CHAPTER 9

I knew that if I truly wanted to move forward, I had to cut all ties with the Ortegas once and for all. Adam’s words had shaken me, but Brent was right—holding onto the past, even the good parts, would only keep me stuck in a life I no longer wanted.

The decision didn’t come easily. For a long time, I had convinced myself that leaving their house, their name, and their influence was enough. But staying in the same city, breathing the same air as them, still tied me to them in ways I hadn’t even realized. Everywhere I went, there was a reminder—an old restaurant Jeff and I used to dine at, a familiar road I had driven down countless times, even a passing glance at someone wearing the same cologne he used to wear. I was shackled to memories, and I was done with them controlling my life.

So I made the call.

“I’m leaving,” I told Brent and Sabrina later that evening, standing in the dimly lit office of my apartment. My voice was firm, even as a part of me ached at the finality of it.

Brent leaned back against the desk, arms crossed, expression unreadable. “Where to?”

“Arizona,” I said without hesitation. “It’s far enough, and I can start fresh.”

Sabrina, who had been sitting on the armrest of the couch, raised an eyebrow. “That’s a big move, Demi.”

“I know,” I admitted. “But it’s necessary.”

Brent exhaled sharply, then nodded. “Alright. When do we leave?”

I blinked. “We?”

Brent smirked, the corner of his mouth lifting. “You think we’d just let you go alone? We’ve got a place there—a mansion outside the city. You can stay with us until you figure things out.”

Sabrina smiled softly. “Besides, we’re family, remember? You don’t have to do this alone.”

Something tightened in my chest—gratitude, relief, maybe even a hint of the belonging I had been chasing for years. I swallowed hard and nodded. “Okay.”

***

Two weeks later, I stepped off the private jet and into the dry, open air of Arizona. The sky stretched endlessly above me, the sun blazing in a way that made everything feel new, untainted by the past.

The drive to the mansion was quiet, the landscape passing by in golden hues and endless roads. With every mile we put between us and my past, my shoulders felt lighter. I had thought leaving the Ortegas’ house would be enough, but now I realized—I had needed to leave the entire state to truly be free of them.

When we finally arrived, I couldn’t help but be in awe. The mansion was vast, modern yet warm, sitting on acres of land that offered the solitude I craved. It was different from anything I had ever known—no suffocating memories, no ghosts of old arguments or whispered betrayals. Just space. Just peace.

“This is home now,” Brent said as he tossed me a set of keys. “Welcome to your new life.”

I gripped the keys tightly, inhaling deeply. This was it. No more Ortegas. No more past. Only forward.

For the first time in a long time, I felt free.

***

The first few days in Arizona were strange. The silence was unnerving at times, but I welcomed it. I spent hours unpacking, rearranging my space, making it feel like mine. The house was massive, but Brent and Sabrina made sure I never felt alone.

One evening, we sat on the patio, watching the sunset paint the sky in breathtaking shades of orange and purple.

“You made the right choice, Demi,” Brent said, swirling the whiskey in his glass. “You deserve this fresh start.”

I nodded, staring out at the horizon. “I know. It just feels… surreal.”

Sabrina nudged me playfully. “That’s because you’re finally giving yourself permission to live your life for you.”

I smiled, but deep down, I knew she was right. For too long, I had let other people dictate my happiness—Jeff, Adam, even the past version of myself who had been too afraid to walk away. But now, I was here, making choices for myself. It was both terrifying and exhilarating.

Days turned into weeks, and I began to fall into a rhythm. I explored the city, took long drives through the desert, and let myself breathe. I even started painting again, something I hadn’t done in years. For the first time, I felt like I was rediscovering myself—who I was outside of my past, outside of Jeff and the Ortegas.

But just when I thought I had closed that chapter for good, my past came knocking.

It happened on a quiet morning. I was sipping coffee in the kitchen when Sabrina walked in, phone in hand, her expression grim.

“You’re not going to like this,” she said, placing the phone on the counter and sliding it toward me. “But you need to see it.”

I hesitated before picking it up. My stomach twisted as I saw the headline plastered across the screen.

Adam Ortega Hospitalized Again—Estranged Daughter-in-Law Nowhere to Be Found.

My grip on the phone tightened. The article spun a story that painted me in the worst light possible. They made it seem like I had abandoned Adam in his time of need, that I was some heartless woman who had turned her back on the man who had once called me his daughter.

I swallowed hard. “This is—”

“Bullshit,” Brent finished for me, his voice laced with irritation. “They’re trying to drag you back in.”

Sabrina crossed her arms. “Are you going to call him?”

I shook my head immediately. “No. I made my choice. I can’t go back now.”

The words felt like steel in my mouth, firm and unyielding. I had spent too long letting guilt dictate my actions. I wouldn’t let it pull me back this time.

Brent studied me for a moment before nodding. “Good. Because if they think they can manipulate you into running back, they don’t know you at all.”

And they didn’t.

I wasn’t that woman anymore—the one who put everyone else before herself, the one who let love or obligation tie her down. I had chosen this new life, this new future, and I wasn’t about to let anyone take it from me.

I set the phone down, exhaling deeply. “Let them talk,” I said, more to myself than anyone else. “I know the truth. That’s all that matters.”

Sabrina smiled, raising her coffee cup. “To new beginnings?”

Brent smirked, lifting his glass of whiskey despite the early hour. “To cutting off toxic ties.”

I laughed, lifting my own cup. “To freedom.”

And as we toasted, I knew—this was the start of something real. Something mine. And for the first time in forever, I wasn’t looking back.