Theodore's phone rang , abruptly cutting off the music . Caller ID : Baby Cici . That name was enough to stop Emma's tears in their tracks . Theodore switched off the Bluetooth , pulled the car over , and answered . Emma couldn't make out what was being said , but she watched as Theodore's expression grew increasingly grave . " I'll be right there ," he said at last , lowering his phone and looking at her . " Emma , I'll take you home first . Cici's sick . I have to check on her ." Just as she expected . She opened the car door . " Don't bother . I'll get home on my own . " " Emma- " Whatever he was about to say was lost behind the slam of the door . She left him standing there , cut off as cleanly as the conversation . Theodore didn't linger . He swung the car around and sped off without a moment's hesitation . Emma stared after the car as it disappeared down the street . She felt numb , as if some sharp - clawed creature had ripped through her chest , leaving her heart raw and bleeding - but even the pain was gone now, replaced by empty silence . She pulled out her phone to call a cab , but it rang before she could . Unknown number . " Hi , I have a delivery for you - two boxes of fruit . Are you home ? " Fruit ? She hadn't ordered any fruit . " Who's it from ? " " It's local . Grapes . The sender's last name is Bennett . " Emma understood instantly . It was her grandmother . Grandma lived out in the country , tending her garden and vineyard . She must have sent Emma some fresh grapes to enjoy . Emma stood on the sidewalk , watching as the sky above her faded from blue to dull 1/3 11:54 Chapter 43 gray . Suddenly , she found herself aching for her grandmother - missing her so much it hurt . " Someone's home . Please just leave the boxes inside and tell them to put the grapes . in the fridge , " she said , her voice thick . She needed to see Grandma . She couldn't wait another minute . She flagged a cab and headed straight for her grandmother's house . If there was anyone left in this world who truly loved her , it was Grandma . After retiring from her teaching job , Grandma had moved back to the old family house in the country , where she lived alone , tending flowers and growing fruits and vegetables . Emma only wanted to repay Grandma's kindness , to take care of her in return . She'd pleaded with Grandma to move to the city , even offered to buy her a small apartment nearby , but Grandma always refused , saying she couldn't bear to leave her garden and her flowers . Emma knew that was just an excuse . Grandma didn't want to be a burden . Even when she sent fresh produce , she'd never come herself , always choosing to mail it , never wanting to disturb Emma's life in the city . But what Emma longed for most was for Grandma to need her , to trouble her , to show up at her door unannounced . When she was a child , Emma had loved dancing . Her parents hadn't supported her - it was too expensive , they said . But Grandma insisted , scraping together the money to send Emma to classes , paying for everything herself . From then on , it was Grandma who paid Emma's dance tuition , and even her high school fees . Emma had boarded at school since high school . Tuition , living expenses - her parents hadn't given her a cent . In their eyes , educating a daughter was pointless ; sooner or later , she'd marry and belong to someone else's family . Why waste money ? Worse , her mother saw Emma's looks and dance skills as a ticket to a wealthy marriage . The plan was simple : as soon as Emma turned eighteen , she'd be married off to a rich man , and the wedding money would pay for her brother's future . Later , when Emma was accepted by a top dance academy , her parents pressured her to apply to the local free teacher's college instead - become a dance instructor , earn some money , and stay close to home . 213 11:54 Chapter 43 Her father had put it bluntly : " We don't have the money for you to go away to college . Either you enroll in the free program here , or you stop going to school . " It wasn't that Emma looked down on teaching . But she'd placed first in the national audition for the best dance academy in the country . It was Grandma who encouraged her to follow her dreams , to choose her own path . Thanks to her , Emma had made it . And when Emma hurt her leg , her parents just shook their heads in disappointment . " How's a cripple supposed to marry rich ? " they sighed . Then immediately started calculating how much compensation they could get out of Theodore . Chapter 44 Chapter 44