Part 5
“Always.”
Eight months later, Marcus and Victoria stood trial.
The evidence was overwhelming.
The brake sabotage.
The forged transfers.
The insurance scheme.
The conspiracy.
They blamed each other until the very end.
The jury didn't care.
Both were convicted.
Neither inherited a single dollar.
As for me?
I spent months learning how to walk properly again.
Months rebuilding my strength.
Months healing.
Not just physically.
Emotionally.
Because surviving betrayal leaves scars doctors cannot see.
One year after the crash, Leo and I stood on a beach watching the sunset.
The ocean stretched endlessly before us.
Peaceful.
Free.
He slipped his hand into mine.
“Are you happy, Mom?”
I looked at him.
The boy who had refused to give up on me.
The boy who whispered through the darkness until I found my way back.
Then I smiled.
“Yes.”
May you like
And for the first time in a very long time, it was completely true.
What would you have done if you were Valerie?
