The Flora That Grew

”He held onto her wings so stubbornly, he broke them. Now all that is left is a corpse. ”

Stanley threw the receiver down, then in a fit of rage, he ripped the phone from the table and launched it into the opposing wall.

He could not see what he had done wrong. In his mind, he thought that Emma also reciprocated his feelings and was just playing hard to get. So he chased her, he thought she was just acting.

But after the phone call, he could see that was not the case. He ordered the servants to take care of the mess he made, Stanley walked through the house and into the garden and set himself down on one of the benches, brow furrowed. He was so bitter, infuriated by his own stupidity, he ruined the very relationship that he wanted to preserve.

This is fine, he thought, I can find a way to have her love me again.

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”I request a break. I do not want to stay here. I-I want to leave Rosewood, by myself if you would permit it? ”

”What do you mean? You can just leave me. Or your friends just because. You can not just up and leave. ”

Emma took a deep breath, ”Well I am, I am sure my friends will understand that I am leaving for my own benefit and nothing else. ”

She grabbed her suitcase and walked out of their room, ignoring Alexander when he was trying to get her to talk to him more.

Emma felt her heart beat faster with rising fear, her throat was closing up, taking a deep breath; breathing in and out, repeating the process. Alexander was still fuming, talking loudly although not quite shouting.

”Stop! Stop talking to me, you cannot stop me from leaving. Please, I want time alone; I do not want to spend any time with you, I want time alone for myself. Please understand this. ”

”No! Why are you like this? We are happy! After what happened between you and Stanley is already over, I will keep you safe. Why do you want to leave? ”

Emma huffed in frustration and turned around calling for Bella, followed by Megan; the maid rushed around the corner. When Alexander saw Bella and Megan also, carrying their own suitcase he flew into a fury. He started shouting at the women and then ran over to the entrance hall and blocked the door with his body.

Emma looked at Megan and Bella, motioning for them to go to the phone in her office so that they can call Katie, she motioned with her hands to tell her what was going on.

After the two left, Alexander looked at her with a dark, maniacal gaze.

Emma narrowed her eyes, gently getting into a defensive stance.

”Calm down. And let. Me out. ”

Emmas face turned into a small frown, she felt her anger rising, her knuckles turning white and her grip on the handle was crushing. She heard Bella and Megan come down.

”Do you have my rapier, Megan? ”

She was silently handed the rapier and Emma relished in the feeling of seeing the shock in Alexanders eyes. Setting down her suitcase and smoothing her face out, a blank slate, no emotions and Alexander wasn sure what was more unnerving, the cold, unfeeling eyes of his wife or the fact that she had a rapier in her left hand. A rapier that was customised for her left hand.

It was at this moment that he had come to the realization that he truly knew very little about his wife.

”Wh-what are you going to do? Are you going to kill me? ”

Emma scoffed, an action that was foreign to her character, Alexander had never heard her scoff with derision only in good humour, ”I would never kill you, I would kill myself before I even consider the thought. But, I will not hesitate to hurt anyone who infringes on my freedom. ”

”Yeah, ” Katies voice rang out clear and strong as she came up the stairs and into the entrance hall, ”She wants to go on leave, Emma will be with me. I will keep her safe. ”

Alexander whirled around, eyes glaring in outrage.

”You
e in on this too?! ”

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As they sat in silence in the carriage, Katie looked at Emma. She noticed the paleness of her friends face and the ever-present tiredness on her face. The now-familiar distant look in her eyes.

”Do you think you made a mistake marrying him? ”

”Yes. ”

The simple answer broke her heart, she remembered at some point earlier in the courting stages when Emma had broken down, crying to her over the telephone. Asking her whether it had been a mistake and if she wants to break up with him. Then she never heard any problems after that and she felt as if Emma was truly happy.

Katie can see that thats not the case, yet she couldn find it in her heart to blame her friend. She knew how much her friend has been through and it had seemed that the relationship was finally beginning to split at the seams.

Katie reached over and took her friends hand, her hand was small and defined, Emma has always denied her hands, always self-conscious about her hands and never really letting them be looked at. She rubbed it gently, comforting her friend.

”Katie? ”

”How are you feeling? ” the question was whispered yet it rang so loudly in Emmas head, her head was ringing with a faint buzz and silence weirdly intertwined with one another.

”I am… hurt, yes. But, I did not know that his reaction would be so… crazed. He changed completely. I don know what to think. ”

”Do you still love him? ”

Emma looked out of the window as Katie sat up straighter, looking at her friend.

”I must say that I do not. Well not as much as before, and some of the respect is lost. But, I still must applaud him for being a less smothering and controlling husband than others. ”

”How long were you unhappy for? When did you notice his actions changing? ”

”After the three-month line. ”

”Youve been with him for a little over a year now; Emma why did you hold on to something that did not make you happy? ”

”He did make me happy, that was why I was willing to stay for so long. ”

Katie sighed, her heart hurt for her friend, but there was not much for her to do.

”May I tell Valerie and the others? ”

Emma looked tiredly at Kieat, her brown eyes never looked so dull, ”You can. But I am sure that I am the villain somewhat. It takes two to make or break a relationship. Never truly one parties fault. ”

”I am sure they would understand. You should rest now. We still have quite some time to where the rest of our group is. ”

”I am so glad that we had bought this mansion to be our holiday home. ”

”I am quite glad too. I get to spend time with the rest of you all. ”

Katie moved next to her friend, wrapping an arm around her friends shoulders and bringing her into a tight embrace.

When she had received the call from Bella, she had immediately notified her friends by her servants in her house to call her friends that it was an urgent matter with regards to Emma. Then she went to where her friend lived and saw Alexander acting unhinged and Katie had felt fearful; not for herself, for her friend.

Looking at her napping friend; Katie had never seen her friend so defeated and tired.

She wishes for the details soon, so she would see the full picture.