It was the day Emily decided: it was time to truly live, to stop postponing happiness. “I’m only 35, a woman, and I deserve to be happy,” she mused, opening a travel agency’s website on her laptop. For the first time in three years, she allowed herself to dream of a vacation, a trip with her son to warmer shores. Browsing vibrant images of “all-inclusive” deals in Florida, California, and other popular resorts, Emily couldn’t decide—her eyes darted from one option to another. But after scrolling through several pages, she paused on a small coastal town in her home state. The town was familiar from her youth, when she’d visited with friends and later with her family, her husband James, and their young son Ethan.

James entered her life when she was just 25. Tall, attractive, successful, he had an undeniable charm that instantly captivated Emily. Their relationship read like pages from a clichéd romance novel: road trips, flowers, endless joy. Ethan’s birth felt like the natural continuation of their fairytale. But a year after Ethan arrived, things began to shift. James was home less often, staying late at work, and business trips became a staple of his life. He lied frequently, grew cold and distant, and refused to engage in family life.

Emily tried to push away thoughts that he was seeing another woman. She confronted him multiple times, but he always denied her suspicions, brushing them off. Yet his detachment, his lack of interest in their family and son, was too obvious. James provided money but offered neither time nor attention.

One evening, James simply vanished and never returned. Emily remembered that night vividly. She spent three days pacing their apartment, phone in hand, hoping he’d call.

“Mom, why are you so sad?” her young son asked softly.

“I’m not sad, just tired. Go to bed,” she replied.

Ethan, unaware his father might never return, obediently went to sleep. In those days, Emily hid her anxiety from her son. To Ethan, his dad was on a long business trip.

But worry consumed her. She called James’s company to find out what was happening. When the voice of the CEO, Arthur Thompson, came on the line, her heart froze. She knew him from corporate events and hoped he’d have answers.

“Emily, what business trip are you talking about?” Arthur asked, surprised. “James took unpaid leave. There are no factory projects like he told you.”

Arthur’s words cut like a knife. James’s lies were undeniable. Emily sank onto the couch, covering her face with her hands. How could he do this? Her patience snapped, and she realized she couldn’t live like this anymore. It was over.

But then the phone rang again. It was Arthur.

“Emily, I need to tell you something, but it’s better in person. Can I come over?”

When Arthur arrived, he looked shaken.

“Emily, James crashed through the ice on a snowmobile. Rescuers couldn’t find his body. There’s no chance he’s alive.”

The words hit like thunder on a clear day. Everything she’d built in her mind collapsed.

Just half an hour ago, she was cursing James, planning to leave him. Now she was told he was gone. She froze. Arthur spoke of legal matters and inheritance, but his words barely registered.

“Mom, why are you crying?” Ethan asked, appearing at the worst moment. “What’s wrong with Dad?”

Emily hesitated. How do you tell a five-year-old his father will never return? She stalled. “Dad’s gone on another trip. He won’t be back for a long time.”