Chapter 20 - The Final Curtain
Five years later.
The morning sun reflected off the clear blue waters of the bay as the sound of graduation bells chimed in the distance.
In the front row of the university auditorium, I sat next to Anna, now fourteen years old, healthy, radiant, and thriving as a star student and athlete. On stage, Paige stood in her black cap and gown, accepting her diploma in pre-law with highest honors, her face glowing with confidence and hope.
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The old Higgins estate in Blackwood Ridge had been completely demolished. In its place stood the Anna & Paige Foundation Center, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to providing shelter, legal aid, and psychological healing for children surviving domestic abuse.
As Paige walked off the stage and threw her arms around Anna and me, I looked up at the clear sky. The shadows of the past were gone, burned away by the truth that had refused to stay hidden. The curtains had finally closed on the monsters—and for my daughters, a bright, beautiful new show was just beginning.
