Escape from Mr. Whitman (Emma and Theodore) novel Chapter 397

She never could have imagined that Jared would snap at her like that—let alone curse her out.

“For God’s sake! Didn’t I tell you not to call me lately? What, are you deaf? Get lost! I’m busy!” Jared barked, then hung up without another word.

“You…” Cecilia’s hand shook so badly she almost dropped her phone.

Hanley, unable to watch anymore, gave a long, weary sigh. “Forget it, Cici. Let’s go.”

What choice did she have? Was she really going to stick around until the police came to drag her out?

“You’ll see! And you too, Jared!” Cecilia spat, glaring daggers at Nita. “None of you are going to get away with this!”

Chin held high, Cecilia marched out the door, Hanley trailing behind her, awkwardly carrying her suitcase.

Nita locked up. Behind her, two movers hefted the last of the boxes.

They all ended up waiting for the elevator together.

When Nita’s elevator arrived, she stepped in first, but it was obvious Cecilia had no intention of sharing a ride with her.

Nita glanced at Hanley. “Well, I’ll head down. Don’t let Cathie come asking me what happened.”

“Hey, I didn’t—” Hanley started, but the elevator doors slid shut before he could finish. “Nita, don’t go telling Cathie anything…”

Hanley just wanted to bury his head in his hands.

Nita and the movers rode down to the parking garage. Hanley and Cecilia took the elevator to the ground floor.

Outside the building, the city pulsed with life—cars streaming past, people hurrying by. Cecilia sat heavily on the steps and burst into tears. “What am I supposed to do now?”

Where could she go? She didn’t even have a place to stay.

Hanley crouched beside her, sighing once again, his mind spinning with anxiety.

Across the street, unseen by either of them, a car sat in a parking space. The window rolled down, then up again.

The car pulled out of the space and melted into traffic.

Cecilia kept crying on the steps, her sobs lost in the noise of the street. Hanley’s phone buzzed—a message from home, demanding to know if he was done and telling him to get back already.

Hanley grew anxious. “Cici, sitting here won’t help. Why don’t you find somewhere to stay for now? Book a hotel, maybe. You can look for a new place in a few days.”

Tears streaming down her cheeks, Cecilia gazed at him, eyes shining with desperation. “Where am I supposed to stay, Hanley? Please… can you help me find somewhere? You’re all I have left.”

She leaned toward him, but Hanley quickly scooted away, raising her suitcase as a barrier between them. Cecilia ended up slumping against the case instead, a flash of anger in her eyes before she dissolved back into tears, pouting pitifully. “Hanley…”

He sighed. “It’s not that I don’t want to help. But if I spend any money, Cathie knows instantly.”

Cathie had registered his phone number in her name, and all his bank and credit cards were linked to it. No matter how he tried, the second he used any account, Cathie would get an alert.

“You…” Cecilia’s tears turned to frustration, but she quickly shifted tactics, adopting a wounded-yet-concerned tone. “Hanley, I’m just saying—it’s embarrassing for a grown man to be so tightly controlled by his wife. Don’t you feel a little pathetic? Not a penny to your own name? Can’t even pay for a client’s dinner? And you’re the one earning all the money! She’s squeezing you dry and never thinks about how hard you work.”