Chapter 5 - The Reconstruction

Life in the wake of a hurricane is messy, but the air is clear. I spent the next six months traveling, reconnecting with the version of myself that existed before I met Grant. I worked with the auditors, ensuring every stolen dollar was traced back and returned to the foundation's original beneficiaries.
I heard whispers of Grant’s life. The trial was lengthy. Sloane had turned on him the moment the money stopped, testifying against him to secure a plea deal for her own minor involvement. She was a cautionary tale—a woman who thought she had "won" by taking someone else’s life, only to find that the life she took was hollow and rotting from the inside.
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I didn't take pleasure in his downfall, but I took peace in it. I reclaimed my name: Avery Calder. No hyphen, no suffix. Just me.
I started my own firm, focused on providing legal and financial protection for women in high-stakes marriages. I called it 'The Safeguard.' It was my way of ensuring that no other woman would wake up to a registry email and realize she was being erased.