***The Decision***

Emma sat on her bed. Knees pulled to her chest. Arms wrapped around them.

The house felt too quiet. Too still. Like it was holding its breath.

She stared at nothing. At everything. At the life she'd built that was crumbling around her.

Liam's face kept appearing in her mind. His words. His choice.

"I can't leave you here. Alone. With him."

Stanford. A full scholarship. His dream school. Everything he'd worked for.

And he'd said no. ...