The next day, Isaac called me to his room and informed me that I was to attend an event with him.

“I don’t want to go,” I said.

Isaac didn’t even look up from the mirror where he was adjusting his tie. “You will. It’s the company’s anniversary, and people already think you’re unstable. Don’t make it worse.”

Unstable. That was his new name for me.

Naomi appeared in the doorway, luminous in a silver silk dress, and looking like the picture of innocence. “Come with us, Cass,” she said sweetly. “Everyone’s forgiven you. It’ll be good for you to see people again.”

Forgiven me. Like I did something wrong in the first place. I didn’t need their forgiveness, they could take it all and shove it down their throats.

And as much as I didn’t want to attend this party, I knew that I had to. I couldn’t let them think I was hiding. If Naomi and Isaac could show their faces even after everything they had done, then I could too.

By the time we arrived, the ballroom glittered with champagne and diamonds. Conversations dropped to murmurs as I walked in behind my husband and my best friend whose hands were entangled like they were a couple. I could feel every stare and every whisper as I walked.

“That’s her, the one who—”

“She actually came?”

“Her poor husband, still standing by her…”

I kept my chin high. I couldn’t let them make me fall.

Naomi glided through the crowd, smiling and collecting sympathy like pearls. When she dragged me over to introduce me to a group of women, she said lightly, “Cassandra’s still adjusting to freedom. You know how hard it must be to start over.”

Laughter followed. I felt my nails cut into my palms. Isaac stood beside her with an expression unreadable, offering me nothing.

One of the women lifted a finger. “Tell me, Cassandra, what was it like in there? It must feel like a breath of fresh air now that you’re not locked up anymore.”

Before I could say anything, Naomi giggled and answered. “Oh do you even have to ask? Look at her! Even though she’s draped in a dress that cost thousands, she still looks like a prisoner!”

The chandelier lights blurred as the entire room laughed. I couldn’t take it anymore, I muttered something about needing air and pushed my way to the restroom.

A lone tear slipped down my cheeks just as I pushed the bathroom door open. It was silent, and the only thing I could hear was the hum of the vents and my own ragged breathing. I gripped the marble sink until my reflection wasn’t blurry anymore. I wouldn’t cry. Not here.

A janitor came out of one of the stalls, reeking of urine. “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but I’ll have to ask you to use one of the bathrooms downstairs. This bathroom is out of order. The pipes are clogged and everything that’s been flushed is coming back up.”

I scrunched my face in disgust. “Oh I’m sorry, I’ll just be a minute. Thank you.”

He nodded and left the bathroom with his cleaning tools, and then I was alone again.

I took a deep breath and dabbed some water on my face. I was fishing for my lipstick in my purse when I heard a rustle from the door. I looked up to see that it was Naomi. I rolled my eyes and ignored her.

She tutted. “Oohhh, poor little Cassandra. Are you crying in the bathroom, it’s like high school all over again.”

“Leave me alone, Naomi.” I sighed, taking my phone out to try and order an uber.

“Anyway,” she continued. “I just came here to show you that you’ve lost Isaac forever.”

She turned her phone screen to me, and on it, was a video of her and Isaac, naked and kissing.

I barely flinched.

“Have you learned your lesson then?” She asked. “He told me he had never experienced a woman like me. He said you were always stiff in bed! Can you see now that you don’t belong here?”

I was tired of her games and I just wanted her to leave me alone. “Yes, Naomi. You win, okay? Take him. Take all my friends, take everything. I already lost the most important thing in my life and I really don’t care what you do anymore.”

She seemed offended and taken aback by my response. Did she really expect me to kneel down and beg her to let me have Isaac?

Her eyes flashed angrily. “You think you’re better than me, don’t you? You’re nothing but a pathetic bitch!”

I opened my mouth to ask her to leave me alone again, but I was interrupted by a loud gurgle from one of the toilets, and I didn’t have to be told what it was. The smell hit both of us at the same time.

“Oh my God, what is that smell?” Naomi asked, gagging and covering her nose. She took a step back and smirked, holding on to the door handle. “I suppose it makes sense for you to be in such a smelly place. It’s exactly the kind of filth you belong in.”

I saw her next course of action in her eyes before she even did it. “Naomi…” I said in a warning voice.

Her smile widened. “Goodnight, Cassandra. I find it hilarious, locking you in here just like I locked your bastard daughter out in the snow. Hopefully, you’ll die just like she did!”

My lipstick fell to the floor that was slowly filling up with urine and brown liquid. “What did you just say?”

Naomi laughed in my face, and before I could take a step to reach the door, she locked it with a click.

“Let me out of here!” I yelled, banging on the door.

She didn’t turn back. I watched in horror as her retreating figure kept laughing at me.

I turned the door handle but it didn’t budge. My shoes were slowly getting submerged in urine now.

I tried to make a call to Anthony, but there was no service in the bathroom.

I was left all alone, with the horrifying confession of how Naomi had killed my daughter. And right there, I vowed to make them all pay.

I spent the night in that filthy bathroom, propped up on the sink, so my feet wouldn’t be submerged in the dirty water.

The windows were locked, so I had to inhale the smell all night. I kept checking my phone, but the signal never returned.

At 9am the next morning, the door finally opened, and the janitor from the previous night stared at me open-mouthed.

I was weak and almost passed out from the smell.

“Goodness, ma’am, were you in here all night?”

I nodded weakly.

He helped me out of the bathroom and I had never been more grateful for clean fresh air. I started coughing violently, and it felt like I would throw up at any second.

He helped me over to a chair and made me sit down. “Take a seat, I’ll call an ambulance.”

“No!” I stopped him. “I’m fine. Thank you. I just need to get home.”

“Are you sure? You need to get checked.”

“I’m okay, thank you.”

I didn’t wait for him to argue further. I headed straight for the door. People closed their noses and shook their heads as I passed them, but I couldn’t even be bothered. I had to get home.

When I finally got home, it didn’t even look like anybody had noticed I didn’t come back last night.

Julian was on the couch watching a show when I walked in. He looked up. “Why isn’t there breakfast on the table yet?”

“I’m not your maid, Julian.”

He scrunched his nose. “What is that smell?”

I ignored him and walked past him. I didn’t have time for him. I had bigger fish to fry. I went straight to the bathroom and scrubbed myself clean. Then I simply walked to the kitchen and made myself a cup of coffee.

By the time Isaac came downstairs, coffee was already on the table — and so were the papers.

“Can you sign these?” I asked in a calm voice. “They’re for approval to remake our daughter’s headstone. The old one cracked.”

He barely looked up. “Now? I’m late.”

“It’ll only take a moment.”

He looked like he wanted to disagree, but then his phone lit up with a phone call.

Naomi’s name lit up his screen. Of course.

He answered the call, and his voice softened in a way it never did for me anymore. While he spoke, I slid the pen toward him. He scrawled his signature on every line without reading a word and left mid-conversation, still murmuring to her.

The moment the door shut behind him, I exhaled.

Divorce papers.

He’d just signed away our marriage and my freedom in one distracted moment.

For the first time in months, I almost laughed.

---

The next day was our wedding anniversary.

Isaac hadn’t wanted to acknowledge or celebrate it. “There’s no point pretending like we’re in love,” he’d said.

I’d agreed with him, and then planned a dinner anyway.

“It’s just a small gathering,” I told him. “For appearances.”

He didn’t notice the irony.

By evening the house was filled with guests. Each one of them were part of our social circle. They had been my friends once, but after I got sent to prison, they all abandoned me and took Naomi’s side. It was the perfect audience for my plan.

Naomi arrived with Isaac, draped in gold, glowing under the chandelier like a saint. She leaned close to him when he took the stage, resting her hand possessively on his arm. You would think it was their anniversary. In the past, I would have cried for days because of this, but now, revenge was the only thing on my mind.

Instead, I calmly took my glass and walked up to the stage too to give our speech.

Isaac spoke first. “You know, the past year has been extremely hard on me, losing my daughter and all that…”

I flinched at the mention of my daughter. I could see her beautiful face in my mind. I wondered what she would have looked like now.

Isaac cleared his throat and continued. “But through all those hardships, there has been one person who has been a constant source of strength and support for me… Naomi Thorne.” He kissed her cheek. “This woman has been there through the darkest days of my life, and even though it’s my anniversary today, I think the real person we should be celebrating is Naomi.”

The crowd cheered, and Naomi stepped into the spotlight, saying her ’thank yous’ like a celebrity. When she was done, she turned to me and smirked, like she had won.

I smiled and took the microphone from Isaac. “My husband is right. Naomi really is the star of the night, and as such, I would like to play you all a little something.”

Everyone started murmuring as the screen behind us crackled to life. Naomi turned to me wide eyed, whispering. “What the hell are you doing now?”

“You’ll see,” I said.

The video started.

Naomi appeared on it, standing in the bathroom from last night. I had turned on my camera after failing to find an Uber last night. I had held the phone in my hand, angled at her so she wouldn’t suspect a thing.

Her words from last night were loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Goodnight, Cassandra. I find it hilarious, locking you in here just like I locked your bastard daughter out in the snow. Hopefully, you’ll die just like she did!”

A wave of gasps rolled through the hall.

Naomi stumbled back. “Th- that’s not real! That’s been edited!”

Isaac turned to me with fire in his eyes. “Stop this madness right now!”

I didn’t listen to him. The video kept playing on a loop as I spoke. “As you can see, the truth is finally out for all to see. Naomi Thorne killed my daughter! I took her in as a friend, and she destroyed my life. And my dear husband and brother took her side. I spent months and months being taunted by them. I could barely breathe in my own home. The two people that I called my family turned on me. My husband didn’t even hide the fact that he was sleeping with my best friend anymore. They paraded proudly in front of me, knowing that I was helpless. They took my child and then threw me in jail for almost a year! But I won’t be silenced anymore.”

Camera flashes were going crazy. I’d invited the press without anyone knowing, and before you knew it, the entire country would know the truth.

Isaac’s voice shook. “Cassandra, stop this—”

“No.” My voice was calm. “You stopped me once. Never again.” I turned to the police men I had called over. “Now you have your evidence, arrest the woman who killed my baby.”

“What?” Naomi shrieked as the officers marched toward her. “You can’t do this. No! Isaac you can’t let them take me! Julian!”

Isaac tried to stop the officers but they were too strong for him. I watched in satisfaction as Naomi was dragged away, yelling profanities.

“This isn’t over, Cassandra! You think you can lock me up? I’ll be back before you know it!”

“Cassandra, what is this madness?” Isaac tried to pull my arm, but I pulled away from him.

With a deep sign, I set the mic down, turned my back on all of them, and walked away.

I had just finished zipping my suitcase when the front door slammed open.

Isaac’s voice tore through the hallway.

“Do you have any fucking idea what you’ve done?!”

I didn’t flinch. “Yes. Finally, for once in my life, I know exactly what I’m doing.”

He strode in, his face red with fury. “You humiliated me in front of the entire board! In front of investors and in front of my friends! Do you know what that video did to my reputation?”

I met his glare. “It showed the truth. Something you never cared to look for.”

“The truth?” He laughed bitterly. “You edited that! You’re still as unstable as ever— just like before. You think destroying my name will bring your child back? You think you can put Naomi behind bars? I’ll bail her out before you can even blink! You think you have any power? Your child is gone and you're acting crazy!”

His words felt like a slap to my face, but I didn’t show it.

“You let our daughter’s killer live in our house. You let her wear my clothes, sleep in my bed, call you hers. And you watched me rot in a cell while she smiled beside you.”

“Enough!” he barked. “You were careless! You let the child die, and you’re trying to blame everyone else. You need help, Cassandra.”

I stared at him. My chest felt tight. “I begged you to believe me. You didn’t even come to the trial. You wanted revenge— because I embarrassed you with my depression, with my grief. You wanted a perfect wife, and when I broke, you decided I deserved punishment.”

“You killed our child. You deserved more than eight months in that hell!”

Before I knew what I was doing, I slapped him. The slap was so hard that his face turned to the side, and I could see an imprint of my fingers when they left his face. Isaac looked mortified, but I was angrier.

“You do not have the right to call her your child anymore! You’re a disgrace! You couldn’t protect her and then you took her killer’s side. She was just a baby! I was too weak back then, but I’m not that woman anymore. I’m different now, and I’m leaving you.”

He scoffed. “You’re delusional. You’re my wife, Cassandra. You’re not going anywhere.”

That was the last straw.

I reached into my bag and pulled out the signed papers. His signature stared back at him, bold and black.

“Actually, I can,” I said quietly. “You signed it yourself.”

He froze. “What is that?”

“Divorce papers, Isaac.” I let the words sink in. “You signed them yourself. I’m free from you. And this time, I won’t come back.”

“What? I didn’t sign those with my consent. You tricked me. Those papers mean nothing!”

“How about you take that up with a judge and see?”

“You have no idea what you’re doing. You think your little stunt proves anything? You think you can lock Naomi up in jail? I’ll get her out before the end of the day and you know it!”

I did know that. Isaac would bail Naomi out just to spite me. In fact, I expected him to. But that wouldn’t be the end.

Julian walked in. He must have been eavesdropping. “You’re being stupid, Cassandra. Think about what you’re doing.”

“I don’t have to think about anything. I know exactly what I’m doing.”

Anthony laughed dryly. “Where would you even go? You’re nothing without me!”

Julian nodded in agreement. “He’s right, Cassandra. You’re just a poor girl that my parents adopted. You have no one else. My parents didn’t even leave you anything when they died. You have nothing in your name. You’ve always needed us to survive.”

Julian was right. I was an orphan that his parents adopted. They never even loved me. I think they just adopted me so they show society that they were charitable people. And in the end, they left him everything. I’ve had to depend on others my whole life, but not anymore.

I could’ve taken half of everything that belonged to Anthony in the divorce, but I didn’t want his money either. I would get my revenge another way.

The two of them clutched each other in laughter. “Can you imagine it? She’ll be crawling and begging us to let her back in before the day ends.”

“And in just a few weeks, I’ll be bagging a billion dollar deal with The Voss Group.” Isaac chirped in. “I’ll be a billionaire, Cassandra. And trust me, when that happens, I won’t listen to your pleas!”

The Voss Group. Was he talking about the same company that was owned by Anthony Voss? The same man that had spent all these years fawning over me? That was interesting.

“Why don’t we wait and see then?” I asked. “You can have your little laugh now. But I’m leaving, and I promise you that I won’t come back. You and I are done, Isaac Bennett.”