Over time, as they’d become more than just client and escort, she’d changed. She’d become who he wanted her to be. She hadn’t noticed it at the time, that she was losing her identity, her sense of self. And over time, she’d lost touch with everyone else in her life, even her own family. It was all part of his manipulations.

That was all in the past. Ruby was free now. And yet, she didn’t know how to deal with her freedom. She felt overwhelmed, completely lost and directionless. She’d felt this way for so long now, ever since she’d left him. That self-assured siren Ruby pretended to be wasn’t real. It was a mask to hide all her uncertainties.

She stretched out on the couch. She needed a distraction. As she glanced around the apartment, an idea popped into her mind. Perhaps she could try to find out a little more about Yvonne.

The day Ruby had arrived, she’d checked out every room in the huge apartment, except for Yvonne’s bedroom and study. Yvonne kept those doors closed at all times. Perhaps Ruby could find some more hints about the woman inside her spaces. Besides, this apartment was Ruby’s home for the next year. It was odd that she lived here, yet she didn’t know what some of the rooms looked like. Taking a peek inside them wouldn’t hurt.

She got up from the couch and crept to Yvonne’s study. Yvonne spent a lot of time inside it. There had to be some clue, some hint inside about what was behind Yvonne’s mask.

Ruby turned the door handle. It was unlocked. She slipped inside and looked around. To her dismay, it was just a regular, boring home office, with a desk in the middle and some bookcases and cabinets. Ruby tiptoed to Yvonne’s desk. It had a few folders and documents on it, including the contract she and Ruby had signed. Their marriage certificate was there too, as well as some other papers that looked to be work-related.

Ruby’s eyes landed on a check sitting on top of a pile of documents. She picked it up. The check was made out to a ‘Nita Chen,’ and it was for almost a hundred thousand dollars. That was a lot of money, although it probably wasn’t much to Yvonne. Who was Nita and why was Yvonne paying her so much?

She put the check down. It was none of her business who Yvonne gave her money to. Ruby left the room and headed to Yvonne’s bedroom at the end of the hall. She opened the door. The bedroom was even more disappointing than the study. It was decorated much like the rest of the house, and just as neat and tidy. So was her bathroom, although it was twice the size of Ruby’s. But there were no clues to who Yvonne was in the room.

Ruby shut the door. As she did, she realized that there was another room next to Yvonne’s bedroom that she hadn’t noticed earlier. How had she missed it?