Ellen swallowed her pride and walked the whole distance back to the St. Regis. Though she knew the blisters on her feet would be fatal in the morning, she didn't mind. She bit back the tears that welled up in her eyes and turned her pain into fury. Angrily, she entered the room and threw her suitcase on the bed.

God forbid she didn't have enough for a one-way ticket. So what? She might put it on the credit card she usually carried with her. Last-minute travel would be very expensive, but what choice did she have? She'd sooner go into debt than spend another second here. She zipped up...