Her heart always followed his . That's why she carefully planned his meals , kept the house in perfect order , hoping to give him somewhere warm to come home to . Even when he was out late , she wanted him to be able to relax the moment he stepped through the door . Unfortunately , it seemed he never really needed any of that . So , let the person he truly cares about worry over him instead . Emma decided she'd take a shower , do a little research about studying abroad , and then call it a night . But sometimes , the algorithms seemed almost malicious - always showing her exactly what she didn't want to see . She opened Twitter , and Cecilia's post popped up right at the top of her feed . Just minutes ago , Cecilia had tweeted about tonight : a photo of two hands clasped together - Theodore's hand in hers . The caption read: He's always been my rock - proud , unyielding , full of ambition , never bending no matter how fierce the storm . Tonight , for me , he swallowed his pride . Thank you for standing against the world for my sake . Even if everyone else points fingers , you'll always be my mountain . Emma gave a bitter little laugh , tapping " Not Interested " in hopes she'd never have to see something like that again . Thank God she'd never tried to compete with Cecilia for Theodore's heart . Because if she had , she would have lost - utterly and completely . Theodore was the kind of man who lived for his work , but when Cecilia was in trouble , he'd drop everything - even a major deal - without a second's hesitation . And not just quietly - he'd do it with the kind of presence that made everyone stop and stare . In Cecilia's words , he would stand against the world for her , sheltering her like a mountain . Emma had assumed Theodore wouldn't come home that night . But after she'd fallen asleep , he did . She slept in the guest room these days . She figured he wouldn't bother her - after all , she'd just ruined his big night , and if he needed someone to blame , she was the 1/3 11:52 Chapter 34 obvious target . But once again , she was wrong . He tried the door . She'd locked it , so he couldn't come in . He knocked . When she didn't answer , he pounded harder . " Emma , do you really think a locked door can keep me out of my own house ? " He was right - if he wanted to , he could easily kick it down . No need for that , though . She got up and opened the door . She half expected him to be drunk - his mood was so off tonight - but there was no smell of alcohol . Instead , he brought with him the cool , damp scent of the lake outside , with a stray leaf stuck to his shoulder . " What do you want ? " she asked , holding the door . " This is my house ! You're my wife ! Do I need a reason to come in ? " His eyes were bloodshot , dark circles shadowing underneath . " Suit yourself ," Emma replied , weary of the endless tug - of - war . All it brought was more pain , nothing gained . She wished he'd just end it quickly , but he seemed determined to drag things out , and any more words felt pointless . She turned and lay back down . " That's it ? That's all you have to say ? " He followed her into the room . " Emma , my whole project just went up in smoke , and that's your reaction ? Do you know how many sleepless nights I spent , how many meetings , how many proposals I wrote ? And this is all you have to say ? " Why couldn't he let it go ? It was exhausting . " What do you want me to do ? Beg for forgiveness ? Plead your case ? " She rolled her eyes . " You're dreaming . I won't . " " Don't bother . " He stood at the foot of her bed , working at his cufflinks . " If Theodore gives something up , he never picks it back up again . " Emma let out a cold laugh . There was an exception to that rule : Cecilia . Or maybe, truthfully , he'd never really let Cecilia go . Maybe it was Cecilia who'd let him go , back then . 2/3 11:52 Chapter 34 " Then why are you here , making a scene ? " " Me , making a scene ? " He yanked at his collar , and with a single violent motion , ripped open his shirt - buttons scattering across the floor . " Let me show you what making a scene really looks like ! " Chapter 35 Chapter 35