na

e through the quiet suburban street. It was followed by the sharp, v

ht Nathan for his birthday last year. Right now,

r was shoved open w

was out of breath, his hair messy, bea

canned the room and in

flawless. My legs were crossed, my hands resting perfectly still o

. She was clutching the baby to her chest, her eyes re

e processed the scene, a switch flipped in his brain. The panic va

is arms wide open, aiming to wrap me in a hug. "B

d up. I didn'

, solid crystal ashtray off the coffee ta

r with an explosive crash. Shards of glass expl

opping to his sides. He swallowed

smooth, persuasive tone he used when he wanted my money. "Misty is... sh

s blade. I slowly pointed a finger toward the stairs. "Do

d closed. The blood-tie

, throwing Misty str

he stairs. "I swear to God, Elena! She got me blackout drunk at a bar! I

in absolute, horrified disbelief. A pathetic, broken whimper escape

lled out a thick stack of stapled papers. I had found th

hit Nathan right in the ches

I just find a draft of a deed transfer? Why were you trying to ad

ined from his face. He looked like a corpse. He cle

uring down his neck. "It was for tax evasion! My accountan

gust I felt for the man standing i

in the silent room. "I bought this house. I bought that Porsche sitting in the driveway. I pay

His ego, fragile and pathetic, finally

always on a plane! Always in a boardroom! You're not a wife, Elena, you're a cold

victim-blaming. The slut-shaming f

ust looked at him, finally seeing the ab

ed to the hallway and grabbed t

I walked out that door, his luxury lifestyle, his

abbed the metal handle of my suitcase, his knuckles whit

his hand touchi

. Then, I lifted my foot and stomped the stiletto heel of my s

ain, leaping back an

pulled open the he

e had started to fall, casting a gr

er at the pathetic, groaning man hopping on one foot,

t pocket. I pulled out the h

out into the dark. They landed with a

e the keys vanished, his entir

a. I stepped out into the

receive my law