Chapter 4: A Quiet Strength
Months later, the legal proceedings concluded with a sentence that reflected the gravity of Preston's actions. He would spend years behind bars, far away from the life of entitlement he had built on the backs of others.
I had secured a small, cozy apartment in a city where no one knew our last name. I had taken a new job, one where my work was respected and my presence wasn't just "convenient" for a family agenda. We were finally free from the shadow of the Bennetts.
On a Tuesday afternoon, I received a letter from my father. It was filled with excuses, pleas for forgiveness, and a demand that I help them with the mounting legal costs. I didn't even open the envelope. I dropped it directly into the paper shredder, watching the pieces disappear.
