Chapter 1 · My Ex's Desperate Fall

Chapter 1

The prison gates opened slowly. I stepped out carrying a battered bag.

Ten years. Just like that.

The sunlight hit me hard, and I reflexively raised my hand to block the glare.

"Julian!" A familiar voice called out.

I turned and saw my old buddy, Thomas Gallagher.

His eyes looked a little red, said, "I came to get you, man. All these years, I always knew you were innocent."

I just nodded, keeping silent.

In the car, Thomas passed me a cigarette. "Julian, what are you gonna do now?"

"Head home first," I said, keeping it short.

He hesitated, then said, "Look, man, there's something you need to know about Amelia—"

"I know," I cut him off. "She married William Archer, right?"

Thomas looked at me in surprise. "How did you know?"

"Word travels fast, even behind bars." I flicked ash out the window. "Where's Patrick's grave?"

Thomas's face turned even more somber at the mention of my son. "It's at South Mountain Memorial Gardens. Julian, Patrick died in a car accident three years after you got locked up. Amelia was..."

"I know," I said again, sharper this time.

Truth was, I knew even more than Thomas could ever imagine.

Like how that crash ten years ago? It was never just an accident.

Like how Amelia and William were already getting together behind my back, way before I landed in prison.

Like how the whole frame-up—their twisted plot—was setting me up from the start.

I didn't waste a minute inside. Pulled every string I could, hunted down every piece of the truth.

And now, it was payback time.

The car pulled up in front of my old house.

It was a three-bedroom house I'd bought with Amelia when we got married. Now, it looked rundown—obviously been vacant for years.

I pulled out my keys, kind of surprised the lock was still the same.

I pushed the door open, greeted by a thick blanket of dust. The furniture in the living room hadn't changed a bit from ten years ago, just draped in white sheets.

I walked toward the bedroom, where our family wedding photo still hung on the wall. In the picture, Amelia was smiling sweetly, and Patrick was clinging to my shoulder, grinning wide.

I reached out, my fingers gently brushing over Amelia's face in the photo.

I whispered, "Game's on, Amelia."

Thomas trailed in behind me. "Julian, don't keep dwelling on it, man. What's done is done. Maybe it's time to just move forward, you know?"

I turned to face him. "Tom, do you honestly think I should forgive her?"

"She's still Patrick's mom," Thomas murmured.

"She killed him." I kept my voice steady, but that line made Thomas flinch anyway.

"What're you talking about?"

"Forget it." I waved it off, lighting another smoke. "Where's Amelia living these days?"

Thomas shot me a worried glance. "Julian, you're not really thinking of going to see her, are you? She's William's wife now, and that guy's one of the top lawyers in town."

"I know." I took a drag. "Just wanna see my ex after ten years, that's all."

"Let me come with you, man," he offered quickly.

"Don't bother," I shook my head. "This is something I gotta handle solo."

After Thomas left, I sat alone in the living room.

I pulled out an old, beat-up phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, it's me," I said.

"Boss, you're out?" a young man's voice crackled through the line.

"Yeah, it's time. Let's get started," I replied.

"Got it. I'll get things rolling," he replied.

After hanging up, I walked to the window, gaze lingering on the city spread out beneath the night sky.

Ten years ago, I was just an ordinary construction worker, putting in long hours at the site. Amelia was a nurse. We'd been together since college, got married after graduation, and had a kid.

I thought we were set for a quiet, simple life together. But before I knew it, she was already sick of ordinary.

Then William showed up, and suddenly she had a brand new choice.

A hotshot lawyer, with luxury cars, lavish houses, the glamorous lifestyle—everything shiny and bright.

To be with William openly, she went for the cruelest option possible—she set me up and had me thrown in jail.

She saw her opening.

There was an accident at the job site—a worker died. I was the safety guy, so sure, some blame fell on me. But prison? That was never supposed to be on the table.

But with William pulling strings behind the scenes, someone took the stand and flat-out lied, saying I took bribes from the contractor and looked the other way on all the hazards.

Overnight, I went from victim to villain.

Chapter 1

The prison gates opened slowly. I stepped out carrying a battered bag.

Ten years. Just like that.

The sunlight hit me hard, and I reflexively raised my hand to block the glare.

"Julian!" A familiar voice called out.

I turned and saw my old buddy, Thomas Gallagher.

His eyes looked a little red, said, "I came to get you, man. All these years, I always knew you were innocent."

I just nodded, keeping silent.

In the car, Thomas passed me a cigarette. "Julian, what are you gonna do now?"

"Head home first," I said, keeping it short.

He hesitated, then said, "Look, man, there's something you need to know about Amelia—"

"I know," I cut him off. "She married William Archer, right?"

Thomas looked at me in surprise. "How did you know?"

"Word travels fast, even behind bars." I flicked ash out the window. "Where's Patrick's grave?"

Thomas's face turned even more somber at the mention of my son. "It's at South Mountain Memorial Gardens. Julian, Patrick died in a car accident three years after you got locked up. Amelia was..."

"I know," I said again, sharper this time.

Truth was, I knew even more than Thomas could ever imagine.

Like how that crash ten years ago? It was never just an accident.

Like how Amelia and William were already getting together behind my back, way before I landed in prison.

Like how the whole frame-up—their twisted plot—was setting me up from the start.

I didn't waste a minute inside. Pulled every string I could, hunted down every piece of the truth.

And now, it was payback time.

The car pulled up in front of my old house.

It was a three-bedroom house I'd bought with Amelia when we got married. Now, it looked rundown—obviously been vacant for years.

I pulled out my keys, kind of surprised the lock was still the same.

I pushed the door open, greeted by a thick blanket of dust. The furniture in the living room hadn't changed a bit from ten years ago, just draped in white sheets.

I walked toward the bedroom, where our family wedding photo still hung on the wall. In the picture, Amelia was smiling sweetly, and Patrick was clinging to my shoulder, grinning wide.

I reached out, my fingers gently brushing over Amelia's face in the photo.

I whispered, "Game's on, Amelia."

Thomas trailed in behind me. "Julian, don't keep dwelling on it, man. What's done is done. Maybe it's time to just move forward, you know?"

I turned to face him. "Tom, do you honestly think I should forgive her?"

"She's still Patrick's mom," Thomas murmured.

"She killed him." I kept my voice steady, but that line made Thomas flinch anyway.

"What're you talking about?"

"Forget it." I waved it off, lighting another smoke. "Where's Amelia living these days?"

Thomas shot me a worried glance. "Julian, you're not really thinking of going to see her, are you? She's William's wife now, and that guy's one of the top lawyers in town."

"I know." I took a drag. "Just wanna see my ex after ten years, that's all."

"Let me come with you, man," he offered quickly.

"Don't bother," I shook my head. "This is something I gotta handle solo."

After Thomas left, I sat alone in the living room.

I pulled out an old, beat-up phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, it's me," I said.

"Boss, you're out?" a young man's voice crackled through the line.

"Yeah, it's time. Let's get started," I replied.

"Got it. I'll get things rolling," he replied.

After hanging up, I walked to the window, gaze lingering on the city spread out beneath the night sky.

Ten years ago, I was just an ordinary construction worker, putting in long hours at the site. Amelia was a nurse. We'd been together since college, got married after graduation, and had a kid.

I thought we were set for a quiet, simple life together. But before I knew it, she was already sick of ordinary.

Then William showed up, and suddenly she had a brand new choice.

A hotshot lawyer, with luxury cars, lavish houses, the glamorous lifestyle—everything shiny and bright.

To be with William openly, she went for the cruelest option possible—she set me up and had me thrown in jail.

She saw her opening.

There was an accident at the job site—a worker died. I was the safety guy, so sure, some blame fell on me. But prison? That was never supposed to be on the table.

But with William pulling strings behind the scenes, someone took the stand and flat-out lied, saying I took bribes from the contractor and looked the other way on all the hazards.

Overnight, I went from victim to villain.