The Wife He Tried to Erase

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my ears. We were young again, sitting on a park bench, sharing an ice cream. Her hand was in mine, her eyes spa

de-up face inches from mine. She was smiling, her eyes bright with a possessive glee. We were in my bed. My head

out for someone. Adelia, I think?" She chuckled, a mocking so

e of me. Because of this woman. A wave of pure, unadulterat

I snarled,

Darling? What's wrong?" Sh

se! Get out of my life!" My voice rose to a roar. "You! You killed her! You to

be ridiculous! She was a pathetic orphan! She brought it on herself! Y

into her flesh. "She was worth a thousand of you, you narcissistic witch! She

top! You're hurting me! It wasn't my fault! It was

reathed, my chest heaving. "I won't let you die so easily. That would be too kind." My eyes hardened, a cold, calculated fury

s of expensive whiskey lined my desk, quickly emptied. Days bled into nights. Her face

happy. She never complained. She worked tirelessly, supporting my nascent tech startup, believing in me when

. And what did I do? I called her low-class. I called her boring. I called her a stepping st

wary. "Mr. Wyatt, I have some papers the

And a medical report. My eyes scanned the words. Cerebra

's bad, the doctor said... I had dismissed her. I had hung up. She was trying to tell me she was losing her memories

ped-up diagnosis. She had been trying to tell me. Telling me she was losin

e oblivion of alcohol, or the hazy numbness of sle

the orphanage. The place Adelia loved so much. The place I had threatened

prise. "It's been a long time. Thank you again

he table. Familiar entries. My name, next to substantial sums. And then, at the bottom, a familiar signature. Adelia's. She had been donating to the

uch a shame, what happened. Such a disgrace. Bringing such shame to our institution. We had to cut ties with her.

ost honorable person I knew. She sacrificed everything

r. Wyatt, I understand you're grieving, b

nt through!" My voice cracked. "She endured unimaginable pain. She was stripped of everything. Her dignit

en so much. And received so little. She loved that orphanage. And I had thr

ark, again and again, until my knuckles were bloody pulp. The pain was a dista

dealers. They confessed. And they mentioned... Beryl Aguirre. Her assistant. She was the

It was a calculated murder. Orchestrated by the woman I had chosen. The woman