Chapter 3: The Sanctuary in the Shadows
Chapter 3: The Sanctuary in the Shadows
The small garden cellar smelled of damp earth, chemical fertilizer, and old wood.
In one dark corner sat the flimsy folding bed Trevor had deemed suitable for the woman who paid for his entire lifestyle. My bags of clothes were scattered across the concrete floor like trash.
I sat down on an old metal toolbox, opened my laptop, and took a deep breath to steady my hands.
From the dusty window of the cellar, I had a perfect view through the large glass walls of the villa. Evelyn was standing on the terrace, raising a glass of my finest cut crystal toward the moon.
“For a united and prosperous family!” she shouted loudly.
Everyone in the room applauded her. Trevor was right there beside her, celebrating the fact that his own wife had been kicked out of her own home.
I did not cry. I had already wasted enough tears during three years of a deeply disappointing marriage.
I had cried when Trevor quit his supposed business to live entirely off my salary.
I had cried when his mother called me "bossy" for refusing to fund luxury vacations for his extended family.
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I had cried when he called me "cold" because I wouldn't let him exploit my corporate connections.
But tonight, the tears were gone. In their place was the sharp, calculating mind of a cybersecurity executive.
