Chapter 2

The late autumn wind cut like a knife. I clutched my threadbare coat tighter and walked down the tree-lined street outside the research institute. It was only a mile from home, but it felt like a journey that had already taken half my life.

My phone was vibrating nonstop in my pocket. It was Freddie. I knew it without looking. I turned it off.

I stopped at a 24-hour convenience store and bought a bottle of milk.

Sitting by the window, I saw my reflection: a pale face, dark circles under my eyes, and my hair messily pulled back with a few stray strands escaping.

I was thirty-four, a Ph.D. from a top university, and once hailed as a "computational genius" in my department.

And now?

Now I was a nameless "supportive wife," living in the shadow of my husband's success.

A magnetic male voice came from behind me. "Just these, thanks."

I glanced over my shoulder and met a pair of teasing eyes. The man was tall and had a muscular build, wearing a slate-gray trench coat. In his hand were a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

He caught sight of my face and froze, a brow quirking in recognition. "Well, well. If it isn't the great Olivia Bennett."

It was Jason Reed.

He was my academic arch-nemesis from college, our resident silver medalist who never missed a chance to mock me. I had heard he was doing incredibly well for himself, a director of engineering at the top tech firm next door.

Normally, I would have fired back a retort. But tonight, I didn't have the energy. I turned away and took a sip of my milk.

He, however, pulled out the chair next to me and sat down. "What's wrong? I heard Freddie was throwing a big party tonight. Aren't you supposed to be in there playing the part of the supportive corporate wife instead of drinking cheap milk out here?"

He smelled faintly of tobacco, a clean, dry scent that wasn't unpleasant.

"None of your business," I muttered.

He just chuckled, a sound full of schadenfreude. "Still got that charming personality, I see. Though from the look on your face, I'd say you're dressed more for a funeral than a celebration."

My hand tightened around the milk bottle. In a way, he was right. I was mourning my dead marriage and the child I never got to hold.

I yelled, "Jason, if you're here to gloat, you've seen enough. You can go now."

His smile faded. His gaze sharpened as he studied my face. "I saw Freddie chasing after that intern outside your building just now. Looked like he was trying to comfort her. Did he cheat on you?"

A sharp pain lanced through my chest. I had suspected it, of course, but hearing it said out loud by someone else still felt like a fresh wound.

"No, that's not it," Jason said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "If it were just cheating, knowing you, you'd have already keyed his car. Unless..."

He leaned closer, his voice dropping. "Unless you're planning something bigger.

"That project Freddie announced tonight, for instance. I saw some screenshots on LinkedIn. Olivia, that modeling isn't Freddie's style. It's yours. However, isn't there an issue with that convergence function?"

My head snapped up. I stared at Jason, shocked. He had figured it out from a few blurry screenshots?

He let out a low whistle with a glint in his eye. "Looks like I was right.

"That function is stable under a low load, but once you push it into high-frequency simulation, it's going to create a feedback loop of junk data. Well, well. Olivia, you really set a trap for him."

There was no point in pretending. "I didn't set a trap," I said coldly. "He was just in too much of a hurry. That function was a beta version.

"I hadn't finished the final closed-loop correction before he snatched it to help his little prodigy get ahead."

Jason finished for me. "And you chose to keep your mouth shut."

"Would you have warned him?" I shot back. "A husband who just gave your work to his mistress and then called you petty for being upset about it?"

Jason stared at me for a long moment and then burst out laughing. "Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I knew you weren't the type to just take it."

He pulled a business card from his pocket and slapped it on the table. "When you're done with the divorce and need a place to land, call me. My team needs a brain that can code circles around everyone else. Name your salary."

With that, he picked up his cigarettes and lighter and strode out.

At the door, he paused and gave a wave without looking back. "By the way, a friendly tip. That data overflow should hit right around the live simulation next Wednesday. Be sure to save me a seat for the fireworks."

I looked at the black and gold card on the table. It just had his name and a phone number. I took a deep breath and put it in my pocket.