One Wild Night

Chapter 944: Closure



Mia awoke to the soft trill of her phone, the morning light filtering through the curtains in delicate streams.

A sleepy smile tugged at her lips as she reached over to pick up the call, her heart lifting when she saw Jeff's name on the screen.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Jeff's voice greeted her, his tone light and teasing.

"Morning," Mia responded, stretching languidly beneath the sheets.

She felt more alive today, the weight of the past seeming a little lighter. It seemed to her that every day she woke up in her parent's house without a worry about Henry, she felt better than the last.

"Slept well?" Jeff asked as he listened to her yawn.

"Too well. You?"

"Same here."

"What's going on over there? Any news from Shawn yet?" Mia asked since that was the only thing still bothering her. She wanted Jeff to leave there.

"Nothing much is going on. But we're expecting Shawn at the house by noon. Margaret and Mika are talking about quitting. I think I'll just naturally tender my resignation as well. That way it won't be suspicious," Jeff replied.

"Well, I can't wait for you to get out of there. It's been two weeks already," Mia said with a sigh.

"I'll be out soon," Jeff assured her. "What about you? Any plans for the day?" He asked with

interest.

Mia hesitated, biting her lip. "Actually, I was thinking of going to the hospital to see Henry." There was a beat of silence on the other end of the line before Jeff's voice returned, tinged with concern. "To see Henry? Mia, why would you want to do that?"

"I've been thinking about it," she admitted, her gaze wandering to the ceiling as she considered her words. "I want to see him- not as the powerful, terrifying man who tormented my life, but as a frail, helpless human. I want to face him one last time, to close that chapter for good."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Jeff's voice was soft, full of worry for her well-being.

"Yes," Mia replied firmly, a resolve settling over her. "I'll be fine. I need to do this. I've been thinking about it for over a week now."

"Alright," Jeff conceded, though she could hear the reluctance in his voice. "Just...be careful, okay?" He said though she could tell he was still uneasy about it.

"I will," Mia promised, feeling a warmth in her chest at his concern. "Thanks, Jeff." "I've been meaning to ask you, how is it going with the divorce? Has it been finalized?"

"Yes. I was going to tell you about it last night but I didn't get the chance. Thanks to Shawn's influence, and the fact that Henry had asked his lawyer to hasten the process before now, it was approved yesterday," Mia said happily.

"Well, congratulations are in order," Jeff said and Mia giggled.

"Yeah. When you get out of there, we will definitely celebrate. And just so you know, I finished reading the novel," Mia said with a grin.

"Oh, you did? Tell me about it," Jeff drawled and she giggled.

"Unfortunately I can't tell you right now. I have to start my day. But we will talk later," Mia said and Jeff chuckled.

"Alright. Have a good day. Let me know when you're free. Without my bosses, I have a lot of spare time," Jeff said and Mia giggled.

"Sure, I will. Be good," Mia said before hanging up.

After ending the call, Mia lay in bed for a few moments, thinking about the last two weeks since Henry's accident.

Shawn had done exactly all he had said he was going to do. He had held a press conference and had both exposed and condemned all of Henry's wrongdoings and he had gone as far as compensating every one of Henry's victims, including her parents, and he had asked that anybody else with a complaint against Henry should reach out to him for compensation. He had helped her fast-track the divorce process and even though she had asked him not to, he had made sure to ask the lawyer to make sure she got half of all Henry owned as compensation.

After the court approved their divorce, she had finally made up her mind to go see Henry one last time. The decision to go see him wasn't one she'd made lightly, but now that she had gotten permission from Shawn and it was set, she felt a strange sense of calm.

She threw off the covers and made her way to the bathroom. As she stood under the warm spray of the shower, she felt the water wash away the remnants of her fears, leaving her with a renewed sense of purpose. Today was a day for closure.

When she arrived at the clinic, the receptionist recognized her immediately and called Tyler

to inform him of her arrival.

"Mia?" Tyler's voice was filled with surprise when he appeared in the waiting room. "I wasn't expecting you. What brings you here?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something," Mia replied, her voice steady. "Can we go to your

office?" Tyler nodded, leading her down the hallway to the privacy of his office. Once inside, he gestured for her to sit, and Mia sat down.

"Before you say anything, I'd like to apologize once again..."

"Don't," Mia said with a shake of her head, "That's not why I came. And honestly, as much as

I was upset with you, I'm glad it all worked out. You sort of pushed me out of my comfort zone. I'm finally really free from Henry because instead of hiding, I finally found the courage to ask for help and face him," Mia said, and Tyler nodded.

"I've been following the news. I also saw the interview you did. I'm glad you're fine," he said,

and she smiled.

"About the reason I'm here. I was wondering," she began, her voice quieter now, more vulnerable, "if there's anything you can do about the scars on my back."

Tyler's brow furrowed in concern. "May I see them?"

Mia hesitated for a moment before nodding. She rose and then turned around to unzip the

back of her dress, letting it open just enough to reveal the network of scars that marred her

skin.

Tyler's breath hitched slightly as he took in the sight. He had heard about the scars, of course, but seeing them in person was different.

He picked up his gloves and slid them on before running his hands over the scars with her

permission.

"I can work on them," Tyler said after a moment, his voice soft. "But I can't promise you that your back will be smooth as new. It won't be. The scars will always be there, just... less

prominent." "That's all I want," Mia replied, her voice steady. "I don't need them to disappear. I just want them to be less... ugly. I just want to know I did something about them."

Tyler nodded, stepping back to give her space. "I can do that. We'll start with a consultation

and then move forward with the treatment plan."

"Thank you," Mia said, feeling a wave of gratitude wash over her. She zipped up her dress and

turned to face him, a small smile on her lips.

"You've been through so much, Mia," Tyler said, his voice filled with quiet admiration. "But you're still standing."

Mia smiled, "I am," she agreed. "And I'm going to keep moving forward."

"That's good to know. I'm happy for you," Tyler said, feeling genuinely glad that Mia had

survived Henry, since he knew he would never have been able to forgive himself had

something happened to her.

*****

Quick Announcement. I'm sorry, every one. Contrary to what I planned, I've been adviced by my editor to start Jamal's story as a stand-alone and fresh story. OWN will be ending at chapter 1000. I'm going to start Jamal's story immediately it ends. I hope you support me and add it up in your library. Thanks.