Right after the divorce, my husband hugged his mistress and mocked her: “Now you’re just an old rag!” But 5 minutes later, 10 Rolls-Royces arrived and someone shouted: “Get in the car, ma’am!” The surprise was total, the end of it all came quickly.

That night I was assigned a suite larger than my old apartment but I felt more alone than ever amidst the silk and marble. I sat by the window until Mr. Jenkins entered with a tray of food and a thick stack of documents.

“Miss, I know you are confused but Vice President Silas Vance is planning to seize control of the group tomorrow morning,” he warned. Silas was described as an ambitious man who intended to drain the company’s assets through a ghost project in the Florida Keys.

I felt a surge of adrenaline because I couldn’t let my father’s life work be destroyed by a criminal. I told Mr. Jenkins I was ready and spent the entire night drinking black coffee while studying financial reports and personnel records.

I had secretly taken online finance courses during my marriage hoping for independence, but I never knew those skills would become my weapon. By dawn, I had found massive irregularities in the Florida project including inflated prices and fake partners.