Chapter 8

That evening, as soon as Esme returned home, she received a call from Isaiah at the hospital. "Essie, I'm sorry. Audrey... her health isn't great, and she needs to stay in the hospital for a few more days." He continued, "Her brother asked me to look after her, and I can't go back on my word. I'll be staying at the hospital with her for a while, so I won't be able to join you." Esme's voice was calm. "It's okay, you take care of her." After all, he could be with Audrey as much as he wanted in the days to come. There were only three more days until she could leave. Suddenly, Esme received a video from Audrey. In the video, the same birthday party venue was set up. Audrey stood in the center, wearing a princess dress and a crown, surrounded by piles of gifts. Isaiah was behind her, hugging her from behind and kissing her ear affectionately. "Happy birthday, my little princess. What's your wish?" Audrey raised her chin proudly. "I want the same thing as Esme; no matter what wish I ask, you'll make it come true!" Isaiah playfully pinched her nose. "Alright, whatever our little princess wants, she'll get." Esme did not respond. She quietly saved the video and then walked out the door. With the signed paper from Isaiah in hand, she headed to the law firm. "Ms. Shepherd, the divorce agreement is ready. All we need is your signature, and your marriage will be completely dissolved." Esme nodded and signed without hesitation. From this moment on, she and Isaiah would be complete strangers. ... Two more days until Esme could leave Isaiah, and Audrey sent Esme another video. In it, Isaiah was carefully pressing his ear against Audrey's belly. Audrey smirked. "The baby's only three months old. What could you possibly hear?" Isaiah, looking serious, said, "I can hear him calling me daddy." Audrey laughed, then slid her sleep dress down a bit. "The baby can't say that yet, but if you want to hear it, I can let you have your fill, Daddy." In that instant, Isaiah's Adam's apple bobbed, and he immediately pressed her down onto the bed. Soon, the bed shook violently as he moved on top of her. "Isaiah, stop, don't pick me up!" Isaiah's voice was husky and deep. "Didn't you call me daddy? This is how a daddy holds his good little girl…" Esme did not reply. Instead, she called her lawyer and sold all the shares Isaiah had given her. Then, she went to the bank, withdrew some of the money, and exchanged it for foreign currency. The day she was leaving, Esme woke up early. She had three things to do. First, she gathered all the gifts Isaiah had given her over the years and gave them away to the house staff. The staff were thrilled but confused since the gifts were worth a fortune. Esme smiled brightly. "I have some very good news, so I want to share my joy with all of you. You don't have to feel bad about it; just take them." She continued, "Also, no need to clean the house today, no need to cook, and you don't have to water the plants. You all can leave early." The staff, overjoyed, thanked her repeatedly before leaving with the gifts. Second, she collected all the messages, videos, and recordings Audrey had sent her. She had one million copies of the messages printed and arranged for drones to drop them across the city. The videos were scheduled to be shown on the city's giant screens, playing continuously in the downtown area. As for the recordings, Esme had arranged for a thousand loudspeakers to play them on a loop in the main square. Third, she packed all her luggage and placed the divorce papers on the table. Just then, her phone rang—it was Isaiah. His voice was as soft as ever as he said, "Essie, I'll be done here soon, and then I'll come back to be with you." Esme replied calmly, "I've prepared a surprise for you." Isaiah asked excitedly, "Really? What kind of surprise did my sweet girl prepare for me?" Esme's tone was steady. "You'll see when you get back." Or perhaps, if the timing worked out just right, he would see those messages, videos, and recordings on his way home. Isaiah ended the call, eager with anticipation. Meanwhile, Esme, with her packed suitcase in hand, walked out the door. On the tree-lined street, she bumped into a few neighbors. They greeted her warmly. "Esme, going out for a trip?" Esme smiled and responded cheerfully. "Yep, going out for some fun." However, she was never coming back. The sun was shining brightly that day as Esme, suitcase in hand, got into the car that would take her to the airport.