I didn’t even give her the satisfaction of a glance.

“Don’t worry, Cordelia,” I said, locking eyes with my mother-in-law. “I won’t be taking a single cent of your precious family fortune.”

She slammed her hand against the polished mahogany table with a loud bang.

“Marrying into this family was a promotion for a girl like you, so don’t you dare act like you have any dignity left to stand on.”

The word “promotion” hung in the air like a foul odor.

She spoke as if entering the Harrison family had been my only salvation from a life of misery.

She acted as if I had walked into their home barefoot and starving, rather than a woman who had worked for every inch of her life.

I looked at Tyler one last time, hoping to see a spark of the man I thought I knew.

“When you asked me to marry you, you promised to protect me, so tell me just one time you actually did.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out, and he eventually looked back down at his plate.

“Tomorrow, Tyler. Ten o’clock sharp.”

As I walked toward the front door, the screams of Cordelia echoed through the hallway.

“Let’s see how long she lasts without the Harrison name to protect her!”

“She has no idea who she’s messing with, and she’ll be back on her knees within a week!”

I didn’t look back, and once I was outside, the crisp air of the Connecticut suburbs felt like the first breath of freedom I’d had in years.

I pulled out my phone to turn off the notifications, but a priority alert stopped me in my tracks.

“CEO Jordan Miller, the Nasdaq has confirmed the opening for tomorrow morning, and everything is set for the launch.”

I stood still for a moment, staring at the screen while the weight of my secret life finally began to merge with my reality.

Up at the second-floor window, I saw Cordelia’s furious silhouette watching me as if I were a defeated servant fleeing the grounds.

I offered a small, private smile because they thought I was leaving in ruins.

They had no clue that the woman they spent three years humiliating was about to become the most talked-about person in the financial world.

Part 2

That night, I packed my entire existence into a single leather suitcase.

It was almost comical how little of that house actually belonged to me, consisting only of clothes, a few worn books, and some old family photos.

Everything else had been bought with Harrison money, and they never missed an opportunity to remind me of that fact.

The designer lamps, the car in the driveway, and even the silk sheets on the bed were all leased from their arrogance.

I was zipping up the bag when Tyler appeared in the bedroom doorway looking annoyed.

“Are you seriously going through with this little tantrum?” he asked.

“Yes, I am.”

“You’re being incredibly dramatic over a few words at dinner.”

I let out a short, dry laugh that lacked any humor.