Love, Lies, and Stolen Dreams

ere inseparable, the kind of childhood sweethearts people write stories about. We built our lives together from the ground up, from broke college kids to a married couple with a future. I poured

the same space, the history be

filled with celebration. Instead, a storm raged outside, mi

n? I was thinking we could go

I can't, Ethan. I'm swamped with the

anniversar

crazy. We can celebrate som

elt a familiar chill, the kind of cold that settled deep in your bones when you realize you're alone

htly, her hand resting comfortably on the arm of Liam Hayes, the ruthless CEO of OmniCorp. He was a tech mogul, a predator in a thousand-dollar suit, and he was looking at my wife with an expression t

small, wrapped gift I had left for her this morning was gone. I had bought her a first edition of her favorite book, a sentimental g

?" I asked when she finally came home,

rugged off her coat. "Oh, yeah

al blow. The book, our history, meant nothing to her anymore.

t announced a new game. The core mechanics, the

we had poured three years and all our saving

said, my voice hoarse

Liam Hayes, flashed in my mind. And I knew. The betr