Prologue

The rough fabric of the black-and-white maid's uniform chafed against my skin, a constant, cruel reminder of the shift in power within the very halls my father's fortune had built.

​My mother-in-law stood across the polished marble floor, her jaw clenched so tight the pale skin over her cheekbones looked ready to snap. "You are called because of an important matter," she spat, her teeth gritted. "You are no longer my son's wife!"

​I clasped my hands together, fingers digging into my own skin to anchor myself against the sudden roaring in my ears. Hot tears welled in the corners of my eyes, blurring the grand foyer that my father had paid for, the marble, the crystal chandeliers, the vastness meant for a loving family, now reduced to my gilded cage.

​The sharp, abrasive rasp of paper sliding across the glass coffee table sliced through the silence, drawing my eyes to her hands. She glared at me with dark, final eyes, as if committing my face to memory one last time.

​"We gave you shelter for two years, Lora. And I think that is enough as a payback for how your father stood as my son's guardian."

​I let out a shaky sigh, trying to suppress the rage rising in my chest. My father had pulled them from poverty, fed them, clothed them, and given Carson a future. But money had eaten their conscience alive.

​"This is the divorce paper. My son signed it already—"

​"W—What?" The word tore from my throat, thin and fragile.

​"You heard it right, Lora. Carson already signed the divorce paper. And we don't have to argue about it before you sign, right?"

​"M—Mom?"

​She thrust the heavy folder right in front of my face. Before my hands could reach out, heavy, measured footsteps echoed down the grand staircase behind me. Heavy leather soles on Italian tile. It was him, my husband.

​I turned my head, my eyes frantically searching for his cold, sculpted face for a single flicker of consideration.

​"C—Carson?"

​"Mom, give us a room," he said, his voice completely flat.

​His mother let out a heavy sigh, tossing the folder onto the table. "I will leave the papers here, Carson. And make sure that she signs it, or else she will not be receiving a single penny!" Her words roared through the foyer before she swept out of the room.

​I was left speechless and unable to move, though my tear-filled eyes spoke on my behalf. A few drops spilled over, bouncing off the polished floor between us.

​"Y—You promised that you would take care of m—me, Carson," I whispered, my voice cracking. "Yet you ended up treating me as a maid."

​Carson didn't even blink.

"Marrying you was enough, Lora. You lived inside my mansion for two years, and I think my Mom was right. I have to break whatever union I have with you."

​"C—Carson, you said you would treat me like your Queen, but you did the opposite," I choked out, stepping forward. "You acted like a king while I was your servant."

​I dragged my fingers across my eyes, wiping the tears away so I could see his face clearly.

​"Your Dad was a good man. He sponsored me, gave me a beautiful life, and a future I am grateful for," Carson said, his tone biting. "But I can't live with you anymore. You are disgusting, Lora. You are weak, relying on me from the moment he died!"

​My feet led me straight to where he was standing. My trembling hands reached for his lower arm, clutching the fabric of his jacket, shaking it to force him to look me in the eye.

​"I—I never disobeyed you, Carson. I—I moved according to what you wanted and how you wanted me to. S—So please, I'm begging you, m—make me stay with you."

​He threw his gaze away, violently shaking off my grip. He snatched the papers off the table and shoved them into my hands.

​"Sign the divorce papers now, Lora."

​"I—If I kneel in front of you, will you still kick me out of your life, Carson?" Desperation stripped away my remaining pride. "You can actually punish me if I have done wrong or I've offended you. Y—You can hurt me i—if that will make you change your mind!"

​"Stop being silly, Lora!" His voice thundered, echoing off the high ceilings. "I said sign the papers now or you will receive nothing as I drag you out from this mansion!"

​A terrifying mental picture of the harsh life outside flashed in my mind. Fear won over my desire to stay. I loved him, even though he took me for granted. I had looked at him as my husband, even while he treated me like a maid.

​My hand shook as I put the pen to paper and signed. More tears fell, smearing the ink on the floor. I bit my lip to silence my sobbing, but the agony tearing through my chest was too overwhelming.

​Carson took out a checkbook and signed a check with a flick of his wrist.

​"I think it is enough for you to have a good life outside of this mansion, Lora. Take this and forget that we ever shared a bed as a married couple."

​The pain cut through every inch of me. I couldn't even tell where it hurt the most, but one thing was certain: the person I thought would save me was kicking me out of his life.

-

​Swallowing felt like dragging glass down my throat, but I had no choice. I turned, ran to my room, and packed my few belongings.

​When I came back down carrying my single bag, a high chuckle echoed from the living room near the couch. My eyes widened as I saw Samantha draped over Carson's neck, her lips against his jaw.

​"So I was right, C—Carson. You said you were just friends w—with Sam."

​They stood up and turned to me. Samantha stepped forward with a victorious smile spreading across her face.

​"You go, sad girl. Explore the universe and may you see us building a life together—the life you can't give Carson."

​"You!"

​"Leave, Lora! We have nothing to argue about!" Carson shouted, his arm pulling Samantha close. "You are no longer my wife, and you don't have the fucking right to question my decisions!"

​I stared at them, a cold flame replacing the grief in my chest. "May you find the life you seek for so long, Carson. May you never regret that you pushed me away, kicking me out o—of your life!"

​"I will make sure that Carson will never have a piece of regret, Lora. Leave now!" Samantha yelled, shoving me hard by the shoulder.

​My feet dragged heavy steps toward the massive oak door, my mind reeling at how the beautiful life my father built had crumbled to this.

​The cold night air hit my skin as I stepped outside, forcing me to realize I was truly out. I stopped on the driveway and turned back to look at the mansion—and the life Carson and Samantha had stolen from me.

​"I will be back, rising from the mud, Carson," I whispered into the wind, setting my jaw firmly. "And you will watch me rise, building the tallest gate of my own empire which prohibits you from ever seeing your unwanted wife again!"