Reborn for Her Downfall

rning, the

nessed more of Chloe's betrayals than anyone, let them in through the service

ive minutes out. Zoe is with them. She'll inventory every piece for liqui

oken after a brief, intense affair, place

for the first time in two life

culpture. Caleb, the musician whose work she had stolen, began packing my books. Zoe, the designer whose entire collect

them had been personally wronged by the woman who slept soundly upstairs, oblivious. This wa

ed it bare, leaving nothing but white walls and the ghost of what it had been. We didn't stop there. We cleared out my personal effects fr

essed in a silk robe. Daniel trailed behind her, alrea

y of the empty studio. She bli

hat is a

an slate for Daniel," I sa

ran a hand along a wall, a flicker of something-annoyance? surprise

e to admit, I'm impressed. This is so much... cleane

an act of pathetic compliance, of a defeat

ter, my phone pinged with a notification. A wire transfer. A s

me. "Go buy yourself some new canvases or whatever

as a fortune to most people. To her, it wa

I said, my voice ful

ed through a series of shell corporations, ending up in a secure account that Chloe's army of

voice hesitant. "You and Daniel should

she truly wanted. A clean break w

I continued. "My own apar

ief, dry hug. "Oh, Alex. That's

e, a slight frown on her face.

am, with Noah, with all the others. The nights I spent waiting, wondering. The final, crushing blow when she told me she was l

e, burned away and reforged

was devoid of any emotion she coul