Escape from Mr. Whitman (Emma and Theodore) novel Chapter 494

“Does my shop bother you?” Theodore asked. He was still wearing his apron, hat, and mask, looking every bit the professional baker.

“Yes,” Sebastian said, his tone sharp. “You could have opened a shop anywhere. Why right next to Emma’s university? And why a bakery? Is it because I bake for her? Are you trying to compete with me?”

“That’s not it at all…” Theodore let out a weary laugh. “This shop was my father’s.”

“I’ll buy it,” Sebastian repeated, his voice laced with arrogance. “I don’t care whose it was. It’s mine now.”

The tone was unnervingly familiar. It was the same way Cecilia had acted when she’d been thwarted at both bakeries, shouting, *I could buy this whole pathetic shop if I wanted to.*

And, of course, he had been the fool who offered to do just that. Though he never went through with it, the boomerang had now come back to hit him. Perhaps this was just karma.

He untied his apron. “Did Emma send you?”

“Yes!” Sebastian declared without hesitation.

Theodore smiled faintly. “No, she didn’t.”

The embarrassment of being caught in a lie quickly morphed into anger. “Yes, she did! Don’t you realize how much trouble you cause her by being here? You’re a source of pain for her. Every time she sees you, she’s forced to relive it all. If you have any decency, you’ll think of her for once. Stay away from her. Be a proper ex.”

Theodore sighed.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Just name your price. I’ll buy the shop, and you’ll leave,” Sebastian snapped.

Theodore turned to Anna. “Put up a sign. Everything in the store is free today. A thank you to our customers for all their support.”

“What are you trying to say?” Sebastian’s hostility was palpable.

“Loving someone is like tending to a plant,” Theodore said. “You give it sun and water, but you also have to give it room to breathe. If you smother it, it can’t grow.”

A sneer crossed Sebastian’s face. “You think you’re in any position to lecture me about love? After how badly you hurt her?”

Theodore lowered his gaze slightly. “It’s because I hurt her that I understand.”

“You don’t understand anything! Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing. You finally realize what you lost, don’t you? You finally see that she’s the one worth loving. Well, I’m telling you now, don’t even think about it!”

Theodore shook his head gently. “I’m just trying to tell you that when Emma loves someone, she gives them her whole heart. She’s not fickle. I may not have been a good husband, but I probably know her better than you do. You don’t need to be like this. She’s a wonderful person. Even without me in the picture, there will always be others who admire her. You can’t possibly…”