Chapter 5 - Best Wishes, Truly
A month passed,
and the silence of the house became a melody I actually enjoyed.
I had reorganized the firm,
firing the dead weight and promoting the people who had actually done the work.
The company was thriving,
no longer held back by Ryan’s expensive tastes and Vanessa’s constant meddling.
I was sitting on my patio,
watching the first signs of spring emerge in the garden,
when the final divorce decree arrived via email.
It was official.
I was no longer Mrs. Sterling.
I was Evelyn Rossi again,
using the name my grandfather had brought over from Italy with nothing but a suitcase and a dream.
I felt a weight lift off my shoulders,
a physical sensation of lightness that made me want to run.
The doorbell rang,
a soft,
pleasant sound this time.
I opened it to find Officer Miller,
out of uniform and holding a small box of chocolates.
“Just stopping by to check in,”
he said,
looking a little bashful.
“The department wanted to officially apologize for the...
well,
the intensity of the search.”
I smiled,
and for the first time,
it wasn't a fake smile for a client or a masked smile for a husband.
“It’s alright,
Officer.
You were just doing your job.
And you did help me get the trash out.”
He laughed and handed me the box.
“I hear the firm is doing well.
The newspapers are calling you the 'Architect of Justice'.”
I shook my head.
“I’m just a woman who likes her locks changed,
Officer.”
After he left,
I went back to my office and opened my laptop.
I had one last thing to do.
I logged into the prison’s communication portal,
the one Ryan had been using to send me frantic,
begging letters that I had ignored for weeks.
He had one last message waiting for me.
Please,
Evelyn.
I’m sorry.
Vanessa is gone,
she turned on me.
I have nothing.
Just send me enough for a decent lawyer.
For old times' sake.
I looked at the screen,
remembering the text from Cancun.
I married your best friend. We’re not coming home.
I typed a reply,
my fingers moving with a grace and speed that felt like music.
Best wishes.
I hit send and then deleted the account entirely.
I walked through my house,
touching the walls,
the furniture,
and the frames.
Everything here was mine.
Everything here was earned.
The nightmare was finally,
truly over.
I walked to the front door and turned the deadbolt,
the sound of the metal clicking into place being the most beautiful thing I had ever heard.
I went to the kitchen,
poured myself a glass of expensive wine—bought with my own,
clean money—and sat down to watch the stars.
The world was big,
the night was quiet,
and for the first time in my life,
I was exactly where I wanted to be.
Home.
Alone.
And perfectly,
wonderfully free.
The end of the story wasn't a wedding or a betrayal.
It was a woman sitting in the dark,
knowing that her doors were locked and her soul was finally her own.
Best wishes,
Ryan.
Best wishes,
Vanessa.
But most of all,
best wishes to me.
The sun rose the next morning,
gold and bright,
and I didn't wait for the doorbell to ring.
I opened the door myself and stepped out into the world,
May you like
ready for a day that didn't belong to anyone but Evelyn Rossi.
And that was the best wish of all.
