Proven or not, Katherine believed her mother was right. There’s no way her father would’ve committed suicide. For one, he’d made a sweet deal with the U.S. Attorney.
But ultimately, he was too much of a coward to take his own life.
Her father had been preparing to turn on a lot of powerful men. He’d had to die before he reached the top of the food chain.
Katherine gave her father one last glance before walking away, knowing for certain that he would rot in hell. It was a small consolation, but when she stepped out of that chapel, she knew that she was stepping into a better life. She had a good man who loved her, and he would do anything to keep her safe. For the first time in her life, Katherine was truly happy. The phrase, “Out with the old, in with the new” crossed her mind as she walked down the church steps. That was until she ran right into “the old” on her way down.
“You have some nerve,” her mother sneered, walking up the church steps with Maddie in tow.
“Don’t have a tizzy, Mother. I just got lost. I’m leaving now.”
Since her mother had absolutely no affinity for children, seeing Maddie walking hand in hand with her mother was surprising to say the least. Katherine looked around for her Aunt Evelyn. Surely, she must have been nearby.
“She left,” her mother hissed.
Katherine frowned. “What do you mean, ‘she left’?”
Her mother rolled her eyes. “She said she’d be back in a few weeks.”
She moved closer to Maddie and kneeled. “Hey, Maddie.”
Maddie looked up with sad eyes. “Hey, Katie.”
From such a once vivacious little girl, her timid tone broke Katherine’s heart. “Why don’t you let her stay with me until Aunt Evelyn comes back?”
Her mother glared at her through hateful, narrowed eyes. “If you think that I would allow you and that brute anywhere near this child, you are insane.”
Katherine’s eyes flew open. “Oh, wow,” she scoffed. She couldn’t believe the unmitigated gall of her mother to pretend for one minute that she cared for anyone’s well-being besides her own.
“So, she’ll be safe with you, huh? You’re gonna protect her? That’s fucking hilarious! You never protected me. You allowed that man to violate me over and over again!” Katherine ranted. “Thank God he’s dead. I hope you follow soon!”
Katherine stormed down the steps and marched to the car, where her actual protector waited.
Nine Months Later...
Katherine
“I would like to propose a toast,” Emily Storm announced.
Katherine stood with the rest of Joseph’s family. They’d joined for dinner in celebration of her and Joseph’s hooding ceremony. They were finally done with school and soon, they’d be taking the bar exam.
Emily cleared her throat and raised her glass to Joseph. “I just want to say congratulations to my sweet boy. I’m so proud of you. You’ve always been so focused and determined to reach your goal. For your entire life, if you said it, it was done. You have the biggest heart, and it’s filled with love.” With tears in her eyes, she turned to Katherine. “That love is for you. I’m so thankful that you entered my son’s life. He’s the happiest I’ve ever seen. Congratulations to you. I wish you the best in your career, and I know you’re gonna change this world for the better.”
Katherine’s eyes blurred with tears. “Thank you so much.”
“And you,” she began, turning to Jonathan. “Good luck on your journey to Italy. Just think... my baby boy will be climbing the ladder in the Lehman Brothers’ European division. You’ve made your mother very proud. I love you, son.”
“I love you too, Mom,” Jonathon replied.
“Love you, Mom,” Joseph concurred.
“I love you too, Emily,” Katherine chimed.
“And I love you all,” Emily responded with a wide grin. “Cheers!”
“Cheers,” Katherine, Jonathan, and Joseph repeated in unison.
They sipped from their glasses and moved to sit.
