He Watched Me Freeze Now He Begs For My Return Chapter 19
Once the no-contact order took effect, Caleb finally vanished from my world.
There were no more breakfasts and flowers piled outside my door, no one waiting stubbornly outside my office. His performance of making amends stopped at the legal boundary.
A few months later, Sarah called with an update from Denver.
Robert was sentenced to prison for vehicular manslaughter. Paige won her case and recovered the trust fund that had been taken from her. The day the judgment came down, she left Denver, cutting all ties with the Bennetts for good.
Elaine lost her husband, her biological daughter, and her adopted daughter.
The house that had once been packed with guests now stood empty. The charities removed her name, friends and relatives stopped visiting, and even the neighbors crossed the street to avoid her. She could only sit alone in the house that had been held together for years by lies.
The following Christmas, Sarah forwarded me a photo.
In the center of a long dining table sat a turkey. The plates and wineglasses were neatly arranged for a full party, but there wasn’t a single guest. Elaine had asked Sarah to ask me if I would come back for dinner.
I looked at the picture for a few seconds, then deleted it.
Once, I had desperately wanted a place at that table.
Now, I didn’t need it anymore.
I stayed in Chicago, strung lights around my apartment, set a small Christmas tree by the window, and baked myself a tray of gingerbread men.
No one was taking bets on my fear.
No one was calling harm a joke.
And no one was forcing me to give in for the sake of family.
I poured myself a mug of hot cocoa, turned off my phone, and sat on the couch, watching the snow fall.
The days were quiet now.
And easy.
Outside, Chicago’s snow fell softly under the streetlights.
Then my computer screen lit up.
An encrypted email had arrived from my lawyer. The subject line was one sentence:
“The District Attorney is requesting the unreleased original GoPro footage.”
I stared at the words and slowly set down my mug.