Deception in Silicon Heights

Chapter 27: New Beginnings

The soft hum of activity filled the campus courtyard, where students hurried to and from classes, some chatting in groups, others sipping coffee and relaxing under the shade of the tall oak trees. Emma sat on a bench near the business school, a slight breeze ruffling her hair as she flipped through her notes on corporate finance. The fall semester of her junior year was in full swing, and she was thriving in her business management program. The buzz of numbers, strategies, and boardroom negotiations was second nature to her now.

Across campus, in the fine arts building, Lily stood by an easel, her hands smeared with paint as she worked on her latest project for her senior art class. Her focus was intense, as it always was when she was in her element, surrounded by canvases, brushes, and colours. Art had become her passion, her way of expressing everything she had kept bottled up for years. Her professors praised her unique style, one that captured emotion in a raw, honest way that set her apart from her peers.

Life had changed for both sisters, and for the better.

It had been several years since the storm of their parents' divorce, since the arguments and the pain that had nearly torn them apart. But time had healed many of those wounds. Emma had stayed with Ethan, who had since settled down with Samantha, his new partner—someone who brought a sense of warmth and stability back into their lives. Samantha was kind, supportive, and she loved Emma and Lily as if they were her own. Ethan seemed happier, more at peace, and the house they shared now was filled with laughter and light.

Lily had eventually moved into an apartment near campus, where she could focus on her art without distraction. But she still visited her dad and Samantha often, and when she did, it always felt like coming home.

Emma had found her footing too. She had thrown herself into her studies, determined to build a career in business, just like her father. She admired his resilience and the way he had handled the aftermath of the divorce. He had been her rock during those tough years, and she wanted to make him proud.

But some things hadn't changed.

Emma's phone buzzed on the bench beside her, pulling her out of her thoughts. She glanced down at the screen and frowned when she saw the name.

**Sophia.**

Her mother had called her several times in the past few weeks. At first, Emma had ignored the calls, not wanting to open old wounds. But today, something compelled her to answer. She hesitated for a moment, then pressed the green button and brought the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" Emma said, her voice flat, bracing herself for whatever was coming.

"Emma, sweetheart," Sophia's voice crackled through the phone, warm but tinged with something else—an urgency, a desperation. "I've been trying to reach you. I—I miss you. Can we talk?"

Emma's stomach tightened. She hadn't seen her mother in years, not since she had overheard that fateful phone call. The memory of Sophia's words still stung: *"I kept her here because of the child support."* That betrayal had been the breaking point. Emma had walked away from her mother, choosing to live with her father, and she hadn't looked back.

"What is there to talk about?" Emma asked, keeping her tone cool.

"I know I made mistakes, Emma. I know I wasn't... the best mother," Sophia continued, her voice breaking slightly. "But I love you. I've always loved you. I want to make things right. Can't we just sit down and talk? I'm still your mother."

Emma's heart ached, but she had learned to guard it well over the years. She leaned back on the bench, staring up at the sky, the words forming in her mind before she even realised it.