Chapter 10 - THE NEW DAWNThree weeks later, the foreclosure auction of the Oak Ridge house was finalized.
Because I held the majority equity stake and primary receivership rights, I didn't even have to buy it back—the court transferred the deed directly into my name to satisfy the outstanding back taxes and structural liens.
I decided not to keep the house. It held too many ghosts, too many memories of a family built on manipulation, conditional love, and silent compliance. I put the property on the market, sold it within forty-eight hours to a young family looking for a fresh start, and used the proceeds to completely pay off my new high-rise apartment and fund a brand-new consulting firm of my own.
Derek had fled the state entirely, disappearing into the Pacific Northwest once his debts caught up with him, leaving my parents stranded in a cheap, run-down studio apartment paid for by local social services.
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Every now and then, my phone lights up with an unknown number—a missed call from a restricted line.
I never answer.
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