Mrs. Greer wanted to say more, but Suzanne took her arm and pulled her away. Derek came out afterward, flanked by his lawyer, and for a brief second his eyes met Skylar’s.

Once, that look would have made her hesitate. Not today.

Megan hugged her tightly without a word.

Weeks later, Skylar received the first court-ordered payment for damages. The notification appeared on her phone while she was sitting in her newly remodeled kitchen, at a round wooden table she’d bought at an antique market in the city.

It wasn’t expensive, but she liked it—because it had no sharp corners. On the table was a hot cup of chamomile tea, not coffee, and a notebook where she jotted down her daily expenses, her future plans, and the simple things she wanted back: sleeping soundly, inviting friends over, cooking without fear of footsteps behind her, dancing while she cleaned, buying fresh flowers on Fridays.

She looked at the transfer notification for a few seconds. She didn’t smile. She just closed the bank app and went back to writing her notes.