Her Life Beyond the Walls

That memory sent a chill through me.

"The divorce papers were crystal clear—I want nothing from the Harris fortune. Not the cash, not the houses, not the people."

"You..."

James was floored by my outburst, stumbling over his words before he managed to say, "Emma, what's going on? We're family. We need to talk about whatever's happening to fix it together."

"Family?" I rolled the word around like it was a joke. He hardly ever included me in that circle, despite parading me around as Mrs. Harris. Frankly, I was always more of an outsider, a glorified butler at best.

Mandy, Chester, Calvin, Julia, even his ex-wife—they all made the cut. Me? I was never part of that picture.

"Mr. Harris, did you ever see me as family?" I asked, sporting a smirk of irony. "If I remember correctly, every member of the Harris family is supposed to get at least a three-percent stake in Harris Group.

"Your ex Ms. Scott and your brother-in-law Mr. Clark have their shares, don't they? So, tell me, as your current wife, where are my Harris Group shares?"

James's hand curled into a fist without realizing it, a telltale sign he was feeling the heat.

"Emma, you're not like them, you don't get the ins and outs of the company."

"Oh, really? So, to wield the Harris family shares, I'd have to strut into the boardroom and start calling the shots? Or maybe I need to be a hotshot CEO first?"

He was caught off guard by my comeback, his face flashing a moment of awkwardness.

"Emma, I had no idea this mattered to you. We can discuss your shares with the others once we're home."

I laughed derisively. "Save it, Mr. Harris. You're missing the point yet again. This isn't about bargaining with you, it's about me saying I'm done playing Mrs. Harris.

"I want nothing from you, just a divorce. Please, take your precious family and get out of my life!"

James's face turned a shade of deep red, probably not used to being rejected so bluntly after years at the top.

He spun on his heel and stormed off, but not before throwing one last line over his shoulder.

"Tomorrow morning, ten o'clock, the County Clerk's Office. Be there."

When James walked through the door, his mood was so heavy he could not even talk. All he wanted was to vanish into his study.

However, Calvin, still too young to read the room, asked with wide-eyed innocence. "Dad, can you get Mom to come back? I miss her taking me to school and reading picture books with me."

His older brother chimed in, concern etched on his face, "Dad, she's okay, right?"

James glanced at his three kids, who should have been asleep at this hour. They were up, waiting for him because of her, and it just made him feel worse.

In his head, he thought, 'You're all so eager for her to return, but to her, you're just a nuisance.'

He opened his mouth, at a loss for words on how to break the news that he was getting divorced, that she would not be coming back.

"She's fine. Opened up a flower shop down south," he managed to say, dodging the real issue.

"Well let's go get her then, Dad," said Calvin with the hopeful simplicity only a child could have.

Feeling a wave of helplessness and recalling her distant attitude, he steeled himself and said, "She's not coming back. We're going to the County Clerk's Office tomorrow to make it official."

"What?" It was Mandy's turn to be shocked. "Why would you do that? Everything is fine. Why get a divorce?"

"Mom," he said softly, "don't worry about it."

However, recalling her disdain for them, he could not help adding, "Besides, she never really was a true Mrs. Harris. It's better she's decided to leave us alone."