Chapter 19 " Did I wake you ? " Theodore sat by the bed , the morning light framing him from behind . For a moment , Emma felt as though she was still dreaming . Theodore stood up , voice teasing yet expectant . " Aren't you going to get up and lay out my clothes ? " She rolled over with a groan . " Pick something yourself . I'm still tired . " " It's been two days , Mrs. Whitman . Two days without you choosing my outfit. You're really neglecting your duties , " he called over her shoulder . She started to sit up , only to realize he was already fully dressed , standing at the end of the bed - immaculate as ever . " Theodore , you ... " She struggled to find the words . He simply tightened his tie , the corners of his mouth softening . " Alright , I'm not upset . I'll try to come home early tonight , so you won't have to wait . " Maybe Theodore didn't realize it , but she'd stopped waiting up for him a long time ago . " Say something , will you ? " He pressed , impatient with her silence . " Alright ," she replied quietly , her voice almost flat . " That's better . " He finally seemed satisfied and added , " We're having guests over for dinner tonight . Try to look cheerful , okay ? Don't let anyone think Mrs. Whitman is upset with her husband . " So that's what this is about ... It was all because he didn't want to be embarrassed in front of company . That's why he was so desperate to smooth things over . " Who's coming for dinner ? " Emma asked . In five years of marriage , they'd never hosted anyone at home . " You'll find out tonight . " He tried to sound mysterious . " It'll be a surprise . " She didn't know what kind of surprise Theodore could possibly give her . Remembering how he'd missed dinner with her parents the night before , she wondered if maybe he'd invited them over to make up for it . 1/3 11:49 Chapter 19 She didn't ask any more questions , only hoping Theodore would leave soon , and that the housekeeper would head out as well - she was expecting someone shortly to collect the watches . At ten o'clock sharp , the housekeeper left . By ten past ten , she got a message from the luxury goods buyer . Emma invited her upstairs . Vivian was a stylish young woman , brisk and efficient , who introduced herself via WhatsApp . She quickly inspected the watches and transferred the money without fuss . " If you didn't have all the receipts and proof of purchase for these , I wouldn't have dared to buy them , " Vivian remarked , shaking her head in disbelief . Emma understood . It wasn't really about authenticity - just , who in their right mind owns ten of the exact same watch ? Anyone in the secondhand business would have to wonder if they were stolen . " Well , that's all sorted . If you have any more to sell - bags , jewelry , whatever - just reach out ," Vivian said , hefting a large bag stuffed with watches . " Thank you , I appreciate it . " Emma smiled as her phone chimed with the transfer notification . No matter what , having money in her own hands made her feel secure . All the gifts Theodore had given her - at least now , they served a purpose . Once Vivian left , Emma deleted the bank notification from her phone . She already had a sizeable sum in her account . For all his emotional distance , Theodore had always been generous with money . In five years , she'd hardly spent any of it , and now she had more than enough to support herself overseas . Emma opened a fresh notebook , turned to the first page , and wrote : " Thirty - Day Countdown to Leaving Theodore . Step One : Letting Go - Selling Gifts . " Then she began preparing the documents she'd need for her visa . Since she'd be traveling with a performance group , she printed out the relevant materials and , together with her passport , arranged for a courier to deliver them to Ms. Brown . Another day flew by . That evening , Emma scrolled through a few posts before bed , only for the algorithm to push Cecilia's latest update to the top of her feed . 2/3 11:49 Chapter 19 She clicked on it . The photo showed Cecilia sitting inside a shopping cart at the supermarket . Whoever was pushing the cart wasn't in the frame - just a pair of hands and the sleeves of a coat . But that was enough . Those were Theodore's hands . She'd chosen all his clothes herself , and she recognized those cufflinks instantly . She'd hated the original ones and had a custom pair made for him - one of a kind . Chapter 20