Chapter 5 - The Forensic Phoenix
Six months later,
the townhouse was filled with a different kind of light.
I had repainted the bedroom,
erasing the colors that reminded me of the makeup bag and the dresser where I had been shoved.
The office was still an office,
not a sunroom for a woman who didn't exist in my world anymore.
I sat at my desk,
the same one where I had quietly recorded Randy’s downfall,
and looked at the final decree of divorce.
It was a clean break,
the judge had seen the evidence and had not only granted the divorce but had ordered Randy to pay full restitution for the fraudulent loans.
Randy was currently serving a three-year sentence in a state facility,
where I heard he was not enjoying the lack of polished cuff links.
Eden had been forced to sell her colonial home to pay off her debts and stay out of prison,
and she was now living in a small apartment,
bitter and alone,
her social standing in the community vanished like smoke.
I had taken a leave of absence from my firm to work as a consultant for a non-profit that helped victims of domestic abuse find their financial independence.
I used my forensic skills to help them uncover the hidden assets their abusers used to keep them trapped.
My father was sitting on the patio,
grilling dinner,
the smell of woodsmoke and peace drifting through the screen door.
He had moved closer to town,
and we saw each other every weekend,
rebuilding the bond we had lost during my years with Randy.
"Dinner's ready,
Jo!"
he called out,
his voice warm and full of life.
I stood up,
walking to the window and looking at the garden I had planted.
The bruises were long gone,
the split lip was just a faint,
almost invisible scar,
but the woman I had become was stronger than the one who had eloped five years ago.
I had been broken,
yes,
but I had been put back together with a core of steel.
I reached down and picked up my phone,
the same one I had used to call for help,
and sent a message to my father.
"Coming,
Dad."
I walked out of the office,
turning off the lights,
knowing that I would never have to hide in the shadows again.
The house was mine,
my paycheck was mine,
and most importantly,
my silence was no longer a tool for a monster.
It was a choice.
And tonight,
May you like
I chose to laugh.
The End.
