His Betrayal Unleashed Her True Power

brilliant career. I was "Aura," the anonymous creator of our company's billion-dollar software,

r the future we were su

d him wrapped up with his new assistant, Kyra-the same girl I' d see

limbing partner," a

ed her, Coleton didn't hold her accountable. He defended her. In front o

neered, his voice dripping with contempt, "ma

I had built was firing m

chimed. Our CTO stepped out, his eyes taking in

my boyfriend, his vo

speak to the owner of th

pte

ka

my boyfriend and me was closed not by a plane t

w hum of my computer and the frantic thumping of my own heart against my ribs. I was waiting for a massive data package to

n' t know, her face bright and animated, was laughing into the camera. She was vibrant, with a spray of freckles across her n

ut I knew that leather jacket. I' d bou

the roar of the engine. The wind whipped her hair across her face, but her v

jis-a rock-climbing wall, a taco, and a winking

u

ing screen in my hand. He turned his head slightly, just for a

le

s contact. The phone rang once, twi

? It' s late." His voi

oise-loud music, people shouting, the cli

own voice sounding hollow in

gym," he said, a little too quickly. "We jus

amiliar, echoed close to his phone.

voice barely a whisper

e soon." His words were meant to be reassuring, but t

parked the car in my designated spot, the engine ticking as i

ng from his handlebars was the one I' d insiste

" had written, "You tw

oyd, had replied with a series of laughing emojis. "H

strong. And in at least a dozen of them, there was Coleton. Standing beside her at the base of a cliff, laug

took off and his ambition sent him to Austin two years ago. He said he' d been to

But my knowledge of his life, his real life, was a complete blank. A two-year-long void

missed holidays, finally snapped. The transfer I had meticulously planned for next month, the

bby of the Omni Corp tower in Austin. My carry-on suitcase

ld us you' d be transferring down soon, but we weren' t expecting you today! It' s such an

. Coleton didn' t know I was c

istant up. Let me just buzz yo

all for the dream we' d shared: the corner office for him, a shared life for us. I was the silent architect of his success, the anonymous creator of 'Aura,' the very software framework our entire company was built on. He thought I was ju

lly stand beside h

ors slid open w

ere sh

ice, holding a tablet, was the

ords echoed in my hea

ering for a fraction of a sec

id, my voice steadier than I felt. "I' m Erika Larson. I' m the new sof

my face to the closed door of Coleton' s office.

ent I knew. I knew this was more than just a friendship. Her face was the same vibrant, l

saw your video," I said, my voice d

anished, replaced by a

rik

oice came fr

le in his hand. The hope I had clung to during the entire flight, t

ad loved for five years, were wid

y pure, unadu