Chapter 9 - THE SETTLEMENT
Six months later,
the dust finally began to settle.
Derek had accepted the plea deal.
He testified against Marlene in exchange for a twenty-year sentence instead of life.
Marlene was sentenced to thirty years.
She would likely die in prison.
The divorce was finalized on a Tuesday morning.
I stood in the judge's chambers,
signing the final decree.
I was Cassie Ellis again.
The Whitmore name was gone,
scrubbed from my identity like a stain.
I had recovered three point five million of the stolen four million.
The remaining five hundred thousand had been spent on Marlene's gambling and Derek's cars.
But the construction company was thriving.
The Emerald Heights project was ahead of schedule.
And I was the CEO the city respected.
I sat in my father’s office,
looking at the new mahogany desk I had bought.
It was sleek and modern,
nothing like the heavy,
oppressive piece Derek had used.
Mr. Sterling walked in,
carrying a bottle of champagne.
"To the new Cassie Ellis,"
he said,
pouring two glasses.
"And to the most successful project in this company's history."
I clinked my glass against his.
"To integrity,"
I said.
"And to the numbers that never lie."
We talked about the future,
about the new developments we were planning.
I felt a sense of excitement I hadn't felt in years.
I was an accountant,
yes,
but I was also a builder.
I was building a legacy that my father would be proud of.
When the office was empty,
I walked to the window.
The city lights were beginning to twinkle.
I thought about the night at 3:00 a.m.
I thought about the cold floor and the blood on my face.
It felt like a different life.
It felt like it had happened to someone else.
I touched the thin scar on my lip.
It was a reminder of where I had been.
But it didn't define where I was going.
I picked up my coat and turned off the lights.
I walked out of the building,
the security guards nodding as I passed.
I drove home to the house on the hill.
The roses were in bloom,
vibrant and red.
The weeds were gone.
The windows were open,
letting in the cool evening air.
I walked into the laundry room and looked at the window.
I reached out and locked it.
I wasn't climbing out anymore.
May you like
I was staying in.
I was home.
