Dining quietly, I froze when my ex-husband and his new wife walked in. She smirked as water splashed over me. I stayed silent, typed a message to the chef—and within minutes, he stepped out with words that left the whole room stunned…

Le Ciel, “The Sky,” was more than just a restaurant; it was a statement. Perched on the fiftieth floor of the city’s newest skyscraper, its floor-to-ceiling windows offered a breathtaking panorama of the glittering urban sprawl below. It was the crown jewel of my small but growing empire, the most exclusive and luxurious dining experience in the city, a place where the reservation list was a formidable document months long. Tonight, I, Catherine, at forty-five, was dining alone at a discreet corner table,