The night air was cool, a stark contrast to the heated chaos I’d left behind. My hands trembled as I pocketed the phone, the familiar voice on the other end echoing in my mind. Those words, “Once we begin, there’s no going back,” hung heavily, and I knew their weight all too well. Yet, I felt a calm resolve settling in, driving away the humiliation from moments ago.
Inside the hall, the scene must have been pandemonium. Alan, bewildered, no doubt trying to regain control, while Avery, my sweet Avery, stood caught in the middle of a storm. My heart ached for her. This wasn’t the life I had envisioned for her, entangled with a man whose love was clearly tainted with greed.
The car ride home was a blur, the city lights blurring past as I drove. Memories flooded back, of the days with Margaret on the ranch, raising Avery under the wide Texas sky. The ranch was more than land and cattle; it was our legacy, built with love and sacrifice. I recalled the long nights, the early mornings, the laughter shared, and the silent understanding between me and Margaret, long before the world knew our names.
