Chapter Three: Her New Beginning

Emily sat on the bed, picking up her phone to search for the next flight to Texas. “There's nothing left for me here,” she said to herself. She arranged her things disregarding the fact that she had paid for a week. All she wanted was to leave California with all its memories behind.

The next morning, she was on her way to the airport. She had arranged her things the previous night. She woke up before dawn because her flight was in the morning. When she arrived at the airport, she stared at every corner. It felt like one of her nightmares but it was her reality.

An hour later, she boarded the plane without daring to look back. When the plane took off, she closed her eyes, allowing silent tears to slip down her cheeks.

"This is the end of everything I once knew and the beginning of a new life,” she murmured to herself as she wiped the tears off her face.

Five years later.

The ringing of the alarm clock jolted Emily from her sleep, she quickly turned it off not wanting to disturb her toddler. All attempts to go back to her peaceful slumber were futile, as her busy mind was already awake.

She stayed in bed for a short moment before rising to her feet to begin her day.

Her first destination was the kitchen to get her usual dose of morning coffee. Emily was never a coffee person but as a mom, with a job and a son to prepare for school, the caffeine helps her get through her morning without feeling lazy. After preparing coffee, she started making plans for breakfast while gulping her coffee.

After a while breakfast was ready, she trudged into her toddler's room to see the cute little boy still lost in his sleep. Emily always had a smile whenever she came to wake him up for school every morning.

Five years ago, she'd made a very tough decision to be a single mom, to bring the child of the man who had left her broken to this world. It was a tough start for her at first, as a struggling young woman. Then it became the best decision of her life. She focused on creating a better life for herself with her son as her motivation because she couldn't bring an innocent child to suffer.

Luckily for her, a few months after discovering her pregnancy, she'd found a job as a personal assistant to the project manager in a textile manufacturing company. After two years of working hard and being diligent, she was promoted to executive manager. Emily didn't know what would have become of her without her little boy in her life. Yes, things were tough at the beginning but the child was the light in her world.

Still smiling, Emily stepped towards his bed and knelt beside it.

“Good morning, honey,” Emily whispered in his ear, while raining kisses all over his face.

A sigh escaped the toddler's lips, as he stretched his limbs on the bed, his eyes slowly opening to see his mom beside him.

“It's Monday, baby. Don't you want to see your friends in school?” Emily asked gently carrying him from bed, with her arms wrapped protectively around him. “Good morning, Mom,” the toddler murmured in a sleepy haze with his head resting on Emily's shoulder. Emily walked to the bathroom to bathe him.

After a while, Emily and her son were ready to leave the house, after having their breakfast.

“Come on Ethan, get your backpack let's leave.” She urged the toddler, who immediately ran towards his room. Ethan returned with his blue bag slung over his shoulders, resting on his back.

Emily noticed food particles around his mouth, she crouched to his level, wiping the particles with his napkin. They left the house for his school, after dropping him off, she headed to work.

As Emily drove to work, she leaned back in the car seat, her gaze fixed on the road as different thoughts came to her mind.

“Wow...five years had passed already,” she said with a surprised look etched on her face.

It felt so unreal to her how far she had come. From the girl who was broken from betrayal and pain, to an independent woman who now had a reason to leave.

Her cheeks had red stains as the thought of Ethan flashed through her mind. Even though he was Edward's spitting image, she couldn't hate her little boy because he was lovely and innocent.

Her mind drifted to the office.

For the past five years, she'd stayed away from the opposite gender, avoiding introducing her child. She wasn't ready to start all over again with another man. She chased them off with her son as an excuse. But Benjamin Moore has never been moved, he still wouldn't let her be. He kept making advances even when it was clear she wasn't going to give him a chance.

"Maybe it was finally time to give Benjamin a chance?" She asked herself in her thoughts. These thoughts roamed her mind until she arrived at work. She immediately discarded her thoughts to focus on work.

While in the office a knock sounded on the door.

“Come in,” she called out without raising her head from the computer screen.

“Are you planning to work through lunch?” The familiar voice asked in an amused tone.

Emily raised her head to see Benjamin leaning against her desk.

“I've got loads of work to attend to,” she shrugged.

“Can't they wait ma'am,” he asked in a persuasive tone.

As much as she would love to go out with him, she was trying to round up early to go pick her son up from school.

Emily had convinced him that they could have lunch in the office together. So he left to get lunch.

Benjamin was handsome, well-mannered, and very nice. She'd seen the way most female colleagues ogled and admired him but he's never given them the attention they craved instead, he showered her with it even though she was mean to him in the past.

About ten minutes later, he arrived with two burgers and milkshakes. They ate together while having a little chit chat.

After a while, she was back to work. She quickly rushed to her work so she could go pick up her son early. She couldn't afford to be late.

After some time she was done with her work. She glanced at the time and quickly packed her things. She grabbed her bag and headed straight to her car.

The drive to Ethan's school was quick this time around. As she pulled in front of the school gate, she saw most of the school children playing happily.

She searched for him with her eyes looking at every corner. Then she spotted him standing at the edge holding onto his backpack.

She came down from her car calling his attention. Immediately he saw her, he ran in her direction.

“Mommy!” He called out running to give her a tight hug.

Emily bent down to give him a warm embrace.

“How was school today?” She asked while brushing his hair.

“It was fine,” he replied, holding her hands.

As they got into the car. Just as she was about to start the car. Ethan suddenly voiced out the same question he'd been asking all week.

“Mommy, where's my daddy?” he asked innocently.