Chapter 2 - THE SUITCASE
I stared at the banking alert until the words blurred.
Yet somebody had tried to make him an authorized user.
Another fist hit the door.
“Elena!” Rosa screamed. “My son needs a hospital because of you!”
“Call one,” I said.
“You’re his wife!”
“Not for long.”
The hallway went silent.
Diego spoke next, softer now. “Baby, open the door. We’re both upset.”
I almost laughed.
Two minutes earlier, I had been a woman who needed to learn her place. Now that money was involved, I was “baby.”
I called the bank’s fraud line and froze every nonessential transfer from the company account. Then I texted my attorney and oldest friend, Nadia Brooks.
CALL ME. URGENT. POSSIBLE FRAUD. ALSO DIEGO HIT ME.
Her response came in less than ten seconds.
DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING. DO NOT DELETE ANYTHING. I’M CALLING YOU NOW.
When my phone rang, I answered in a whisper.
“Are you safe?” Nadia asked.
“For the moment.”
“Can you leave?”
“Yes.”
“Then leave. Tonight. I’m sending a car. Photograph your face before the swelling changes.”
I did.
When I finally opened the bedroom door, Diego was sitting on the floor with a wet towel around his neck. Rosa stood behind him. Mateo had disappeared.
Diego looked up at my suitcase.
“You’re seriously leaving over one mistake?”
“No,” I said. “I’m leaving because the mistake taught me who you are.”
Rosa pointed toward the stairs. “If you walk out, don’t come crawling back.”
I pulled my suitcase past her.
At the front door, Diego grabbed the handle.
“Elena, wait. We need to talk about the business account.”
I stopped.
May you like
He had just told me the one thing he should not have known.
I had never mentioned the alert.
