His Cruel Game, Her Perfect Escape

inally turned a corner. Then I discovered our entire marriage was a spectator sport. It was

dollar auction scam, and beaten until my ribs broke by his family's private security. I endured it all, playing the p

nning to leave me to die in a remote cabin during a blizzard, a "trag

writing the final

ape. I faked my death, vanished into thin air, and left him to explain

pte

n Andr

day I found out my entire marriage was a spectator spo

of us. I bought the expensive candles, the ones that smelled like sandalwood and rain. I eve

rtment, a space that always felt more like Alex' s showroom than our home. I smoothed

flutter of hope, a fragile belief that maybe we had finally turned a corner. That the man I had reconciled with,

as l

o the rhythm of multi-billion-dollar deals and global market shifts. I

e marble kitchen island, pinged. A notification lit up the dark scree

r the glass. My heart didn't sink. It didn't drop.

screen. The laptop wasn't password-protected. Alex n

disguised as wit. The participants were Alex, his lover Cha

ng? God, the patience on that

standing over her burnt chicken, face full of

s anniversary present first. Don't worry, I' ll

hing emojis foll

that followed that suck

n event? Did you get the n

you tonight at your party. It's time ev

e one Alex' s grandmother, the formidable matriarch Eleanor Bradley, had refused to give me, even on our f

ronation. And my romantic dinner, our annivers

, hasn' t it? I have to hand it to you, Alex. The long con. Bringing her back just to tear her down

rred. A year.

ul apologies, his promises of change, his relentless pursuit after our separatio

r Charlotte's amusement. Revenge for a minor social scandal I had inadvertently caused yea

er. My pain was

it all became a grotesque parody. I looked around the pristine apartment, at the life I though

and sharper than grief, began to crystal

how? They wante

ould give

nds steady. I opened a secure browser and typed in a name I had seen once on a dark corner of the i

t form appeared

, professional voice an

can we help y

" I said, my voice eerily

er end, then, "We can arrang

get it. I knew all of Alex's financial weak spots, th

beautiful, custom-made piece, a gift from me to him, with my own artwork decorating e

ree months from now

My heart leaped into my throat, but I forced it back down. I shoved his

d a bottle of champagne in the other. He smiled, his perfect, chari

that used to make my knees weak. He wrapped his free arm around

he false warmth of his body one last time. It fe

e murmured into my hair.

e looked at me with such adoration, such tenderness. A year ago, I

erate pleas were born of love. He had pursued me for six months after our first split, a relentless campai

a tragedy, and I was the only

a smile. "I was just ge

to the red circle. "What's this? Another special day I

le widening just a fraction. "It's a surprise,

ace. He loved surprises, as long as he was t

that tasted of lies. He stroked my cheek, his thumb

ked, his brow furrow

he word a bitter pill on my ton

handsome, utterly empty smil

ing in the silent apartment, I felt a profound, chilling certainty