Chapter 18 - The Ghost of the Past
Years went by, and the terrible memory of Claire and David slowly faded into absolute insignificance.
I received updates from Richard occasionally, though I rarely ever asked for them anymore.
David had eventually found a low-paying job mopping floors at a fast-food restaurant across the state.
Claire had married a much older, terribly abusive man who controlled her every waking move.
They were living the miserable, pathetic lives they had violently earned for themselves.
I felt completely untouched by their distant, tragic misery, living fully in my own brilliant light.
I spent my days gardening in the courtyard of my charity estate, laughing with the wonderful women who lived there.
I had built a new family, one based on absolute respect, kindness, and mutual survival.
We didn't share blood, but we shared the powerful, undeniable bond of overcoming absolute betrayal.
One evening, I looked at the small, faded scar on my temple in the bathroom mirror.
It was a physical reminder of the exact moment I finally chose to save myself.
I traced the scar with my finger, smiling softly at the beautiful, fierce woman staring back at me.
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I wouldn't trade that horrible night for anything in the entire universe.
It was the painful, bloody birth of the incredible woman I was always destined to become.
