Chapter 20 - The Open Door
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Years later, whenever young women at my corporate seminars asked me if I regretted causing a public scene and canceling my wedding in front of hundreds of people, I always gave them the exact same answer.
"No. That was the day I stopped being afraid of losing someone else, and started being terrified of losing myself."
The gala dinners, the promotions, the second house, and Julian—none of it would exist if I had said "I do" to a life of submission.
Later that evening, after my mother had gone to sleep and Julian was cleaning the kitchen, I walked out onto the porch alone. The night air was cool, the stars bright above the Massachusetts suburbs. I held a glass of wine, feeling a deep, profound alignment with the universe. I had won.
Suddenly, the silence of the night was broken by the sharp buzzing of my personal cell phone resting on the wicker table.
I frowned. It was past midnight. No one from the corporate office would call this late unless it was a massive logistical emergency.
I picked up the phone. The caller ID was completely blank. An unknown number.
I hesitated for a fraction of a second before swiping the screen and bringing the phone to my ear.
"Hello?" I answered cautiously.
There was heavy, static-filled breathing on the other end of the line.
"Emma," a voice finally whispered. It was a woman's voice. Raspy, urgent, and terrified. A voice I hadn't heard in years, but one I could never forget.
"Margaret?" I asked, my blood running instantly cold.
"Emma, you have to help me," Margaret Collins sobbed through the phone, the arrogant venom completely stripped from her tone. "Richard took everything. Daniel is gone. And... and they are coming for the house. Please, you're the only one who knows how to fight them."
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Before I could ask who "they" were, a loud crash echoed through the phone, followed by a dial tone.
I slowly lowered the phone from my ear, staring out into the dark, quiet street. My peaceful life had just been shattered by a single phone call. The past wasn't dead. It was just waiting at the door.
