Chapter 7 - The Calm Before the Storm
As the closing date approached, Evan's behavior became increasingly erratic. He texted Delilah once, a short, cruel message: "I'm moving on. Don't ever contact me again. The lawyer is handling the house."
He didn't even ask about his son. Noah hadn't mentioned his father in days, instead finding comfort in our quiet routines. It broke my heart to see how little Evan's absence affected the boy, a silent testament to what kind of father he had truly been.
"I used to think I couldn't survive without him," Delilah told me one evening as we sat on the porch, watching the sunset. "He convinced me I was nothing. That I was lucky he put up with me."
"He projected his own worthlessness onto you, sweetheart," I told her. "But you are made of stronger stuff than he will ever understand."
May you like
Tomorrow was the fake closing day. We had arranged for the "signing" to happen at Marcus Sterling's office, though Dave had convinced Evan that Marcus was representing the buyer.
Evan and Margaret had already rented a moving truck. They were packing up everything—including appliances that I had bought—ready to skip town the moment the fake wire transfer cleared.
