Chapter 40: Returning what isn’t mine

The taxi slowed as it approached the address written on the back of Adrian’s card.

Emily looked through the window.

She had expected an apartment.

Instead, the driver stopped in front of a large, well-maintained house behind a tall gate.

Emily stared at it for a few seconds.

"Is this the address?" the driver asked.

She looked down at the card again.

It matched.

"Yeah."

She paid the fare and stepped out.

The taxi drove away.

Emily stood there with the black gift bag hanging from her hand.

The residence was breathtaking, he had mentioned to her once that his family was rich, but this was luxury. The house was a simple well decorated mansion on the exterior, with a black gate as enterance to the compound and well shaped artificial flower bushes as the fence, the compound was big with a single pave way leading to the mansion from the gate.

Focus Emily.

For a moment, she considered turning around.

Not because she wanted the gift.

She didn’t.

She just wasn’t sure how awkward this was going to be.

I should’ve returned it sooner.

She walked toward the gate and pressed the intercom.

A voice answered.

"Hello?"

"It’s Emily Bennett. I’m here to see Adrian."

There was a short pause.

Then the gate opened.

Emily walked inside.

Adrian wasn’t expecting her.

That much was obvious from the look on his face when he opened the door.

"Emily?"

"Hi."

He glanced behind her.

Then back at her.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah."

She lifted the bag slightly.

"I came to return this."

Adrian’s eyes dropped to the bag.

The expression on his face changed.

He already knew what was inside.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Adrian stepped aside.

"You could’ve just kept it."

Emily shook her head.

"I couldn’t."

"Why?"

She looked down at the bag.

"Because I don’t want to give you the wrong idea."

Adrian leaned against the doorframe.

"I think I understand."

Emily held the bag out.

He didn’t take it immediately.

"Did you not like it?"

"It’s nice."

"Then what’s the problem?"

"The problem isn’t the bag."

Adrian looked at her.

Emily took a breath.

"Damian and I are dating now."

There it was.

Simple.

Direct.

No room for misunderstanding.

Adrian’s expression remained composed.

"I figured."

Emily blinked.

"You did?"

"You’ve never exactly been subtle around him."

She smiled faintly.

"I wasn’t trying to be."

"Seemed pretty obvious to me."

Adrian finally took the bag from her.

His fingers tightened slightly around the handle before relaxing.

"I suppose congratulations are appropriate."

"Thank you."

There was a brief silence.

Emily felt awkward.

She hadn’t come here to hurt him.

She hadn’t even wanted to have this conversation.

But she knew it was necessary.

"I appreciate the gift," she said. "Really. But I don’t want to accept something that could make things complicated."

Adrian looked at the bag.

"I wasn’t trying to buy you."

Emily looked at him.

"I know."

That seemed to catch him off guard.

She continued.

"I just don’t want there to be any confusion between us."

Adrian nodded slowly.

"I understand ."

He opened the bag slightly, glanced at the box inside, then closed it again.

"I did mean what I said, though."

Emily waited.

"I like you."

She gave him a small, apologetic smile.

"I know."

"And I thought..." Adrian paused. "Maybe if I showed you that I was serious, things might change...that you might like me too."

Emily shook her head gently.

"I’m sorry."

"You don’t have to apologize."

"I do."

Adrian gave a small laugh.

"That’s probably the nicest rejection I’ve ever received."

Emily smiled.

"I’m not trying to be cruel."

"I know."

He looked at her for a moment.

Then asked,

"Is he good to you?"

Emily didn’t hesitate.

"Yes."

Something about how quickly she answered made Adrian look away.

He nodded.

"Then I suppose that’s what matters."

Emily wasn’t sure what to say.

Adrian had every reason to be disappointed.

But he wasn’t making the situation ugly.

That made leaving easier.

And somehow harder.

"I should go."

"Alright."

Emily turned toward the door.

"Emily."

She stopped.

She looked back.

Adrian stood there holding the gift.

"I don’t hate him."

She raised an eyebrow.

"I didn’t think you did."

"I don’t like losing."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"But that’s different."

Emily smiled back.

"Good luck with that."

Adrian laughed quietly.

"Thanks."

She stepped outside.

Adrian watched her walk down the path.

Only when the door closed did his expression change.

He looked down at the returned gift.

The expensive handbag.

The card.

Everything he’d thought might make a difference.

It hadn’t.

He wasn’t angry at Emily.

He wasn’t even angry at Damian.

But something about the whole situation bothered him.

Not because Emily had chosen someone else.

Because Damian had somehow managed to get what Adrian couldn’t without trying to impress her with money, status, or gifts was a scope unfamiliar to Adrian.

Adrian looked toward the window.

So that’s what she chose.

He smiled faintly.

Emily had barely made it halfway home when her phone rang.

She looked at the screen.

The hospital.

Her stomach tightened.

She answered immediately.

"Hello?"

The voice on the other end was calm and professional.

Emily listened.

Her expression slowly changed.

"Okay."

A pause.

"Yes, I understand."

Another pause.

"I’ll come by tomorrow."

She ended the call.

For several seconds, she simply stood on the sidewalk.

The hospital had given her another update.

Her mother’s condition was stable, but there were additional treatment costs and other expenses that needed to be handled.

Nothing catastrophic.

Just more money.

More bills.

More things she couldn’t ignore.

Emily looked at her bank app.

The number on the screen was nowhere near enough to make everything disappear.

She closed it.

I’ll figure it out.

She had said those words so many times that they were beginning to feel like a prayer.

Meanwhile, Damian was sitting in a university library with three tabs open on his laptop.

Nexora.

Westbridge.

The university currently considering both companies.

He had been studying the situation for almost an hour.

Nexora had the obvious advantage.

More resources.

More experience.

More institutional relationships.

Westbridge couldn’t beat them by pretending to be something it wasn’t.

Damian leaned back.

"So what can we actually offer?"

He opened a blank document.

Then started typing.

Simplicity.

Faster feedback.

Better onboarding.

Direct student/user involvement.

He paused.

Maybe that was the answer.

Don’t compete with Nexora on size.

Compete on experience.

Damian looked at his phone.

No new messages from Emily.

He frowned.

He’d tried not to think too much about it.

But she had been unusually quiet.

He opened their conversation.

His thumb hovered over the keyboard.

Then he typed.

Damian:You okay, babe? Haven’t heard much from you.

He sent it.

A few minutes passed.

Then his phone vibrated.

Emily:Yeah. Just dealing with some family stuff. I’ll explain later.

Damian read the message twice.

Family stuff.

That wasn’t exactly reassuring.

He considered asking what happened.

Instead, he typed:

Damian:Okay. I’m here if you need me.

Emily saw the message almost immediately.

She stared at it.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.

She wanted to tell him.

She really did.

My mom is in the hospital.

It was three simple words.

Why were they so difficult to type?

She started writing.

Emily:I know.

She stared at it.

Deleted it.

Tried again.

Emily:Thank you, babe. I’ll tell you all about it soon.

She stared at that one too.

Then deleted it.

Finally, she typed:

Emily:Goodnight, love.

She sent it.

Damian’s reply came seconds later.

Damian:Goodnight, babe.

Emily smiled sadly at the screen.

Then put her phone down.

The next afternoon, Ethan met Damian outside one of their lecture halls.

"You look tired."

"So do you."

"Yeah, but mine is natural."

Damian laughed.

They started walking.

After a few seconds, Damian said,

"Emily told me she’s dealing with some family stuff."

Ethan’s steps slowed for half a second.

Then continued.

"Oh."

"She said she’ll explain when she’s ready."

"Then let her."

Damian nodded.

"That’s what I figured."

Ethan looked at him.

There was something uncomfortable about hearing Damian say it so casually.

Because Ethan knew.

He knew Emily’s mother was in the hospital.

He knew Emily was trying to sell things to cover expenses.

He knew she was struggling.

And Damian had no idea.

For a moment, Ethan wondered whether he should tell him.

Just say it.

Get it over with.

But he remembered Emily’s face when she’d asked him not to.

So he kept walking.

"You good?" Damian asked.

Ethan looked at him.

"Yeah."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, bro."

Damian nodded.

"Alright."

Ethan forced a smile.

"Besides, you’ve got bigger problems."

"Nexora?"

"Exactly."

Damian sighed.

"Don’t remind me."

Ethan laughed.

The conversation moved on.

But the secret remained.

That evening, Emily returned home.

The house looked even emptier now.

More boxes had been packed.

More shelves had been cleared.

She placed her bag down and looked around.

Then her eyes landed on the empty space where Adrian’s gift had been.

It was gone.

One less problem.

She sat on the edge of the sofa.

Her phone was still in her hand.

She opened Damian’s message again.

I’m here if you need me.

Emily’s eyes became slightly watery.

He was always there.

That was the problem.

She didn’t want him to have to be.

She typed something.

Stopped.

Deleted it.

Typed again.

This time, she didn’t send it.

I need you.

She stared at the words.

Then deleted them.

Emily placed the phone against her chest and closed her eyes.

"I’ll tell you."

Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Just... not tonight."

She opened their chat one more time.

Damian’s last message was still there.

Goodnight, babe.

Emily smiled faintly.

"I’m sorry."

Then she locked her phone.

For tonight, she would carry the weight herself.

Tomorrow?

She would figure that out when it came.