"Kate" P

ing. I walked upstairs and sat on the edge of my bed in that same evening gown, staring blankly at the wall until seven in the morning. My

he mattress. Emerson hadn't come home. He had chosen to spend the night of his tr

es throughout the long, agonizing night, hoping he would at least have

let it pool on the floor like discarded trash. I pulled out a tailored, black formal suit. It was the suit I wore to my graduation, the suit that represented my true

ne finally buzzed on the dresser. I picked it up. The scr

my voice hoarse fro

ccidentally sliced her finger with a kitchen knife this morning! She was trying to make breakfast for Emerson because you, his useless wife, were not there to do yo

He abandoned his solemn promise to receive my parents' ashes, the ashes of national heroes, for

ce. "If Emerson drives any slower, Alize's tiny kitchen scratch might actually s

ak to me like tha

next vile insult. Tossing the phone into my purse,

wouldn't shed another tear for Emerson Hayes. If he thought he could cast me aside over a kitchen scratch and let his family trample on my dignity, he was gravely mistaken. I would take back every single

s ago, long before Emerson had a dime to his name, and pulled out onto the street. Turning on the stereo, I let m

nt at the military base. Two armed sentries stepped forward

ver my ID along with an official Depa

napped straight instantly. He spoke urgently into his shoulder radio, stepped

side guided my car to the

lver hair and a chest full of medals turned around. It was General Arthur

s clicking on the floor, and pulle

We've been waiting fo

ty doorway, his thick brow furrowing in confusion. "Where

sliced her finger while making breakfast," I replied evenl

test heroes of this nation, and you, Katherine, possess a brilliant mind that the Department of Defense highly values. You are a genius in your own right. If tha

f true power and confide

, two honor guards marched forward in slow, precise steps, carrying two beautiful wooden urn

est, my breath catching as the cool wood pressed through my suit

ed playing the classical symphony, but my mind was completely silent. I pulled out of the military base, steering the car back toward Manhattan. I needed to return to the Hayes mansion to pack my belongings and take my parents to a proper rest