The Wife Who Stole My Dreams

, watching the window where they sat. My heart was a cold, hard knot in my chest. A few minute

who had just run off to his workshop to create another golden egg for them to

. It was from our wedding day. She was looking at me with an expression of

oing home. Not to the house that suddenly felt like a stranger'

s the street," I sa

it. I only saw her face, her lying eyes, her triumphant smile. When we arrived, I pa

er phone pressed to her ear. Even from this distance, I could hear the bri

inside.

The kitchen. Then, the upstairs bedroom. And finally, a light in

she handled the Vance family' s finances and philanthropy. "It' s boring, complicated stuff, Liam," she' d s

ed that. I ha

s a headquarters. The central command for her five

s she doing in there? Sending him my latest brilliant, doom

he rough brick of the wall I was leaning on, over and over, until the skin was raw and red. The small, sharp

went out. The bedroom light follo

I stopped at a name I hadn' t contacted in years. A man I had met at a tech conference back when I was still considered a rising star. He was a sp

button. He answered

while," his voice was low and gravelly.

oice hoarse. "I have a situation. Intelle

se on the other

"All of it. For the

owly. "This sounds... co

age, every file transfer, every financial transaction between two parties. I need

are the

mily Vance. And a man named M

e holding a new note of interest. "He came out of nowhere. A lot

d. "I' ll pay you whatever you want. I

said. "I' m in. Give me 48

e first move

ad to maintain the illusion until Julian had what I needed. I found

d, not looking up. "Did you h

lf a coffee I didn't want. "It' s s

oo bright. "I have some news too. I have to go on a business trip. For the fou

e Mark. To celebrate their victory and p

ning disappointment.

ion. Nova Tech' s headquarters were in San

afe trip," I sa

e me a kiss. "I' ll

you too,"

hed her car disappear down the street, a grim sense of purpose settled

e, a life that was a complete fabrication. I ended up in the hallway ups

handle. Lock

e was a spare key, hidden in a loose floorboard under the hal

king slightly. I slid it into the

oor open and s

ith a sleek computer, shelves of binders, and a view of the

s a s

from our wedding, our anniversaries, our life toget

him and Emily from years ago, before me. They were laughing on a beach, skiing on a mountain, kissing under a Chri

arking his progress. His first office. The launch of his first product. The cover o

etting st

an is wo

my love.

ve years of my life, my work, my failures, repurpose

I thought was my salvation was just a shadow. The real love story had been happenin

lost my parents, my company, my friends. And now, I realized I had lost th