Chapter 8 - The Aftermath of Fire
A month after the boardroom showdown, the dust had finally settled over the city. Eleanor and Chloe had completely vanished from the high-society circles they had once spent my money to maintain. Rumors traveled fast; someone had spotted Chloe working behind the counter of a low-end car rental agency near the airport, her designer clothes replaced by a polyester uniform. Eleanor was reportedly living in a tiny one-bedroom apartment paid for by a local state assistance program, her credit cards permanently blacklisted across the state.
They were alive, but they were insignificant. They were no longer my burden to bear.
At the Glass Estate, life was beginning to flourish. The lawn was covered in soft, colorful baby blankets, and the scent of fresh ocean air filled the rooms. Eli was three months old now, his chubby cheeks bursting into bright, gummy smiles whenever I walked into the room.
"You look peaceful, Avery," a voice said from the doorway.
I turned to see David Hayes, the senior co-managing partner of my law firm. He was carrying a bottle of vintage wine and a plush teddy bear for Eli. David had been the one who arranged the private nursing network for me the night of the crash, and he had quietly stood by my side throughout the entire legal war with my mother.
May you like
"I am peaceful, David," I smiled, letting him help me pour two glasses of wine as we sat on the stone patio overlooking the ocean. "I spent nine years thinking that if I stopped paying, the world would fall apart. But the world didn't fall apart. Just their illusion of it did."
David looked at me, his eyes filled with a deep, unspoken warmth that had been growing between us over the last few weeks. "You carried an entire family on your back while building a career from nothing, Avery. It's time someone started carrying things for you."
