Reborn for Her Downfall

when she brought home a new stray, a new project, a new "soulmate." Tailing behind her, looking around the marble and gold with wide, hungry

lled out, her voice echoi

I was working on a landscape, a calm, quiet forest scene. It w

" I called back

he scent of her expensive perfume filled the roo

turing to him like he was a prize she'd ju

a lazy, dismiss

ll, polite smile. It was a mask I had perfected over years in my p

e to meet you,

luencer. He's so creative, Alex. He has millions of followers. We

nd with her whims and terrible judgment. The same company that, in my

derful, Chl

was waiting for. The

und my studio, at the canvases, the paints, the sculptures, the years of my life's work.

decency to look me in t

a dismissive hand at my art. "Daniel needs a clean slate.

place has great bones. We can rea

ine. In my past life, I had fought her on this. I had argued, pleaded, and finally broken down. It was t

e, I jus

soft. "Whatever you need, Ch

Well, good. I'm so glad you're finally being reasonab

orming. This was it. This was the signal. Daniel wasn't her eighth "soulmate." He was the fi

had gone out to celebrate their "collaboration

re you sure you can handle this

prop up her failing projects and then discarded him when his family's past financial troubles became a minor i

s for the first time that day. I typed back a reply,

ust another one, Liam. He's the excuse we need

forest. Soon, I thought. Soon I'll have my peace. But first, I h