Zelica’s jaw dropped. The man in front of her seemed like a complete stranger.
“Aniya—so it’s been going on this whole time,” she whispered.
“Yeah, we’ve been together a year,” Quacy said without a shred of guilt. “And she understands me much better.”
Suddenly, a building security guard approached, pushing a small, tattered duffel bag—the same bag Zelica used when they first moved to Atlanta years ago.
Quacy took the bag and threw it at Zelica’s feet. The contents spilled out a little. Just some old clothes and a wallet.
“Those are your things. The rest I threw out,” he said.
Then he tossed a brown envelope onto the bag.
“Those are the divorce papers. I’ve already signed them. Inside is a settlement. All the assets—this penthouse, the cars, the company—everything is in my name. You came into this marriage with nothing. You leave with nothing.”
The tears finally escaped Zelica’s eyes. This wasn’t just a humiliation. It was an annihilation.
“You… you can’t do this.”
“Oh, I can. And I already have.”
He looked at her with eyes as cold as ice.
“Sign those papers. If you behave yourself and don’t claim marital assets, maybe I’ll be generous and give you cash for a Greyhound bus ticket back to your little town in Alabama.”
Some people in the lobby started to whisper. Seeing the scene, Zelica felt naked.
“Get out,” Quacy hissed.
“But this is my home, too.”
“Not anymore,” he shouted. “Security.”
Two security guards approached. They looked uncomfortable, but they were clearly on the side of Quacy, the owner of the penthouse.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. Please don’t make a scene,” one of them said, gently grabbing Zelica’s arm.
Zelica was dragged out by force. She looked back, staring at Quacy with desperation.
“Quacy, please.”
He just looked at her blankly, then turned around and walked toward the elevator.
Up above, near the mezzanine railing, Zelica could see Aniya’s silhouette, watching her victory.
The heavy glass door of the lobby hissed shut behind Zelica, separating her from the life of the last ten years. She was thrown onto the busy sidewalk under the Atlanta sky, which was starting to darken, with only a duffel bag of old clothes and the divorce papers that insulted her.
Night fell quickly in Atlanta. The streetlights began to flicker on, but for Zelica, the whole world seemed dark.
