Chapter 14 - The Lake House
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With the business generating substantial revenue and the book advance securely deposited into a protected trust, I decided it was finally time to invest in our permanent peace. The Evanston condo was beautiful, but I wanted Lily to have a place that felt like an absolute sanctuary—a place rooted in nature, entirely removed from the concrete chaos of the city.
After weeks of searching, I found the perfect property: a small, completely renovated two-bedroom cottage situated directly on the shores of Lake Geneva in Wisconsin, just a two-hour drive from Chicago. It featured a massive wrap-around wooden porch, a private dock, and a yard filled with towering, ancient oak trees.
I signed the closing papers on a crisp Friday morning. By Saturday afternoon, Lily and I were standing on the wooden deck, looking out over the perfectly calm, glittering blue water.
"Is this our new house, Mommy?" Lily asked, looking up at me with wide, wondrous eyes as the cool breeze ruffled her curls.
"It is our weekend house, sweetie," I smiled, lifting her up and resting her on my hip. "This is where we are going to come to relax, read books, and learn how to swim in the summer."
Lily wrapped her small arms tightly around my neck, resting her head on my shoulder.
"I like it here. It is very quiet."
"It is," I agreed, kissing the top of her head and breathing in the scent of pine and fresh water.
May you like
I walked down the wooden steps to the edge of the private dock. There were no nosy neighbors, no suffocating expectations, and absolutely no ghosts from the past hiding in the shadows. I had purchased this land with my own hard-earned money. The title was in my name, protected by an ironclad trust.
I set Lily down, and she immediately ran toward the edge of the water to collect smooth, grey pebbles. I watched her play, completely unburdened and profoundly safe. Jason had once told me that I would be entirely homeless and destitute without his wealth. Standing on the shores of my own private lake house, I realized just how pathetic and small his threats had always been. I hadn't just survived the loss of his empire; I had built a much better one of my own.
