Chapter 4

His words hung in the air. Get the hell out.

I looked at his furious face, at Gabby' s fake tears, and I finally saw it. This wasn' t a marriage. It was a prison. And he had just handed me the key.

A strange calm settled over me. The shaking stopped.

"Okay," I said.

His grip loosened, his anger replaced by confusion. "Okay, what?"

"Okay, I' ll get out."

I pulled my phone from my pocket. My hands were steady as I scrolled through my contacts. I found the name I hadn' t called in years. Wesley Hughes.

My old mentor from university. The man who told me I was one of the most promising architects he' d ever taught. The man I' d pushed away to become Andrew Lester' s perfect political wife.

He answered on the second ring.

"Madisyn? Is everything alright?"

Tears I didn' t know I had pricked my eyes. "Wesley? Can you... can you come get me?"

He didn' t ask why. He didn' t hesitate. "Send me the address. I' m on my way."

I walked past Andrew and Gabby, up the stairs to the bedroom. I packed one suitcase. Just the essentials. My clothes, my laptop, my old architecture portfolios. I left behind the jewelry, the designer dresses, the entire life Andrew had built for me.

When I came back downstairs, Wesley was standing in the doorway. He was older, with a little gray at his temples, but his eyes were the same-kind and intelligent. He looked at my wet hair, my bruised arm where Andrew had grabbed me, and his expression hardened.

Andrew stared at him, then back at my suitcase. The reality of the situation finally seemed to be dawning on him.

"Maddy, wait," he said, his voice laced with panic. "Where are you going? I was just angry. I didn' t mean it."

I stopped in front of him. "You told me to get out, Andrew. So I am."

Gabby, seeing she was losing her grip, tried to block my path. "You' re not going anywhere. Andrew needs you."

I looked down at her. For years, I had let this woman dictate my life. I had shrunk myself to make her feel big. Not anymore.

I shoved her aside. She was surprisingly light, and she stumbled back into a decorative table, which crashed to the floor.

She stared at me, shocked.

I didn' t give her a second glance. I walked to Wesley, who put a protective hand on my back and guided me out the door.