They treated her like a helpless servant at seven in the morning, until federal agents and their estate attorney walked in to seize everything they owned.

One year after the morning of the feast.

The Charleston sun was setting over the water, painting the sky in breathtaking shades of peach, violet, and molten gold.

I stood on the end of the wooden pier at the edge of the Battery property, wearing a white silk summer dress, my hair blowing softly in the evening breeze.

In my hand, I held my wedding ring from Caleb Whitmore—the thick platinum band he had given me three years ago.

I looked at the shiny metal one last time.

I didn't feel pain. I didn't feel anger. I felt only gratitude for the woman I had become—a woman who had walked through the fire of betrayal and emerged stronger, freer, and entirely unbroken.

I pulled my arm back and tossed the ring far out into the deep, dark waters of Charleston Harbor.

It splashed softly, sinking beneath the waves, swallowed by the ocean forever.

"Nora!" a voice called out from the garden.

I turned around to see Marcus, Sarah, and several staff members standing near the piazza, holding a large birthday cake lit with warm, glowing candles.

"Come make a wish!" Sarah called out warmly.

I smiled, taking a deep breath of the sweet, salty ocean air.