Introduction

Our crystal chandeliers glittered in our San Francisco mansion.

It was our tenth anniversary party, a celebration of a decade of my supposedly perfect marriage.

Then, Richard stood by the grand staircase, his arm around a visibly pregnant woman I didn't recognize.

Jessica Wang, his new PR manager, beamed, placing a hand on her belly.

His voice, smooth and practiced, silenced the room as he announced, "Emily and I are expecting!"

The ensuing wave of murmurs and Jessica's proud smile clarified the brutal truth.

The humiliation was immediate and public.

But nothing compared to the depths of his callous disregard that followed.

He forced me to move into a guest room, demanded I cater to his mistress's whims, and even stepped over me when I collapsed from a heart attack.

The ultimate betrayal came when he *forced* me, with my rare O-negative blood and congenital heart defect, to undergo a medically dangerous blood donation – for *her*.

My life force, my very existence, was merely a disposable convenience for his new family.

I was supposed to be a devoted wife, yet how could the man I spent ten years with be so utterly monstrous, so devoid of basic humanity?

But as I lay weak in the hospital, gasping for air, a quiet defiance ignited within me.

With my meticulously accumulated 'freedom fund,' and the unwavering clandestine support of a loyal friend, I knew this wasn't just an escape.

I was going to dismantle his meticulously built empire, piece by excruciating piece, finally reclaiming my life.