Emergence Novel Chapter 07

Emergence Novel Chapter 07

Later, when I broke free from the cage he built around me and emerged from my cocoon, this acknowledgment finally came. But it came at the wrong time.

I did not need it anymore. I understood clearly now that I was worthy.

Not because others praised me, but because I was inherently deserving.

That truth did not require anyone’s validation.

I thanked Damian politely. “Thank you. I know I’m remarkable.”

Damian spoke urgently. “Then, Elara, can you come back to me now?”

“I acknowledge you’re impressive now. I won’t talk to you the way I used to.”

I did not answer his question. Instead, I told him about my life after leaving.

“Damian, do you know something?”

“After I left you, I realized that eating slowly doesn’t get criticized. You can wear short skirts even if your thighs aren’t stick-thin. What I write might not be perfect, but people still read it.”

Damian seemed to remember something. His face paled inch by inch.

He was always composed and strategic, but now he looked unusually flustered, trying to explain. “That’s not what I meant back then.”

I cut him off, smiling gently. “Damian, leaving you taught me that the world is forgiving. So, I don’t want to trap myself by your side anymore.”

Even though I had blocked Damian on every platform, he still tried to disrupt my life after that day.

He kept changing numbers to text me, his words earnest.

“Elara, I’ve reflected a lot since I got back. I shouldn’t have treated you that way.’

“I shouldn’t have constantly torn you down or been so harsh about everything. Can you give me another chance and forgive me?”

Every time he sent a message, I blocked the number. I could not forgive him.

Wounds from youth might heal, but they leave scars. Those scars still ached in the dead of night, turning into nightmares that jolted me awake over and over.

So, I could not forgive him.

Later, mutual friends came to persuade me. “Damian knows he was wrong. Honestly, he didn’t do anything unforgivable.

“With your circumstances, if you let him go, you’ll never find another guy with his potential.”

In the past, seeing words like that would have made me agree unconsciously and obey Damian even more. But now, I only asked in confusion. “What do you mean by ‘your circumstances’? And what do you mean by ‘you’ll never find another guy like him’?

“I graduated from a top university. I’m attractive. My career is successful. Is someone like me really that bad?”

My friend fell silent.

As for Mom’s calls, the moment she hinted at wanting me to get back together with Damian, I hung up immediately.

Mom must have sensed my resolve, because one day, she unexpectedly did not try to persuade me.

“Elara, you’ve grown up. You have your own ideas now. I don’t want to interfere too much.”

“I just hope you can come home and see me. Ever since you went to work out of state, I barely see you once a year

Sensing my hesitation, Mom quickly added, “Don’t worry. When you come back this time, I absolutely won’t interfere with anything between you and Damian!”

I thought about it and decided to tell her. She was, after all, my only family. She worked hard as a single mother for so many years. Naturally, she had her limitations.

Perhaps this trip home would be a good opportunity to change her perspective. So, six months after breaking up with Damian, I went home for the first time, trying to face the wounds I suffered in my youth.