A Shattered Anniversary

er throat. The sound from downstairs was unmistakable, a deliberate an

flicker of fear in his own eyes. "Stay here," he said, his

er ribs. As they reached the top of the staircase, they saw her. Chloe was standing in the foye

locked on Ava. Her earlier facade of the cunning manip

ark said, his voice shaking slig

ou can go back to your pathetic, sexless marriage and pretend none of this ever happened? I don' t think so." She to

obsessive hatred that had been festering for years. "Chloe, you' re the one who ruined

riend! I supported you! And all you ever did was look down on me from your pe

tween the two women. "Chloe, put the va

warned, her eyes never leaving Av

ore than a hollow shell, easily filled by the will of a stronger, more malicious person. She had mourned the loss of a great love, but that love had never

ng with the wall. In that split second of distraction, Chloe lunged up the stairs toward Ava. Ava scrambled bac

her face a terrifying mess of tears and fury. Time seemed to slow down. This was it. This was how

n. "What in God' s name is going

is face a thunderous mask of rage. He took in the scene in an instant: Mark cowering by the

ted authority figure seemed to break her manic spell. She slowly lowered h

hattered on the floor. "Thank God you' re here! Ava

hrobbing. "She' s lying! She bro

hful face. For a moment, Ava saw a flicker of doubt in his expression. Her father had always been

his voice a low growl.

ness on full display. "It' s... a misunderstanding," he stammered. "Things just got heated. Ava has been und

once loved, snapped. Her father' s gaze finally settled on her, and

t line was a single word: "Proof." It was from her firm' s private investigator, someone she had hired weeks ago, on a desperate hunch, to look into some financi

iled report, complete with travel receipts, hotel bookings, and phone records. It documented Mark and Chloe' s affair for the

mother had died from a sudden, severe allergic reaction. The official cause was accidental exposure. But the report showed a receipt. A pharmacy receipt, dated the morning of her mother' s death, from a small town two hours away wher

from the phone, her eyes wild, and met Chloe' s gaze. Chloe was watching her, and in that instant, Ava sa

ed, his voice sharp with concern, s

uncontrollably, as the monstrous, unthinkable truth settled over her.