“I loved your father, Miles,” I said softly, stepping down from the stage. “And I love you. But I will not allow my kindness to be mistaken for weakness, nor will I allow your father’s life work to fund the destruction of my dignity.”

I placed the microphone back into its holder, picked up my purse, and walked toward the exit of the grand ballroom. The silence of the crowd was absolute, broken only by the sound of Camille’s frantic, desperate arguments echoing behind me as she realized that everything she had planned for, manipulated for, and sacrificed her humanity for had just vanished into thin air.

Faye was waiting for me at the double doors, a warm smile on her face and her arm outstretched. As we stepped out into the cool evening air, I felt lighter than I had in years. My hair would grow back, and my son would have a long, hard road of recovery ahead of him, but the legacy of my family was safe—and so was I.