They threw me and my six children out into the rain before my husband's grave was even dry. My father-in-law pointed to the door and said, "Your husband is dead. This house belongs to the family.

In the hallway, Harold hissed, "You think you won?"

Mara looked at him calmly.

“No,” she said. “Richard won. I just got the job done.”

Months later, everything changed.

Harold was accused of fraud. Celeste betrayed him and lost everything.

Mara restored the house.

The children planted flowers where their suitcases had once lain in the mud. Laughter replaced the silence.