Chapter 18 - HEALING
The days turned into weeks. The weeks into months.
Lily began to smile again. Truly smile. The fear faded from her eyes. She stopped waking in the night crying out names. She returned to being a happy, bright, curious little girl.
Clara stayed with us. She said she would always stay. That this was her home now. That Lily was her family.
Vanessa and her sister moved to a quiet town far away. She called sometimes. To check on us. To say hello. She was rebuilding her life. Slowly. Painfully. But she was building something new. Something that belonged to her.
I visited Marcus once in prison.
We sat across from each other in silence for a long time.
“Why?” I asked finally. “Why did you do everything he told you to do?”
“Because Julian raised me,” Marcus said quietly. “My parents died when I was young. He took me in. He gave me everything. And then he took everything away. I was terrified of him. More terrified than I was of anything. Even death.”
He looked down at his hands.
“I loved Elena. I would never have hurt her. Not on my own. But Julian… he convinced me it was the only way. That she was dangerous. That she would destroy everything.”
“And then?”
“Then I realized,” Marcus said. “He was lying. About everything. By the time I understood… it was too late. I had already helped him kill the only person who ever truly tried to help me.”
He looked up at me.
“I will regret it for the rest of my life. And I will never ask for forgiveness. But I will spend every day of my sentence… trying to deserve it.”
I stood up to leave.
“Take care of yourself,” I said.
Marcus nodded.
May you like
“Tell Lily… I am sorry. Tell her I am sorry for everything.”
I walked away. I did not know if I could ever forgive him. But I knew one thing—he was telling the truth. He had been Julian’s victim too. Just like Elena. Just like Vanessa. Just like all of us.
