Replaced By A Lie, Forged By Truth

er, had silently supported for five years. I designed his interfaces, polished his presentations, and poured my heart into

ere was "one true genius" behind it all. My stomach t

unior colleague, angelic in white, her eyes wide with feigne

pulling out a velvet box. "Emily, you are the future. Will you marr

dress suddenly felt like a shroud. I slipped away, my lungs

you're... a placeholder." He offered me a demeaning junior position under her or a "dead-end job" at

on burned away the shock, leaving a cold, hard clarity. My fi

," I said, meeting his