The first morning after our wedding, my husband sl@pped me in front of his entire family because I failed to please them. I did not cry, beg, or explain.

Ryan blinked. “What are you doing?”

I took my purse.

“Ending your  family,” I said.

Family

Then I walked out.

PART 2

By 8:17 a.m., I was in the back seat of a black car traveling toward Manhattan. My cheek still throbbed, but my hands did not shake. I opened my laptop, accessed the encrypted drive I had prepared months earlier, and called my lawyer.

“Emma?” Naomi Carter answered on the second ring. “You’re supposed to be on your honeymoon.”

“That changed.”

Her tone instantly tightened. “How bad?”

“He hit me in front of five witnesses.”

There was a pause.

Then Naomi asked, “Did anyone record it?”

“The dining room has internal security cameras. Ryan told me last month they record audio too. He was bragging about catching a contractor stealing wine.”

“Good. Do not contact him. Do not answer him. Come straight to my office.”

“I’m not going to your office first.”

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