Vivian fought—and lost.
The judge ordered restitution, froze her accounts, and sentenced her to prison. Her charity dissolved. Her friends disappeared. Her pearls were sold along with the house she had loved more than her children.
Noah and I moved closer to the coast, where mornings smelled of salt and clean wind.
On Daniel’s birthday, we walked barefoot along the shore.
Noah carried a small wooden boat he had made at school. He set it on the water and watched it drift away.
“Do you think Dad saw?” he asked.
I squeezed his hand.
“Yes,” I said. “And I think he’s proud.”
For the first time in months, Noah smiled.
