Chapter 3

Herminia pulled 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 only grabbed her old, faded t-shirts, a few pairs of jeans, and her essential identification documents.

She walked over to the vanity mirror. She stared at her pale face. Her eyes were hard and focused.

Slowly, she pulled the massive, flawless diamond wedding ring off her left ring finger.

Without a single second of hesitation, she walked out to the living room and dropped the ring directly on top of the divorce agreement.

She zipped up the suitcase. The metal teeth locked together 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 button for the lobby.

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 immediately. "Madam, where are you going? Do you need me to prepare the car?"

Herminia looked at him with a flat expression. "I am no longer Mrs. Elliott."

She walked past him, pushing through the revolving glass doors and stepping into the crisp, cool autumn air of New York.

She flagged down a yellow cab on the street and threw her suitcase into the trunk.

"The Plaza Hotel," she told the driver as she slid into the back seat.

As the cab sped down the highway, Herminia pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

The call connected almost instantly. Anne Roberson's anxious voice came through the speaker. "Herminia? Are you okay?"

"I'm finally free, Anne," Herminia said, her voice slightly hoarse.

A loud cheer erupted from the other end of the line. "Thank God! I am 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 of the driver's seat in her high heels and pulled Herminia into a bone-crushing hug.

"That blind bastard Bradley doesn't deserve you!" Anne yelled, not caring who heard. "Happy rebirth day!"

Herminia felt the tension in her shoulders finally release. She offered her first genuine smile in months.

They tossed the suitcase into 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.

She typed in a complex string of passwords and logged into a hidden internal server.

The screen immediately flooded with an encrypted interface labeled 'Project Iris'. A highly classified dashboard showed a massive funding gap in MY Corporation.

Herminia's eyes sharpened instantly. The soft, broken wife was gone.

"Cancel the vacation," Herminia said, staring at the screen. "I have some extremely urgent personal business to handle."