Exposing His Lies, Burning His Empire

Che

onsors. I was supposed to be enjoying it, but I felt like a ghost, drifting through conversations, detached

e cut through th

e looked different, sharper, more confident. He' d left the university admin job a while

est, drawing the attention of those around us. "Aria, I... I' m

silent, every eye on me. The embarrassme

way. It was Donovan, his face a thundercloud. He pulled me t

n empty hallway. "What the hell was that, Aria?

e was just... expres

isbelief. "And you just stood there? You didn' t s

blow. The hypocrisy was a bitter taste in my mouth. My

ious, Donovan? After you and Brie' s little performance at the mixer? After the peanut butter? Afte

roughly towards him. His lips crashed onto mine, a desperate, angry kiss. I tasted cheap wine and something else, so

all my strength. My hands found pur

ac

ay. My palm stung, but the satisfac

scraped it. I touched it, then looked

haking with a mixture of rage and relief.

mouth to speak, but no words came out. Then, with a roar of pure frustr

years. He even started publicly acknowledging me as his partner, holding my hand, introducing me to colleagues he' d once kept me hidden from. He changed his phone pas

ossessiveness. He hadn't wanted me until someone else did. I saw through it all. He wasn't trying

rned melancholic. Cryptic posts about heartbreak and unfairness replaced her usual bubb

g for me outside my office. Her ey

r voice raw. "He told me he would never marr

ld. The audacit

streaming down her face. "He said he felt trapped. B

g over me. I wanted to scream, to cry, t

to anyone. And he certainly doesn' t love you. If he did, you wouldn' t be

r bravado faltering.

hings' with me, because that' s what he does. He uses people. He used me for stability. H

' t know anything! He loves

arp. "A future where he forgets your existence when it suits him? A future where

. "You' ll regret this, Aria! You think you' ve won? You haven' t!

d resolve. The plane tickets to Europe were already booked. I' d se

tonight, Aria. I have a surprise for you. A real

o tell you too, Donovan," I s

theart. But my surprise is better. I'

ial meal, one of his favorites, one I used to make for h

ent. Then nine. Then ten.

rry, babe. Work emergency. Just wrapped up a mee

Donovan, faces flushed, eyes sparkling, nestled intimately in bed. His hand, unmistakable, was wrapped poss

. It clattered onto the polished table, the image o

project is a nightmare. Missing you. Can' t wait to see your beautiful

imed. He' s all mine now, Aria.

d growing cold around me. The anniversary, the surpri

uitcase, packed and ready, sto

cture of two champagne glasses clinking, with the caption:

way home now, love. Can' t wait

at the picture of the champa

od, the flickering candles casting long shadows. It was

got into the waiting taxi. As the car pulled away, I felt a strange