Chapter 10 - The New Empire
A year later, the estate was unrecognizable. I had renovated the entire first floor, letting in massive amounts of natural light. The cream leather armchair Serena had lounged in was burning in a landfill somewhere; in its place was a massive, comfortable sectional sofa covered in Chloe’s stuffed animals and coloring books.
I stood on the back patio, sipping coffee, watching Chloe run across the grass. She was laughing hysterically, chasing after a golden retriever puppy we had adopted the week before. She was wearing her purple fairy wings, the ones she had begged for so long ago.
Evelyn, my attorney and now close friend, stepped out onto the patio, holding a manila folder.
"Final papers, Jess," she said, handing me the folder. "The divorce is completely finalized. Marcus signed away all parental rights in exchange for me not pursuing the civil damages against his remaining family. He's officially a ghost."
"Good," I said, not even looking at the papers. I tossed them onto the patio table.
"Serena tried to file an appeal," Evelyn chuckled. "The judge threw it out in five minutes. She's working in the prison laundry."
"Karma is undefeated," I murmured, taking a sip of my coffee.
Chloe tripped over the puppy's paws and tumbled into the soft grass. For a split second, silence hung in the air. Then, a bright, musical giggle erupted from her chest. The dog began licking her face, and she squealed with pure, unadulterated joy.
I smiled, a real, deep smile that reached my eyes.
I had lost a husband, but I had shed a parasite. I had faced the darkest, most terrifying moment of my life, and I had burned the world down to protect what mattered.
"Mama! Look!" Chloe yelled, pointing to the sky as a butterfly fluttered past her.
"I see it, baby!" I called back.
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I was Evelyn Jessica Carlisle. I owned the house, I owned the accounts, and I owned my future. But looking at my daughter, vibrant and alive and free, I knew none of that mattered.
The only title I cared about was Mama. And I was never letting her go again.
