Six months passed.
Emily did not wake up early today. She deliberately stayed in bed till almost noon. She was not in a hurry to start the day even though she had longed for it to come. For a moment she simply lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Then the realization settled fully into her chest. It was over. Her five years were done.
Today marked five years… Five years since the contract was signed and she was bound to Tony Torredo. For the first time in years, the weight pressing against her ribs felt lighter. Emily breathed a sigh of relief.
She sat up slowly. Her eyes drifted through the room. The room felt different somehow. She walked to the mirror and studied her reflection. She looked older than the girl who had walked into this marriage five years ago.
It dawned on her again. Today was the day she was to get her freedom. And for the first time in years, Emily truly smiled.
Emily sat at her dressing table applying her favorite cherry lipstick. She stopped midway as her mind circled back to the memory of that night.
That night when…
Alex leaned closer.
His breath, warm.
His eyes searched hers.
For a moment their faces were inches apart.
Then, she turned her head at the last second.
What if she hadn't turned? She thought.
Emily shook the memory away and forced herself to focus on something else just like she has done for the past six months.
In a house as big as the Torredo penthouse, avoidance was easy. For Emily, it meant waking up earlier than Alex most mornings. Finishing breakfast before he came downstairs. If she heard his footsteps in the hallway, she changed direction. If he entered a room, she found a reason to leave.
And as if the world was working in her favor, Tony had suddenly started to give Alex a lot of responsibility that kept him busy at the office or on work trips.
The memory of the next morning also lingered.
Alex had knocked on her door and she had pretended not to be around. Later in the day he sent a text apologizing and blamed the alcohol. She had responded that it was all water under the bridge.
But was it? Emily knew that was a dangerous moment. Dangerous things had no place in the fragile life she was trying to hold together and that was why she had avoided him at all cost.
The knock on her door interrupted her thoughts.
Emily was glad to have this distraction. She quickly put her makeup away.
"Come in."
The House Manager entered holding a bouquet of white flowers.
"This came in for you."
Emily blinked in surprise. "For me?"
"Yes, ma'am."
She accepted the bouquet slowly, confused. Tucked between the stems was a small envelope. Emily opened it carefully and brought out a simple card.
It read:
Hey babygirl,
Today, your five years with Tony ends.
I sent this early so none of us will forget.
Thank you so much and Happy Birthday.
I can't wait to see you.
Love, Dad
For a moment, Emily couldn't breathe. Her fingers trembled slightly as she stared at the card. Her father had written it years ago. He had suspected he might not be around for this day. So he had arranged for flowers to arrive in advance.
Emily pressed the bouquet gently against her chest. She remembered how tightly he had hugged her just before she entered the car. She could still picture vividly the sorrow on his face when he let her go. She had assured him she was going to be fine. And here she was, stronger than ever, having completed the five-year mark that will clear her father's debt. Emily fought back the tears welling up in her eyes.
"Oh dad, if only you were here," she whispered softly.
***
Later that afternoon, Emily walked into the kitchen. She stopped when she realized she wasn't alone. Alex stood near the counter pouring himself coffee. His hand paused mid-movement as soon as he noticed her.
For a moment neither of them moved. The air between them thickened with the tension they had both been avoiding for months.
Emily forced herself to remain calm and continued toward the refrigerator.
After a few seconds, Alex cleared his throat.
"Hello, Emily."
She froze slightly. The way he said her name made something twist uncomfortably in her chest.
"Hello," she said quietly.
He hesitated before speaking again.
"I've been meaning to talk to you about that night."
Emily's fingers tightened slightly around the refrigerator door as she pulled it open.
"It shouldn't have happened," he said.
She stopped and turned to him sharply. "Nothing happened." She said, cutting him off.
"I know. I meant to say I shouldn't have tried to..."
"You already apologized. It's all good." She cut him mid-sentence again.
Alex exhaled. "It won't happen again."
She nodded slowly. "Good."
The conversation ended as quickly as it had begun. The sound of footsteps interrupted the silence. Tony entered the kitchen moments later.
"Emily," Tony said casually. "Pack a small bag. We're leaving for the weekend."
Emily stared at him in confusion. "For the weekend?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Tony glanced at her briefly. "Your birthday."
Emily didn't respond. She was overcome with shock. For five years Tony had never once acknowledged her birthday. He never gave her a gift or booked dinner reservations or even carried out the simplest act of wishing her happy birthday. Now, suddenly, he wanted to celebrate it. Something about it felt wrong. Still, Emily said nothing.
"Be ready in an hour," Tony added calmly and left.
***
Tony made calls all through the ride to the cabin. Emily watched him carefully. His expression made it difficult to tell what he had in mind.
By the time the car was pulled to a stop in front of the house, the unease in her chest had grown stronger. In the five years she had been married to Tony, this was the second time she was coming to the cabin.
Emily took a deep breath as soon as she stepped out of the car. On the outside, the cabin looked the same as it did five years ago. The rustic cabin looked like it was being swallowed up by trees. Emily braced herself up before stepping in.
Nothing had changed inside too. It still smelled of aged cedar and charred pine. A fireplace made of river stone warmed up the room. The reclaimed hardwood floors were beginning to wear out.
What struck Emily the most was that it still held fresh memories of the first time she was here. It was a month after her wedding to Tony. He proposed a trip just like he did today. Only then, he said it would be nice for the newly wed to go on honeymoon. The next morning she woke up to news that her father had died. Emily had locked herself in the bathroom for hours, crying and wishing it was her.
During dinner, Tony slid a velvet box to her.
"Happy Birthday."
Emily opened the box. Sitting inside was a necklace with a pear-cut rare blue diamond at its center. She didn't react. She closed the box and set it back on the table.
"You don't like it?" He sipped his wine. "You can swap it when we get back to the city."
"No. It's a beauty."
Silence
"But this is not what I was promised."
Tony glanced at her. "What do you mean?"
Emily took a slow breath.
"The agreement was for five years."
His smile faded slightly.
"After that, I am to get a million dollars, an apartment and my freedom with the dissolution of the marriage."
Tony gulped the remaining of his drink.
"Today marks five years…"
"You must be mistaken. There was no five-year clause." He cut in
Emily blinked in disbelief.
"Yes, there was."
She sprung up from the chair.
"I have done my part of the deal and I will leave. You can keep your money and house but you will not stop me from leaving."
Tony pulled himself from the chair and moved closer to her. Close enough to hear her breathing.
"If you want to leave Emily… you'll have to repay the debt plus interest that has been accrued in the five years." he said coldly.
The words struck her like ice water.
She stammered, "That's not true."
"Prove it."
"I can and I will."
Tony looked deep into her eyes, searching for an atom of bluff. But he didn't find any.
She stormed off.
For the first time, we see fright in Tony's eyes.
He pulled out his phone and typed: 'She has it. I need to get that document and burn it before she uses it and ruin us." Then hit the send button.