The Marriage Bargain - ENGLOT

Chapter 28: Days 4-8

Cadence's POV:

DAY 4
...

I had to do something. Anything. I couldn't just sit here and let Emory slip away from me. We only had 26 days left together before I have to sign the papers, and I couldn't just let her go without a fight.

So, I started writing notes. Little love notes, funny notes, sweet notes. I left them in places I knew Emory would find them. On the fridge, on her coat, in her favorite coffee mug. It was a small gesture, but maybe it would make her smile, and that was enough for me.

I woke up early this morning, before Emory, and scribbled a quick note on a post-it. "Good morning, beautiful. I hope you have a great day." I stuck it to her coffee mug and headed to Riverstone Entertainment.

Throughout the day, I kept thinking about Emory finding the note. Would it make her happy? Would she even care? I didn't know, but I had to try. I had to do something to show her that I still loved her.

When I got home, I could tell Emory had been there. She left her shoes by the door and her jacket on the couch. I looked around for any signs that she had found my note, but didn't see anything.

As I started to make dinner, I heard Emory's footsteps coming down the stairs. She looked tired and stressed. I wanted to reach out and comfort her, but I didn't know how. So, I kept cooking and hoped that the smell of garlic and onion would make her feel a little better.

Emory came into the kitchen and sat down at the table. I could tell she was avoiding eye contact with me.

"Did you find my note?" I asked, almost whispering.

Emory looked up, surprised. "What note?"

I took a deep breath and walked over to the fridge, where I had stuck another post-it note. "Like this one."

Emory stood up and walked over to the fridge. She read the note and glance at me before sitting back down.

"That's nice. Thanks." She said, her tone even.

I knew it was too much to hope for, but I still felt a pang of disappointment in my chest. I nodded and turned back to the stove.

As we ate dinner, the silence felt heavy. We had so much to say to each other, but neither of us knew where to start. It's always one step forward, two steps back with Emory these days. Yesterday we were doing fine and I thought that would last bu today it seems that we're back to pretending like we're just strangers living in the same house.

After we finished, Emory stood up and gathered her dishes. "I'm going to go to bed early tonight. I have a long day tomorrow."

I nodded, feeling a lump forming in my throat. "Goodnight, Em."

"Goodnight, Cadence."

As she headed up the stairs, I saw her purse on the counter. I knew I shouldn't, but I couldn't help myself. I wrote one more note, folded it up, and slipped it into her purse.

It was a long shot, but maybe, just maybe, it would make a difference.

"I still love you," it said. "And I always will."

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DAY 5 - 7

...

We had dinner together in silence again, there seems to be a problem in the company since Emory hasn't stopped working on her laptop and phone even during dinner. I tried to ask about it and told her to take a break and eat first but I only received a roll of the eyes in return. I sighed and let her be.