Chapter 7 I didn't tell my parents where I went . Not because I didn't love them , I just couldn't bear to see the worry in their eyes again . After everything , I knew they'd drop everything to come find me . But I needed space . Space to breathe . Space to heal . So , I left . I packed a few bags , cashed out from the joint accounts under my maiden name . Thankfully , the Carter name still meant something , and I moved to Richmond . The same place where my parents used to take me every spring when I was a little girl . Back then , we'd stay at this tiny family - run inn near a cherry blossom park . We'd eat ice cream on the bench and count how many pink petals landed on our heads . My dad would lift me onto his shoulders when I got tired , and Mom would sing quietly under her breath . This city's different now . Bigger . Colder , maybe . But the air still smells the same in the early morning . A mix of grass , rain , and something sweet , like cinnamon rolls and jasmine . The moment I stepped off the bus , I felt it in my chest . That little flicker of home . And the best part ? Here , I didn't have to be Mrs. Gallagher . No one cared who I married . No one whispered behind my back or looked at me like I was some cursed trophy wife . I was just Jillian Carter , Daughter of the Carters . Independent . Free . And loaded , let's be honest . I didn't need to work . But I needed something to do with my hands . So , I opened a flower shop . Tucked into a sleepy corner between a bakery and an antique bookstore . I named it Cherry & Moss , because it sounded soft but strong . Just like I wanted to feel again . I wasn't trying to make a living ; I was planting flowers . Touching the soil every day , watching things grow instead of rot .