Chapter 5: A New Beginning

Chris is going to marry Lily?

For a heartbeat, I couldn’t breathe. I stopped in my tracks, surprised and, honestly, a little relieved. I should’ve seen it coming—what could be more convenient than marrying her and keeping her close?

My pulse quickened, but beneath the shock, a strange sense of freedom fluttered in my chest. If this was the final chapter for us, at least I could write the ending myself.

I gave a bitter smile and glanced at Chris. His face was blank; his tone was flat.

I’d seen that expression before—during arguments, at funerals, even once in the hospital when his father was ill. It was his shield, the wall he hid behind when things got complicated. He didn’t look at me, just stared past my shoulder, as if reading the weather through the window.

“Emily, Lily will only be a live-in companion. Her family doesn’t have much standing; she can’t find a good match in Chicago. You know, Mr. Mason did a lot for me—I can’t let him down. I’ve already told my mom, once Lily moves in, I’ll go talk to your family.”

The words felt clinical, rehearsed—like he was explaining a business merger, not a marriage. I wondered if he’d ever loved anyone, or if obligation was the only language he spoke.

Mr. Mason wasn’t just Chris’s mentor; he once saved Chris’s life during a hunting trip. To say the debt was huge isn’t an exaggeration.

People in our circles never forgot a debt, especially one paid in blood. Chris wore that memory like a second skin, heavy and inescapable. I respected that, but I refused to let it define me.

Chris wanted to keep talking, but suddenly it all seemed absurd. How small I must’ve been before, to let Chris say these things to me without even flinching.

I felt the laughter bubbling up, bitter and bright. I almost pitied my younger self—the girl who waited for phone calls, who made excuses, who thought love was earned through patience and sacrifice.

Sarah, standing next to me, was so mad she blurted out, “What’s wrong with you? Emily’s already engaged to the Parker family…”

Sarah had always been my protector, even when we were kids. She stepped between me and the world’s sharp edges, fists clenched, chin raised. Her loyalty was fierce, and I loved her for it.

I reached out to stop her, gave Chris a calm, distant smile, and said slowly, “If the debt’s that deep, Chris, you should marry Lily as your wife. One couple for life—that’s how it should be.”

I let the words hang in the air, cold and final. There was no anger left in me, just clarity. If Chris wanted to live in a world ruled by debts and duty, he could do it without me.

With that, I walked away without looking back. Only Chris was left standing there, his expression dark and impossible to read.

Behind me, the city lights glimmered through the shop window, and for the first time, I felt the promise of a new beginning. And for once, I didn’t look back to see if he was watching me leave.