“After everything I’ve done for you.”
I looked at Lily sleeping against me.
“That sentence doesn’t work anymore.”
I hung up.
The consequences came slowly, making them feel real.
The fraudulent accounts were removed from my credit history. Dale’s truck was repossessed after the financing was challenged. Brittany lost the apartment my mother had secretly subsidized with borrowed money. My mother accepted a plea agreement involving restitution, probation, mandatory financial-fraud counseling, and a no-contact order covering my home.
The relatives who attacked me online went quiet when my attorney’s factual statement reached them. Two apologized. Most disappeared.
Six months later, the house felt like ours again.
The room my mother had claimed for Brittany was painted pale green and became Lily’s playroom. Evan built shelves along one wall. I planted lavender beneath the front windows.
One warm evening, I sat on the porch with Lily asleep on my chest as sunset turned the windows gold.
