The news broke the following day: Graydon Meyer had confessed to Lacy Knighton's murder and would receive a sentence of 15 years to life. Alice couldn't believe it. Aaron had been right!

She should have known better; he was always an excellent judge of character. It was unbelievable that she had ever been attracted to a murderer. Alice's judgment of others had always been poor. If her judgment were half as sound as Aaron's, she never would have married Brock Kelly.

Kelly, a jerk who was currently trying to weasel out of paying her sufficient alimony. Her lawyer was doing his best, but negotiating the terms would take time. The optimistic estimate was six months; the pessimistic one, two years.

She didn't want to be married to that creep for another two years! Ideally, not another two minutes. But she needed to supplement her meager income or she wouldn't have enough to eat once her savings ran out.

They were dwindling faster than she expected. Buying new furniture, clothes, and a used but dependable car (which Roger helped her choose) had already consumed a significant portion. Alice needed that alimony or she'd be back in the Hales' guest room before she knew it.

She felt she had already burdened them enough, but she also couldn't bear to endure another one of their lovefests. It was too much for a lonely, unwanted woman like herself.

Alice's phone buzzed. It was Roger.

"Did you hear the news?"

"Yes."

"I can't believe he confessed so quickly. He was only arrested yesterday. Poor Aaron."

Alice didn't think Aaron had a problem with it, considering how much he disliked the man. He was probably thrilled Graydon would be locked up.

Did Aaron have anything to do with the arrest? Finding a new lead on a cold case and delivering an anonymous tip would require considerable effort. He couldn't hack into things himself, but that didn't mean he didn't have someone who could.

Was he really that petty? Or was he worried about a murderer being around his children?

She shouldn't be thinking this way. Someone had died, albeit a nasty, unpleasant woman that nobody truly liked. It was fitting that the murderer be punished. If Aaron was involved, he had done the right thing.

"Somehow I think Aaron doesn't mind. He's not a huge fan of his half-brother," she texted back.

"Even so, the news will still affect him because they're related. I hope Hale Investments' stocks don't dip because of this."

Alice highly doubted that would happen, as Graydon wasn't affiliated with the company. The stocks hadn't been affected by the scandals involving Keeley or Alistair Hale's illegitimate child.

If anything, the stocks became more valuable after Aaron took over, showcasing his capabilities to the world. Hale Investments would be fine.

But that didn't mean Aaron wouldn't be affected in some way. Keeley hadn't been able to leave the house when the spotlight was on her. Would he have the same problem?

"I hope people leave him alone. He deserves a break."

Roger replied a minute later: "Speaking of breaks, when is your next day off? I've been meaning to go to the beach, but it would be more fun with friends. I'll see if I can find others to come, too."

A group outing? When was the last time Alice had been involved in one that didn't involve shopping? She couldn't remember; it might have been high school.

A smile bloomed on her face. That sounded nice. If Roger's friends were anything like him, she was in for a good time.

"I'm free next Tuesday. Kind of random, I know."

"I can call in sick if necessary. I never take my sick days. I'm sure Marissa would do the same. She's the boss, though, so she can close up shop whenever she wants. I'll talk to Kyle and see if he and his buddies are interested, too."

"Sounds great!"

Alice leaned back on the couch and sighed contentedly. Despite her ongoing divorce, life was surprisingly good. Work was tiring, and she missed certain things about her old life, but the freedom was worth it.

Nobody was telling her how to dress, what to eat, how to talk, or who to kiss up to. She would never have to deal with that dragon of a mother-in-law again.

A vague flash of curiosity went through her mind. What kind of person was Roger's mother? The two Clark children she'd met were lovely. She must be a pretty good person to raise such good people.

When she got married again, it would have to be to someone whose mother she liked, and vice versa. She couldn't live through having two terrible mothers-in-law in her lifetime.

Her phone went off again; it was Roger. This time he was asking about her day.

Alice wasn't used to this. Her phone was primarily for making plans. No one contacted her just to contact her. So why would he?

Was this what friends did? Keeley had checked in a few times, but those exchanges were short because she was often distracted by her children. Alice didn't blame her; Kaleb and Violet were her priority.

Still, it was nice being cared about. A simple "how was your day?" turned into a two-hour text conversation. A smile was on her face the entire time.

The final promotional sentence was removed as it was irrelevant to the text cleanup.