Chapter 71

Ethan never imagined Emma would actually bring up divorce. It hit him like a truck—shock, then a burst of anger. With a loud "crack!", Ethan hurled his phone across the room. But he didn't dare dig into what had truly triggered him—those unfamiliar emotions gnawing at him inside. He just turned on his heel and marched up the stairs. Jacob, who had been standing nearby, was rooted in place, totally thrown off by Ethan's outburst. Stella let out a soft sigh as she bent down to pick up the smashed phone. "Beep... beep... beep..." The line went dead on Emma's end, with no response from Ethan. She figured he must've hung up himself. And honestly, she didn't want to call back either. He'd heard what she had to say, that was enough. "Dad, I'm going upstairs to rest," she said quietly. "Alright, you must be tired," Matthew replied gently, worry clouding his eyes as he looked at her. Emma headed upstairs and noticed her phone was blinking with a missed call. She picked it up and saw a missed ca