Chapter 6 - The Unbroken Horizon
Six months later.
The spring sun over the city was brilliant, warm, and entirely unclouded by the shadows of the past.
I stood on the wide wrap-around porch of my brand-new home—a gorgeous, light-filled craftsman house overlooking the river, purchased entirely through my own independent design firm contracts and my father’s unwavering support.
My phone buzzed in the pocket of my linen trousers.
I pulled it out. It was a notification from my attorney confirming that the final divorce decree had been officially signed by the judge:
Full, unhindered sole custody of Lily.
Complete financial independence and asset protection.
Permanent restraining orders prohibiting Priscilla and Gavin Ashford from coming within five hundred feet of my daughter or me.
I smiled, locked my screen, and slipped the phone back into my pocket.
Through the open living room window, I could hear Lily laughing hysterically as my father pushed her higher and higher on the brand-new wooden swing set installed in our backyard.
The soup stains on my blouse were a distant memory. The burn on my chest had faded into invisible skin. The slap on my face had left no mark, save for the unshakeable armor it had forged around my soul.
I took a deep breath of the fresh spring air, looking out toward the endless, unbroken horizon of my future.
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We weren't surviving anymore.
We were finally, beautifully, free.
