elf in Damien's study. The room smelled of him-old books, leather, and the faint s

, she mad

ands try to bury their wives in legal paperwork. She listened without interruption as Alex laid out

is bulletproof. You can't touch the principal. The prenup limits your claim

tody?" A

al instability'-every time you cried at a family event, every time you missed a charity gala bec

walking away with nothing. I want reasonable alimony

brow. "You're not goin

ive years. It got me a cold bed and a colder husb

s in order. Passport, birth certificate, medical license, any eviden

h she had been saving for years. She hid them in a small bag inside a locked drawer. Then she opened her lapt

heading: "Divo

the Upper East Side penthouse, reasonable alimony, and full custody of Clara with sup

it-five years of her youth, her career, her body, all sacrificed on the altar of the Carlisle

hological well-being. When she was done, she had a draft that was logical, firm, and irrefutable

she did that, she needed to see Clara. It had been days. Clara lived with her n

self. She need

talkative shadow who used to follow her around the garden and ask a hundred questions about flowers

ia app. A post from Seraphina Sanford appeared in her feed. Alex

flowing white dress, smiled up at Damien, who stood behind her, his arms wra

nts are worth more than all

d been wearing that morning when he'd left her st

praise. "Perfect couple!" "He

t couple," she muttered to herself. "Two

ntaminated. The light turned green, and she pressed the accelerator, her knuckles white on the steering

or up. The apartment was quiet. She walked toward her daughter's room

ara running into her arms, chattering about school and dolls and all the little things she had missed. She imagined explaining, gently, that Mommy and Dadd

ative smile on her face. The smi