Chapter 10 - THE PARIS FLIGHT ALONE
I sat in the first-class cabin of the plane,
the same seat I had booked for Jake.
I had a glass of champagne in my hand,
and the sunset was painting the clouds in shades of gold and pink.
I looked at the tickets in my lap.
They were no longer a surprise for a husband.
They were a reward for a survivor.
I thought about the night I had dropped the roses.
It felt like it had happened to someone else.
A woman who was fragile and desperate for love.
I wasn't that woman anymore.
I was the one who had turned the light on in the room of shadows.
I was the one who had realized that I was the foundation of the empire.
The plane took off,
and I felt the weight of the last fourteen years falling away.
I arrived in Paris on a crisp morning.
I walked through the streets of Montmartre,
the scent of fresh bread and coffee filling the air.
I visited the museums,
I sat in the cafes,
and I watched the people go by.
I wasn't looking for a romantic connection.
I was looking for myself.
I found her in the quiet moments.
I found her in the strength of my own decisions.
I found her in the peace of the city at night.
One evening,
I stood on the banks of the Seine,
watching the lights of the Eiffel Tower sparkle.
I took the two tickets out of my bag.
One for me.
And the one that was supposed to be for Jake.
I folded the second ticket into a small paper boat.
I set it on the water and watched it float away,
disappearing into the dark ripples of the river.
It was the final piece of the marriage.
The final piece of the betrayal.
I was alone,
but I wasn't lonely.
I was Emma Thorne.
I was a CEO.
I was a billionaire.
But most importantly,
I was whole.
I walked back to my hotel,
the cool wind on my face.
The world was wide,
and I was finally ready to see all of it.
May you like
Without a mask.
And without a man who would only ever be a paper king.
