Open Marriage, Broken Promises: When Love Turns to Ashes novel Chapter 24

Seeing their familiar shape, Emily felt a pang of nostalgia.

Susan leaned in and whispered, "These look a lot like that glass paperweight you gave James."

Emily nodded. "They do, don't they?"

Alex asked, "What glass paperweight?"

Susan laughed. "It was their love token."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Alex raised his paddle and placed a bid.

Susan: "..."

Was he really going to compete over this?

When the heavy carved gold scepters were handed to Emily, Susan leaned in and whispered, "See? I told you he's into you."

Emily: "..."

Evening.

Emily was woken up by her phone buzzing.

She answered the call and heard Lily's panicked voice.

"Emily, please, you have to help me."

How strange.

Lily was actually asking her for help.

On the other end of the line, Lily was on the verge of tears. "James wants to get rid of my ba—"

Before she could finish, Emily hung up.

She didn't want to get involved in their mess.

But she never expected James to be so heartless as to want to abort his own child.

She turned off her phone and slept until morning.

When she woke up, there were two unexpected guests sitting in her living room.

Leading the pack was James' mother, Margaret.

And cowering beside her like a scolded child was Lily.

Emily picked up an apple and took a bite. "What's up?"

Seeing her lack of manners, Margaret's face instantly darkened. "Don't you know how to show respect to your elders? Is this how you treat someone older than you?"

Elders?

Emily remembered when she first joined the Carter family, Margaret had lectured her about being a proper Carter daughter-in-law—knowing her place, being dutiful, and serving her elders on her knees.

She had spent years kneeling and serving Margaret in the Carter household.

And even then, she never earned Margaret's approval.

She glanced at Lily sitting beside Margaret and almost laughed.

Well, it seemed everything came down to who was carrying the heir.

Emily pulled out a chair and sat down. "Mom, why are you here today?"

Margaret glanced at Lily, cleared her throat, and said, "I know James messed up, but it's the kind of mistake every man in the world makes. You need to let it go. Besides, it's not his fault you can't have kids. Can you really blame him for looking elsewhere?"

Lily teared up, her voice trembling with emotion. "That's right, Emily. I'm the unfortunate one here. James… he only saw me as you. I was just a stand-in. The baby will call you 'Mom' anyway. Can't you just accept us?"

Accept them.

The word almost made Emily laugh.

So Lily was dead set on being the other woman.

Emily took her time before speaking. "Mom, you always lecture me about rules. And by Carter family rules, doesn't the mistress have to kneel and serve me tea?"

Lily's face went pale. "What? No...!"

She tried to protest, but Margaret pinched her hard. "Of course! If you're willing to recognize Lily's child, she can serve you tea."

Lily clenched her teeth, her gaze burning with resentment as she looked at Emily.

The look was so sharp, so raw, as if she wanted to pierce right through her.

For a split second, Emily almost pitied her.

Lily had made her own choices. The ones forcing her were Margaret and James.

Yet, the person she hated most was Emily, another victim.

Pathetic and cruel.

Under Margaret's pressure, Lily begrudgingly prepared and poured the tea.

When she knelt down, tears rolled down her cheeks like shattered pearls, as if she had suffered some unbearable injustice.

Emily picked up the teacup and stared at her coldly.

Just as they thought she was about to drink it—

She moved fast, splashing the tea right in Lily's face.

"I don't accept it."

"Lily, listen to me. I don't accept this."

He grabbed her wrist. "Emily."

His eyes turned red, his voice choked with emotion. "I know I've screwed up. I was reckless these past few years. I'll take care of the baby—I'll get rid of it. Just don't leave me."

If this were years ago, Emily would have burst into tears of joy.

Back then, she still had hope. She still loved him.

She looked at James. "We've been together for eleven years, haven't we?"

Four years dating. Seven years married.

Eleven years.

James thought she was reminiscing about the past and nodded eagerly. "Yeah, yeah, we've been together for eleven years."

"But James, I only truly felt happy for about two or three of those years."

For those two or three years of happiness, she had sacrificed nearly a decade of her life.

James was speechless.

In an instant, guilt and regret flooded his heart.

He wiped his tears, but they kept falling.

Emily patted his shoulder. "I don't want things to end ugly between us, but you need to stop clinging. Let's part ways amicably."

Eleven years, all for the sake of an "amicable parting."

No matter how you looked at it, it was a losing deal.

James' body trembled violently, as if stung by a wasp.

He grabbed Emily's wrist. "Emily, let's not end this, okay?"

Emily pried his fingers off, her resolve as firm as when she'd shielded him from a bottle years ago. "No, I won't be happy."

Even if they reconciled.

She'd still remember everything that happened, and it would just be torture for both of them.

Why torture each other if it's just going to hurt?

"I'll make you happy. Forget about Alex. I'll learn to be a better husband. Just give me one chance. That's all I'm asking for."

He reached out to hug her.

But Emily refused.

Even now, he was trying to shift the blame onto her.

Emily's eyes reddened. "James, I gave you so many chances. You're the one who didn't cherish them."