Erased by Love, Forged by Revenge

tification c

n from Mark. It was a sterile, blue pop-up that materia

Turner not detected. Seven days

lin

g. White roses, thousands of them, were starting to wilt under the lights. For ten years, I had b

quiet girl who lived on caffeine and takeout, sacrificing my health, my

olutionary AI project, my life's work. He needed the patent, he said, to give to his mento

it over y

was an h

ion from a popular social media app

m. "Tech Mogul Mark Turner Weds Social

ant smile I hadn't seen directed at me in years. Beside him, in a stunning designer gown, was Olivia Crest. She was his mentor'

pping a ring o

y chairs, the mocking blue notification in my eye.

ark' s name flas

y throat too

ce was impatient, annoyed. Not the voice of a man who j

ged to whisper

s got complicated. Olivia and I... it just happened. It's better for the company th

ke broken glass in my mouth. "

inking in the background, people laughing. "I'll wire you a generous sum. More than enough to live

ke I was a disgruntled

name. "Honey, come cut the cake!" I

Mark said. "We

hun

room full of dead flowers. The hollow echo of his w

s found a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, something

badly it took thre

as a filthy, disgusting relief. I hadn't smoked in a decad

tching the smoke cur

The comments on the live stre

in love! A tru

rves a man like Mark, not so

clingy programmer. Good

te the code for the very app they were using. They didn't know my AI patent was the foundation for

the stream held a mi

e happiest man alive. Any wor

Olivia," he said, his voice thick with a performance of emotion. "For ten years, my world was black and

ys about milestones, deadlines, and stock prices. Love w

linch. The pain was a distant, dull thing compared to t

rasure. S

bond linked to a legal marriage contract with Mark. It was supposed to be the ultimate proof of my devotion, a promise th

hed it under the heel of my white sat

i

e erased, I wasn't

vy train of my wedding dress dragging behind

to his weddi