She closed the door. Her mind raced. How should she prepare for this? What would he say? Could she trust him?
Emily vowed to stay strong, question everything, and keep her emotions in check. After putting Ethan to bed, she headed to the bar.
She chose the farthest table, where the music was faint, and waited. Ten minutes later, James walked in, scanning the room until he spotted her in the corner.
«Hey, Emily,» he said, his tone heavy with guilt.
«We already saw each other today,» she replied coldly.
«Have you ordered anything?»
«No. You here to drink?»
«It’ll make talking easier. I’ll be right back.»
He went to the bar, ordered two cocktails, and returned.
«You sure you should drink after fainting?» she asked.
«They’re non-alcoholic,» he clarified, sitting across from her. «And thanks for helping me on the beach. Rita probably wouldn’t have thought to get a doctor.»
«No problem. But you need to take better care of yourself. Drinking in the blazing sun isn’t smart.»
«You know, I’ve stopped looking after myself lately. Everything’s lost meaning,» James said, looking down.
«Oh, sure. You ‘died,’ so why bother with health, right?» Emily said sharply.
«Emily…» James sighed heavily. «I know it sounds crazy, but please, hear me out.»
Emily nodded, though she was seething inside.
«Three years ago, things went south. Our company got tangled with a shady organization. It started when I took a big loan for a new project—not from a bank, but from a sketchy firm. We signed a deal, the money came through. But the contractor we hired vanished without doing the work. Word was he was spotted in the Caribbean, but that didn’t matter.
I tried reasoning with the lenders, but they wouldn’t listen. They gave me a month to repay. The police couldn’t help—it was all off the books. The threats got worse every day. I started fearing for you and Ethan. So I said I was going on a business trip to keep you safe.
Then… they found me. A security guard at a resort said some shady guys were asking about me. I knew I couldn’t run. They’d track me down at any station or airport. I was desperate, didn’t know what to do. In a panic, I fled into the woods, found a signal, and called our CEO. He said you were already looking for me. I knew I couldn’t tell you everything. I was terrified they’d come for you.»
James paused, waiting for Emily’s reaction. She stared at her glass, silent.
«We decided to fake my death. I often rode snowmobiles, so it was the perfect cover. I arranged for colleagues to tell rescuers I fell through the ice. Arthur was supposed to spread the word at the company and visit you in person.»
«How could you…» Emily whispered, incredulous.
«I wasn’t just saving myself. They could’ve come for you if I didn’t disappear.»
James took a sip of his cocktail, trying to steady himself.
«Arthur promised to support you, and he kept his word. I knew he’d help with money, the inheritance.»
«Money? You think money could ease my pain?» Emily gripped her glass, knuckles white. «Three years. I wasn’t living, I was surviving.»
«I know it was cruel. But I had no choice. They could’ve reached us anywhere, even abroad. I couldn’t protect you any other way.»
«You could’ve taken us with you! Together! But you chose the coward’s way out.»
«You don’t get it. I was cornered. If I’d tried to flee with you, we wouldn’t have made it. I had to do it. I didn’t want to burden you with my mess. It tore me apart. I thought of you every day.»
«Oh? Then why didn’t you reach out if you missed us?»
«I couldn’t. The danger was still there. I couldn’t risk it. My phone was tapped. A call from the grave? How would you have reacted?»
«How noble,» Emily scoffed. «Leaving your wife in mourning for three years to ‘protect’ her.»
«I hoped you’d move on faster…» he trailed off.
«Move on?» Emily laughed bitterly. «How could you think I’d just forget? After what you did…»
«I’m guilty,» James said quietly. «But I had no other way.»
«So, what happened next?» Emily straightened, her voice firm.
«For two years, I hid. Changed my name, moved from city to city. Only when I heard the organization was busted did I return and start a new life under a new name.»
«A new name?»
«Now I’m James Carter,» he said with a bitter smile. «New man, new life.»
«Clever,» Emily smirked. «And you never thought of us?»
«I did,» he admitted. «But I was sure you’d forgotten me.»
«Forgotten? Do you have any idea how I lived these three years?» Emily felt her anger rising.
«I just wanted to explain and ask for forgiveness.»
«You really thought I’d forgive you? You left me and Ethan with nothing, and now you expect me to understand?»
James glanced at his empty glass, about to get another, but paled and stopped.
«You okay? Feeling faint again?»
«It’s about to get loud. Try to ignore it,» James said softly.
Before Emily could ask, Rita stormed up to their table, her face twisted with rage.
«There you are, you jerk!» she yelled, slapping James hard. «I knew you were here with some woman!»
«Rita, you’ve got it all wrong,» James tried to calm her.
«I’ve got it right! You’re a loser who can’t provide for me and now you’re chasing other women!» She turned to Emily. «You know she’s got a kid? I saw them in the elevator! She’s using you, you idiot!»
«Rita, stop it.»
«No, let her keep going,» Emily said coolly.
«You’re trash! You dare talk back to me?» Rita lunged at Emily’s hair, but James grabbed her arms and forced her back into a chair.
«Let me go!» she screamed, struggling.
«Calm down,» James raised his voice. «Emily’s not the problem.»
«Not the problem? She’s stealing other people’s men!» Rita shrieked.
«You’re absolutely right,» Emily said with a slight smirk, egging her on. «That’s exactly why I’m here—to steal your loyal, honest man you so carelessly lost.»
«Emily, stop!» James was at a loss.
«Let me go, or I’ll rip her hair out!» Rita kept fighting.
«Enough, Rita. This is my ex-wife,» James blurted out, and Rita froze.
«Your wife?» Her expression shifted. «The one you left years ago?»
«Yes, her,» James said, looking down.
«Left, huh…» Emily’s tone dripped with sarcasm. «I’d say ‘fell through.’ No, better—drowned.»
James stayed silent, knowing he hadn’t even told Rita the full story. She still looked stunned.
«That kid I saw with her in the elevator—he’s yours too?» she asked, piecing it together.
«Mine,» James confirmed.
«But you said you had no kids!»
«I lied,» he said with difficulty.
Rita fell silent, processing.
«Don’t worry,» Emily said calmly. «James barely has a connection to that kid. He’s almost forgotten his dad. So, you could say he wasn’t lying.»
«Emily, I wanted—» James began.
«What a scumbag you are!» Rita cut him off. «Ditched your wife, your kid, and you’ll ditch me the same way! I’m done!» She jumped up and stormed out.
James chased after her. Emily sat with her unfinished cocktail. A week ago, she couldn’t have imagined where this long-awaited vacation would lead. «After this trip, I’ll need another,» she thought, smiling.
Yet, strangely, she felt calm. James was alive—a fact she couldn’t ignore. He was a traitor and a liar, but he was alive.
She stood and headed outside. A walk in the fresh air seemed perfect. The hotel courtyard was empty; everyone was either in their rooms or at bars. She breathed in the warm evening air, feeling lighter.
Walking through the garden, she spotted James on a bench.
«Judging by your face, you didn’t catch her,» Emily said with a smile, sitting beside him.
«I did… but she left. For good this time, I think,» James replied quietly, head down.
«She’s packing her stuff now,» he added with a heavy sigh.
«Why did you even bother with that drama? You two couldn’t go a minute without fighting. I heard your arguments every night.»
«I don’t know what kept me with her. She’s young, and I’m… not anymore. I wanted something new, some fresh energy, fun.»
«Did you have fun?» Emily asked, a hint of sarcasm.
«Yeah, right,» James said, waving a hand sadly.
«Look, I’m not here to lecture you. You know your mistakes. But don’t you feel sorry for yourself? At some point, you lost your life.»
«What do you mean?»
«Look at it. You spent your life chasing money. Got threats, had to fake your death. Chased personal happiness—ended up with a loud, naive girl. You’re not old, but you’re fainting from hangovers. Why? Where did it get you?»
«I’ve asked myself that a lot lately. Always found excuses. Money? Never enough. It’s freedom, security. But it backfired. Relationships? New energy, young blood… supposed to bring joy, strength. Another miss. I’m lost, Emily.»
«But you put yourself there. This self-pity drags you down further. It doesn’t help—it destroys. Real self-pity should be different.»
«Yes, I messed up, but I’m strong enough to admit it and start over, rebuild my life.»
«It won’t be easy, but it’s better than what you’re doing now.»
Emily hadn’t noticed her anger fading. Before her sat a weak, lost, harmless man. Instead of rage, she felt an urge to help him. For a moment, she feared it was old feelings resurfacing. But she realized it wasn’t love—just pity.
«Thanks, Emily,» James said quietly.
«For what?»
«For not walking away. At one point in the bar, I thought you’d slap me and leave. Thanks for not doing that.»
«The thought crossed my mind,» Emily chuckled, «but curiosity won.»
«How did you not freak out coming back to the city? You had so many friends, acquaintances…»
«I don’t know,» James sighed. «I was tired of hiding. I lived on the outskirts, in a gated community, avoided downtown. Worked remotely, only drove into the city. Changed my look and name. It worked for a while.»
«Some disguise,» Emily said, recalling their airport encounter. «If not for Ethan, we wouldn’t be here.»
«He recognized me?»
«Yeah, and it shocked me. I thought he’d forgotten you.»
James sighed heavily and looked away.
«Emily, I want to see him.»
«Why? You know you can’t be a real father to him now.»
«I know, but I need to see him, just once. You said I could start over. Give me that chance.»
Emily fell silent, unsure. James had a right to see his son, but she’d grown used to raising Ethan alone. And Ethan might take the meeting hard. She wasn’t sure she was ready for this twist.
«I don’t know,» she said finally. «It could be too much for him.»
«I’ll be careful, I promise,» James said. «I’ll keep it gentle.»
Emily nodded, deciding. «Okay, but here’s the deal. I’ll prepare him tomorrow morning, explain everything. We’ll meet, talk a bit. Afterward, I’ll talk to him alone. If he wants to see you again, we’ll figure out what’s next.»
«Deal. Any conditions. Tomorrow, 11 a.m., at the café?»
«Yes, but don’t forget—for Ethan, you’re a traveler, an explorer. You’ve been on expeditions.»
«Nice cover story,» James smiled. «Got it.»
Emily said goodbye and returned to her room but couldn’t sleep. Her mind buzzed with worry. How would tomorrow go? How would Ethan react? How would James behave? These thoughts kept her up until dawn.
«Mom, where are we going today?» Ethan asked, watching her put on makeup.
«We’ve got plans,» Emily said, turning to him. «Remember the man on the plane you thought was Dad?»
«Yeah, I remember.»
«You were right. It’s really your dad. He’s back from his travels, and he’s here in this town.»
«I knew it!» Ethan grinned. «Are we seeing him today?»
«Yes, he really wants to see you.»
«I wanna see him too!» Ethan beamed.
Emily exhaled, relieved by his excitement. It eased her fear that the meeting would overwhelm him.
«Where was he all this time?» Ethan asked.
«He’ll tell you himself.»
By 11 a.m., they left the room. Emily’s nerves grew. Doubts crept in: should she cancel while there’s time? Keep things as they are?
No, it was too late. She’d told Ethan, and canceling now would hurt him—the very trauma she wanted to avoid. They headed to the café on the hotel’s ground floor. James was already there and stood as he saw them, walking over.
