Leave and never return.
Simon, I saw an ad last nighttheres a threebed flat for sale in the perfect neighbourhood, exactly what weve been dreaming of. We have enough for it, dont we? If we sell the house, we could help Lucy clear her mortgage. Lets go see it, Emily said, her eyes bright with anticipation. Simon waved her off with a weary sigh.
Not today, he muttered, still clutching his coffee. I was up until midnight finalising a report yesterday, and Ill be late again tonight. He snatched the car keys and a folder of papers from the hallway shelf, slipped out, and drove away.
Emily exhaled, disappointed but unwilling to argue. Lately Simon had hardly been homelate arrivals, weekend work, yet his salary was solid. Emily longed to move closer to Lucy, who now lived in the city. They had saved for years; every paycheck Simon earned went straight into a joint savings account while they lived on Margarets modest pension and Emilys wages as the manager of the village community centre, where she also ran a dance club. It was a strained existence, but the thought of working in the grand city Arts Centre and being near Lucy kept her spirits up.
Emily and Simon had met in the regional office. Simon was a finalyear engineering student, Emily a ballet trainee. They fell in love so quickly that as soon as Simon received his degree, they married and moved to his hometown, a quiet market town called Oakley. Emily left her studies after one year, never regretting it; the man she loved was now her legal husband, and she was certain they would spend a long, happy life together.
But the marriages first test arrived almost immediately. Within days of moving in, Simon was conscripted for a year of National Service. Emily, already anxious about the separation, now also faced Margaret, Simons mother, who despised her the moment she saw a daughterinlaw arrive with a legal marriage certificate. Margaret refused to speak to Simon, snapping, You promised! Emily tried to win her over, taking on any chore, but the coldness persisted.
Why didnt you call my mother before we married? What did you promise her? Emily pressed.
Simon explained that two years earlier his sister, Lily, had died at seventeen after a reckless romance with a man fresh from prison. Lilys boyfriend, drunk on a motorbike, crashed, killing her and landing himself back behind bars. At the funeral, Margaret made Simon swear never to marry without her blessing. He broke that promise, and Margarets resentment flared.
Emily insisted she would stay, love him, and win Margarets affection. In a few weeks, Margarets heart softened. She saw Emilys industriousness, cheerfulness, and kindness. Though the old woman never admitted it, she could not deny that Emily had chosen a worthy partner for her son. Emily also revealed that her own mother had died eleven years ago, leaving her with a father who had remarried a woman with two small children. The stepmother made it clear that Emily, now an adult, had to fend for herself.
Dont think I married Simon because of that, Emily blushed under Margarets stern gaze. I earned a scholarship, got a room in the student hall, and would have survived alone. I love Simon, truly love him.
Margarets eyes softened, tears of both sorrow and joy welling up. She embraced Emily like a daughter, feeling a weight lift from her chest as if grief were finally loosening its grip.
A year later Simon returned, taking a post at the district office, commuting daily on a shift rotation. Emily became the organiser and head of the towns dance club. Their wages were modest, and soon Lucy was born. Money was tight, but Margaret helped, spoiling her granddaughter and never holding back. Then Simon transferred to a larger firm, began traveling for work, and quickly rose through the ranks. His salary multiplied, and the little village centre was replaced by a spacious Arts Centre, with Emily appointed as its manager. She kept her beloved dance club, coaching local girls who began winning competitions. Life settled into comfortable routine: a nice car, a renovated house, holidays at the seaside.
Everything was fine until Lucy moved to Birmingham for university and married there. Emily missed her daughter and recalled her longheld dream of working in a real city Arts Centre. One evening she suggested they save enough to buy a flat in the city where Lucy lived, sell the house, and help Lucy finish her mortgage. Simon thought it over, then cheerfully agreed, noting the firm had a branch in Birmingham, making a transfer possible. He warned it would be tough: his entire salary would go into a savings account, and they would have to live on Margarets pension and Emilys earnings. The family council approved, and they began saving.
Life grew harder, but Emily never complained; she had never been pampered. Simon, however, started staying later and later at work, citing extra responsibilities that promised higher pay. Emily trusted him, never suspecting foul play, though a nagging unease grew. When she timidly mentioned it, Simon snapped, Im working from dawn till dusk to bring in more money. Stop whinging! Decidedo you want me here at night or a flat near Lucy? Do you want a grandchild or a grandson, and then have to bus to see them? Calm down and bear with me.
Emily endured, but one night, after Simon arrived home at 1:30am for the third night in a row, she finally burst, Im done moving. Ill stay as we were, but you must be home in the evenings so we can spend time together, visit friends, be a proper couple. Simon listened, stripped down, and lay on the floor silently facing the wall. He left again late the next day.
Then Simon vanished. He left for work one morning and never returned. By evening his phone was dead, and Emily could not reach any of his colleagueshe had never spoken of his job. In panic she called the morgue and hospitals, then, trembling, decided to travel to the city where he worked.
As she packed, Margaret stood beside her, breathing heavily, eyes rimmed with sleeplessness.
Dont worry, Mum, hell be foundalive, Emily said as calmly as she could, pulling Margaret into a gentle hug.
Tears welled in Emilys own eyes, her throat tightening with fear, yet she clenched her teeth and whispered, Hes alive, I know it.
A familiar voice called out from a bus stop. Emily! Are you heading into the city? We could go together. Did you hear theyre buying a new car? Maybe you could sell yours cheap?
Emily stared, confused. What are you talking about?
Your Simon withdrew a huge sum from the bank a few days agothought he was buying something, the friend, Rose, shrugged. I was paying the council tax and saw the transaction. You dont know?
Emily went pale. Maybe those funds were the cause of his disappearance. She raced to Simons office, only to learn he had resigned weeks before and was rumored to have taken a new positionno one knew where.
She filed a missingperson report with the police. They took her seriously, recorded her concerns, and promised a search. The next day a detective called her in.
Why didnt you tell us you divorced him three months ago? he asked, irritated. That changes everything. Did you find any of his documents at home? Did he take everything with him?
Emily stared, bewildered. The officer produced a copy of a divorce decree and a marriage certificates cancellation. The world spun. When she returned home and told Margaret, the older woman gasped, clapped a hand over her mouth, and trembled.
What? Emily whispered.
Im sorry, its my fault, Margaret croaked. Simon told me a court summons would be sent to you because of a fraudulent loan taken in your name. He asked me to hide it so you wouldnt be upset. He promised his brother, a judge, would sort it. I didnt know hed actually file for divorce. I never meant to keep this from you.
Did he really fake the divorce? Emily asked, sitting slowly on the sofa, bewildered. Where is he? What happened?
Margarets voice fell to a whisper. He texted me this morninghes left with another woman, theyll marry soon. He took all the money, said it was his salary. Tears streamed down Margarets cheeks. I thought Id go into a care home and transfer it to you, hoping youd forgive me.
Emily rose, stepped outside, and stood in the garden, shivering as if an internal frost had seized her. She remembered planting lilacs and two birch trees by the fence with Simon years agosturdy, unlike their fraught marriage. She recalled winter days when Simon pulled little Lucy on a sled, the time a piglet escaped the farm and the whole family chased it, squealing with laughter. The memories cracked her, and she wept.
I wont let you go, Mum, Emily said, returning to the house. Simon betrayed me, not you. I love you as my own mother and I know you never meant to hurt me. She embraced Margaret tightly.
Later that night, both women called Lucy and told her everything. Lucy, horrified by her fathers deceit, swore she would never forgive him. She then offered her grandparents a place with her and her husband.
We were planning a surprise later, but now we need help, Lucy said. Were expecting twins. We need you, Grandma. Sell your house and move here. Our flat has three bedroomsplenty of room. Will you? Emily and Margaret exchanged glances, tears turning to smiles. They agreed.
Simon occasionally visited the city, but Lucy never let him into her flat. Perhaps he hoped to return to the family, perhaps not; no one awaited him now, not even his mother.
