My baby’s birthday party fell apart when my sister-in-law sla:mmed a k:n:i:f:e into the cake and yelled, “Forty-seven times—you took what was mine!” My husband told me to leave, thinking it would bre:ak me. But I already had the proof to expose them all.

Daniel grabbed my wrist. And in that moment, I stopped being his wife. I became his consequence.

PART 2
Daniel let go when I looked down at his hand. He knew that look. It was the same one I used in boardrooms when someone lied badly.

“Let go,” I said.

He did.

Carmen scoffed.

“There she is. The ice queen.”

Marisol wiped frosting from her cheek.

“She thinks she’s better than us.”

“No,” I said. “I think I’m leaving before one of you makes this worse.”

Daniel followed me down the hall while I packed Isla’s diaper bag.