It's incredible how Nikki got so lucky. The cops saw exactly what had happened later when they checked the footage from the cameras in the building and in the parking lot. She walked out of her office, dad's office and into her old one just moments before the cops came out of the elevator and they walked right past it, past her. Obviously they didn't know that she was in there. She must have overheard them asking about her or something, I don't know. They saw her stick her head out of the office and check the hallway was clear and then she ran for it. She ran down the stairs and out of the building. She didn't even bother to take her car, maybe she thought that if she did then the cops would be able to trace her or something. Maybe they can do that, how would I know? Anyway, she got out of the building and then just calmly walked up the street and disappeared from our CCTV. That's the last anyone has seen of her. They know that she withdrew a large amount of cash from an ATM nearby a few minutes later but since then there has been nothing.

Those stupid cops must have wasted time checking the top floor of our building for her before they realised that she had made an escape already. I don't know where Nikki went or what she did and I don't know what steps the cops take to find someone in a situation like that but whatever Nikki did and whatever the cops did ended with no one finding a trace of her anywhere.

I've spoken with her sister and her parents and so have the cops but they insist that she has made no contact with them since that day. Maybe the cops even believe them. They've still had no luck tracing her anywhere, it's as though she vanished. I don't know for sure that she's still out there somewhere but I imagine that she is, I mean if she had killed herself or something then she would have been found by now, right? It scared me for a while as I thought that Nikki would blame me and she might show up and confront me over it but she didn't. She obviously knows that I told Paul as I was the only one who knew what she did.

Dad was heartbroken for a start when we told him everything, the poor thing. He really loved Nikki and he thought that she loved him too. Maybe in her own crazy way she actually did? Who knows what she was thinking or what her deal was the whole time she was with dad? Dad had lost mom and Nikki, the two women he loved in less than a year. He's managed to come to terms with it now though as it's obvious that we are all better off without Nikki in our lives.

Things are not bad right now considering what we've all been through. Paul and I are back together and the marriage counselling worked wonders, at least it seemed to. We'll get there eventually, I know we will. Paul is Acting Chairman of the company until I'm well enough to return which hopefully won't be much longer. It's been hard being away from the place, especially for this long. I really love my job.

Things are great with the kids too...

"I'm sorry but I need to stop you there Stephanie, I'm afraid we've run over time again and I have someone else to see this afternoon," the doctor's voice cut in. Stephanie really liked her, she looked to be in her late fifties and she had a very kind face and a soft voice. Also she was very good at her job, at least that was Stephanie's opinion. The progress she had made in her sessions seemed incredible to her. It was horrible to think back to the state she had been in on her first visit to this place but it also helped in a way as she could compare it to how she felt now and the difference was staggering.

"I'm happy with your progress and I'm happy that we have you on the right medication now," the doctor continued. "I think we'll stick with the Saturday and Wednesday appointments for another couple of weeks and then we'll think about reducing to one visit per week. How does that sound?"

"That sounds great," Stephanie smiled. "How long before I will be able to stop coming?"

"I think you have the wrong impression from your previous uh... experience. We might get down to one session every two weeks or something like that but I'm always going to want to see you."

"I'm going to need therapy for ever?" Stephanie sighed, looking down at the dark blue carpeted floor.

"Don't think of it as therapy," the doctor said reassuringly. "Think of it a check up. Just to make sure things are okay, as you do with your dentist."

Stephanie felt a lot better about it when she looked at it that way and she stood up from the couch. "Okay, I'll get going then. I'll see you on Wednesday Julie."

"You will," the doctor confirmed as she walked with Stephanie to the door. "Goodbye Stephanie."

Stephanie walked out of the room and saw her dad sitting in the waiting area as usual, waiting to take her home. As he stood and walked over to her Stephanie thought that her dad looked a lot older than he had a few months ago. Nikki had done a lot of damage to everyone in the family. As Vince reached where she was standing they hugged and Vince asked, "How was it today?"

They released each other and headed for the exit as Stephanie answered his question, "Good. I decided to talk through everything that happened with Nikki again today. We haven't done that for a few sessions."

"I'm sorry that I let her hurt you so badly," Vince told her sadly for what seemed like the millionth time. "I just didn't see what she was doing."

Stephanie took his hand as they walked and said gently, "I know dad, we've talked about it before and you don't have to keep apologising. None of us saw through her until the end."

They chatted throughout the long drive home and Vince was as delighted with his daughter's progress as she was. It had been a long and tough journey to get her to this point but the worst was definitely behind her. It helped that things were improving for her at home, Paul had stuck by Stephanie through everything and had made sure that they went to marriage counselling. They were now living together again and Vince admitted to himself that he could not have wished for a better son in law to take care of his daughter. If only they had left him to it months ago instead of letting Nikki worm her way in. At least Nikki was not a problem any more. Vince pulled his car up outside of Stephanie's house and she kissed him on the cheek and then got out. "Thanks dad, I love you."

"I love you too darling," Vince said. With that Stephanie closed the door and Vince drove away. Stephanie watched the car disappear as Vince made a left turn to head home and then she walked up the driveway to her front door. She suddenly felt tired and stressed, her sessions often left her feeling this way for a few hours. She realised that the doctor was right, she was making progress but she definitely still needed the help.

She unlocked the front and walked into the house. Immediately she noticed that the house was silent. She took off her coat and sighed as she hung it up. It felt good to be home. Just as she finished this she heard a quiet voice from the living room doorway. "Hey."

"Hey," Stephanie said quietly, smiling at the person who the voice belonged to.

"How did it go today?"

"Good thank you," Stephanie smiled.

"I have someone here who missed you."

Stephanie walked towards the living room, "Hello baby girl, mommy missed you so much today." She reached up and kissed her husband and then took what he was holding out to her; her sleeping baby daughter, Luisa. Stephanie gazed adoringly at her youngest child as she lay in her arms. "I love you." The words were equally directed at both her husband and her daughter.

END