I Buried My First Love After He Died in a Fire 30 Years Ago – I Mourned Him Until I Realized Who My New Neighbor Was

Janet had always been my ride-or-die, but I’d never seen her this fired up. She dropped her tote bag and got to work.

“Okay, spill everything,” she said. “Are we just here to make Camille sweat, or do we want the world to know she erased you and staged your death?”

Gabriel hesitated, but I didn’t.

“We want the truth out, Jan. She can’t keep hiding what she did to us. Not after everything. Gabriel was isolated in private care under his mother’s control.”

“Everything in my life was supervised,” he said.

Gabriel hesitated.

Janet clicked her pen. “I’m ready to expose your mother, Gabriel. I already texted Mary at the Gazette, and Lisa from the board still owes me after that disaster of a Christmas party.”

Gabriel glanced at me, uncertain. “You sure you want to pull everyone into this?”

I met his gaze and reached for his hand.

“It’s time, Gabe. You deserve your life back. And I want purpose in mine again.”

“Don’t worry,” Janet chimed in. “I’m not letting Camille bulldoze either of you.”

**