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Riley’s intuition seemed to be spot-on as he sat up and strolled toward Emma, rubbing against her legs and whining. She smiled, feeling grateful for his presence. While she scratched behind his ears, Emma carefully placed the stack of photos she was holding on the corner of a nearby box.
“Looks like it’s time for your walk,” she said, standing up and brushing off her pants. “Let me grab your leash.”
Unwilling to wait, Riley let out a loud bark and bolted toward the back door. Emma chuckled and followed closely behind. But before she could reach the door, Riley’s excitement caused him to bump into the box, knocking it over and sending the photos spilling out. Emma immediately bent down to gather the pictures, and as she did, her heart skipped a beat.
There, amidst the pile of photos, was a snapshot of her and Chad from their carefree college days. Her hand trembled slightly as she hastily shoved it back into the box, the memories flooding back with a bittersweet pang. She sealed the box shut and pushed it aside, trying to fight off the rush of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.
With a deep breath, Emma attached Riley’s leash and opened the back door, the salty sea breeze hitting her face. She was determined to enjoy a leisurely stroll, letting the sound of crashing waves soothe her troubled mind.
But as they continued down the beach, Emma couldn’t shake off the memory of the photo and how she had met Chad. She had gotten caught in the rain that day, rushing to class. Chad had appeared out of nowhere, offering to share his umbrella with her. His kind gesture had caught her off guard, but she couldn’t resist his charm. They had realized they were both heading to the same lecture, and from that moment on, they became inseparable.
Despite starting out as friends, it hadn’t taken long for Chad to ask Emma out, and they had become a couple in their sophomore year. Their love had blossomed throughout college, and they had shared countless memories together. Late-night study sessions, impromptu road trips, and stolen kisses under the stars had filled their days with joy and laughter.
She remembered how Chad had proposed to her at her graduation party, getting down on one knee and holding out his grandmother’s ring. Emma nodded her head so quickly that it felt like she had given herself whiplash. After their wedding, they had planned to move to Savannah, where Chad had landed a job at a prestigious firm.
But those plans changed when Emma’s grandfather, Liam, gifted them his house in Hadley Cove as a wedding present. Liam had decided to downsize to a smaller place closer to the water after her grandmother Amelia passed away. It was the perfect place for the young couple to start their life together, just an hour south of Savannah. It seemed like the stars had aligned for them, but as Emma thought about it now, it was all just a distant memory.
The first few months in their new home had been heavenly. She and Chad were still in their honeymoon phase, and the house had been a perfect backdrop for their love story. They spent their days fixing it up, making it their own. The house was in great shape because of Liam’s care and attention over the years. The couple had to do very little to make it feel like home aside from updating a new light fixture here or adding a new coat of paint there.
However, with an Art History degree, Emma struggled to find a job in Hadley Cove, and she settled for a substitute teaching position and was the head of a tutoring program at the local high school. Although things were going well for a while, Chad started coming home later and later from work, leaving Emma to make dinner for herself. As time passed, their once-loving relationship turned into a battlefield of hurtful criticism and arguments. Chad told her that being a substitute teacher wasn’t good enough and he wanted her to do better. Emma tried to live up to his expectations, but nothing ever seemed right, and Chad remained unhappy with her, no matter what she did.
Desperate to save their relationship, Emma begged Chad to go to counseling with her. While things seemed to improve after they started sessions, Emma eventually discovered lipstick stains on Chad’s shirt collar and the scent of a woman’s perfume on his clothes. Despite the tears and heartbreak, Emma held on to the hope that counseling would help him change his ways, but he continued to see other women.
Her very last attempt to salvage their marriage was on their seventh-year wedding anniversary. She had taken the day off from work to prepare a lavish feast for Chad, complete with all of his favorite dishes. Emma had spent hours in the kitchen, chopping vegetables and stirring pots. She was determined to make this day special, to remind Chad of the love they once shared.
As the day wore on and the clock ticked closer to Chad’s expected arrival time, Emma grew increasingly nervous, as she waited in her brand-new dress and heels, hoping to impress him. She checked her phone repeatedly, waiting for a call or a text to let her know he was on his way home. But as the hours went by, the silence grew louder, suffocating her with each passing minute.
Finally, the doorbell rang, jolting Emma out of her anxiety-fueled stupor. She rushed to the door, hoping to see Chad’s face on the other side. But instead, she was met with a stoic stranger, wearing a uniform, who handed her an envelope and left without a word. Emma opened the envelope to find divorce papers, her heart shattering into a million pieces.
She collapsed onto the couch, unable to process what was happening. Her hands trembled as she reached for her phone, dialing Lisa’s number with shaking fingers. She poured out her heart to her friend, telling her everything that had happened with Chad, every cruel word and cold action. Lisa came over as soon as she could, her arms wrapping around Emma as she cried.
Together, they cleaned up the meal that Emma had prepared with such love and care, putting away the dishes and wiping down the counters. The aroma of the feast still lingered in the air, a painful reminder of what could have been. Emma couldn’t bring herself to even look at the food, the sight of it making her stomach turn. She felt like a failure, like she had done everything wrong, and there was nothing left for her to do but let the tears fall.
But what made the situation even more devastating was that Chad hadn’t been the only man in her life to betray her. The first had been her own father, Paul. Emma’s mind drifted back to the time when she was just twelve years old, left in his care after her mother’s passing. Paul had begun drinking to cope with the loss, and what had started as an occasional indulgence soon spiraled out of control.
As the alcohol took over, Paul fell behind on the mortgage payments, eventually losing their home. In a moment of desperation, he dropped Emma off with her grandparents and disappeared without a word. The pain of abandonment had been almost too much for her to bear, a wound that had never fully healed.
Many nights she had cried, hoping and praying he’d come back for her, but he never did. It was a heavy load for anyone to carry—twelve or forty years old. The most daunting part for her was grieving someone who was still alive, and in her mind, she had killed him to protect what was left of her shattered heart.
At that moment, Riley started barking at a few seagulls up ahead. He yanked on the leash, snapping Emma out of her glum thoughts.
“Riley! Don’t scare the birds. They didn’t do anything to you.”
Riley looked back at Emma and let out another bark in protest, but eventually gave up his quest. Emma turned and headed back down to the beach toward the cottage when her phone began to vibrate. Pulling it out of her pocket, her face lit up when she saw it was Kara, the founder of Second Chance Rescue.
“Hey Kara. How’s it going?”
“Hi Emma. It’s going really well, especially for you!” Kara said, with a mischievous tone.
Emma chuckled. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I’ve completely run out of the batch you brought in last week. All the little dog kibbles and biscuits are sold out! I’ll need another batch just as soon as the Independence Day festival is over. People really love your Barking Orders brand. You’ve grown a little following at the rescue; I’ve already had three people ask today when we’re gonna be back in stock!”
Emma gasped in surprise and delight. “My goodness, Kara! I’m so happy to hear the treats are doing so well. And I’ll have another batch ready for you after the festival is done. Thanks again for carrying them. I know it’s not like the usual stuff you guys have.”
She smiled, feeling much better than she did a minute ago. The news that her obscure brand of dog treats she had started last year was finally picking up was exactly what she needed to lift her up and out of the dumps.
“Oh, it’s nothing girl,” Kara replied. “It’s time for the pet owners around here to branch out and try something different. How is everything else going?”
