“You ungrateful little bitch,” she said, stepping toward me.

The local police officer immediately blocked her path.

“Ma’am, step back,” he warned.

Patricia ignored him, her face contorting with rage.

“We made you,” she screamed.

“You were a nobody from a state school before you met my son.”

“We gave you status.”

“We gave you a seat at every important table in this city.”

“And you threw it away for what?”

“For pride?”

I looked at her, and for the first time in years, I felt absolutely nothing.

No fear.

No anger.

Just a deep, quiet sense of relief.

“I kept my pride, Patricia,” I said.

“You’re the one who lost everything else.”

The lead agent stepped between us.

“Ms. Vance, Ms. Ruiz, you are free to go,” she said.

“We will contact you tomorrow morning to schedule the formal deposition.”

“Thank you, Agent,” Elena said.

Elena took my arm and guided me toward the back exit of the boardroom.

As we walked away, I heard Harrison’s voice behind us.

He wasn’t yelling at me anymore.

He was talking to his mother, his voice low and urgent.