Chapter 10 - The Happy Ending
It took six long months for the dust to finally settle.
Annie had survived the gunshot wound after a brutal emergency surgery, and I had refused to leave her hospital bedside for weeks.
Marcus and the entire corrupt board of Morrison Dynamics were found guilty of treason and sentenced to life in a maximum-security federal prison.
I had taken back full control of my company, purging the darkness from its ranks and pivoting our technology toward humanitarian efforts.
The heavy, suffocating grief that had plagued my family for fourteen months had finally lifted.
Annie was no longer our housekeeper; she was a permanent, cherished part of our lives.
She had formally adopted Jordan and Justin, and we were planning our wedding for the upcoming spring.
For the first time since their mother died, my sons were laughing, playing in the bright sunshine of our restored backyard.
The nightmares had stopped completely, replaced by the warmth of a mother's genuine love.
I stood on the back porch, holding a cup of coffee, feeling a profound sense of peace wash over me.
Everything was perfect, and our family was finally whole again.
I walked down the long driveway to collect the morning mail from the heavy brass box.
Among the magazines and bills, there was a single, blank white envelope with no return address.
I opened it and pulled out a glossy photograph of Annie pushing the boys on the swings at the park yesterday afternoon.
May you like
Written on the back of the photograph in dark red ink was a single, terrifying sentence.
"She isn’t who you think she is."
