“We will handle it from here, Doctor,” he said.

I walked out of the precinct into the quiet of the early morning.

The air was cold and clean.

My phone buzzed in my pocket again.

I pulled it out and saw a text from Daniel: *You destroyed this family.*

I deleted the message and blocked his number.

Then I blocked Michael’s number, and Jason’s, and Patricia’s.

I sat in my car, looking at the dark city skyline beyond the highway.

The silence in the vehicle was absolute.

The next morning, I walked into County General Hospital through the main sliding doors.

The smell of antiseptic and fresh coffee greeted me.

Dr. Mara Singh was waiting by the nurse’s station with two charts in her hand.

She looked at me, her eyes assessing my face.

“Are you alright, Elizabeth?” she asked quietly.

“I am,” I said, taking one of the charts from her.

“Is it over?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said. “It is completely over.”

I walked down the hallway toward my office, the weight of my family finally gone.