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.

I looked in the mirror and saw a woman with a gaze of steel who was no longer the submissive wife Gavin had discarded. I chose a cream colored suit for the board meeting and pinned a sapphire butterfly brooch to my lapel for luck.

When I entered the Solara Tower, hundreds of employees whispered about the inexperienced girl who was supposedly taking over. I ignored them and walked into the boardroom where Silas Vance sat in my father’s chair with a look of pure arrogance.

Silas presented his five hundred million dollar hotel project with eloquent jargon that seemed to dazzle the corrupt board members. When he finished, he suggested a vote immediately, but I broke the silence with a voice that commanded attention.

“I have a few questions regarding the contractors who are currently facing bankruptcy and lawsuits,” I said while opening my files. Silas stiffened as I pointed out that the land was valued at three thousand dollars less than what he reported.

“Where is the extra one hundred and fifty million dollars going, Mr. Vance?” I asked coldly while the room fell into a deathly silence. Silas began to sweat and stammered about appraisals, but I didn’t let him finish his lies.