Herminia yanked a black suitcase from the top shelf of the closet and threw it open on the thick carpet.
She ignored the rows of designer dresses and luxury handbags Bradley had bought her. She grabbed only her old, faded t-shirts, a few pairs of jeans, and her essential documents.
She walked to the vanity mirror and stared at her pale face. Her eyes were hard, focused.
Slowly, she worked the massive diamond wedding ring off her left ring finger. Her hand didn't shake.
Without a second of hesitation, she walked to the living room and dropped the ring directly on top of the divorce agreement.
She zipped the suitcase shut. The metal teeth locked with a sharp, final sound.
Herminia dragged the suitcase out of the apartment. She didn't look back at the golden cage that had trapped her for three years.
She stepped into the private elevator and hit the lobby button. When the doors slid open, the security guards in the marble lobby stared at her in shock.
Arthur, the family's private driver, rushed over. "Madam, where are you going? Do you need me to prepare the car?"
Herminia looked at him, expression flat. "I am no longer Mrs. Elliott."
She walked past him, pushed through the revolving glass doors, and stepped into the crisp autumn air of New York.
She flagged down a yellow cab, threw her suitcase in the trunk, and slid into the back seat. "The Plaza Hotel."
As the cab sped down the highway, Herminia pulled out her phone and dialed.
The call connected almost instantly. Anne Roberson's anxious voice came through. "Herminia? Are you okay?"
"I'm finally free, Anne," Herminia said, her voice a little hoarse.
A loud cheer erupted from the other end. "Thank God! I'm coming to the airport right now. Wait for me!"
An hour later, the yellow cab pulled up to the grand entrance of The Plaza. Herminia stepped out and immediately spotted a bright red Porsche parked illegally at the curb.
Anne jumped out in her high heels and pulled Herminia into a bone-crushing hug. "That blind bastard Bradley doesn't deserve you!" she yelled, not caring who heard. "Happy rebirth day!"
The tension in Herminia's shoulders finally released. She offered her first genuine smile in months.
They tossed the suitcase in the back and got into the low sports car. Anne handed her a hot cup of coffee. "So, what's the plan? A month in Europe to detox?"
Herminia shook her head. She reached into her tote bag and pulled out a heavy, matte-black encrypted laptop. Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she typed in a complex string of passwords.
The screen lit up with a classified dashboard labeled "Project Iris." A massive funding gap in MY Corporation flashed red.
Herminia's gaze hardened. The tired, defeated look vanished from her face.
"Cancel the vacation," she said, staring at the screen. "I have urgent business to handle."
