Chapter 4

The drive to our Upper East Side penthouse was a blur. Manhattan's glittering skyline seemed to mock me through the window as my driver navigated the late-night traffic. The wine stains had dried on my cream dress, leaving ugly burgundy splotches that looked like wounds against the delicate fabric. My pearls felt heavy around my neck, tainted by the humiliation I'd suffered.

I dismissed my driver at the building entrance, preferring to walk through the lobby alone. The night doorman nodded respectfully, his eyes widening slightly at my appearance before he quickly composed his features. Even in my disheveled state,…