Emma's Tears
1191 Words
★★★
Meanwhile, Mrs. Evans had a disgusted expression on her face. The realization that the shiny piece of jewelry she had admired all evening was not only fake but also radioactive, had turned her mood from bad to worse.
She gritted her teeth in disdain.
Her anger only grew as she looked over at Ethan, holding her granddaughter, Emma, who was crying uncontrollably.
Emma held on to Ethan’s shoulder, her tiny arms wrapped around his neck and refusing to let go. “Daddy, please! Don’t leave! Come home with us!” she wailed, her tear-streaked face pressed against him.
Mrs. Evans snapped, her patience wearing thin. “Emma, enough!” she yelled sharply. “You’re making a scene, and I won’t have you embarrassing us like this in public! Get into the car”
But Emma’s sobs only grew louder. She was crying because they had told her that her father, whom she hadn’t seen in years, wouldn’t be coming with them to the Evans’ mansion.
She didn’t want to let go of Ethan, not after just being reunited with him. The thought of being separated from him again was too much for her to bear.
Walter, who had been standing near his car, a sleek and polished vehicle parked just outside the restaurant, was watching as the scene unfolded. The car was drawing attention, with people walking by and whispering to each other, admiring its luxury.
Seeing the opportunity, Walter approached Lily. He couldn’t deny that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on, and the sight of her standing next to her “filthy” husband, Ethan, made his blood boil.
He wanted to scream at them both, to demand that Lily divorce Ethan so he could have her for himself. But that would be going too far, even for him.
Instead, Walter flashed a charming smile and extended his hand toward Lily. “Lily, why don’t you let me drive you and little Emma home? It’s been a long night, and you deserve to ride in comfort.”
Lily looked at his outstretched hand, then back at Ethan, who was still trying to calm their daughter. She gave Walter a polite but firm smile and shook her head. “Thanks, Walter, but I’ll go with my family.”
Walter’s smile disappeared for a moment, the rejection stinging more than he expected. He wasn’t used to hearing ‘no,’ especially not from someone like Lily. “Are you sure?” he asked, his voice softening in an attempt to sound sincere. “It’s no trouble, really.”
“I’m sure,” Lily said, turning away to walk back toward Ethan and Emma. She wasn’t interested in whatever game Walter was playing. Her place was with her daughter and her husband, no matter how complicated things had become.
Ethan stood there, watching as Lily returned to his side. His fists clenched at his sides, though he did his best to stay calm. Walter had been trying to charm his wife right in front of him, and it took everything Ethan had not to walk over and punch him in the face.
On the other hand, Mr. and Mrs. Evans were already sitting in their car, the door slightly open as they waited for little Emma to get in.
If they had seen Lily turning down Walter’s offer, they probably would have scolded her for letting go of what they considered a golden opportunity.
Their car, an old, beat-up piece of metal, looked pathetic next to Walter’s luxury vehicle, and that was just one of the many reasons they wanted Lily to marry Walter. To them, it wasn’t about love. It was about status, about climbing the social ladder and moving from the bottom of which they had been stuck at for so long.
It really sucked to be at the bottom of the second tier of influential families and more families wanted a more luxurious life.
Emma was still crying, her arms tightly wrapped around Ethan’s neck. “I don’t want to leave Daddy! I will only get into the car if daddy agrees to never leave my side.” she sobbed, her voice hoarse from all the crying. “Daddy, come home with us! Please!”
Ethan’s heart ached as he held her. “Emma, sweetheart,” he whispered, brushing her hair back gently. “I’ll visit you soon, okay? I promise. But tonight, I can’t come home with you.”
Emma shook her head, her little hands clutching his shirt. “No! I don’t want you to go!”
Lily also tried to calm Emma down. “Honey, Daddy will visit us. We’ll see him again, I promise. But tonight, we need to go home. ”
However, Emma wasn’t listening. Her cries grew louder, and Ethan could feel how heartbroken she was. He wanted nothing more than to go home with them, but he knew how the Evans felt about him staying in their house. They had made it clear at the restaurant that he wasn’t welcome.
From inside the car, Mr. Evans turned his head, refusing to even look at Ethan. He hadn’t said much during the dinner, but his cold indifference had spoken volumes. Ethan wasn’t surprised. After all, he knew the Evans didn’t want him around, and they weren’t even trying to hide it anymore.
Mrs. Evans, however, had reached her breaking point. Leaning out of the car window, she shot Ethan a look of disdain. “For God’s sake, Ethan, if you’re so desperate to stay at our house, why don’t you pay the rent?”
The words hit Ethan like a slap in the face. He stood there, stunned, unsure if he had heard her correctly. Even Emma seemed to quiet down, looking up at her grandmother in confusion.
Lily’s face went pale as she looked between her mother and Ethan. “Mom, what are you talking about?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I’m talking about what’s fair, Lily,” Mrs. Evans said sharply. “If Ethan wants to play father now, after being gone all these years, then he can start paying for everything. We’re not running a charity here.”
Ethan could feel the blood rushing to his face, his jaw tightening as he fought to keep his composure. He knew they didn’t like him, but this? Demanding rent just for the privilege of seeing his own daughter?
“How much is the rent?” Ethan asked calmly.
Walter, who had been watching the whole scene unfold with barely disguised amusement, couldn’t resist taunting Ethan. “You know, Ethan. If you can't pay the rent then you must sign the divorce papers. I will compensate you greatly.”
Ethan shot Walter a glare, but he bit his tongue.
Mrs. Evans, feeling smug, crossed her arms and gave Ethan a cold smile. “That’s right. You have to pay $20,000 monthly or sign the divorce papers.”
“Mum st__” Lily opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it.
“I will pay the rent for a year.”
- Writer
