I watched my husband torch my dress, then I walked into his gala as the hidden queen of his empire.

His laugh cut the night short, then he turned and walked away, leaving the flames to devour the remnants of my hopes.

Vanessa. The name stung like a fresh wound.

As the fire crackled, I felt something cold settle over the grief, a resolve hardening like steel.

The Call

I slipped back into the house, the heat of the backyard still licking the back of my neck.

The phone on the hallway table rang, its screen flashing an unknown number.