Her mind was racing, trying to place what she would have to do. Airport…the airport was only a couple of miles away. It was silly of her, but the fear of Chris seeing her in his truck as she drove there flashed through her mind.
He couldn’t charge her with theft, she assured herself. Everything that he owned, everything that he bought, was all in her name. The money from her bank account that her mother had secretly set aside for her as a child had kept them going for a good three years. There was still plenty of money in there, she knew, so maybe she wouldn’t have to rely on a credit card.
She walked back into the house after setting her suitcase in the cab of the truck. Her heart was racing, almost enough to make her lightheaded. With trembling hands wringing in front of her, she stared around the kitchen. The stainless steel counters, the small island table in the center of the room, the stove, the cooking knives… It was where she had spent most of her time. As much as she loved creating things that would make your mouth burst with pleasure, she was thankful she was leaving.
She flipped the switch next to the door, slipping on her soft loafers. Lips tight, she gazed around the room. She straightened her shoulders and yanked open the drawer next to the door, resolved.
An Android that Chris used for business, and several of their—no, her—credit cards lay in the very back. She couldn’t help but smile as she looked at them; it was the ultimate payback. Chris had been foolish to leave everything here.
Taking the cards and the phone, she walked through the back door. It slammed shut behind her, just as her heart did to anymore pain he would try to cause her.
The simple act of taking his money made Jamie feel powerful, something that was now rare for her. She could remember looking in the mirror one morning, devastated by what she saw. The once young, vibrant, darkly beautiful woman had turned into a shell. Her skin had become disgustingly pale, losing the healthy glow that it had once held.
Her hair had lost its bounce, the black waves turning into strips that hung down her back dully. Her eyes had been equally as dull. The only time that Chris had let her dress up and become beautiful was when they had company—which, as of late, hadn’t been that much.
Jamie’s throat tightened as she got into the truck, but she held up her chin and turned it on. She couldn’t remember the last time that she had actually driven somewhere. If she wanted to cook, she had a delivery boy bring her things. Chris had been friends with the store manager, and they hadn’t minded bringing her things as long as she paid in full, plus a tip.
She backed out of the driveway, worried that she would get into a wreck and be forced to stay there longer. Her mother was waiting for her—Jamie knew it. Fear of Chris had held her frozen for years, with any thoughts of trying to escape sedated. No more.
The truck’s large wheels slid against the layer of snow that had fallen last night. It was barely an inch, but it had added to the previous falls. Heart stopping in her chest, she almost screamed when she felt the back end swerve on a turn. Jamie knew that if it weren’t for her frayed nerves, she wouldn’t be so jittery.
Besides the terrifying ride to the airport and missing her exit, Jamie got there safely. She almost kissed the ground when her feet touched the smooth patch of pavement. The airport was fairly new; it had been put up when she and Chris had moved to Omaha, and this was the first time she had had the pleasure to actually see it.
It was grand. Her eyes widened as she walked into the vast space. Model airplanes hung from the walls, bright lights shining on the gambling slots. Old women dressed in frilly dresses sat grouped together around a roulette table, tittering over the young man that was sitting next to them. Waitresses in fishnet stockings and black, lacy corsets walked around, carrying trays full of colored drinks.
Averting her gaze, she hurried through the room and almost got lost before she found the front desk. She would have taken Chris’s laptop to schedule a flight to Orlando, but she didn’t know the password and the