Chapter 7 - THE COMPANY I HAD NEVER REALLY WORKED FOR
Greg’s brother fired me by email two days after the assault.
The message said my “personal choices” created unacceptable disruption for the construction company. It demanded the return of office equipment and warned me not to contact clients.
I expected to feel frightened.
Instead, I felt relieved.
During the separation process, a financial review revealed why the family company had been so determined to keep me dependent.
My name appeared as payroll administrator on tax forms I had never prepared. Several vendor payments had been approved using credentials assigned to me, even though Greg often logged into the system from the warehouse.
They had made me useful in two directions.
My labor kept the office running.
My name remained available if anyone questioned the records.
Greg feared my new hospital job because leaving the family company meant I might examine old pay statements, remove my credentials, and discover how often he had acted through my account.
The financial issues became a separate dispute. Some were poor controls. Others appeared intentional. I refused to pretend I understood more than the records showed.
But I changed every password, documented what I had and had not authorized, and stopped allowing the Miller family to describe access as consent.
My new employer lent me a wheelchair for longer hallways and adjusted my training schedule. Rachel drove me for two weeks. After that, I used an accessible rideshare until I could manage safely.
The first paycheck entered a new account.
Only my name was on it.
I opened the banking app three times that evening simply to look.
Nothing had been taken.
Nothing had been redirected.
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The amount was not large.
It still felt like freedom.
