Chapter 3

The car glided smoothly into the underground garage of Regency Heights.

It was the way it had been when I lived here before I got married, quiet, bright, and safe.

I used the new code Mr. Williams had sent me to unlock the apartment door.

The motion-sensor light in the entryway flicked on automatically, revealing a spacious, spotless space.

This was a sprawling 3,000-square-foot apartment with a minimalist design. All the furniture was covered with dust sheets, but there wasn't a trace of mustiness in the air.

The property manager was clearly on top of things. Someone came by every week to clean and air out the place.

"Mommy, this place is huge!" Sophie's little face still had tear tracks, but her eyes were already full of curiosity.

I carried her over to the living room sofa, pulled off the dust sheet, and revealed the soft, off-white fabric underneath.

"Do you like it? This is our home now," I said softly, holding her close.

"Will Daddy and Aunt Chelsea come looking for us?" Sophie asked, her voice trembling. Everything that had happened today was too much for a five-year-old to handle.

My heart ached for her.

I gently touched her still-swollen cheek, my voice steady and fierce. "They won't be able to find us, and they can't get in. Sophie, remember, nobody's ever going to bully you again. Mommy's got you, always."

Sophie nestled into my arms, nodded, and finally let herself relax.

The apartment had two kids' rooms, one princess-themed and one space-themed. I'd decorated them on a whim back then.

I took Sophie into the pink princess room, gave her a bath, changed her into clean pajamas, and carefully applied some ointment to her swollen cheek.

Once Sophie was sound asleep, I finally had a moment to focus on myself.

I didn't head for the guest room. I walked straight into the master bedroom.

I slid open the closet doors, and there they were, my old power suits, my armor from another life, hanging neatly inside.

Custom-tailored suits, evening gowns, sharp-cut coats: every single piece was worth a fortune.

I shrugged off the housecoat that reeked of kitchen grease and family drama, and slipped into a silk robe.

In the mirror, I looked a little worn out, but my eyes were so cold that I barely recognized myself.

I stepped out onto the balcony and dialed up my best friend, Claire Summers.

The phone had barely rung when Claire's trademark confident voice rang out. "What's up, Nightingale? Couldn't sleep and missing me already, calling at this hour?"

Nightingale was my old code name.

In the finance world, the name "Nightingale" was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.

"I took Sophie and left the Carter Family," I said, my voice calm and steady.

There was a three-second silence on the other end.

"Damn it, what kind of bullshit did those assholes pull this time?" Claire's voice went ice-cold in an instant.

I told her everything that happened today and left nothing out, including both slaps and the way Henry and his family acted.

I didn't cry or vent. I told it like it was someone else's story.

But Claire lost it on the other end. She was fuming.

She let out a barrage of epic swearing, then pulled herself together. No surprise there. That was Claire, the best damn lawyer in the country.

"Natalie, you did the right thing. Getting out of that hellhole is the smartest move you've made in the past five years," she said.

"Where are you now? The place at Regency Heights?"

"Yeah," I replied.

"Good, as long as you're safe. Listen to me. Don't go soft now, and don't answer any calls from the Carter Family. They'll soon realize that without you, they're nothing but a bunch of nobodies."

"So, what's your next move? Want me to get the divorce process started for you?"

I stared out at the city lights, taking a deep breath.

"Divorce is definitely happening, but there's no rush."

I said.

"I'm going to make them cough up every last thing I've given them over these five years, one by one," I said, my voice cold and steely.

"Claire, I need your help," I said.

"Please! I charge by the second for everyone else, but for you? Free for life!" Claire shot back, all swagger. "So, what's your first move?"

I stared at the long string of cold numbers on my mobile banking app, a faint, icy smile tugging at my lips.

"First step. Cut off their lifeline," I said.

After hanging up, I sat down at my desk and fired up my laptop.

It hadn't been used in five years, but it still ran like a dream.

I logged into several online banking accounts and started handling the finances.

Back then, I did it for convenience, and to save Henry's pride. All the family expenses went through my accounts.

I'd gotten Henry a high-limit supplementary credit card for his daily spending.

I'd gotten Henry's mother a card too, so she could buy groceries and handle all those family favors.

As for Chelsea, she practically lived in luxury boutiques year-round, swiping my supplementary card like it was her own.

They used those cards without a second thought, as if the money was theirs all along.

But now, the game was over.

I found all the linked secondary cards and hit "freeze."

Then, I transferred all the funds, stocks, and investment products tied to my pre-marital assets into a brand new account, one that had nothing to do with the Carter Family.

By the time I finished, the sky was already turning pale.

I wasn't tired at all.

Instead, I felt a clarity and lightness I'd never known before.

The next day, I slept until I woke up naturally.

Sophie was still asleep, so I made her a nutritious breakfast and then checked my phone.

My phone was buried under missed calls and texts.

Henry's texts hadn't stopped since seven that morning.

Henry: [Natalie, where the hell are you? Running off with the kid, what do you think you're doing?

[Why aren't you picking up your phone? Are you trying to go against me?

[I'm telling you, you better get your ass back here today!

[Honey, I was wrong. Don't be mad, okay? Please come home. We can't do without you.

[My mom says her blood pressure's through the roof. If you have any decency left, you'll come back right now!]

I stared at those messages, expressionless. They started with accusations, shifted to interrogation, and finally slid into fake pleas and emotional blackmail.

Then, I saw a message from Claire, a screenshot.

The screenshot showed a post Chelsea had put up on Instagram around 9 AM, tagged at a luxury store, with photos of several new designer bags.

The caption read: "Ugh, I can't decide. They're all so cute! What should I do?"

And ten minutes ago, Claire had sent me a gloating voice message.

Claire: [Natalie, I got the inside scoop! Your husband's idiot sister tried three cards at the store and all three got declined. Frozen. She went green in front of a crowd, then slunk out with her tail between her legs. I'm dying.]

I could totally picture it.

Serves her right. Couldn't have happened to a better person.

Not long after, Henry called again, but I still didn't pick up.

He sent a voice message, sounding frantic and furious.

Henry: [Natalie! What did you do to my card? I can't get gas! Did you block it? Who said you could mess with my card?]

He was asking me about rights.

I stared at those words and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He'd used my money like he owned it, and now he had the nerve to ask what right I had to freeze his card.

Finally, I picked up my phone and texted him back.

I sent him a screenshot of his bank statement.

It showed, clear as day, how much he'd racked up on his credit card last month, and how laughably small his salary looked next to it.

Then, I added a single line.

"Henry, a man who can't support himself and has to live off his wife, what right do you have to question me?"

After sending it, I blocked him without a second thought.

In an instant, everything went quiet, as if the chaos had finally faded away.