Chapter 9 - Stripping Away the Glitter
Two weeks later, the crisp autumn wind was blowing leaves across the small front yard of our new home—a cozy two-bedroom house in a quiet suburban neighborhood three towns away from the city.
The scandal was finally fading from the front pages of the newspapers. Brenda’s foundation had been officially dissolved by the state attorney general, its remaining assets seized to pay back the donors she had defrauded. Dad was sitting in a county jail awaiting trial, his law license permanently revoked.
Inside our new living room, the sun streamed through the wide front windows, filling the space with warm yellow light.
Mom was sitting on the floor surrounded by cardboard moving boxes, unpacking kitchen supplies.
I sat at the wooden dining table with a damp cloth, gently scrubbing off the silver spray paint from an old wooden jewelry box Mom had brought from our old apartment.
"How's it coming, Chloe?" Mom called out from the kitchen, holding a stack of ceramic plates.
"Almost done," I said, wiping away the last flecks of metallic paint to reveal the warm, natural oak grain beneath. "It looks much better without the fake shine."
Mom walked over, setting down a pair of cups, and looked at the box. She smiled softly, wrapping her arm around my shoulder. "Natural is always better than fake, sweetie."
Sarah Vance visited us later that afternoon, carrying a legal folder with the final termination papers signed by the state child welfare board.
"You're completely clear, Elena," Sarah said, sitting on our new sofa with a cup of tea. "The state has closed the case file. Chloe is safe, safe for good."
Sarah turned to me, looking at my wrist. The ugly purple bruise was completely gone, replaced by smooth, healthy skin. "How are you feeling, Chloe?"
May you like
"Good," I said, looking out the window at the tall oak trees shaking in the wind. "I don't have to practice answers anymore."
"No, you don't," Sarah said with a soft smile. "From now on, you only say what you want to say."
