Emily met his eyes briefly. “I’ve been ready for a long time.”
Rebecca stepped forward slightly, offering a polite smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I hope we can handle this maturely,” she said. “There’s no need for unnecessary conflict. Sometimes things just… end.”
Emily tilted her head slightly. “Sometimes they do,” she replied. “And sometimes they don’t end the way people expect.”
For a split second, something flickered across Rebecca’s face—uncertainty—but it vanished quickly.
They walked inside together, though nothing about them felt connected anymore. Just three people moving in the same direction, bound only by what was about to be undone.
The courtroom felt colder than outside, its silence heavy with expectation. The judge sat ready, flipping through documents with practiced detachment.
Daniel spoke first, steady and controlled. He presented the divorce as mutual, clean, inevitable—two adults simply moving on. No blame. No conflict.
Emily listened without reacting.
When it was her turn, she spoke just as calmly. “Yes, Your Honor. It’s time to close this chapter.”
Behind them, Rebecca allowed herself a small, satisfied smile.