Chapter 10 - A New Beginning
Two years later.
The sun was setting over the outer banks of North Carolina, painting the sky in brilliant shades of pink and gold.
I stood on the deck of a beautiful, shingle-style beach house, the sound of the ocean waves crashing gently against the shore below. The air was warm, carrying the salty scent of the sea.
From inside the house, I could hear laughter.
Greg had brought Nolan and Hallie down for the weekend. Nolan, now nine, was running around the yard with a kite, while Hallie, seven, was helping Reid set the outdoor table for dinner.
Reid walked out onto the deck, holding two glasses of lemonade. He handed one to me and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close.
"They're asking if we can go search for ghost crabs on the beach tonight," Reid said, kissing the top of my head. "I told them it depends on if the boss says yes."
"The boss says absolutely yes," I laughed, leaning against his chest.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out.
It was an email from Arthur Vance. He had forwarded a copy of Paige's official release documents. She had completed her two-year sentence, her probation was progressing perfectly, and she had just secured a steady job at a florist in Ohio, close to where Greg and the kids lived. She was living in a small, modest apartment she paid for herself.
She had sent a short message through Arthur, wishing me well and thanking me for not contesting her supervised visitation rights with the kids.
I smiled, looking out at the ocean.
I had spent my entire twenties carrying the weight of a family that only wanted to pull me down. I had thought that success meant building bigger walls, buying more expensive things, and hiding from the world.
But standing here, with Reid by my side, watching my niece and nephew laugh in the yard, I realized what true success was.
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It wasn't the penthouse. It wasn't the money.
It was the freedom to choose who got to be in my life. It was the peace of knowing I was safe. And it was the beautiful, quiet joy of a home built on love, respect, and the courage to finally say no.
