"And look where that obsession got you," Sarah replied, the shock settling into a cold, hard clarity. She looked Emily up and down, taking in the desperate dress and the bitter lines around her mouth. "You threw away your dignity to be his dirty secret, and then you threw him away the second Ryan gaveyou a better offer. You don't know what passion is, Emily. You only know how to steal things you think belong to other people because you are empty inside."
Sarah turned around and reached for the brass handle.
"Enjoy the rest of your pathetic life, Emily. Do not ever come near me or Julian again."
"My husband is cheating on me!"
The scream tore out of Emily’s throat, ragged and desperate. Sarah froze, her hand still resting on the doorknob.
"He has been cheating on me all along," Emily kept going, the words pouring out in a hysterical rush. "I am the perfect wife. I am the perfect mother to his children. I just gave birth to his second son less than three months ago, and it is never enough for him."
Sarah turned around. She saw her sister, her face completely contorted in pain, tears streaming down through her carefully applied makeup. It took every ounce of Sarah's willpower not to step forward and comfort her.
"Ryan is with his mistress right now," Emily whispered, her voice breaking. "He is holding her hand while she is in labor."
A sharp pang of empathy pierced Sarah's chest.
"He wasn't there for my first birth," Emily sobbed. "He was out of the country. For my second, he barely arrived at the end because he was 'stuck in a meeting.' But today? Today, his mistress gets his time. His mistress, who is living right now in my guest house." Emily let out a desperate, broken laugh. "We were dressed. We were ready to walk out the door for a charity event that I organized myself, and a maid came to tell us she was having contractions. I told him we could still go to the event, that labor takes hours—that it would give him plenty of time tobe present for the birth. But no. He couldn't leave his precious Sloane alone."
Sarah recognized the name immediately. Sloane was a young, ambitious junior associate who had started at the firm shortly before Sarah resigned.
Emily broke down, crying openly, venting her absolute devastation. The venom was gone, leaving only a terrified, broken woman in its wake.
Sarah walked over to the side table, poured a glass of water from a crystal pitcher, and handed it to her sister. She pointed to a leather chair. "Sit down."
Emily collapsed into the chair, clutching the glass with shaking hands.
"Get a divorce, Emily," Sarah said firmly, looking down at her. "Take your children, leave that estate, and start over. Go find actual happiness."
"You don't understand," Emily cried, shaking her head. "I love him. I didn't even know what love was until I met Ryan. Yes, at first I was seduced by his wealth—by the lifestyle. But now I love him more than anything."
"Your love for Ryan can't be worth more than your dignity, Emily," Sarah countered, her tone unwavering. "Sometimes, love just isn't worth the cost."
"I can't leave him," Emily wept, burying her face in her hands. "Ryan and my boys are my entire life. I want my children to grow up in an intact family."
"Do not let your life pass you by running after a man who doesn't make you a priority," Sarah told her. "Despite everything you did to me, I hope you make better choices for yourself and your children."
Emily looked up through her tears, her mascara smudged beneath her red-rimmed eyes. "Will you ever want to meet your nephews?"
Sarah gave a weak smile, shaking her head gently. "You can send me photos. But it wouldn't be fair to those boys if I met them and then disappeared. It is impossible for us to have a relationship after what you did, Emily. Especially when, just minutes ago, you were on your knees trying to destroy my happiness all over again."
Emily broke down into fresh tears, hiding her face in her hands once more.
Sarah turned her back. She grabbed the brass handle and pulled the door open. "I hope you find happiness, Emily." she said.
She stepped out into the brightly lit hallway and immediately saw Julian leaning against the wall just a few feet away. He pushed himself upright as soon as the door clicked shut.
"I just wanted to be here in case you needed me," he explained gently.
Sarah closed the distance with hurried steps. She threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in the crook of his shoulder as if she could hide from the rest of the world there.
Julian didn't hesitate for a heartbeat. He pulled her flush against him, his hands splaying across her back, anchoring her. He was a solid, warm wall against the cold tremors that were starting to take hold of her limbs.
He held her with a fierce, protective pressure, one hand moving to cradle the back of her head, shielding her even though they were alone. He didn't demand words. He didn't ask for the details of the venom Emily had spat. He just breathed with her,his steady heartbeat a rhythmic, grounding promise against her own frantic pulse.
"Are you okay?" he murmured, his voice a low, rough vibration against her hair, thick with a concern that made her throat ache.
Sarah squeezed her eyes shut, letting out a shaky breath that finally broke into a sob she’d been holding back for years. She leaned into the comforting, familiar scent of him, letting his strength carry her weight.
