CHAPTER 3: WORTHLESS OR PRICELESS
1033 Words
Days had passed since Emma's encounter with the stranger—a moment she hadn’t given much thought to, until today.
She had just gotten a text from her cheating ex—but, in truth, it was all her fault. Torn between a flood of emotions and a heart that overruled reason, she had texted him, trying to fix things—things that were broken beyond repair. The cheating ex in question had never once been remorseful about his behavior.
Her eyes were fixed on the phone, yet she was lost in thought. She couldn’t believe she had made such a drastic mistake. “No, he must be tipsy,” she tried to reason, but there was no excuse that could soften the sting of his words:
> “I know I’m the only person that could ever want you, and that’s why you can’t let go. But please try. I’ve moved on. I mean it, Emma—please stay away.”
She replayed his words in her head, disagreeing once, twice, again and again—as if denial could protect her from the truth she refused to accept. But then, her mind drifted back to the encounter at the restaurant.
He approached me and even insisted we take a walk, she recalled.
He could’ve just been bored, her inner voice argued.
But he stayed longer than expected. He really enjoyed talking to me... he even lost track of time, the battle began.
Dude was just bored.
No, he was not!
Emma was so lost in thought, tangled in her own inner debates.
If you were that intriguing, then why didn’t he ask for your contact afterwards?
The thought scared her...
Was she really that boring? That unwanted?
She didn’t know what to think or what to do, but she knew what she wouldn’t do—drown herself in the words of a cheating bastard.
With that resolve, she tied her sleek auburn hair into a messy bun. It looked natural yet cute—giving off a “messy but sassy” vibe. Looking at herself in the mirror, she decided on no makeup—she wasn’t in the mood. A touch of her lip gloss, her black jacket, and she was out the door.
She needed fresh space, fresh air, and above all, a fresh start. She would shed the negative energy and begin again. After walking for a bit, she found a bench in the park and sat down.
Seated there, her mind wandered—from her past to her supposed future.
*Wave*
Her body was present, but her thoughts were far away.
*Wave* Wave*
Her brain slowly reconnected with the moment, and her eyes focused on a foggy figure ahead of her. Tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a black shirt and grey pants.
That guy is waving at you! her inner voice whispered.
“Me?” she blurted aloud, scrunching her brows and looking behind her to check if someone else might be the intended recipient.
He was approaching, closing the distance.
“Oh no...” Emma grew nervous. She tried to stay calm, but everything inside her was going haywire—not from passion, but from anxiety.
What’s your problem? I thought you wanted to be wanted!
Emma rolled her eyes, swatting the voice away. Now was not the time.
“Hey, Emma!”
“Roderick?!” Emma was stunned. She hadn’t expected to see a familiar face.
Roderick smiled and extended his hand. Emma placed hers in his—it looked so small and fragile in his palm.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you here!” She couldn’t hide her surprise, but Roderick was just enjoying the moment.
“Oh! So you were expecting to see me... just not here?”
“No!” she refuted instantly, defensive.
The smirk on Roderick’s face only made it worse.
“Yes! No! That’s not what I meant!” At this point, she wasn’t even sure what she meant—she just wanted to erase whatever impression was fueling that smirk.
Roderick was enjoying every second of seeing her flustered, confused, and on edge.
“It’s really nice to meet you again, Emma.”
“Same here,” she admitted honestly.
“Oh, so you are happy to see me?”
Emma rolled her eyes. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
Roderick burst out laughing. He liked this version of Emma—confident, sharp, unpredictable.
“Of course! You’re a fun person to be around.”
'Yet you didn’t ask for my contact', she was tempted to say, but keeping her cool, she replied, “That’s nice.”
Still holding hands, they silently agreed to take a walk.
For a moment, while Roderick was talking, she phased out. She smiled, nodded, and simply watched him. They looked good together—it made her smile even more.
See? That lying, cheating bastard was lying about you, her thoughts whispered.
You added “lying” twice, dummy... shoo! Now’s not the time.
She rolled her eyes internally, her smile never leaving her face. Kennedy was nothing but a cheat and a liar—and this moment right here proved it.
“You do know your facial expressions are very easy to read, right?”
She was back to reality. “What?”
“You were staring. So lost in thought. But it’s fine—I get that a lot,” Roderick teased about his looks.
Emma wanted to argue, but what would she even say? That he’s boring? Or worse—that she was having a whole other conversation in her head while he was talking?
“You’re delusional,” was all she could come up with, as they continued walking together.
They laughed, played games, and had a genuinely good time.
When the evening sun began to set, Roderick offered to walk her home.
Emma hesitated.
“Is escorting ladies home, like, your thing?”
“Just for you, milady!” he said with a dramatic bow—left hand behind his back, right hand forward, mimicking a perfect French servant.
Emma burst out laughing, but eventually agreed.
She genuinely liked Roderick’s company—and silently hoped he liked hers too.
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- Writer
