Erased by Love, Forged by Revenge

own wedding dress a ghostly spectacle amidst the sea of black-tie guests. A few people turned an

ace before he masked it with a practiced calm. He excused himself from a conver

sed, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards a s

ark," I said, my voice surprisingly ste

hink about someone other than yourself for once? This is a very important night for me.

The word w

partment, surrounded by takeout boxes. I had just solved a critical bug that s

the AI, once we're truly on top, I'm going to give you the wed

im. I always

n a suit who demanded my generosity aft

" I said, pulling my ha

livia was holding court, laughing with her friends. I appr

. It wasn't expensive. Inside, printed on

ello,

ago, on a beat-up laptop in my college dorm room. It wa

r a second, I saw a flicke

ound. "Oh, how sweet. Is this some kind of

her perfectly manicured nai

quickly, his voice tight.

er. "Honestly, Ava, you came all the way her

It hit the marble floor and shattered. The glass

e with fake innocence. "My han

her lips. She had won. She had not only taken my future, s

purpose," I sai

back against Mark, her lower lip trembling. "Mark, she's

n a wedding dress, harassing the beautiful, innocent bride. O

d. He stepped in front of Olivia,

raw, humorless sound. "Y

e said, his voice dropping to a dange

'd never done before. He rai

The sting on my cheek was sharp, electric. It wa

ed by his own action. But then his face hardened agai

yelled. "Get he

rips tight. They started dragging me towards the exit,

his checkbook and a gold pen. He scribbled something quick

For the patent and for your trouble. Now get o

Five million dollars.

nto tiny pieces. I let the confetti of my

nd loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. "I have seven

cold night air. The heavy doors slammed shut behind me, cuttin