Chapter 4

The moment I stepped out of the plane, a wave of warm, humid, salt-tinged air hit me. I took a deep breath. It smelled like freedom.

I swapped out my SIM card, sending quick "I'm safe" texts to my lawyer and my assistant. Then I took the old card, the one that had tethered me to my suffocating past for three years, and dropped it into an airport trash can.

A seaplane took me to my resort island. It was paradise with azure water, white sand, and swaying palm trees. This was where I would start my new life.

A butler drove me in a golf cart to my overwater villa. I pushed open the doors to a wall of floor-to-ceiling glass, looking out onto an endless expanse of blue. The room smelled faintly of lemongrass.

I walked in, dragging my suitcase behind me, and the first thing I did was pull the expensive diamond ring from my finger. For three years, it had been an exquisite shackle, a constant reminder of my role as Jose's wife.

I didn't throw it into the ocean like some dramatic movie heroine. That would be bad for the environment and a waste of money. I calmly placed it in the safe and closed the door, sealing away a past I was done with.

I changed into a swimsuit and slipped from the villa's private deck into the clear, warm sea. The water enveloped me like a gentle embrace. I floated and stretched, feeling like a fish returned to the ocean.

The cool saltwater seemed to soothe the angry swelling on my face.

Those four slaps had hurt. They hurt my face and hurt my heart more. But now, they felt like a badge of honor. They were what had finally woken me up, forcing me to see Jose's cruelty and the pathetic tragedy of my own marriage.

I had loved him once. Back when he was the disfavored illegitimate son, struggling to start his own company, I was by his side. I thought we were partners, lovers weathering the storm together.

But when he finally took over his family's corporation, everything changed. He became colder and a stranger. He started seeing Alivia, the woman who was supposedly just a "childhood friend."

He took my patience and my compromises for granted. My love became something he could trample on at will.

Now, I was done loving him. And I was done being patient. From now on, I only lived for myself.

I swam until my muscles ached before I returned to my villa. I called room service and ordered an indulgence of everything I loved: champagne, lobster, and a decadent spread of desserts.

Sitting on a lounge chair on the deck, I watched the magnificent sunset while enjoying my solo feast.

The money Jose had given me to buy my silence was paying for this luxurious escape. I was using his money to heal the wounds he had inflicted. There was nothing more ironic or more satisfying.

Night fell, and the sky was studded with a million stars. The sea breeze was gentle on my skin. I leaned back and sipped my champagne, feeling a sense of peace I hadn't known in years.

What was Jose doing right now? Was he angry that I was gone? Or was he relieved to be free of a nuisance, free to be with Alivia?

None of it mattered anymore. His life was no longer my concern. And my life no longer had a place for him.

The atmosphere in Jose's office was cold enough to freeze water. Shaun stood before his desk, trembling as he delivered his report. "Mr. Trevino, we found her.

"Ms... Ms. Hayes... she went to a tropical island. She used a passport issued before your marriage, which is why we didn't connect the records at first."

Jose's pupils contracted. He remembered the first year we were married. I had excitedly shown him a travel brochure. "Jose, can we go here for our honeymoon? Please?"

Jose had refused. "I don't have time. We'll talk about it later."

And then "later" never came.