The Missed Ending

I slept fitfully after getting home, and upon waking, I found a message from my mom.[Did everything go well? When are you bringing him home?]Darkness had already claimed the sky."It's not happening," I said when I called my mom."Mom, I want to come home."For years, I had fought to make it from Jubilee City to Twilight City. Then, for the first time, I felt the pull to abandon it all and return to my roots.My mom, an international designer with a small yet renowned studio, had always been my inspiration.She had hoped to hand down her connections to me, but then I met Emmett while studying abroad.He was the family's hope, pouring his soul into finance.Yet, he could not shake off the feelings of inadequacy and anxiety whenever he saw his peers from rich families.For seven long years, I kept my past a secret from him, hoping to be by his side, to be his rock as he grew more confident with each passing day.He had built his own company at that time, and I was happy to w

Emmett's POVEmmett brushed Natalie's hand aside and went to where Josephine had been sitting, finding only the keys to the fancy car he had given her, neatly placed on the table.The meal was untouched, the glass of water half-empty.Natalie sauntered over nonchalantly and took a quick look."Guess she's in the restroom, huh, Emmett? Half the pitcher's empty."Emmett's racing heart slowed down a notch."Sounds about right."However, as the evening wore on, Emmett kept glancing back, time and again, yet he never saw Josephine return to her spot.Then, a text buzzed in.A payment from Josephine, labeled as a gift expense.'What's that supposed to mean?' he thought.Restlessness took over, and Emmett stepped out onto the balcony to call her.However, his calls went unanswered.Her phone was switched off.He inhaled deeply, trying to settle the storm inside.'Seriously, how rude. All this because she had to sit down for a drink with my dad? She's upset again?' he pondered.

Before the word on Josephine's whereabouts spread, Emmett had already slipped back into his house.Fiona, having finished her duties for the day, had gone home as well.That night, Emmett could not stop regretting the harsh words he had let slip in front of Josephine. Staring into the void of his bedroom, he could not muster the courage to face what he had done.In a swift motion, he shed his clothes and darted back to the sanctuary of his office, not daring to look back. He convinced himself that he had not really gone home, that Josephine had not vanished—that he was merely burning the midnight oil at work.Lost in thought, his eyes landed on the photo frame at the edge of his desk.When was the picture of him and Josephine replaced by one with Natalie? How long had it been since Josephine had confronted him, her face a ghostly white, demanding to know why? Back then, he had brushed it off with a careless shrug. "It's just a photo, right?"However, at that moment, the memory of

Josephine's POVWhen I finally got back to Jubilee City, it was the dead of night.My mom, who had promised to wait up, had succumbed to sleep and returned to bed.As I swung open the door to the house I knew so well, the familiar creak of the bedroom door accompanied the flick of the light switch."Back already?"My mom's voice, soft and soothing, floated down as she descended the stairs, still groggy from sleep.I rushed to her and wrapped her in a tight embrace."Mom..."She wrapped her arms around me, her laughter warm and welcoming."It's good to have you back. Are you hungry?"I shook my head."Then off to bed with you. Mrs. Yates already took care of your room."I nodded, not wanting to keep her up with idle chatter.My bedroom was a time capsule, untouched since I left for college. Seven years had vanished, yet in that room, I was still that fresh-faced college newbie.After a couple of days of rest, I dove into setting up my studio. My time at Emmett's company ha