Her Empire, His Ruin

post from an old friend from architecture school, showcasing his latest project-a small, community-funded library

tantly. It was a comment on the sam

keeping up with real architecture. Thoug

evelopment, my wife's company. My company, too, in a way. I was her head architect. I de

was getting ready for the Urban Development Gala. She stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling

e asked, her voice

ou look like the

r eyes. Her eyes were scanning her

he mayor will be there. All the big investors. We need to projec

n the heart of a working-class neighborhood. Olivia, spurred on by her new star project manager, Leo Maxwell, saw it a

, not looking at me. "People talk. It doesn't

were talking about her and Leo. About how they were always together, their heads be

e air. I knew she wasn't going straight to the gala. Her calendar, which she' d

e Immersion w/ Le

of their target demographic before finalizing the design. Today, that meant a private tour and tasting at a new five-star restaur

el angry anymore. I didn't feel jealous. I just felt a profound, chilling clarity. It was like looking at a building's founda

awn up a month ago, sitting in my desk drawer. I ha

en to build things that mattered, to create spaces that brought people tog

he screen, and I knew exactly why she was calling. The social media

a few times be

, panicked. "Mark from the zoning commission just te

rom a friend, Ol

iggest deal in this company's history! You work for me, for Vance Development. Your publi

Of co

to her breathe heavily on

d when she was managing a problem. "Look, I know things have been tense. We'll get through this. Once the Pinna

enever she needed my compliance. Next holiday. Next ye

voice was flat, devoid of

is waiting. Don't b

hung

e blatant affair she called a professional partnership. It was all a performance. And I was done playing my part. I walked