Chapter 8 - Reclaiming the Assets
The aftermath of the trial brought a different kind of work—the process of rebuilding. With Eric and Diane out of the picture permanently, I filed for an expedited divorce on the grounds of criminal conviction and financial cruelty. The judge granted it within a week, wiping Eric's name completely from my life, my home, and most importantly, from Lily’s birth certificate. She was officially a Jenkins now, taking my maiden name.
The estate where the infamous baby shower had taken place—a property that had technically been co-owned by Eric—was ordered to be sold to cover his court fees and his share of the restitution to Arthur’s firm.
I didn't care about losing the house. It was filled with the ghosts of a bad marriage and the memory of cold pool water. I packed up our things, took my restored $23,000 delivery fund—which I now rebranded as Lily’s college fund—and bought a beautiful, sunlit two-bedroom cottage near the coast, far away from the city and the drama.
Arthur Pendelton remained a close friend. With the recovered $450,000, his firm was saved from bankruptcy. In recognition of my work in uncovering the fraud and saving the agency, the board voted unanimously to offer me a permanent position as the chief financial consultant and equity partner of Pendelton & Associates.
My "little laptop jobs" were now bringing in a six-figure salary, with a corner office waiting for me whenever I chose to come into the city.
On the day we moved into the coastal cottage, Sarah Jenkins came over to help me unpack the final boxes. We sat on the back deck, watching Lily roll around on a blanket in the fresh green grass, the sound of the ocean waves crashing softly in the distance.
May you like
"You did it, Maya," Sarah said, clinking her glass of lemonade against mine. "You took a literal near-death experience and turned it into an absolute masterclass in survival."
"I didn't have a choice," I said, looking at my daughter. "When you're fighting for two, you don't fold. You audit."
