All Chapters of RECLAIMING EMMA: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Emma’s POVThe next day, walking back into the office felt like stepping into the lion’s den, my heels clicked against the polished floor as I tried to maintain some semblance of composure.The events of the previous day still swirled in my head, Jeff’s fury, Sam’s emotional pleas, and the suffocating tension that had turned my life upside down.But this was work, I needed to keep it together.As soon as I entered the open office space however, it became painfully clear that keeping it together was going to be nearly impossible. Whispers rippled through the room, and I could feel the weight of every single pair of eyes on me.I clutched my bag tightly, pretending not to notice the blatant stares and the hushed conversations.“Good morning Emma.” Rachel greeted, her tone far too cheerful, her eyes glinting with curiosity.“Morning,” I replied, brushing past her desk as quickly as possible, but she wasn’t about to let me go so easily.“Emma, wait.” She called out, rushing to catch up wi

Emma’s POVThe days after the gala had been a haze of emotions, a relentless tug-of-war between my past and my present.No matter how hard I tried to ignore it, Sam’s words clung to me like an old melody I couldn’t forget but I once had a life with Jeff, although it crumbled, we still had it.But Sam was right about one thing in the midst of my current confusion and that was that, he was the father of my children. No matter how much time had passed, that fact wouldn’t change.And that truth gnawed at me.I lay awake for nights, staring at the ceiling, thinking about what it would mean for Jason and Anna to meet him. Would they like him? Would they feel an instant connection, or would they shy away from him like he was a stranger? Because that’s exactly what he was to them, a stranger.Still, something in my heart whispered that I owed them this.So, before I could talk myself out of it, I picked up my phone and sent the text.Emma: I’ve been thinking, you should meet them.The respons

Emma’s POVI was at home, in the space Jeff had kindly cleared up and told me I could use as an office, sifting through paperwork when my phone vibrated beside me. I glanced at the screen and felt my stomach tighten.It was a text from Sam.I hesitated for a moment before picking it up. We hadn’t spoken much outside of work lately, not since Jeff had started trying to rebuild things between us and yet, here he was, reaching out now.I tapped the notification, and his message appeared on the screen.Sam: Lunch? There’s something I want to talk to you about.I exhaled through my nose, debating whether to ignore it. Meeting Sam for lunch didn’t feel like the best idea, not with how complicated things had already become.Jeff had been making an effort, an effort that, if I was honest, I wasn’t sure how to handle just yet.Still, I wasn’t naive. Sam never reached out without a reason. Before I could overthink it, another message popped up.Sam: Before you say no, it’s just lunch. Nothing m

Emma’s POVThe morning of the custody hearing dawned clear and crisp. The kind of morning that should have felt peaceful, but instead, it carried an electric charge in the air, something almost tangible, like the quiet before a thunderstorm.For the past few weeks, Jeff, Valerie, and I had spent countless hours preparing for this day. Every document, every testimony, every shred of evidence that could prove I was the best person to raise my children had been carefully compiled.And now, it was time.But for some reason, instead of waking up with the usual knot of dread in my stomach, I felt confident.I didn’t know where the sudden surge of assurance came from, but as I stretched and got out of bed, I knew one thing, I was ready to fight.I walked down the hall to the twins' room, taking a deep breath before pushing the door open. Jason and Anna were curled up under their blankets, breathing softly in sleep. For a moment, I just stood there, watching them, feeling my heart swell with

Emma’s POVFive years ago.I sat on the edge of our bed, my hands gripping the hem of my dress as I tried to steady my breathing, my entire body trembled from the confrontation earlier that morning.My husband, if I could call him that, we've been married for almost a year now and I have never felt like his wife or even felt like I was living with a husband, he had always made me feel unwelcomed and unwanted whenever I was in his presence.And today was just another day of him doing just that, he had done it again. He had torn into me with words so sharp, they had cut through me deeper than any blade ever could.“You’re pathetic Emma. A complete waste of space.” He had spat before storming out.That was Jeff, the man who had once vowed to love and cherish me, the man who now seemed to despise everything about me.I had spent the entire day trapped in my own mind, replaying his words over and over, trying to understand what I had done wrong this time, but the answer was always the same