Escape from Mr. Whitman (Emma and Theodore) novel Chapter 383

You have to get better, Grandma... Theodore only has you left.

The handwriting was instantly recognizable—Emma’s signature script.

Emma’s letters always had a round, chubby charm, each stroke brimming with an innocent sweetness. They couldn’t have been more different from Cecilia’s sharp, elegant style.

As he stared at the words, Theodore felt his heart plummet, heavy and unmoored.

It kept sinking. Down, down—straight into an endless abyss.

He was losing so much more than he’d ever imagined.

Stacking the two sheets of paper together, he finally broke. The tears came, wracking his chest.

Emma, I’m so sorry...

He sat in his office, surrounded by a silence so deep it seemed to swallow the world whole.

If only this were the end of time, he thought. If only he didn’t have to face another sunrise.

But all he could do was sit there, painfully awake, waiting for the night to pass.

And this night felt impossibly long.

It felt as if his whole life had become nothing but night.

He sat frozen in his chair until morning, not moving an inch, until at last Jared and Cecilia arrived.

“Theo, did you spend the whole night here?” Cecilia burst in, her voice shrill with worry, immediately catching sight of the papers in his hands.

But before she could get a proper look, Theodore tucked them away.

His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, a faint blue shadow on his jaw where his stubble had grown overnight. His eyes were sunken and tired, and when he looked at her, his gaze was cold and distant.

“Theo...” Cecilia’s nerves showed in her wavering voice. “Are you... alright?”

Theodore didn’t answer, just stared at her with unblinking intensity.

“Um... Theo...” Cecilia’s guilt made her voice tremble. “What’s wrong? If you’re upset about the divorce, we’re here for you...”

“I’m fine.” He suddenly softened, masking the sharpness in his eyes. “I was just trying to fold some paper cranes. Watched a tutorial, but I just can’t seem to get it right.”

“Understood,” Jared replied, watching Theodore’s retreating figure.

Theodore left the office, took the elevator straight down to the parking garage, and got into his car. He dialed Hanley.

“Hanley, where are you?”

“Huh? I’m on my way to the office. Almost there.”

“I need to talk to you.”

“Oh, sure. Are you at the office?”

“I’ve got to head out for a bit. I’ll be back this afternoon. Let’s catch up then.”

“Alright. Where are you going? Where did you stay last night? I tried calling, but—”

“I’ll explain later.” Theodore cut off Hanley’s barrage of questions.

Right now, he needed to get to the hospital.