The Runaway Astrophysicist And Her Secret

e Pres

gue mention of her apartment undergoing "unexpected renovations." I knew it was a lie. I knew it was his way of kee

ng with the scent of Arlo's cologne. I found her casually reading my rare astronomy books, leaving dog-eared page

e was giggling, feeding Arlo a strawberry, playfully wiping a smudge from his lip. Their heads were close

ard my approach. "Join us! We were just discussing Arlo's new AI project. It's so fascinati

ellowship application, the real one, was due soon. The irony was a bitter t

Earth? Such different paths." Her words were like tiny, sharp needles, designed to prick at my ambition, to remind me of my perceived irrele

had never truly seen my passion, my intellectual fire. He had only seen the social asset, the quiet wife. Brielle' s manipulative nature was t

mind was a whirlwind of calculations, packing lists, and astrophysics equat

o my bedroom cre

he subtle scent of Brielle's perfume, now mingled with his own, preceded hi

oppressive silence. He sat on the edge of the be

my voice neutral. I d

almost startling gesture. My body tensed involuntarily. Then, against my will, it softened. A desperate part of me, the part that st

s touch, even after all the neglect, all the indifference. I

rk too hard, Corinne." His voice was a low murmur, a hypnotic vibration agai

a, sharp and violent, washed over me. I gaspe

he asked, his voice

my mouth, trying to suppress the rising bile. Stomach flu? The thought, sharp and unwelcome, sliced through my min

, a loud crash echoed from downstairs, follow

e was gone before I could respond, the door swinging shut behind him. I heard footsteps, quick and urgent, then the muffled clatter of object

nto my room. Instead, I heard his voice, hushed and low, from his study. The light from under

ding to be asleep, thoug

my desk, the beam of his phone flashlight illuminating my fellowship papers. The papers. The o

He was looking at t

born of pure panic, swept over

o me, the phone's light catching the glint in his eyes. "You said this was just a grant application. Your b

ant application is for the fellowship. They're intertwined." It wasn'

hard I thought he must hear it. He read the names, the dates, the terms. He rememb

bury yourself in the middle of nowhere?" He scoffed gently. "Your brilliance might be wasted there, Corinne. You could do so much more here, w

He didn' t remember the late nights I' d spent talking about it, the articles I' d highlighted for hi

te indifference. It was clear he saw it as an eccentric

ed on. "I can arrange for you to head up our new AI research division, focusing on computational astrophy

nfluence, their endless expectations. His solution was just anot

We have that early morning meeting with the investors, remember? And I've been feeling a little... fragile." She gave me a wide, pitying smile. "Oh,

dded. "Right. The investors." He stood up, placing my papers back on the desk, his atten

r voice sugary sweet, as she led Arlo o

to my desk. I picked up the fellowship papers, the ones he had signed without tru

nature, I scrawled a single word: "Filed." This wasn't just a fellowship applicat