Chapter 39: Full Circle
210 words
I slid into the driver's seat of the Volvo. It wasn't flashy. It didn't have a V12 engine or Italian leather. It had top-tier safe car ratings and functional brakes. That was luxury to me. I turned the key, the engine purring quietly, and pulled out of the mansion’s gates.
Retracing the route to the diner felt surreal. I drove through the intersection where Preston had smashed my life apart. I tapped the brakes, checked my mirrors, and breathed. No panic attack. Just traffic.
It was raining—just like that night. Through the wiper blades, I saw a figure at the bus stop. A young woman in a waitress uniform, shivering, hugging a thin coat around herself. She looked exhausted, her shoes soaked. She looked exactly like me.
Without hesitation, I engaged in one of those simple acts of kindness that had been denied to me for so long. I pulled over and rolled down the window.
"Hey!" I called out over the sound of the rain. She flinched, expecting harassment. "I'm heading past the diner. You want a ride? It's dry in here."
The relief that washed over her face was worth more than the entire estate I now owned. She smiled, and I unlocked the door.
End of Chapter 39
