Chapter 6 - The Rain of Awakening
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The iron gates of the state penitentiary groaned as they slid open. It was a miserable, gray morning, the rain pouring down in sheets, slicking the asphalt like black ice. I stood in the threshold, wearing a cheap, standard-issue gray jacket that offered no protection against the biting wind.
I took my first step past the razor wire, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. Freedom tasted like wet concrete and gasoline. It was intoxicating.
There was no crowd waiting for me. No media, no family, and certainly no husband. But I wasn't looking for them.
A sleek, black Mercedes sedan rolled to a stop at the curb, the tires hissing against the wet road. The tinted window lowered, revealing Beatrice’s sharp, unyielding face. Her silver hair was perfectly styled, and her piercing blue eyes scanned my hollow cheeks and damp clothes.
"Get in, Margaret," she commanded gently.
I slid into the leather-scented warmth of the back seat, pulling the heavy door shut. I didn't look back at the prison. Not even once.
"Are you okay?" Beatrice asked, handing me a thermos of hot, black coffee.
"I'm exactly where I need to be," I replied, wrapping my freezing hands around the warm metal. "What’s the status?"
Beatrice pulled a thick iPad from her leather briefcase and handed it to me.
"Richard thinks you're completely broken. He didn't even send a lawyer to contest your early parole. He's too busy celebrating."
I tapped the screen. The city's top gossip blog loaded instantly. There was a high-resolution photo of Richard and Savannah, standing on the balcony of the Kensington Tower—my father’s building. They were dressed in sickeningly lavish clothes, holding champagne flutes.
The headline read: A Beautiful New Chapter: Richard Kensington and Savannah Brooks Announce Impending Nuptials.
"They're getting married?" I asked, a dark amusement coloring my voice.
"In exactly three weeks," Beatrice nodded. "The biggest, most expensive society wedding this city has seen in a decade. He's paying for it all using the funds he embezzled from the hospital contracts."
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I stared at the picture of Savannah. She was wearing my mother’s diamond earrings.
"Perfect," I whispered. "Let them plan the wedding. We are going to supply the entertainment."
