up."

Her voice was so hoarse that it barely sounded like her own, and the nasty taste of the drug still lingered in her mouth.

Stella's face was pale, her eyelashes fluttering a few times before she slowly opened her eyes. She murmured, "Mommy."

Stella was about to cry, but Emily quickly soothed her. She said, "Baby, don't be scared. I am here."

They were in a dim storage room, the only light coming from a narrow window up near the ceiling.

Using the faint light, Emily checked Stella for any injuries. Only when she saw there were no obvious wounds did she finally let out a shaky breath.

Stella buried herself in Emily's arms and whispered, "Mommy, why are we here? That man said he was taking me to see Daddy."

Emily's heart sank. She asked, "What kind of man?"

Stella said, "A man with a scar on his face. He said he was Daddy's friend. He showed me Daddy's picture and said Daddy got me a new toy and was waiting for me in the car."

Emily's eyes narrowed in alarm. She immediately knew who Stella was talking about: Nathan, Andrew's old partner.

Just the memory of those days made her skin crawl.

She was sure that Nathan was back for revenge.