Her Regret, His Peace

called after me as I walk

with a mixture of

ntract! You' re just trying to get more money out o

ong, sterile hallway, the sound of her shouting fading behind me. For

about to push through the mai

ing so

against a wall, a smug, triumphant look on

self off the wall and strolling towards me. "

was the reason for all of this. He was the one who had whispered poi

that," he chuckled. "Yo

?" My voice w

"I' m the one who set you free. You see, your

od ran

you talki

tal a few days ago. We had a nice chat. I told her all about your life here. The five d

is voice dropping to a

alive, as long as you needed the Davis family' s money for her medical bills. I explai

tter my mother wrote... it was true. This monster, this sm

the look of horror on my face. "She understood. She did w

inside m

ide, of silent suffering, erupted in a single

t the wall, the impact echoing in the quiet lobby. His smug smile vanished, re

could see was his face, the face of the man who had murdered my m

n! Sto

owed me down. She and two burly security guards,

ollapsed to the floor, gasping fo

r face pale with fury. She rushed to Jake' s side, helping hi

, pointing a trembling finger

ad held a flicker of concern just an hour ago,

hissed. "You put

the bodyguards

didn' t struggle. The rage had drained out of

r voice dangerously low. "You think you can threaten me with divorce and

Since you didn' t want to do it at the club, you can do it here. You' re going to kneel on the floor

el. In public. For hours. It

orce me to my knees, another

that' s

just arrived, her face a

you doing here?" C

scene-me held by the guards, Jake nursing his neck, Chloe' s face t

r. "He attacked Jake!

Mrs. Davis repeated,

ed, looking from C

vis commanded. They relu

xpression was complicated-a mix of

e, Ethan," s

fuming Jake behind. She didn' t take me to her

g moment, she just looked at me, her eyes fille

d. "For all of this. I never imagined

handbag and pulled out a small, heavy

nds trembling as she held it out to m

than it looked. I knew what i

ngers, I lif

ed of black velvet, wa

her' s

st, raw and ragged. I collapsed into a chair, clutching the box to my chest, and finally, finally

ce to grieve. When my sobs finally subsided into shudde

ave a car waiting for you out back. It will take

e go. She was bre

..." I

o her voice. "You just disappear. Start a new l

on the table next to me. It

e said. "You'

y hands. This money, this freedom... it

rn, leaving the c

ant your mon

ght against my heart, I walked out