Final Approach to Freedom

Chapter 5

"A call from the bank?" Evelyn Montgomery's fingers trembled slightly, nearly knocking over the water glass beside her. She steadied her breath and took the phone from Alexander Hartley with practiced calm. "I haven’t done any banking recently. Probably a scam."

Her eyes flicked over the call log, her expression unreadable.

Alexander studied her face before finally relaxing. "You’ve been working hard lately. By the way, Newchester University’s anniversary celebration is coming up. Come with me?"

The knife in Evelyn’s hand stilled mid-slice over the apple.

Once, she would have given anything to visit his alma mater, to walk the paths he had walked. But now, with the divorce papers already signed—what was the point?

"I—"

"It’s settled," he cut in, leaving no room for argument. "I’ll pick you up the day after tomorrow."

The sun shone brightly on the day of the celebration. Evelyn trailed behind Alexander, the silence between them thick enough to hear the rustle of fallen leaves.

"Alex!"

A figure in pale yellow suddenly appeared in her line of sight. Sophia Whitaker hurried toward them, her skirt fluttering. "What a coincidence!"

Alexander’s gaze softened instantly. "You’re not dressed warmly enough."

"I had to look pretty for my alma mater!" Sophia winked playfully. "Don’t you remember? I used to wear nothing but stockings in winter."

He chuckled. "Yeah, and then you’d catch a cold three times a month, making me climb the fence to buy you medicine."

"Stop it!" Sophia giggled, lightly punching his shoulder before pointing into the distance. "Look! The bench where we had our first date! You even picked a lotus flower for me that day..."

Evelyn took a quiet step back. Their laughter and shared memories formed an invisible wall, shutting her out completely.

When Alexander stepped away to take a call, the two women were left alone.

"Ms. Montgomery," Sophia’s smile turned venomous. "If you know what’s good for you, you’ll sign those divorce papers soon."

Evelyn tightened her grip on her purse. "Are you threatening me, Ms. Whitaker?"

"Threatening?" Sophia scoffed. "You’re the one who stole what was never yours. If it weren’t for that old man Hartley threatening to kill himself—"

Before she could finish, she suddenly shoved Evelyn hard.

The world spun. Evelyn tumbled down the stairs, her head slamming against the stone steps. Warm blood blurred her vision.

Through the haze, she saw Sophia deliberately roll down after her.

"Sophia!" Alexander’s frantic voice pierced the air. "Are you hurt?"

"I’m fine..." Sophia whimpered. "Help Ms. Montgomery! She’s bleeding—"

"Why should I care about her?" His voice was ice. "The only one I care about is you."

Through the pain, Evelyn almost laughed.

So three years of marriage hadn’t even left a scar in his heart.