Chapter 9 - The House Sale
Three months later, a For Sale sign stood proudly in the front yard of my parents' former house.
Per the settlement agreement, the house was sold, and the entirety of the equity was placed into a protected trust fund for Lily's future medical care, therapy, and college tuition.
My parents had been forced to move into a tiny, cramped, one-bedroom apartment on the industrial side of town. They had no savings, no golden child to dote on, and zero access to the granddaughter they had claimed to love so much. They were pariahs in their social circles; the news of Carla’s felony conviction and their own complicity had spread through their suburban neighborhood like wildfire.
I drove past the house one last time before the new owners moved in. I parked by the curb, rolling down the window to let the crisp spring breeze drift into the car.
May you like
I looked at the spot by the shed where it had happened. The hydrangeas were blooming again, indifferent to the violence that had taken place beside them. The plastic swing had been thrown in the dumpster months ago.
I didn't feel sadness, and I didn't feel regret. I felt an overwhelming, profound sense of closure. The toxic infection that had masqueraded as a family my entire life had been completely excised. I had taken their power, their wealth, and their pride, and I had built a fortress around my daughter with the ashes.
