I bought a small house in a coastal town. I even opened a bookstore.
Life here moved at a slow, gentle pace. The neighbors were friendly. Ms. Lynn next door was a fisherwoman, and every time she came back from the sea, she'd bring me fresh fish and shrimp. After school, children often came to my store to sit and read quietly. Sometimes, a retired teacher dropped by with her homemade flower tea and stayed to chat. Days passed like this, one after another.
I had completely settled into life here. Only occasionally did I still dream of Sterling.
When I woke in the middle of the night from those dreams, I was always grateful that I had no new scars on my body. Even more grateful that I had got out.
The Vance Group was always on the financial news, so I stayed away from it—and from anything
