Chapter 8 - The Clean Sweep
Two weeks after the signing, the final divorce decree was issued by the circuit court judge. It was one of the fastest dissolutions in county history, sped along by the undisputed terms of total forfeiture.
I took a week off from work to oversee the complete restoration of my home.
I hired a crew of professional painters to cover up every wall Marlene’s movers had scuffed. I replaced the carpet in the guest rooms, installed a new security gate code, and had the lawn completely re-turfed where Grant’s family had parked their trucks over my hydrangeas.
The afternoon the final landscaping crew left, the sun was setting over the Severn River, casting a brilliant orange and crimson glow across the water. The lawn was lush, green, and quiet again.
My phone chimed with a news notification.
Local Business Executive Files for Chapter 7 Personal Bankruptcy.
I tapped the article. It detailed the public collapse of Vanguard Strategy Group and Grant Miller's personal insolvency filings. The article noted that he had surrendered all real estate holdings and corporate assets to satisfy private civil judgments.
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There was a small photo of Grant leaving the courthouse—looking tired, aged, and dressed in a off-the-rack suit that was two sizes too big for him.
I felt no rush of vengeance. I felt no burning pleasure in his downfall. What I felt was a profound, weightless relief. The numbers had balanced. The accounting was complete. The debt had been settled to the last penny.
