Chapter 8
Sarah woke up Tuesday morning.
Weak.
Tired.
But alive.
She saw all four of them in the room.
Richard in the corner.
Ethan by the bed.
Lily curled up on the couch, asleep.
Victoria standing by the door.
Perfect.
Cold.
Watching.
Sarah looked at Ethan.
“Where did the money come from?”
Her voice was rough.
But firm.
No way around it now.
Ethan hesitated.
“Victoria,” he said.
“Mrs. Hale. She paid for everything.”
Sarah closed her eyes.
“Of course she did.”
She looked at Victoria.
“Why?”
Victoria stepped forward.
“Because Richard destroyed both our lives. And someone had to make it right. Even if it wasn’t him.”
She looked at Richard.
“I filed for divorce this morning. The papers are being served as we speak. I’m taking the company. The house. Everything. But I’m not going to destroy you publicly. Not for Lily’s sake. And not for Ethan’s. You’ll get a small settlement. Enough to live on. But you’ll never be Richard Hale, CEO again. You’ll just be… Richard.”
Richard nodded.
Like he’d been expecting it.
“Fair enough.”
Victoria looked at Sarah.
“The check was a gift. No repayment. No strings. You and your son deserve a fresh start. Get better. Get out of that neighborhood. Live the life you should’ve had.”
She turned to leave.
“Victoria,” Sarah said.
Victoria paused.
“Thank you.”
Victoria nodded once.
Left.
The room was quiet.
Lily stirred on the couch.
Opened her eyes.
Rubbed them.
“Is it Christmas? Did I miss it?”
Everyone laughed.
Even Sarah.
A small one.
But real.
Richard stood.
“I should go too. I have… things to take care of.”
He walked to the door.
“Daddy?” Lily said.
He stopped.
“Are you still my daddy?”
Richard’s face broke.
He walked back to the couch.
Knelt down.
Wiped the hair from her face.
“Always, baby. Always. Nothing will ever change that. Not the divorce. Not anything. I’m still your daddy. And I love you more than anything in the whole world.”
“Even more than money?” Lily said.
Richard smiled.
Tears in his eyes.
“Even more than money.”
He kissed her forehead.
Stood.
Looked at Sarah.
“Get better, Sarah. You deserve it.”
He looked at Ethan.
“Call me. If you need anything. Anything at all.”
He left.
Lily looked at Ethan.
“Is Daddy sad?”
“Yeah, squirt. He’s pretty sad.”
“Will he be okay?”
Ethan looked at the door his father had just walked through.
Thought about everything.
The lies.
The hurt.
The choices.
And the man who’d finally stopped running.
May you like
“Yeah,” Ethan said.
“I think he will be. Eventually.”
