Ten Years Of Lies, One Heartbreak

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aylee didn't visit. Their absence was a stark, almost welcome, quiet. They sent a parade of nurses, doctors, and even a physical therapist who seemed to operate under the same c

ed into a high-end boutique, overflowing with things I neither wanted nor needed. It was Collin's apology, his way of making amends. A transactional gesture, devoid of any genuine feeling, meant to cover up the gaping chasm

her with experiences he had always deemed "too frivolous" for us. He bought her a tiny, yapping dog she named "Princess Fluffy-butt" and arranged for a private jet to take them on a "spa retreat" to the Swiss Alps. He even posted a photo of her wearing the diamond earrings he' d promi

thing I was not, and everything he now seemed to want. The realization was a bitter pill. He didn't want a partner. He wanted a playth

t entered, holding a garment bag. "Ms. Blair. Mr. Brewer require

y acknowledged my contributions to the company's groundbreaking new AI. A wave of nausea washed over me. I wanted to refuse, to scream, but then another thought formed, cold and cle

ant. Collin stood on stage, charismatic and polished, delivering a speech about Brewer Tech's future. He was everything I had helped him become. As I entered, a ripple went through the crowd. His

a jolt of revulsion through me. "Ladies and gentlemen," he announced, his voice booming with false magnanimity, "as many of you know, Kira Blair has been an invaluable asset to Brewer Tech. Her ded

leaned in, his lips brushing my ear. "See, Kira? I take care of you. This is mor

uy me, silence me, with shares in a company I had built with my own hands. My eyes met Haylee's, who stood in the front row, clutching Collin's mother's arm. Her face was

rom the audience. The screen, instead of displaying Brewer Tech's logo, flickered to life with a grainy, humiliating video. It w

ran cold, then hot with a consuming fury

around, his eyes blazing, "What the

I don't know! Haylee-boo told me to run a diagnostic on her private me

, of intimacy, captured without my knowledge. A choked sob escaped my lips. The whispers in the audience turned into outright