Copyright © 2021 by Becca Randall. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Indice I will lower the moon for you Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Epilogue Chapter 1 Moving On Emma NYC - Present Day "Oh, Crap! Emma, shit, Emma, listen!" I ran down the corridor. I was breathing frantically with a very heavy heart; ocean of tears flew down my burning cheeks. "Emma! Emma, wait, please stop." He followed me. I brisked up my pace through the empty passage. Every step forward dug a deep hole in my aching heart. I had no courage left to turn around and look at his face. How could he? He tried to catch me, but before he could, I entered an almost closing elevator. As the door closed between us, I stared straight in his eyes with shock and disbelief. The blaring alarm clock got me out of yet another reverie, or was it a bad dream? Honestly, I wasn't sure anymore. This had become a regular drill since days now. My subconscious mind kept playing tricks, and made me revisit the events of that day, troubling my soul to bear and accept things that had caused immense pain in the first place. No matter how hard I tried to make peace with the truth, I failed every single time. The days dawned the same, the birds flocked the same, the world voyaged the same, yet something had changed. Maybe not on the outside, but within. Every passing minute of my life in the past month felt unfamiliar. I didn't feel the same anymore. I saw the clock and realised I was running late. I rushed through my morning routine and got ready; and without wasting another precious second, I headed downstairs. The moment I entered the living room, I heard my parents talking softly. "Hey, is she down yet?" "No, she should be here any minute. I have prepared her breakfast." "Today is important. It's her first outing outside this house in months." "Yes, I am so worried about her Taylor. I thought I would never be able to see her smile again." "Don't worry, Samantha. She is stronger than you think. I trust our daughter; she will get through this." Guilt washed over me as the distress in their voice reflected how disappointed they must have felt, watching their grown-up daughter break like a fragile doll. Now when I looked back, it all seemed worthless. I heaved a deep sigh and mustered all my strength before I stepped in their room. "Mom, I am leaving, I am horribly behind schedule", I dashed into their room and without making further conversation, I turned to step out of the house. I felt ashamed to confront them after all these days. I walked past them, and almost instantly heard them call my name from behind. "Emma, wait. Just eat a little, your food is ready and served." "Later, Mom. I will call you once I reach," I tried to control my trembling voice as I slammed the front door and ran into the cab that had been waiting for me for the last eight minutes to be precise. "I am sorry I am late; can you please take me to this address here", I passed on a visiting card with my destination address to the cab driver while adjusting my blue pencil skirt before settling in the back seat of the cab. I took one final look at my reflection in my phone's front camera, and once satisfied, I threw it back into my cluttered purse. While on the way, I recalled how this was a dream come true for me. I worked really hard to reach here. My grades were always on point, and morals virtuous and high, basis enough for landing me a prestigious scholarship to study corporate law in a reputed ivy college. Luckily in my last semester, I got hired as a Junior Associate Attorney at S&M, one of the fore-running law firms in the United States, headquartered in the heart of Manhattan. As a teenager and even through college, I ran behind the notion of being perfect in all the dutiful roles that I was expected to endure - a doting daughter, a sincere student and a loyal girlfriend. That was until three months ago. Today, I was just one of those million girls who wore a brave smile on the outside with a very broken heart on the inside. I was taken out of my thoughts, when suddenly I felt my phone ringing, it was Niki. "Hi, Emma! You are going to start your first job; I am so excited. Just called to wish you all the world's luck." As always, she sounded pleasant and cheerful, like the first ray of sunshine. "Thanks, Niki, it means a lot," Hearing her voice made a small smile form on my lips. "Hey! Cheer up. Don't sound all sad and depressed, not today at least. I know the last few months have been challenging Emma, but you need to focus on the new beginnings." I listened to her silently. "Come on, Emma. I am banning you from feeling sad
