Chapter 20 - The Queen of the Castle
I am sitting on the balcony of my penthouse as I finally finish telling this story.
The city lights of Chicago are glittering below me like a sea of diamonds.
My husband is inside, laughing at a terrible movie playing on the television.
My life is incredibly full, vibrant, and completely devoid of unnecessary drama.
The luxury loft that started this massive war is still mine, fully paid off and beautiful.
It is a monument to my survival and my absolute refusal to be broken.
My family thought that public shame and violence would force me into total submission.
They thought I was just a quiet, dependable workhorse who would always take the abuse.
They had absolutely no idea that they were pushing a sleeping dragon.
I uncovered their sins, dismantled their lives, and walked away completely unscathed.
Some people might call me ruthless for what I did to my own flesh and blood.
But I call it self-preservation in its purest, most necessary form.
You cannot light yourself on fire just to keep toxic people warm.
I chose myself, my peace, and my fiercely earned freedom.
I survived the absolute worst of them, and I emerged entirely victorious.
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This penthouse is my castle, and I am the only queen who rules it.
The war is over, and I won everything.
