Chapter 9
856words
Anna delivered a slap across Chester's face so hard that the corner of his lips bled. "You're a disgusting piece of shit! I'm pulling the investment! You'd better pay me back every single penny you've taken from me!"
She was no hopeless romantic. In front of the media, she canceled the engagement and reported him for fraud. The police entered.
Cold handcuffs clicked around Chester's wrists, and finally, he broke. The polished, charming Chester from before was gone. He knelt before me, clawing at the hem of my dress.
"I'm sorry, Sophie! I was wrong! I lost my mind, but only because I did it for our future! Tell the police this is just a domestic dispute, a misunderstanding! I mean, Dottie is still alive, isn't she? I'm not going to prison—I can't!"
I hugged Dorothy tighter and took a step back, keeping him at arm's length. "This isn't just a domestic dispute, Chester. This is child abduction and trafficking. You'll spend the rest of your life behind bars, so take that time to repent."
The authorities dragged Chester away, his screams echoing down the corridor until they faded completely. Then, I saw the two old figures who had been hiding in the corner—my parents.
They were trembling, trying to slip away quietly, but I called after them. "Where are you going, Mom, Dad?"
She forced an awkward smile. "Hey, Sophie… We, uh… Chester tricked us, too. He bought us a villa and said if we played along, he'd give us 50 thousand dollars a month for our retirement… You know, with your brother getting married—"
I raised my hand and hit her without hesitation. That slap severed the last thread of family ties.
"For your son's wedding, you helped that man drive your own daughter insane? For 50 thousand dollars, you watched your granddaughter get sold?"
People around us whispered and stared, their eyes full of contempt.
"From today on, I'm cutting ties with you. That villa was bought with Chester's stolen money, and the police have seized it. From now on, watch yourselves."
I didn't spare them another glance. Holding Dorothy, I turned and walked away.
Christian leaned against the doorway, an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth. He raised an eyebrow at me. "Well done, Ms. Chapman."
I stopped and nodded at him. "Thanks."
"No problem. We're both just getting what we need," he said, shrugging.
"All of Chester's shares are worthless now. The Zieglers pulled their investment, and the board just voted unanimously for me to take over. As for the ten million dollars he moved to an overseas account, I recovered it for you. Think of it as compensation for Dottie's trauma."
I looked out at the blinding sunlight and let out a long, heavy breath. At last, the nightmare was over.
…
Six months later, in a small coastal town in the south, Dorothy, in her yellow dress, ran toward me with a piece of paper. "Mommy, look! I drew a sunflower!"
The sea breeze lifted her hair, revealing her chubby, rosy little face. She had grown plumper, laughed more, and no longer ground her teeth or had nightmares.
I set down the flower clippers and took the drawing. "What an amazing job you did… And it's just like the name of our florist shop."
I had opened a flower shop by the sea called The Sunflower Nook.
Chester was sentenced to life in prison. Rumor had it that he had been specially taken care of by other inmates and had lost a leg.
My parents had tried to interfere a few times, hoping I would support them in old age, but I had called the police on them and sent them away.
Later, I heard my younger brother had gambled away the family fortune. The whole family was being hounded by debt collectors and had nowhere to stay.
I listened to all of the stories without a flicker of emotion. It was as if I were hearing someone else's story.
"Hi. I'd like to buy some flowers, please," a familiar voice said.
I looked up and saw Christian leaning against the doorway in a casual shirt, holding a limited-edition building block set.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, surprised.
"Just passing by to check on my little partner," he answered, handing the gift to Dorothy.
She squealed with delight and ran off to play with it. He watched her back, a rare softness in his eyes. "She's doing well."
I smiled and sprayed a bouquet of lilies. "The doctor said she can be healed as long as she's surrounded by love and patience."
"What about you, then?" he asked, turning to look at me. "Are you healed?"
I lifted my face to the sun and let a genuine smile spread across it. "I was already healed the moment I stopped doubting myself."
Once, the world tried to tell me my love didn't exist. Now, I could feel the sunlight, sniff the flowers, listen to the waves, and hear Dorothy's bright voice calling me "Mommy".
To me, that was all I ever needed.
