Chapter 10 - The Garden of Truth
Six months later, spring arrived in Illinois.
The harsh winter winds off Lake Michigan gave way to soft rain, pale green shoots in the front lawn, and the sweet, clean smell of damp earth.
I stood on the back porch of my suburban home, holding a warm mug of black coffee, watching two blue jays flutter among the lilac bushes.
The mortgage was gone. The lien on my mother’s land had been officially cleared and expunged from the county records.
My divorce from Daniel had been finalized three weeks ago in an expedited hearing. Daniel had appeared via video link from the federal correctional center in Terre Haute, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, his hair shorn, his face sunken and hollow.
He had pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. His sentence: seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release and full financial restitution.
He hadn't looked at the camera during the entire hearing. When the judge asked if he had any statement to make, he had simply whispered, “No, Your Honor.”
I took a slow sip of my coffee, feeling the warm morning sunlight on my face.
My appraisal business was flourishing. With Marcus’s firm recommending me for high-profile estate valuations and Peterson Development retaining me as their exclusive independent land consultant, I had more work than I could handle.
A soft chime sounded from my phone on the porch table.
It was a text from Laura.
*Board meeting wrapped up early. The IPO opened at thirty-two dollars a share today! Dad and I are celebrating at Mario’s tonight. You better be there.*
I smiled, typing back a quick confirmation:
*I wouldn't miss it. Save me a seat by the window.*
I set the phone down and walked down the porch steps into the center of my garden.
Right beside the stone birdbath stood a small patch of freshly turned soil.
A month ago, I had dug up every single white rose and pink peony that Daniel had ever sent to this house. I had thrown the bruised petals and tangled roots into the municipal compost bin, watching the garbage truck crush them into oblivion.
In their place, I had planted wild purple irises and yellow daffodils—strong, resilient flowers that didn't need artificial coddling to bloom through the frost.
As I bent down to pull a stray weed from the dark earth, my phone buzzed again.
This time, it wasn't Laura.
It was an automated delivery alert from the United States Postal Service.
*Certified Mail Notification: A sealed legal packet from the Federal Bureau of Prisons — Inmate Property Division, Terre Haute, IN, is scheduled for delivery to your address tomorrow morning.*
I straightened up, wiping the soil from my garden gloves.
Daniel had nothing left. His accounts were seized, his clothes auctioned, his corporate licenses revoked.
What could possibly be inside a sealed inmate property packet addressed to me?
I looked out across the quiet green lawn, feeling the cool spring breeze stir my hair.
Whatever was coming tomorrow, I wasn't afraid.
May you like
The woman who used to hide in the shadows of Daniel’s lies was gone.
And whoever Daniel Vance used to be, he would never underestimate me again.
