Epilogue: Under Our Real Names
The legal case itself dragged on for a full year afterward. Marcus — Adrian — eventually pled guilty to conspiracy, fraud, money laundering, and custodial interference. His accomplice, a man named Roland Hale, received an even longer sentence.
I was formally cleared of any involvement. But my own recovery moved slowly regardless — checking door locks three separate times each night, flinching hard at any late-night phone call, Oliver occasionally asking why Daddy still couldn't come home to us.
Bianca stayed with us for six full weeks afterward, making genuinely terrible pancakes every single morning and reminding me, gently but consistently, that I was still alive today precisely because I'd actually listened to her that night.
Eventually, Oliver and I relocated together to Cedarbrook, living under my own maiden name, Teresa Harper. No attic in that new house. I chose that particular detail entirely on purpose, without a second thought.
People occasionally ask me when exactly I first realized Marcus was actually dangerous. The honest truth is, I never did, not on my own. He smiled warmly in every photograph we ever took together. Packed careful, thoughtful lunches. Kissed my forehead gently most mornings before leaving for work.
