My mother finally grabbed his arm.
And they left.
No apology. No second glance.
Just the sound of the door closing behind them.
⸻
The house went silent.
The check still sat on the table between us.
Neither of us touched it.
“That wasn’t what you expected,” I said quietly.
Jordan looked at me, calm as ever.
“No,” he said. “But it was the right call.”
He paused.
“You did the right thing. Just like you always do.”
And for the first time in a long time, I felt something settle inside me — not victory, not revenge…
Just clarity.
