Breaking Ties By Sara Abubakar Summary May 2026
Meanwhile, Liam senses Emma’s withdrawal and escalates his tactics. He proposes a “contract renewal”—a formal, written agreement about their marriage roles. When Emma refuses, he threatens to cut off her access to their joint bank account and calls her mother to say Emma is having a “mental breakdown.”
Emma seeks refuge at Ivy’s apartment. Ivy is horrified and urges Emma to leave immediately. But Emma, conditioned to doubt herself, returns home the next day. Act Two is a masterclass in slow-burn tension. Emma begins secretly attending therapy with Dr. Marcus. She initially frames their issues as “communication problems.” But through careful questioning, Dr. Marcus helps her name the dynamic: coercive control .
The judge grants Emma a favorable settlement, including alimony for two years to allow her to re-establish her career. The novel does not end with a romantic reunion or a new love interest. Instead, the epilogue shows Emma one year later. She is in a small but bright apartment of her own, working as a freelance illustrator. She has limited contact with her mother but has built a chosen family with Ivy and other survivors she met in a support group. breaking ties by sara abubakar summary
This article provides a detailed, chapter-by-chapter style summary of Breaking Ties , explores its major themes, character arcs, and explains why this story has become a must-read for fans of emotional, character-driven drama. At its core, Breaking Ties is the story of Liam and Emma , a couple whose seemingly perfect marriage hides a foundation of secrets, manipulation, and emotional neglect. The title itself is a double entendre: it refers both to the severing of familial bonds and the dissolution of a marital contract.
Emma’s response is the novel’s most quoted line: “I would rather be nothing alone than a puppet for your love.” Meanwhile, Liam senses Emma’s withdrawal and escalates his
This exchange sets the tone. Emma begins mentally cataloging these moments—a practice she learned from a self-help blog. She realizes these are not isolated incidents but a pattern.
This is a pivotal sequence. Emma’s own mother, a traditional woman who believes marriage is eternal sacrifice, sides with Liam. The title Breaking Ties now takes on a second meaning: Emma must break the tie with her mother’s outdated beliefs. Ivy is horrified and urges Emma to leave immediately
The novel opens in medias res —not with a wedding, but with the quiet, suffocating disintegration of a home. Emma, the protagonist, is introduced as a woman who has given up her career, her dreams, and her individual identity to become the perfect wife for Liam, a successful but emotionally absent husband. Liam is portrayed not as a villain in the traditional sense, but as a man trapped by his own upbringing—a man who confuses control for love.