Michael was dumped outside, fortunately in the deep of night. Other than the occasional rush of cars, the streets were deserted. No one noticed his awkward, disheveled state.

He felt miserable, wishing he could just purge the horrors from his stomach. If it weren’t for appearances, he might have even considered going to the hospital for a gastric wash.

His driver waited at a nearby hotel garage, but Michael didn’t want anyone to see him looking like this. He dialed his wife’s number—but strangely, the call went unanswered. Normally, she picked up immediately. This time, after several tries, the call went straight to “powered off.”

Michael’s chest tightened. Sure, they...