Chapter 3 A New Start

With that, she turned and walked up the stairs.Her legs felt heavy, but her heart was set.She went into her room - the same room she had cried in, dreamed in, worked hard in.

Without wasting time, she grabbed a bag and began packing. Just the clothes she needed, her documents, and what little money she had left.Not much... but enough to get away.

She looked around the room one last time."I'd rather sleep on the street with beggars than stay under this roof," she whispered.Then she walked back downstairs with her bag in hand.

Her father stood at the bottom of the stairs, arms crossed."If you walk out that door, don't ever come back," he said without emotion.

Emily didn't even look at him.

Emily walked for a while with her bag in hand, her mind spinning. She didn't know where she was going, but she couldn't stay on the street all night. Her hands were cold, and her feet ached, but her pride wouldn't let her turn back. She took out her phone and hesitated. Then she dialed the one person she trusted - Valentina.

"Val..." her voice cracked as soon as she heard her friend's voice.

"Emily? Where are you? What happened?"

"I... I just need a place to stay. Please." Valentina didn't even think twice.

"Send me your location. I'm coming to get you right now."

Fifteen minutes later, Valentina's car pulled up beside her.

As soon as Emily opened the door and got in, she saw her friend's worried eyes - and that's when she finally broke. She burst into tears, shaking and sobbing like a child.

Valentina didn't say anything at first. She just pulled her into a hug and held her as she cried.

"I've lost everything, Val," Emily whispered through the tears. "Everything."

At Valentina's apartment, wrapped in a warm blanket and with a hot drink in her hand, Emily told her everything. The betrayal. The lies. Charles. Julie. Her so-called family. The fake pregnancy. The stolen child. Every word burned her throat, but she said it anyway.

"I loved him, Val... I was ready to marry him. I thought we were building a life together. And all this time... he was just using me. They all were."

Valentina's face turned red with anger. "Those monsters. I swear, if I see them-" Emily shook her head.

"I just need to move on," she said quietly. "Start fresh. I can't go back to the company... not after everything. I'll have to find a job. Anything."

Valentina reached for her hand. "You're not alone, okay? We'll figure this out together."

Emily nodded, though her heart still ached. She stared out the window at the night sky. She had no money. No job. No home. And no child in her arms. But she had one thing left. Herself.

"I'll start from zero," she said softly.

It had been three months since Emily's world fell apart - since the betrayal, the lies, and the heartbreak.

It had also been two months since she started working at Rowland Corporation as a manager.

And now, it had been two weeks since she moved out of Valentina's apartment and into a small place of her own. It wasn't fancy, but it was hers - her own space, her own peace.

Yet tonight, she stood in front of a fancy restaurant, staring at the glass doors with a mix of nerves and disbelief.

A blind date. Her best friend, Valentina, had pushed her into it.

Emily remembered their conversation clearly. They had been sitting on Valentina's couch just a few nights ago.

"Stop dwelling in the past," Val had said. "You can't keep your life on pause because of what they did. They've moved on. You have to, too." Emily had rolled her eyes.

"I'm not ready for dating, Val. Come on." Val wasn't having it.

"And don't you know the best way to beat them at their own game? Get married. Be happier than they are." Emily had laughed at that, actually laughed - something she hadn't done much in the past months.

"You're silly, Val."

Valentina had crossed her arms, eyes full of determination.

"I'm not silly, I'm serious. Look at it - it's been months, and Charles and Julie still aren't married. Do you know what that means? They're not stable. They're not sure. You can still win."

Emily hadn't taken it seriously then. But Val had been persistent, sending her messages, picking out outfits, and even setting up the blind date herself.

And now... here she was. In front of a high-end restaurant, dressed in a soft beige dress, hair curled gently, makeup light but pretty. She let out a slow breath.

"It's just dinner," she told herself. "Nothing more." Still, her fingers trembled slightly as she reached for the door. She didn't know what to expect - a polite conversation, an awkward silence, maybe even a quiet escape halfway through.

But she still went in .