Chapter 2

Arline walked back across the glass corridor.

The storm raged harder. The wind howled against the glass panes.

She did not cross her arms this time. She let the freezing air bite into her skin. She wanted the cold. She needed the physical shock to numb the violent twisting in her gut.

Lightning flashed again. She stopped and looked out the window.

Below her, the estate's famous rose garden was being destroyed by the heavy rain.

A memory forced its way into her brain. Five years ago. Edgardo standing in a military uniform under a bright sun. He looked strong. He looked like a man of honor.

The image shattered. It was replaced by the sight of his hand stroking Kenia's hair.

Arline doubled over.

She grabbed the metal railing of the window. Her stomach violently contracted. She dry-heaved.

Bile burned the back of her throat. She coughed, gasping for the cold air.

Water leaked from her eyes. It was a purely physical reaction to the nausea. There was no sadness left in her. Only a deep, physical rejection of the man she married.

She spat the bitter taste out of her mouth. She stood up straight.

She remembered her mother, Eleanor Monroe. Eleanor died in a hospital bed, her skin grey and her breathing shallow. Eleanor held Arline's hand and told her to never let a man strip away her dignity.

Arline closed her eyes.

"I am sorry, Mom," Arline whispered to the empty hallway. "I was stupid. I am awake now."

She pushed open the door to the master bedroom.

The room was dead silent. The antique clock ticked. The silk-wrapped anniversary gift sat on the vanity. It looked like a piece of garbage.

Arline walked straight into the massive marble bathroom. She did not turn on the lights.

She reached into the dark shower stall and turned the heavy metal dial all the way to the cold setting.

She stepped under the showerhead in her silk nightgown.

Freezing water slammed into her head and shoulders. The shock made her gasp loudly. Her muscles locked up.

She stood perfectly still under the freezing spray. She let the water soak through the silk, sticking the fabric to her skin.

She needed to wash off the smell of this house. She needed to wash off the invisible stains of his fake touches.

Ten minutes passed. Her lips turned blue. Her fingers wrinkled and went numb.

She reached out with a shaking hand and turned off the water.

She stripped off the heavy, wet nightgown and dropped it on the marble floor. She grabbed a thick white towel and wrapped it tight around her chest.

Arline walked to the double sinks. She slammed her hand against the light switch.

Bright, harsh light flooded the bathroom. She squinted at the mirror.

Her face was pale. Her wet hair clung to her cheeks. She looked like a ghost.

She picked up a wooden hairbrush. She dragged the bristles through her wet hair. She pulled hard, ignoring the sharp pain in her scalp.

She brushed until her scalp burned.

The fog in her eyes cleared. The pathetic, waiting wife was gone. The woman staring back in the mirror had cold, dead eyes.

Arline walked out of the bathroom. She walked to the center of the bedroom.

She stared at the king-size bed. She slept alone in that bed for three years while he made excuses.

She grabbed the edge of the expensive silk bedsheet. She yanked it hard. The sheet ripped away from the mattress. She threw it onto the floor.

She walked into the walk-in closet.

The closet was divided. One side held her clothes. Most of them were pastel dresses and soft sweaters. Edgardo liked women who looked soft and compliant.

She ignored them. She walked to the very back of the closet.

She pulled out a heavy, vintage leather trunk. It belonged to the Monroe family. It had her maiden initials stamped on the brass locks.

She opened a garment bag hanging in the corner. She pulled out a dark grey, tailored business suit.

It was the suit she wore when she worked as a top surgical resident at the hospital. She quit her clinical career three years ago because Edgardo said a Caldwell wife did not need to work. But she never truly stopped. Hidden behind the estate's budget lines was a massive, state-of-the-art private laboratory she secretly funded and maintained. For two years, she had been quietly developing cutting-edge robotic vascular suturing patents, her true sanctuary away from the suffocating Caldwell walls.

She dropped the towel. She put on the crisp white blouse and the grey trousers. She slipped into the tailored jacket.

She pulled her wet hair back and tied it into a tight, severe knot at the base of her neck.

The change was total. She felt the heavy armor of her true identity settle over her shoulders.

She walked back to the vanity. She picked up the anniversary gift.

She did not untie the ribbon. She dropped the box into the metal trash can next to the desk. It hit the bottom with a loud clank.

Arline opened the desk drawer. She pulled out a piece of heavy, blank legal paper. She picked up a black fountain pen.

She pressed the nib against the paper. She wrote one word in large, sharp letters.

"Divorce."

She put the cap back on the pen. She left the paper in the center of the desk.

She grabbed the leather handle of her vintage trunk. She turned her back to the room and walked toward the door.