Chapter 10 - The Ultimate Checkmate
Exactly one year after the night in the storm, I hosted a charity gala at the Oak Creek estate.
It was a fundraiser for single mothers and children facing housing insecurity. The estate was illuminated with thousands of fairy lights. A string quartet played in the grand foyer. The driveway was packed with luxury cars, politicians, and philanthropists.
I stood at the top of the grand staircase, wearing a stunning emerald green gown, holding little Julian on my hip. My five older children stood around me, smiling, confident, and radiant.
Marcus Thorne raised a glass of champagne from the bottom of the stairs, giving me a silent, respectful toast.
I smiled back.
Later that evening, I walked out onto the front porch to get some fresh air. The night was clear, the stars bright and piercing against the black sky.
Down by the heavy iron gates, standing on the public sidewalk, were two figures.
Even in the shadows, I recognized them. Richard and Eleanor. They were wearing old, worn coats, standing in the cold, staring through the bars at the magnificent party happening inside the home they once ruled.
They looked up and saw me standing on the porch.
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I didn't yell. I didn't gloat. I didn't feel anger, or hatred, or even pity. I felt absolutely nothing for them.
I simply raised my glass in their direction, took a sip of champagne, and turned my back, walking inside to the warmth, the light, and the family that truly belonged under that roof.
