Cecilia quickly read the room and jumped in at just the right moment . " Theo , don't let what everyone said about your wife get to you . We're all just looking out for you , you know ? We've all been friends for years - maybe some of us spoke out of turn , but just let it go , alright ? Don't take it to heart ! " " I'm not upset . " Theodore slid his phone into his pocket . " Forget it . She's not going anywhere . Let's get back to it . " After all , for the past five years , she'd never gone anywhere except their house . She had nowhere else to go . Jared shot Cecilia a look and mumbled , " Cici , you're a class act . If you two hadn't broken up back then ... " " What are you talking about ? " Cecilia glared at Jared . " You just can't keep your mouth shut for one night , can you ? Always talking nonsense ! Theo's married now , that's not something you should say... " But as she finished , her eyes softened with a hint of sadness as she looked at Theodore . " I didn't come back expecting anything . As long as you're all still willing to have me around , as long as you're here , that's enough for me ..." " Stop it with the nonsense , Cici . You'll always be our favorite . If anyone dares mess with you , the rest of us will make sure they regret it ! Right , Theo ? " Jared thumped his chest in a show of loyalty . Theodore remained mostly silent , gently swirling the wine in his glass . The scene felt achingly familiar . Years ago , he'd been the same - watching this ragtag group joke and tease Cici , only stepping in when things got out of hand , playing the voice of reason when they looked to him . Now , once again , all eyes were on him . He gave a small smile . " Of course . " Emma didn't go home . Instead , she checked into a hotel she'd booked earlier . All the pain and humiliation she'd bottled up exploded the moment the door clicked shut behind her . 1/3 11:47 Chapter 7 She couldn't stop replaying the scene in her mind - Jared limping around , mocking the way she walked , everyone's laughter echoing in her ears like a curse she couldn't shake . Theodore's friends had been talking about her behind her back for years . She knew that . She'd just never mentioned it to him . They were his old friends . She understood . He worked hard , always under pressure . She understood that , too . So she never wanted to make trouble for him , never wanted to force him to choose between her and them . But tonight , it was clear she'd been naive . Why would he ever stand up to his friends for her ? They'd been with him for years . And her ? What was she to him , really ? Just a burden he'd married out of guilt , to repay some old debt - a weight dragging him down . Without her , his life would be so much easier . " She's just a cripple ! Who else would marry her if you hadn't ? " " A woman like that should be grateful to marry a guy like Theo ." " If I were Theo , I'd rather have been the one hit by that car than end up stuck with her, a cripple , for the rest of my life ." " Every other CEO brings a classy wife to events . Only Theo shows up alone - he doesn't have anyone he can take out in public . " All the hurtful things she'd heard over the past five years came rushing back like a tidal wave , drowning her in their vicious undertow . She struggled to breathe , her chest aching so badly it felt like it might split open . With shaking hands , she unlocked a photo album on her phone - a folder she hadn't dared to open in five years . Inside were snapshots and videos from her college days : rehearsals , performances , memories of a life she'd lost . Ever since she'd been forced to leave the stage , she'd sealed away every photo , every video of her dancing , locked behind a password she'd never used again . Tonight , her trembling finger tapped a random video . 2/3 11:47 Chapter 7 Music bloomed from the phone's speaker . On the tiny screen , she spun , leaped , split in the air - alive , vibrant , unstoppable . Chapter 8 Chapter 8