Chapter 1 - The Empty Account
My husband was unfaithful on a rainy Thursday in Ohio.
I discovered the truth because his mistress phoned me directly.
Her name was Vanessa, and she sounded young enough to think hurting another woman somehow made her stronger.
She sent pictures of hotel mirrors, showing his hand resting on her waist with his wedding band still on.
For ten full minutes, I remained in the laundry room with my phone trembling in my hand.
Then I packed a few garbage bags with the children's necessities and my emergency savings.
Grant walked through the door just as I zipped the final suitcase, begging me not to be emotional.
I told the man I had loved for fourteen years to move out of my way.
I drove for three hours through pouring rain to my parents’ home in Columbus.
Instead of welcoming me, my father looked at my three soaked children and slowly closed the front door.
My brother Daniel stepped out through the side gate and refused to meet my eyes while making pathetic excuses.
My sister Claire answered on speakerphone and called me impulsive.
The rain soaked completely through my sweater as my three beautiful children stared at the closed door.
I picked up the ripped black garbage bag from the driveway and quietly whispered three words.
Watch me survive.
I strapped Lily, Ethan, and Grace back into their car seats and locked the doors.
The heater blasted warm air, but I was shivering from a cold that had nothing to do with the weather.
I needed to book a cheap motel room for the night.
I pulled out my phone and opened my banking banking application to transfer my emergency funds.
I had personally saved fifteen thousand dollars in a private account over the last decade.
The loading screen spun in a slow, agonizing circle for several seconds.
When the dashboard finally appeared, the bright white numbers on the screen made my heart stop entirely.
May you like
The available balance was exactly zero dollars.
Grant had completely drained the account just thirty minutes ago.
