He lowered his gaze, and for the first time since she’d known him, he had absolutely nothing left to hold onto. No authority. No guilt he could use as a weapon.

No marriage to hide behind.

That same afternoon, accompanied by Rebecca and her father, Selena filed a formal complaint and signed the final divorce papers.

When she stepped out of the building, she was still wearing the wine-colored scarf around her head, holding her award like a shield. The afternoon air touched her face like a brand-new promise of everything she was finally free to become.

The night before, they had tried to cut her out of the academy with a pair of scissors, hoping to make her believe that love was just a synonym for obedience.

But in this world, there are women who endure the humiliation, present themselves as they are, and turn every single wound into proof of their strength.