Chapter 4

After the bizarre breakfast, Emma wrapped up her work at home and went out to her bank to get some paperwork done, before hailing a cab to an apartment complex downtown. 

The air here felt a little humid, but looking at the kids running about to their school and elderly people strolling in the garden of the complex, Emma felt some warmth in her heart. Walking in she passed by a few blocks before she stopped in front of a familiar block. 

This is where her foster family lived and though they severed their ties with her when she decided to marry Shayne, she knew they were always genuine to her, no matter the circumstances. 

It was she who couldn’t distinguish between genuine and fake, and came into Shayne’s persuasion and broke her family’s trust in her by marrying him behind their backs. Thinking about it, she was truly amazed by her foolishness. 

Now that she realized her mistakes, she was ready to make amends with her family no matter what punishment and price it might take because she would have to bear the repercussions of her foolishness. 

Entering the block, she went up by the elevator to the 8th floor where her family lived. Walking onto the floor she looked to the left where her family’s house was located, before walking towards the right where another house was open. 

“Miss Wright, I was waiting for you. Come here, this is the apartment I was talking about.”

A woman in her early thirties came out of one of the four apartments and urged her inside in a jovial tone. Emma nodded with a gentle smile, as she followed the broker inside.

The apartment was moderately sized, with a kitchen, living room, two bedrooms, and bathrooms, along with a balcony facing the lush greenery behind the complex. Even though the apartment complex was more than a decade old, the furnishing and utilities in the apartment were in well-kept condition.

“I’ll take it.”

“D-Don’t you want to take a look again?”

The broker asked baffled, he was all ready to coerce her into buying this apartment, as she looked like an easy woman who knew nothing about the apartment and their prices but here she was making it even easier for him. 

“No, I’ll take it.”

“That’s great! The paperwork is ready, once you sign the agreement, the house is all yours.”

The broker said excitedly as she rushed out of the apartment, Emma took one last look at the apartment and went out as well.

This is the first step, in begging her forgiveness from her family. This apartment was located just in front of her family’s apartment and made it easy for her to meet them or more like bump into them every day until they forgave. 

Of course, she wasn’t expecting any easy forgiveness, she knew she would have to work for it and she would work for it very hard but she couldn’t stay away from her family any longer either. Yet, she couldn’t move in with them again, after brutally breaking ties with them 5 years back. 

They went down to the administrative building to sign the paperwork to buy the apartment. 

“Here are the papers Miss. Wright.”

The broker handed her the paperwork to be filled and signed. 

“All the apartments here are priced at a hundred and fifty thousand dollars, this extra fifty thousand dollars, who are you trying to fool?”

Emma asked calmly as she looked at the broker with a piercing look alarming him, he did not expect the young lady to hold such an intense stare making him break out in a cold sweat.

Though Emma was no longer living the middle-class life she still knew about how things worked here downtown. The brokers here were bloodthirsty leeches, ready to suck dry youths with no knowledge about property buying and selling. 

Unfortunately for him, Emma briefly interned at an architectural firm during her university years and knew a lot more than the average youth of her age.

“Y-You’re mistaken, Miss Wright. I-It is the nominal price… b-but for you, we will finish it off at a hundred and sixty thousand dollars.”

The broker stammered under Emma’s piercing stare, before giving her a new quote. She knew the rest ten thousand dollars was his commission and the real-estate industry was down at this point, so she decided to not bargain further since she had enough to spare from her savings. 

Her years as Mrs. Watson were not in vain, she knew how to secure her future and had her savings from the remainder amount of the monthly expenses given to her to manage the Watson Household, which she had all transferred to a different account today morning. 

She was no saint, for just the sake of her pride she wouldn’t say no to everything but she wouldn’t accept everything either. This saving is the only thing she is taking away as the payment for her lost 5 years of youth. 

After finalizing and taking the apartment keys, Emma went to have her lunch in a cozy corner cafe, near her old school. The owners were still the same, as she saw them still happily serving the students, no matter if they had money or not they were welcome to have their lunch there. 

In return for their service, many parents often made donations here, and even teachers from her school often made hearty tips for their service as gratitude. 

“Emma Wright? Is that you Emma?”

The lady owner in her late forties asked in surprise as she served, Emma’s usual order at her table. 

“How are you, Brittany?”

Emma asked a little nostalgic looking at the lady, whose cooking seconded her mother’s cooking, that even during her university days she came here whenever she could and helped around. 

“I’m great sweetheart, how are you doing? I heard you got married, right after university. I’m angry with you that you never introduced your husband to us.”

Brittany spoke sternly in a reprimanding tone making Emma smile in helplessness as she stood up and hugged the older woman, who wrapped her arms around her instantly with a practiced motion. 

“We’re not together anymore. It was for the best I did not introduce him to you. What if he stole you from me?”

Emma chuckled softly as she hugged Brittany tighter, but the latter was silent, knowing well that behind the easy smile was a crying heart, that was here for comfort and she was going to give the child just that.