Five minutes after the divorce was signed, I boarded a flight with my two kids and disappeared overseas. Meanwhile, all seven of his family members crowded into a maternity clinic, celebrating his mistress—until the doctor spoke… and the room went dead silent.

The words hung in the air, meant to sting, but they fell flat. I had been submerged in their cruelty for so long that I had developed gills. I simply reached into my purse, pulled out a heavy brass ring, and slid it across the mahogany table.

“The keys to the condo,” I said calmly. “We moved the last of our things yesterday.”

David smirked, a look of triumph crossing his face. “Commendable. You’re finally catching on to your station, Catherine.”

“What isn’t yours, you eventually have to return,” Megan added, fueling the fire of her brother’s arrogance.

I didn’t offer a rebuttal. Instead, I reached back into my bag and produced two navy blue passports. I fanned them out like a winning hand at a high-stakes table. “David, the visas were finalized last week. I’m taking Aiden and Chloe to London. Permanently.”

The smugness on his face froze into a mask of confusion. Megan was the one who found her voice first, shrieking, “Are you insane? Do you have any idea what that costs? Where would you get that kind of money?”

I looked at them both—truly looked at them—and felt a wave of pity. “Money is no longer your concern.”