His Number Changed So I Changed My Life Chapter 20
I called 911 and gave the police the restraining order, the proof of service, and the security footage from my apartment building.
Madison was arrested that night. She spent two nights in jail before being released on bail.
She hadn’t known about my mother’s heart condition. She had gone there to tell her about the supposed affair and to pressure me into dropping my police report. She hadn’t intended to cause physical harm.
But she had known exactly what the protective order meant, and she had violated it anyway.
The police and court records connected the anonymous accounts, the doctored photos, and her admission outside my apartment.
The rumor that I had cheated evaporated.
Parker’s reputation took a major hit. The public now knew about his relationship with Madison, and they also knew he had tried to stop me from calling the police.
His agency wanted the divorce finalized as quickly as possible. Parker stopped contesting the settlement, and the court signed the judgment.
Several of his brand endorsements were suspended indefinitely.
None of that had anything to do with me anymore.
When my mother woke up, she didn’t ask about the marriage or the photos online.
She just held my hand.
“When I get home,” she said, “I’ll make your favorite beef stew.”
I buried my face in her arms and cried like a child.
Victor reached out to me several times after that.
He wanted me to issue a public statement saying Parker had not participated in the online attacks or interfered with the investigation.
I didn’t respond.
On the day the court issued the final divorce decree, I went to the clinic alone.
I didn’t tell anyone.
I signed every consent form myself.
I lay on the exam table, and just before the sedative took hold, I whispered an apology to the child in my heart.
When I woke up, the pillow was damp with tears.
I did not regret my decision.