Chapter 10 - SUNSET ON THE PAST
Six months later,
Audrey was sitting on the deck of her new house.
It was smaller than the condo she had shared with Trevor,
but it was hers.
The divorce had been final for three weeks.
She had won the house,
most of the savings,
and a judgment against Trevor for the missing funds.
He was living in his parents’ basement,
working at a local hardware store to pay off his debts.
Brooke was gone,
having moved to another state to avoid the scandal.
Diane and Russell were no longer speaking to their son,
blaming him for "losing the golden goose."
Audrey looked at her phone.
A message from Scott.
"Just thought you'd like to know,
I'm doing well.
The bus ride was long,
but it was worth it."
She smiled and put the phone down.
She looked at the sunset,
the sky a brilliant shade of orange and pink.
It looked a lot like the sunset on Amelia Island.
But this time,
there was no one behind her trying to steal the view.
No one waiting for her to pay the bill.
No one making "jokes" at her expense.
She was Audrey Thorne.
She was a woman who knew her worth.
And she was finally,
beautifully,
completely alone.
She picked up her wine glass and lifted it toward the horizon.
"To the whole family,"
she whispered.
"May they finally find what they're looking for."
She took a sip,
and for the first time in her life,
it didn't taste like anything but peace.
The woman they left behind was gone.
The woman who stayed was a queen.
And the joke,
as it turned out,
May you like
was on them.
The end.
