Chapter 23 - The Recording
The audio began with music.
Paige moving through hallway.
Then Dominic.
“You need to stop pushing Audrey.”
Victoria:
“She’s humiliating you.”
Dominic:
“She’s leaving me. That’s between us.”
Victoria:
“She’s taking company.”
Dominic:
“What are you talking about?”
Then Paige:
“Victoria, not here.”
Victoria:
“Audrey is Aster Vale.”
Silence.
Dominic:
“What?”
Paige:
“I saw investor file.”
Dominic:
“No.”
Victoria:
“I knew she was hiding something.”
Then Dominic:
“Where is Audrey?”
Victoria:
“Upstairs.”
Footsteps.
Then Dominic said:
“Mom, don’t touch her.”
I stopped audio.
Thomas beside me.
I rewound.
Mom, don’t touch her.
He had said it before push.
That changed one detail.
Dominic knew Victoria was angry enough for physical confrontation.
Not that she would shove down stairs.
But enough to warn.
Then he still disabled camera at Victoria’s request minutes earlier.
This could have mattered criminally, but case long closed and he already admitted obstruction; no new material charge likely due known messages. We sent to prior prosecutor for archival review.
No reopening.
But emotionally:
Dominic was not entirely oblivious.
He had tried one weak warning.
Then failed when it mattered.
Paige’s accompanying note:
I found this while closing old account. I do not know if it matters. I am sending through counsel because it belongs to you, not me.
I replied:
Received. Thank you.
Then I asked Dominic later? Did not need.
He already knew.
But a month later he sent:
Paige told me she found recording.
Then:
I had forgotten saying that.
I believe.
Then:
It doesn’t make what happened better.
Correct.
Then:
For years I told myself I never imagined Mom could touch you. Apparently some part did.
That was painful.
Then:
I warned her and still left you alone with her.
There.
No excuse.
Then he wrote:
I’m sorry.
No more.
I deleted personal copy after legal archive confirmed.
Why keep?
Truth already established.
Then Paige’s final role closed.
No contact.
Then Nora, now twenty five, engaged.
She asked for necklace.
“Can I wear Grandma Elaine’s sapphire?”
My mother was Elaine Monroe.
“Yes.”
A gift? Borrow.
“Borrow.”
“Of course.”
No resentment.
At wedding, Nora wore necklace.
I cried.
Thomas cried.
Claire teased.
No Vance family.
Dominic sent congratulations through mutual business contact? Not necessary.
Then Nora married a civil engineer named Ben.
No company dynasty.
Then she asked one thing:
“Mom, do you ever wish Rowan lived?”
“Yes.”
Instant.
“Would that mean I wouldn’t?”
Maybe timeline.
“I don’t know.”
She looked afraid.
I held hand.
“Wishing for Rowan does not mean wishing you away.”
Important.
Then she said:
“Okay.”
Families can make room for impossible alternate histories without ranking real children.
Then I turned seventy? Perhaps too far. We can not over-age. But full closure can span.
Dominic’s life stable.
Dana.
Mason.
No biological children.
No bitterness.
Paige separate.
Victoria gone.
Company independent.
Aster Vale sold.
Legal matters done.
One remaining object:
My old wedding ring.
I had kept.
Nora asked what I planned.
I decided not sell for revenge or preserve.
I donated metal? Maybe auction for domestic violence legal aid? Too symbolic. Better sell and put proceeds into general foundation? Could.
I had it appraised, sold, proceeds donated anonymously to hospital bereavement fund.
Not statement.
Then ring gone.
No relic.
May you like
Then I realized the last thing I still owned from that night was scar near temple.
And even that had faded.
