Chloe Simpson stared at her phone, reading the text message, momentarily frozen as Lucas Hughes's face suddenly flashed through her mind.
[Alright.]
After a long pause, she finally replied to Alexander Johnson's text with a single word: alright.
Then, she put away her phone, placed the money in the designated spot, and left.
Not long after, Emily Sterling safely returned home.
The moment Chloe heard the door open, she almost thought it was a hallucination.
It wasn't until she saw Emily walk in that Chloe couldn't hold back any longer. She rushed over and buried herself in Emily's arms.
"Mom, you're finally back. Waaa…"
She wasn't sure if her tears were because of the anxiety she'd endured while desperately gathering money over the past three hours, or because she'd agreed to move in with Alexander Johnson, knowing full well it meant her and Lucas Hughes's relationship might be completely over.
Holding onto Emily, Chloe broke down in sobs.
