My husband made me serve drinks at his promotion party while his mistress sat in my seat, wearing my jewelry.

With shaking fingers, Vanessa fumbled with the clasp. The weight of the room was crushing her. She finally unhooked it, the diamonds sliding into my palm like cold fire. She didn’t wait for another word; she grabbed her clutch and bolted toward the exit, Daniel trailing after her, shouting for Richard to listen.

The doors swung shut behind them, the sound echoing like a gavel.

I turned back to the room. I wasn’t the invisible wife anymore. I wasn’t the waitress. I was the person they all had to answer to.

I draped the necklace over my own thumb, tucked it into my pocket, and picked up a fresh glass of champagne from a passing tray—this time, it wasn’t for a guest.

“Thank you, Richard,” I said, raising the glass. “Now, let’s talk about the future of the firm.”

The applause that followed was the loudest thing I had ever heard.