Love Scatters, Hearts Break

Love Scatters, Hearts Break

Chapter 13

After seeing that Marcus couldn’t be persuaded or coerced, a grim-faced Samuel declared, “There’s nothing left for us to talk about then. It doesn’t matter how many copies you make—I’m not going to sign the divorce agreement. If you want to take me to court, so be it.” He was certain that Emily would have to show up in court. When that time came, he was determined to do whatever it took to win her back. They had shared years of love and countless memories. Just seeing him in person would surely stir something in her heart. As long as he refused to sign the divorce papers, sooner or later, she would soften and return to him.

But Marcus was prepared for this as well. Calmly, he informed Samuel, “Mr. Porter, Ms. Anderson doesn’t need to take you to court. That’s only a last resort. If possible, she hopes you both can end things amicably.”

“One option is to remain legally separated for two years. After that, she can file for divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable differences, and the court will grant it.”

These weren’t Marcus’s words alone—Emily had already researched every legal route thoroughly. Once she made the decision to end the marriage, she applied her usual diligence, exploring all possible outcomes and preparing for each one.

Samuel looked stunned. “That’s impossible. She wouldn’t be this heartless. We were so in love once. She’s really going to throw everything away over one mistake?” He conveniently forgot how he had treated Emily over the past six months—how he neglected her, how cold he’d become.

Marcus wasn’t moved. “I’m just stating the facts, Mr. Porter. This is how the law works. If you think it’s unreasonable, you’re welcome to take it up in court.”

Samuel knew he couldn’t win that battle. Still, stubbornness overtook him. “So all I need to do is find Emily before then and patch things up, right?”

Marcus simply smiled without responding.

As a divorce lawyer, he had seen plenty of persistent husbands and heartbroken wives. But he could tell—Emily’s heart was no longer in it. Whatever Samuel tried, it was too late.

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Samuel was still at a stalemate with Marcus when his phone rang. It was a call from the police.

“Mr. Porter, based on the clues you provided, we’ve located the last known location of Ms. Anderson’s SIM card. Can you come in?”

“I’ll be right there!” Samuel responded at once.

For the moment, he set the divorce matter aside and rushed to the address. The location was completely unfamiliar to him, so he entered it into his GPS and sped off. What he found was nothing short of horrifying. He arrived at a barren wasteland—no buildings, no signs of life—just garbage strewn everywhere. Police officers were searching the area. The sight crushed him. Images from every crime and mystery movie he’d ever watched flashed through his mind. His knees buckled. He nearly fainted, and Officer Kate had to hold him up.

“Calm down, Mr. Porter,” she urged.

Barely regaining his composure, he asked with a trembling voice, “Where is she? Did you find her?” The thought that Emily had taken her own life shattered him. Regret consumed every inch of him. If only he hadn’t told the police she might hurt herself… “She’s not missing. She just didn’t want to see me. I… I wronged her…” He mumbled incoherently, visibly shaken and guilt-ridden.

Kate, still steadying him, offered a bag. “We didn’t find Ms. Anderson’s phone, but we did find a SIM card. Please check if it belongs to her.”

Snapping back to focus, Samuel asked, “You only found her SIM card? What about her phone?”

Kate shook her head. “We searched the area thoroughly. No phone.”

The emotional rollercoaster left Samuel completely disoriented. He took the evidence bag and asked, “Can I open it?”

With permission granted, he carefully removed the SIM card and inserted it into his phone. He hoped it would reveal what Emily had been thinking when she tossed it.

Did she still have feelings for him, even a sliver? But nothing happened. His phone was dead.

Samuel nearly lost it again. Desperation gripped him as he pleaded, “Can someone lend me a power bank? Please—I’ll return it right away.”

Kate quickly asked around. A kind policewoman handed one over.

As Kate gave it to him, she warned gently, “Try it. But the card may not work—it was submerged in water for quite a while.”

Tall grass and shallow puddles covered the entire area. It was easy to imagine the card getting damaged.

Still, Samuel refused to believe it was destroyed. He connected the charger and prayed silently. Maybe the heavens heard him—his phone lit up moments later. A flood of missed calls popped up—all from him. But what caught his eye were the unread text messages. When Samuel tapped on them, he froze. The messages weren’t from Emily… They were from Jessica. He had always assumed the two women had never spoken. But now, the truth spilled out from the screen—message after message from Jessica to Emily. And what shocked him most was the stark contrast in tone.

The woman in these texts was cruel, manipulative—a far cry from the sweet, harmless persona Jessica displayed around him. It was as if he’d been living with two entirely different Jessicas.