Chapter 3

The next day, I went to my design studio in Soho.

The lock had been picked.

The place was trashed.

My design drafts were ripped to shreds and scattered across the floor. My equipment was smashed. Sprayed across the wall in blood-red paint were the words:

"ADRIAN CHEATED."

Those drafts took me three months to prepare.

My upcoming solo exhibition at the independent New York gallery depended entirely on them.

Now, everything was ruined.

I stood in the doorway, listening to the whispers of the neighboring creatives in the hall.

"Did you hear? Adrian finally signed the settlement."

"If Victoria dumped him, he had to be the problem. Otherwise, why would it get this ugly?"

I zoned out for a second.

It was too familiar.

It happened exactly like this in my past life.

To protect Eli, Victoria spun a narrative that I was mentally unstable, obsessive, and the real reason our marriage fell apart.

Back then, I stormed into Vanguard Crest to confront them, desperate to tear down their lies.

The result? Everyone said I was crazy.

Victoria used the momentum. She and her team exaggerated the risk I posed, pushed for an involuntary hold at the psychiatric ER, and eventually had me locked away in an inpatient psychiatric facility.

I shook off the memory and walked toward the gossiping neighbors.

"You say I cheated," I asked. "So who's my lover?"

They jumped, startled by my sudden appearance. They looked at each other, unable to answer.

At the end of the hall, Eli was standing there. I didn't know when he had arrived.

He walked over, wearing that innocent, victimized smile of his.

"Only you know who you've been sleeping with, Adrian."

His eyes were full of smug triumph.

I stared right back at him.

"There's only one person standing here who's been playing homewrecker for months," I said. "Want to guess who?"

Eli's face drained of color.

The hallway went dead silent.

Just then, Victoria hurried over and stepped in front of Eli, shielding him.

"You signed the settlement, Adrian. Stop targeting Eli."

I locked eyes with her.

"So you admit you're the ones spreading these rumors?"

She didn't confirm or deny it.

She only said, "You're crossing a line."

"I'm crossing a line?"

I turned to Eli.

"Have I ever wronged you?"

"I paid your tuition. Your rent. I got you that job at Vanguard Crest. I let you live in my house."

"And this is how you repay me?"

Eli bit his lip, staying quiet.

I looked back at Victoria, enunciating every word.

"You do the damage, then stand there playing the rational adult."

"You're the one who makes me sick."

Victoria's gaze turned ice-cold.

Yet her expression remained perfectly composed, maintaining that condescending restraint she was so good at.

"Calm down, Adrian. Don't make this ugly."

She was always like this.

Dignified, calm, forever standing on the moral high ground.

I stood up straight and looked at her.

"Ugly?"

"You haven't seen the fallout yet."

I turned and walked away.

Behind me, Eli let out a soft sob.

Victoria coaxed him, "Don't cry. It's bad for your heart."

I picked up my pace and didn't look back once.

Chapter 3

The next day, I went to my design studio in Soho.

The lock had been picked.

The place was trashed.

My design drafts were ripped to shreds and scattered across the floor. My equipment was smashed. Sprayed across the wall in blood-red paint were the words:

"ADRIAN CHEATED."

Those drafts took me three months to prepare.

My upcoming solo exhibition at the independent New York gallery depended entirely on them.

Now, everything was ruined.

I stood in the doorway, listening to the whispers of the neighboring creatives in the hall.

"Did you hear? Adrian finally signed the settlement."

"If Victoria dumped him, he had to be the problem. Otherwise, why would it get this ugly?"

I zoned out for a second.

It was too familiar.

It happened exactly like this in my past life.

To protect Eli, Victoria spun a narrative that I was mentally unstable, obsessive, and the real reason our marriage fell apart.

Back then, I stormed into Vanguard Crest to confront them, desperate to tear down their lies.

The result? Everyone said I was crazy.

I shook off the memory and walked toward the gossiping neighbors.

"You say I cheated," I asked. "So who's my lover?"

They jumped, startled by my sudden appearance. They looked at each other, unable to answer.

At the end of the hall, Eli was standing there. I didn't know when he had arrived.

He walked over, wearing that innocent, victimized smile of his.

"Only you know who you've been sleeping with, Adrian."

His eyes were full of smug triumph.

I stared right back at him.

"There's only one person standing here who's been playing homewrecker for months," I said. "Want to guess who?"

Eli's face drained of color.

The hallway went dead silent.

Just then, Victoria hurried over and stepped in front of Eli, shielding him.

"You signed the settlement, Adrian. Stop targeting Eli."

I locked eyes with her.

"So you admit you're the ones spreading these rumors?"

She didn't confirm or deny it.

She only said, "You're crossing a line."

"I'm crossing a line?"

I turned to Eli.

"Have I ever wronged you?"

"I paid your tuition. Your rent. I got you that job at Vanguard Crest. I let you live in my house."

"And this is how you repay me?"

Eli bit his lip, staying quiet.

I looked back at Victoria, enunciating every word.

"You do the damage, then stand there playing the rational adult."

"You're the one who makes me sick."

Victoria's gaze turned ice-cold.

Yet her expression remained perfectly composed, maintaining that condescending restraint she was so good at.

"Calm down, Adrian. Don't make this ugly."

She was always like this.

Dignified, calm, forever standing on the moral high ground.

I stood up straight and looked at her.

"Ugly?"

"You haven't seen the fallout yet."

I turned and walked away.

Behind me, Eli let out a soft sob.

Victoria coaxed him, "Don't cry. It's bad for your heart."

I picked up my pace and didn't look back once.