Cutting Ties

Martha stood completely stunned in the grand foyer, her eyes locked on the heavy front doors that had just closed behind Nora. She turned back to her employer, nervously questioning if she should truly, literally discard all of Mrs. Thornton's highly valuable, custom-made belongings into the trash. "Mr. Thornton," she stammered, her voice shaking in the vast space. "Are we actually supposed to thr