Two weeks later, I arrived in a small southern town, far away from New York.
Far enough that nobody had ever heard of the Shaw Group, and nobody knew who Louise was.
Using the money Richard left me, I rented a tiny apartment.
It wasn't big, but it was clean. The balcony faced south, and sunlight poured in every afternoon.
My landlady was a warm-hearted woman in her forties. Seeing me alone, she asked if I came here to stay with family.
I told her I didn't have any family left and just needed somewhere peaceful to settle down.
She didn't ask further. She only sighed softly and said, "It's hard for a young woman to live here alone. If you need anything, come find me."
I thanked her.
That night, I lay on a completely unfamiliar bed. Outside the window, crickets were chirping softly.
