I flagged down a cab. "Take me to the biggest Hermès store downtown."
For three years, Thaddeus had kept a secondary credit card in my name to maintain his image as a doting husband. Two million dollars sitting in that account, and he'd never once let me touch it.
Today, I was going to swipe that card until it screamed.
The streets blurred past the window. I pulled a mirror from my bag and reapplied my lipstick.
The woman staring back at me had no warmth left in her eyes. Only ice.
Thaddeus Gilbert, your reckoning has arrived.
I had barely stepped through the mall entrance when my mother-in-law called.
The moment the call connected, the shrieking began.
"Pearl, you wretched woman! The laundry's still on the floor, and you want us to starve? I heard you're sick. Well, the Lord works in mysterious ways. Get back here and sign those papers already. Stop clinging to this family like a parasite."
I held the phone a few inches from my ear and kept my voice soft. "Mom, I'm on my way home. Let me cook you all something nice. After all, there won't be many chances left."
After I hung up, I went straight to the luxury boutiques.