Chapter 4 — Naomi’s Tough Love

Naomi

The door to Emilia’s apartment creaked open, and Naomi stepped inside, her heels clicking against polished hardwood. The place was a wreck. Unopened wedding gifts lined the walls like unwelcome sentinels, their pastel wrapping paper catching the dim light in a way that felt mocking. The faint scent of stale wine hung in the air, mingling with the metallic click of a gold fountain pen tapping against a cushion. A half-empty bottle of wine sat on the coffee table next to a stained glass, and Emilia was sprawled across the couch, her dark brown hair in a state of chaotic defiance. She stared at her laptop screen, her fingers gripping the pen like a lifeline.