It was Detective Victoria holding a folder.
“Sorry to interrupt moving day,” she said as she stepped inside. “But I thought you’d want to see this. Your parents tried to file an appeal.”
I sighed.
“Of course they did.”
“It was denied,” she said, handing me the folder. “They claimed you gave them permission for everything.”
I laughed softly.
“Of course they said that too.”
“The judge didn’t believe a word of it.”
Across the room, Scott called out.
“You might want to see this.”
He had my laptop open to a social media post from one of my cousins.
Family isn’t family anymore. Jacqueline put her parents in prison and now she’s living large in a fancy house bought with blood money. Karma’s coming for her.
I laughed again.
“Blood money? They mean the money I managed to save. The money they didn’t get.”
Helen cracked her knuckles over the keyboard.
“Want me to reply?”
“No need. Let them keep their drama. I’ve got better things to do.”
“Like planning your housewarming party,” Helen said, already flipping through a design magazine. “This place is perfect for entertaining.”
The doorbell rang again.
This time it was Justin, holding a bottle of wine.
“Hope I’m not interrupting,” he said. “I brought a housewarming gift and some news.”
“Good or bad?”
He grinned.
“How do you feel about speaking at next month’s financial security conference? The board thinks your story could help people recognize financial abuse inside families.”
I thought about that for a moment.
There were so many people sitting in silence the way I had. Afraid. Guilty. Trapped.
“I’ll do it,” I said. “Someone has to show them there’s a way out.”
“Perfect.”
He handed me an envelope.
“Here’s your new contract with the raise we talked about.”
My phone buzzed again.
Unknown number.
But I recognized the prison area code.
I answered anyway.
“Jacqueline,” Mom said, her voice weak and shaky. “Please don’t hang up. I just need you to know… I’m sorry.”
I closed my eyes.
“Are you sorry for what you did, or sorry because you got caught?”
Silence.
“That’s what I thought,” I said, keeping my voice calm.
“Goodbye, Mom.”
“Wait. Your father and I will have nowhere to go when we get out. Lauren can’t help us.”
“You’re right. She can’t. Because you taught her it was easier to take than to work for something.”
I looked around at my kitchen. My friends were unpacking boxes, opening wine, laughing softly.
“But you taught me something too. You taught me exactly who not to be.”
Then I ended the call before she could say anything else.
Scott looked at me carefully.
“You okay?”
I pulled wine glasses from a box and smiled.
“Better than okay. I’m free.”
Helen raised her glass.
“To freedom.”
Then she grinned.
“And to karma finally doing its job.”
Detective Victoria glanced at her phone.
“Lauren’s being moved to state prison tomorrow. Want me to keep you updated?”
“No,” I said firmly. “I don’t need to know what happens to them anymore. Their story isn’t my story.”
Scott set down a stack of dishes.
“Then what is your story?”
I looked around my kitchen.
Sunlight on my walls.
