I Quit Being a Trophy Wife to Reclaim My Empire

The woman in the mirror was a stranger.

Elara Vance stared at her reflection, her eyes tracing the sharp contour of her jawline, currently softened by a layer of professional contouring powder.

The diamonds around her neck felt like a noose, cold and heavy against her collarbones.

They were beautiful, undoubtedly-Sterling family heirlooms, emeralds the size of quail eggs surrounded by a galaxy of diamonds-but tonight, they felt less like jewelry and more like a price tag.

"Chin up, darling. You look a little... wilted."

Mrs. Higgins, the housekeeper who had seen Elara cry more times than her own mother, adjusted the hem of the emerald-green gown. Her voice was kind, but her eyes held a pity that stung worse than any insult.

"He's waiting in the car," Mrs. Higgins whispered, stepping back. "Don't keep him waiting. You know how he gets about the schedule."

Elara didn't sigh. She had trained herself out of sighing three years ago. It was considered "ungrateful." Instead, she took a shallow breath, holding it in her lungs until they burned, and then released it silently through her nose.

"Thank you, Mrs. Higgins," Elara said. Her voice sounded thin, like paper tearing.

She walked through the penthouse, the marble floors clicking sharply under her heels. Every step sent a jolt of pain up her calves, but she didn't falter. She reached into the hidden pocket of her clutch, her fingers brushing against the cool plastic of a cheap burner phone. It was fully charged. It was her lifeline.

Downstairs, the limousine idled like a hearse. The driver opened the door, and Elara slid into the cool, leather-scented darkness.

Ethan Sterling didn't look up from his tablet. The blue light illuminated his face, sharpening the angles of his cheekbones and the permanent furrow between his brows. He was devastatingly handsome, the kind of man who made rooms go quiet when he entered, the Golden Boy of the tech industry.

"You're two minutes late," Ethan said. He didn't check his watch. He just knew.

"I had to fix my lipstick," Elara lied softly.

"Next time, fix it faster. We have investors meeting us at the entrance."

He finally looked at her then. His gaze swept over her, not with affection, but with the critical eye of an appraiser checking for flaws in a newly acquired asset. He nodded once, satisfied. The trophy was polished.

The ride to the Metropolitan Museum of Art was silent. Ethan typed furiously on his device, the soft tap-tap-tap the only sound in the cabin. Elara looked out the window, watching the blur of New York City lights. It was the city she had lived in for six years, yet she felt like a ghost haunting its streets.

When the car stopped, the noise hit them before the air did. Screams, camera shutters, the chaotic roar of the paparazzi.

"Smile," Ethan commanded, his hand finding the small of her back. His grip was tight, his fingers digging into her skin through the silk of her dress. It wasn't a hold of support; it was a hold of possession. Stay here. Look good. Don't speak.

They stepped onto the red carpet. The flashbulbs were blinding, a strobe light of white heat. Elara felt her vision swim.

"Ethan! Ethan! Over here! Who are you wearing?"

"Mr. Sterling! Is the merger with Kinesis Tech happening?"

A reporter thrust a microphone toward them. "Ethan, incredible turnout. And Mrs. Sterling, you look... accompanying as always."

The reporter didn't even look at her eyes. He looked at her necklace.

Ethan laughed, a charming, practiced sound. "Elara is my good luck charm. She keeps the home fires burning while I handle the rest."

He squeezed her waist again. That was her cue. Smile. Nod. Be the charm.

But Elara didn't smile. She felt a numbness spreading from her chest to her fingertips.

They moved into the Great Hall. The air was thick with expensive perfume and the hum of power. Waiters circulated with champagne. Ethan immediately scanned the room, his eyes darting over heads until they landed on something-or someone.

His face changed. The tension around his mouth softened. A genuine spark, one Elara hadn't seen directed at her in years, lit his eyes.

"There she is," he murmured.

Elara followed his gaze. Standing near a pillar, looking intentionally out of place in a simple, ethereal white dress, was a girl. She looked young, fresh, with wide doe eyes and a nervous smile.

Serena Thorne. The intern. The "fresh start."

Ethan pulled Elara toward her. "Serena! I didn't think you'd make it."

Serena blushed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I almost didn't, Mr. Sterling. Kinesis Tech insisted on using one of their sponsor slots for their liaison. They said it was good for branding." She glanced at Elara, her eyes widening in feigned innocence. "Oh, wow. Mrs. Sterling. You look so... expensive."

It was an insult wrapped in a compliment, delivered with the precision of a scalpel.

"Elara," Ethan said, his voice dropping an octave, becoming warmer as he addressed the girl. "Serena has been assisting on the Kinesis project. She has some brilliant ideas about user interface."

He placed a hand on Serena's bare shoulder. It lingered. His thumb brushed her skin, a subconscious caress.

Elara stood there, encased in emeralds, watching her husband touch another woman with the tenderness he used to save for her.

Carter, Ethan's CFO and best friend, sauntered over, a drink in hand. "Ethan, my man. And Elara. Spending the GDP of a small country on shoes again?"

Carter laughed. Ethan laughed. Serena giggled, covering her mouth with a hand that looked small and delicate.

"Elara actually has a strict allowance," Ethan joked, winking at Serena. "Keeps her grounded."

Something inside Elara snapped. It was not a loud snap. It was the quiet sound of a tether finally breaking after years of fraying.

Ethan leaned in, his breath hot against her ear. "Why aren't you laughing? You're killing the mood. Fix your face."

Elara looked at him. She really looked at him. She saw the arrogance in the set of his jaw, the cruelty in his eyes, the absolute certainty that she would always be there, silent and smiling.

"No," she said.

The word was soft, barely a whisper.

Ethan pulled back, frowning. "What?"

"I said no."

Ethan let out a short, incredulous huff. He thought it was a joke. He turned back to Serena, dismissing Elara completely. "Ignore her. She gets moody when she's hungry. Serena, tell Carter about your idea for the app."

Elara took a step back. Then another. Ethan didn't notice. He was too busy beaming at Serena.

She turned and walked away. She didn't run. She walked with the grace she had perfected over six years of gala training. She walked past the bar, past the exhibit entrance, and into the ladies' powder room.

It was empty.

Elara stood before the mirror again. Her hands were shaking, but her mind was crystal clear. She reached behind her neck and unclasped the heavy emerald necklace. It fell into her palm with a cold, metallic clink. Next came the earrings. Then the diamond bracelet.

She reached into her clutch and pulled out a small velvet pouch she had packed that morning. She dropped the millions of dollars worth of jewelry into the bag.

She placed the pouch on the marble vanity.

Then, she walked to the service exit at the back of the restroom. She pushed the heavy door open and stepped out into the cool New York night. The alleyway smelled of garbage and rain, a stark contrast to the lilies inside.

She didn't call the driver. She walked two blocks in her Louboutins until she found a yellow cab.

"Where to, lady?" the driver asked, eyeing her gown in the rearview mirror.

"Queens," Elara said. "24-hour Self Storage on Northern Boulevard."

The driver shrugged and hit the meter.

Back at the gala, Ethan scanned the room, annoyance prickling his skin. "Where the hell did she go?" he muttered to Carter. "I need her for the photo op with the mayor."

"Probably powdering her nose," Carter said, draining his glass. "Or pouting. You know how she gets."

Ethan pulled out his phone. *Stop the drama. Get back here.*

He watched the screen. No "Read" receipt.

"She's trying to punish me," Ethan scoffed, shoving the phone back into his pocket. "She'll be back in ten minutes."

Serena touched his arm gently. "Is she okay? Should I go look for her?"

"No," Ethan said, covering her hand with his. "Don't waste your time. She's just acting out."

Miles away, Elara stood in a cold storage unit. She stripped off the green gown, letting it pool on the concrete floor like a shed skin. She opened a duffel bag she had hidden there three months ago.

She pulled out a pair of jeans, a grey hoodie, and worn-out sneakers.

She dressed quickly. She removed the SIM card from her expensive smartphone and left the device on top of the pile of silk. She powered on the cheap burner phone. She sat on the floor, the concrete cold through her jeans, and opened the phone's settings.

*New Number. New Life.*

She took a deep breath. The air tasted of dust and freedom.

Ethan returned to the penthouse at 2:00 AM. He was drunk on scotch and his own righteousness. He expected to find Elara in bed, pretending to be asleep, waiting for him to apologize so she could forgive him. It was their dance.

The apartment was silent.

"Elara?"

He walked into the bedroom. The bed was made, the sheets crisp and undisturbed.

On the bedside table, sitting alone under the lamp, was the velvet pouch.

Ethan frowned. He picked it up, the weight familiar. He loosened the drawstring and dumped the contents onto the table. The emeralds spilled out, green fire in the dim light.

There was a small note tucked inside.

He unfolded it. Two words, written in her elegant script.

*I quit.*

Ethan stared at the note. A laugh bubbled up in his throat, harsh and incredulous. "You quit?" he said to the empty room. "This isn't a job, Elara. You can't just quit."

He threw the note onto the bed. "Negotiation tactic," he muttered. "She wants a higher allowance. Or a vacation."

He stripped off his tuxedo and climbed into the empty bed. He reached out his hand to the other side, a reflex honed over six years.

The sheets were cold. Freezing.

He pulled his hand back, annoyed. "She'll be back by breakfast," he told the darkness. "She has nowhere else to go."