iel

lief and pride, my hands shaking as I let out a sharp yelp. The office people turned and stared, some raising eyebrows at me, but I couldn't care less. My cheeks hurt from trying to hold back a grin. I mumbled, "Sorry," and turned back to the computer

ael to get that client. I worked late into the night

ing me and snapping m

Daniel

Who i

ny, we are attemp

k app, clicked on my credit card, and when I saw the amount, I tu

t be a m

ear, knuckles white. My fingers numbed. Hotels. Late nights. Sometimes he never came home. My mind raced to piece it together, but all I

I checked the checking account and saw only 5

he was not there. I asked a coworker about him, and they

posit

ncy," and looked annoyed, as

eturned. I drove home an

So, you're happy, too happ

. As we walked into the liv

it's been great. We

mach d

"I need you to sign the divorce pa

t I helped you rise? My voice quivered, anger boiling until my body was rigid. Ra

, Daniela." Her

t silence because you know th

face. I couldn't breathe; the world spun. I snapped, shoving her off. She stumbled, fell from the couch, gasping. The room was sil

s, as if my life had fractured in the

, and now I'm disposable? You maxed ou

know what you

it now, who is she, the blo

? Sign the pap

d to get you to the top;

his phone, turned it to show me an image: my grandm

el, r

my name on the documents. He continued, "Go pack your things and leave. Oh, by the way,

lled Lara while stuffing things into

a, ¿qu

ick me up,

teen. I wil

ut the door and waited by the curb f

opened the trunk, and threw the suitcase

ll in sick and

nk you for letting me s

Hi, I said softly, can I c

f course. Tell

the end, he promised to keep it bet

d woke up with Lara's arm

I couldn't tell anyone about it. Raphael left me in a ton of debt, alone and homeless. Lar

gent, not knowing he was aiming to be the boss. I've been played badly. It hurt more that I wasted three years; I had ju

iting downstairs. I had to disappear. But even as I walked away from everything I knew, a small part of me clung to hope. Maybe, somewhere ahead, I could start over. I didn't know w