Chapter 3 I'm Taking Back Everything That Belongs To Me

When Emma was finally cleared to leave the hospital, she took care of every discharge form herself. Then she hailed a taxi and headed home.

The familiar scent of wood filled the living room as she entered. By the window, Austin stood with his back turned, phone to his ear.

His words came in a soft murmur, warm and patient, almost as though he were comforting the person on the other end. When his head tilted to one side, she saw a slight smile lingering on his lips.

The sight brought Emma to an abrupt halt. For a few seconds, she could only stand there, looking at him in a daze.

Every movement still sent pain through her body. Even speaking felt like too much effort, let alone lowering herself to ask why he'd gone all these days without so much as a single call or message.

What was the point anymore?

She headed for the stairs, intending to gather her things and leave. Before she could get far, Austin called after her, "Where on earth have you been? You haven't come home in days."

Not a hint of worry softened his words. All she heard was blame.

Emma halted in her tracks, though she made no move to face him.

Austin moved directly in front of her, cutting off her way. "Is this about me not answering your texts? Is that why you're upset?"

So he had read every message she'd sent. Ignoring her had been a choice.

Her fingers curled tightly against her palms, but not a trace of emotion slipped into her reply. "Not at all."

A crease formed between Austin's brows. Clearly convinced she was giving him the silent treatment, he forced himself to explain. "Look, I've had a lot going on lately. One of my friends got into an accident, and I've been busy taking care of things."

One of his friends? Who else could it be but Sadie?

Of course. He had come prepared with the perfect excuse.

Emma let her eyes fall, her lashes quivering almost imperceptibly. "I get it. This friend of yours must mean an awful lot to you."

Without another word, she slipped past him and started climbing the staircase.

Austin's expression darkened. "What's gotten into you today? Why do you keep throwing these little digs at me? I already told you what happened, didn't I? So what's with the attitude?"

The attitude?

The accusation was so ridiculous that Emma nearly burst out laughing.

She had come dangerously close to losing her life while saving his mistress.

Yet somehow, he had the nerve to act as though she were being petty?

Her head snapped up, her eyes finding the face she knew so well. Strangely, everything she'd once cared about suddenly seemed meaningless.

For a moment, Emma kept her mouth shut. Then, in a low but unmistakably steady voice, she said, "Austin, I want a divorce."

For a split second, Austin looked genuinely stunned. Then his gaze hardened as he studied her expression. "Quit this nonsense, Emma. You think threatening divorce is going to scare me?"

She had no patience left for another argument. "This isn't some empty threat. I mean it."

With that, she brushed past him and made her way upstairs.

"Have you even considered what your life would look like without me, Emma? You've spent years depending on me for everything."

Her steps came to a halt halfway up.

Austin's voice lost its edge when he saw her reaction. "Forget it. We'll act like this conversation never happened. Just go get some sleep."

But Emma hadn't missed the brief flash of disdain in his gaze.

Her fingernails bit into her palms, yet her determination remained unshaken. "What I do with my life from here on out has nothing to do with you. I'll get the divorce papers ready as soon as I can. All I'm asking is that you sign them."

A frown creased Austin's forehead. He was about to respond when his phone suddenly buzzed.

One look at the caller ID, and the tension vanished from his face. He picked up immediately. "Sadie?"

A trembling voice, thick with tears, greeted him. "Austin, my stomach is killing me... Can you please come? I'm really scared..."

Panic flashed across his features. "Don't move around, okay? I'm coming right now."

Ending the call, he spoke to Emma, already in a rush. "Something's come up. I have to go. We can finish this conversation when I get back."

Within seconds, the front door slammed shut.

Not once had he bothered to look her way before leaving.

From the driveway came the rumble of a car engine. Moments later, even that sound disappeared down the road.

Emma clutched the stair railing, her fingers tightening around it.

She had just told him she wanted a divorce. Yet he hadn't even tried to talk her out of it. Instead, he had rushed off to console another woman without a second thought.

That night passed without Austin returning home.

By the following morning, Emma was ready to leave. With the divorce papers left behind, she picked up her suitcase and headed for the door.

Each movement made her burns throb. She clenched her jaw and kept going, forcing herself forward one painful step at a time until she passed the front gate.

No sooner had she reached the street than her phone vibrated.

Emma took the call, and her best friend, Melanie Foster, greeted her from the other end.

"Emmy, are you seriously making your comeback? It's about time! That bastard Austin was never worth all the love you gave him."

For the past several days, Melanie had been overseas on business. The moment word reached her about everything Emma had been through, she had been desperate to catch the first flight home.

"Does that man even realize how much he owes you? Remember when his tech company was about to go belly-up because they couldn't get their core system working? You're a freaking computer genius, and you handed over the rights to your one-of-a-kind patent just to bail him out! Without you, Edwards Group wouldn't even be around today! And that wasn't the only time! Whenever he ran into something he couldn't solve, you were always the one cleaning up his mess behind the scenes. You gave him everything and didn't even expect anything back! And this is how he treats you? That scumbag doesn't have a heart!"

Just thinking about it made Melanie's blood boil. Finally, she snapped, "Emmy, you need to dump his ass and get that divorce!"

"That's exactly what I'm doing, Melly. I've already had the divorce papers prepared, and nothing's going to make me back out now. I'm taking back everything that belongs to me, too. After everything I've worked for, there's no way I'm letting those people keep making money off my efforts." A fierce resolve burned in Emma's eyes, stronger than anything she'd felt before.

Beauty had never been all she had to offer.

Her true passion lay in programming, exploring artificial intelligence, and creating video games.

At just eighteen, she'd already earned a place among the key members of the Apex Alliance, a prestigious international organization made up of the world's top tech minds.

Yet once Austin became her husband, she'd tucked away her extraordinary talents without a second thought, perfectly happy to devote herself to being his wife.

Emma pushed those thoughts aside and suddenly remembered something. "Oh, Melly, remember that big investor you told me about? The one who's been trying to get his hands on the game I created?"

"Of course, but I thought you said—"

"I'm ready to sell."

For a second, Melanie was too stunned to respond. Then realization hit, and excitement spilled into her voice. "Emmy! Does that mean you've finally changed your mind?"

Not a trace of emotion crossed Emma's face as she glanced back at the house she had lived in for three years.

"Yeah. I've made up my mind. Everything that belongs to me, I'm getting it back. Piece by piece. And I won't let Austin off the hook for a single thing he owes me."