CHAPTER 8: THE AFTERMATH
In the weeks and months that followed, I slowly started to rebuild my life.
I moved into a small apartment in the city, away from the memories of Blackthorn Manor. My father offered me a job at Sterling Global, but I wasn't ready yet.
I needed time.
Time to heal.
Time to find myself.
Time to remember who I was before Nathan Ashford had tried to erase me.
I started going to therapy. I started taking walks. I started writing in a journal.
I started to feel like myself again.
The scars on my back would never fully fade. Every time I looked in the mirror, I saw the evidence of his cruelty. But instead of seeing weakness, I saw survival. Strength. And hope.
Celeste's confession was the final nail in Nathan's coffin. She testified that he had planned everything, that he had been orchestrating my abuse for years. She had been a willing participant, but at the end, she'd made her choice.
I was standing in the middle of my living room, looking out at the city skyline, when my phone buzzed.
It was a news alert.
Nathan Ashford sentenced to life without parole following new testimony from former mistress.
I looked at the screen for a long moment.
Then I turned my phone off and sat down.
Because I didn't need to see the news to know that justice had been served.
Nathan was gone.
May you like
Celeste was gone.
And I was finally free.
