Chapter 4

After leaving the hospital, I went straight to Bobby's office.

Without the custody battle over Jimmy, the paperwork was surprisingly straightforward.

By the time I got home, it was past midnight.

They were all asleep. The dining table was littered with dirty dishes and leftover food—waiting for me to clean up, as always.

I tried pushing open the bedroom doors.

Locked. Every single one.

I didn't have the energy to fight anymore. I turned and headed for the study.

Jessica had ransacked it. The books my parents had treasured like gold were scattered across the floor, stained and trampled.

I tried to clean up, but my battered body refused to cooperate.

"Mom, Dad... I'm so sorry."

Clutching a shattered picture frame, I curled up on the floor and fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.

The next morning, I woke to shouting from the living room. Dragging myself upright, I found Robert—who never cooked—fumbling at the stove.

"Shit, there you are. Jimmy's been starving all morning. Jessica can't cook, so do I really have to do everything myself?"

His tone was sharp, accusatory. But I didn't apologize. I didn't scramble to make excuses like I used to.

Instead, I calmly pulled the agreement from my bag and handed it to him.

"This month's bills. Sign here. And if she wants my parents' research... she can have it."

Robert's frown melted away. He grabbed the pen and scrawled his signature without a second thought.

"See? You should've agreed to this sooner."

I limped over, folded the signed papers, and tucked them away. Then I turned and started packing my things.

Robert woke them up for breakfast. When Jessica heard I'd agreed to hand over the research, she didn't even thank me. She just shrugged.

"I knew she'd cave eventually."

After breakfast, they left another mess behind—expecting me to clean it up, of course.

But I didn't. I cast one last disgusted glance at the wreckage, grabbed my suitcase, and headed for the airport.

As I boarded the plane, Bobby's call came through right on time.

"Ms. Lewis, everything's in order. The agreement goes into effect in seven days."