Chapter 16

The divorce finalized quietly.
I received sole custody.
Vanessa received supervised review rights only after treatment milestones, and even those were later denied after psychological evaluation showed continued blame-shifting.
The house remained mine.
But I sold it.
Not because Vanessa won.
Because the pool had become a wound.
Maria cried when I told her.
“Sir, you don’t have to move.”
“I know.”
But I did.
I bought a smaller house with no pool.
Big yard.
Orange tree.
Safe fence.
Mr. Alvarez said he was offended I moved away from Bruno.
May you like
So Bruno visited.
Often.