I fled to my mom's house after barely surviving my husband's beating. Shameless as ever, he tracked me down with his mistress in tow, sneering, "Like mother, like daughter!" Instead of getting angry, my mom just smiled and made a quick call. A minute later, he dropped to his knees pleading: "Save me!"

My mother stepped back, pulling her hem away from Declan's frantic reach as if he were a contaminated piece of trash.

"Save you?" Mom asked, her voice dry and cold. "You brought a club to my daughter's body, Declan. You brought your mistress to my home. And now you ask for mercy?"

"Declan, what is she talking about?!" Chloe shrieked, backing off the porch steps. "Are you broke?! Is the Porsche seized?!"

"Shut up, Chloe!" Declan roared, turning his head in panic. "Evelyn, please! I’ll give Maya everything! The house, the company shares, the accounts—just tell them to stop the seizure!"

"It's too late, Declan," Mom said softly. "The machinery has already been set in motion."

Chloe didn't wait to hear another word. She dropped her designer handbag, scrambled into the passenger seat of the Porsche, started the engine, and sped away down the driveway, leaving Declan stranded on his knees in the dirt.

Declan watched his luxury car disappear down the street, tears streaming down his face.

"Maya... please," Declan sobbed, turning his desperate eyes toward me. "Tell your mother! You love me! We built that company together!"

I looked down at him. The phantom pain in my shoulder suddenly seemed to fade, replaced by a cold, crystal-clear realization.

"You told me last night that I was nothing without you," I said, my voice steady for the first time in years. "You told me I was just a day laborer. Well, Declan... let's see how well you build a life from scratch."

"Maya! Don't do this!" he begged, reaching for my ankle.

My mother stepped between us, her stance unyielding. "Get off my property, Declan. Before I make a third call."

Declan froze. The mere mention of the flip phone sent a wave of visible terror through his frame. He scrambled up from his knees, stumbled down the porch steps, and began walking frantically down the road in his ruined grey suit.