Her Betrayal, His Rebirth

Her Betrayal, His Rebirth

Diewu Pianpian

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The memory was a ghost that never left my apartment. It played on a loop: Sarah, glowing on screen, cheering fans, my game "Aetheria" about to launch. "Five more minutes, baby," she' d whispered, "And the world will see what a genius you are. I' ll make sure of it." I believed her. I poured everything into "Aetheria," my masterpiece. Sarah, the biggest streamer, was my partner, promising a massive launch. But when her stream hit zero, not "Aetheria," but "Chrono Rift," a cheap clone, filled the screen. Then her voice, slick and commercial, declared, "THIS is the game of the year. 'Chrono Rift' is here!" The betrayal was immediate. She savaged my game: "A little birdie told me 'Aetheria' is a buggy, unplayable mess. Don' t waste your money. The developer is in way over his head." The world broke. Months later, surrounded by final notice bills, I heard her on the news. "Chrono Rift" sold ten million units. Mark, its developer, wrapped an arm around her, speaking of their "stable future." I later learned of their affair, their secret deal. My ruin was their business expense. Why? How could she? The woman I loved, my partner, had systematically destroyed me for profit. Clicking off the TV, I saw an old hard drive labeled "Nexus," my abandoned first project. Plugging it in, I saw a strange line of code, a "developer' s blessing," reminding me of boundless creativity. A jolt. I would rebuild. I started "Aetheria 2.0." Their castle of glass stood, but I was gathering stones.

Introduction

The memory was a ghost that never left my apartment.

It played on a loop: Sarah, glowing on screen, cheering fans, my game "Aetheria" about to launch.

"Five more minutes, baby," she' d whispered, "And the world will see what a genius you are. I' ll make sure of it."

I believed her. I poured everything into "Aetheria," my masterpiece. Sarah, the biggest streamer, was my partner, promising a massive launch.

But when her stream hit zero, not "Aetheria," but "Chrono Rift," a cheap clone, filled the screen.

Then her voice, slick and commercial, declared, "THIS is the game of the year. 'Chrono Rift' is here!"

The betrayal was immediate. She savaged my game: "A little birdie told me 'Aetheria' is a buggy, unplayable mess. Don' t waste your money. The developer is in way over his head."

The world broke.

Months later, surrounded by final notice bills, I heard her on the news. "Chrono Rift" sold ten million units. Mark, its developer, wrapped an arm around her, speaking of their "stable future."

I later learned of their affair, their secret deal. My ruin was their business expense.

Why? How could she? The woman I loved, my partner, had systematically destroyed me for profit.

Clicking off the TV, I saw an old hard drive labeled "Nexus," my abandoned first project. Plugging it in, I saw a strange line of code, a "developer' s blessing," reminding me of boundless creativity.

A jolt. I would rebuild. I started "Aetheria 2.0." Their castle of glass stood, but I was gathering stones.

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I woke up in my New York penthouse bedroom, sunlight harsh in my eyes. The date on my phone read five years ago, before the fire, before I died. My breath hitched in my throat as I understood: I was reborn. My husband, Ethan, walked in, his voice flat, demanding I authorize a quarter-million dollar transfer from my trust fund. In my first life, that money went to Chloe Sanders, his intern, his mistress. Every painful memory came flooding back: his coldness, his brazen affairs, and finally, him locking me in a remote ski lodge wing as smoke filled the air. He drove away, leaving me to die in the flames. I whispered that I didn't feel well, but he only scoffed, telling me to sign the papers and stop being dramatic. Later, I saw him with Chloe, his tenderness and warm smile solely for her, confirming his betrayal was still ongoing. When I finally confronted him, his hand swung, cracking across my cheek, leaving me stunned and bleeding. He then slammed the door to our bedroom shut, locking me inside, threatening a private care facility, calling me "unhinged." The injustice burned, fueling a cold fury deeper than fear. Was this my cruel fate, to relive the same nightmare with the same monster? Why had I been given a second chance, only to face his baseless accusations and violence once more? This time, I wouldn't just endure his cruelty; I would break free. As I sent a coded message to my parents, my escape plan was in motion, and my fight for freedom had truly begun.

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