novelxo Chapter 1509
Clare's face was filled with sadness as she watched Emma walk away, nodding slowly in acceptance. "I understand. Don't worry, I won't reach out to you again."
Seeing her acceptance, Dustin frowned slightly, as if struck by a thought, and left her with a warning.
"If you message Emma again, I won't be so nice."
"You're cruel, truly heartless."
Clare cried behind him, but Dustin didn't even glance back and just walked away.
Meanwhile, Emma found herself at the scene of Peyton's accident, where traffic was still bustling. She wandered along the road in a daze for a while before spotting a blood-stained phone in the bushes by the roadside. Her eyes widened slightly, and she stood there frozen, hesitant to touch it.
She knew it had to be her mother's blood.
Her fingers trembled as she crouched down, wanting to pick up the phone but finding herself unable to, just staring blankly at it.
If her mother had come here because of messages on this phone, then in a way, she was responsible.
She should have deleted those taunting messages right away. Why did she let her mother see them?
Emma squatted there, staring at the bushes and weeping.
Soon, Clare approached from behind.
Having seen Dustin drive away, she thought she'd try her luck here to see if Emma would show up.
And indeed, Emma was here.
Standing behind her, Clare paused briefly before introducing herself.
"I'm Clare, a model and Dustin's companion back in North America. I've loved him deeply and followed him here. I recently lost a baby and was in a bad place when I sent you those messages. I'm truly sorry, please forgive my grief."
"The thought that Dustin was there with me at the hospital, losing our baby, just made me so resentful, and I took it out on you. I'm sorry, but as you saw, Dustin isn't mad at me, so I hope you can move on too."
Her tone was genuinely sincere.
Emma had picked up the phone by then, a faint, wry smile tugging at her lips.
She didn't want to talk to Clare, not at all.
She stood up, intending to leave, but Clare continued.
"Being with Dustin won't make you happy. You saw it, he can't let go of me."
Emma's heart ached slightly, a subtle pain, and she began to loathe herself for feeling hurt by those words.
Her mother was gone, and she'd only wanted to work hard to give them both a better life.
But now, she longed to return to the countryside.
Having seen the world outside, it wasn't as wonderful as she'd imagined.
As much as she once wanted to escape that small village, now she yearned to return, to be the frog in the well.
Clare watched Emma walk away, a slight smile on her face.
Saying just those few words should be enough, right?
Once Emma got into her car, she headed straight back to her villa.
She transferred all the rent money to Aubree, asking her to settle the accounts.
Aubree sensed something was off and asked why she was suddenly paying up.
"Just don't want to leave any debts behind."
Emma tidied up the house a bit, then sent Dustin a message.
"Come see the kids tomorrow morning."
Dustin was surprised by the message but quickly replied, "Okay."
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Emma also gave the nannies instructions on the kids' care, kissed Jaime and Heather on the cheeks, and then put on the same outfit she wore when she first arrived in Beaconsfield. She went to the hospital to collect Peyton's ashes, then took a car back to the countryside alone.
She left in the afternoon and reached the town by late night.
With no buses back to the village at that hour, she had to hire an unlicensed cab.
But the car broke down about ten
miles
was out, with the drivet
s from the village, and
Emma
demanding triple the fare.
Alone against a burly driver, she didn't dare resist, paid the money, and continued on foot down the narrow path.
Far from the village, guided only the light
f her phone, she wall
the bumpy road, feeling walk
stomach and chest.
This road was tough, with cars bouncing along it.
WY
her
Yet, in that moment, Emma felt an unusual sense of familiarity, her eyes welling up as she sat on a nearby rock and cried.