Seventeen: Shattered Vows

The shrill ringing of Emma's phone pierced the silence of her hotel room suite. She had been staring out the window, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the glittering diamond ring on her left hand. A symbol of her new life, her new identity as Mrs. Reynolds. And yet, the ache in her heart refused to dissipate, leaving her adrift in a sea of uncertainty.

With a trembling hand, she reached for the phone, her breath catching in her throat as the caller ID flashed a name she had hoped to never see again: Mark.

"Hello?" She answered, her voice barel