Chapter 1

I stared at my computer screen, my fingers frozen above the keyboard. This couldn't be happening. I blinked hard, hoping the words would rearrange themselves into something that made sense, but they remained unchanged, mocking me with their permanence.

"Groundbreaking New Mobile Game 'Dreamscape' Launches Today - Lead Developer Amanda Walsh Revolutionizes Gaming Industry."

My stomach dropped as if I'd been pushed from a high cliff. Dreamscape. My game. My creation. Five years of sleepless nights, of coding until my vision blurred, of meticulous world-building and problem-solving. Every pixel, every line of code, every character arc—all mine. And now, somehow, it belonged to Amanda Walsh.

I scrolled frantically through the company website's press release, each word a fresh knife in my chest.

"...Walsh's technical brilliance has created an unprecedented gaming experience..."

"...her innovative approach to interactive storytelling..."

"...a testament to the creative vision of Amanda Walsh..."

My hands began to shake. The room seemed to spin around me as rage and disbelief collided in my chest. This was more than theft—it was erasure. They hadn't just stolen my work; they'd stolen my existence.

I pushed back from my desk so violently that my chair slammed against the wall behind me. Several developers in nearby cubicles looked up, startled by the noise, but I barely registered their presence. Blood pounded in my ears as I strode across the open-plan office floor, my vision tunneling until I could see only one person: Amanda Walsh, standing by the coffee machine, laughing with two marketing executives.

She saw me coming and had the audacity to smile—a slow, satisfied curl of her lips that told me everything I needed to know. This was no mistake. This was calculated theft.

"What the hell is this?" I demanded, thrusting my phone in her face with the press release displayed. My voice came out steadier than I expected, considering the hurricane raging inside me.

Amanda's smile didn't falter as she glanced at my phone, then back at me. She tucked a perfect strand of blonde hair behind her ear, a gesture I'd seen her perform countless times when she was about to manipulate someone.

"Oh, Victoria," she said, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "I was going to talk to you about that. Ryan thought it would be more... marketable coming from me." She emphasized the word 'marketable' with a subtle glance at my worn jeans and simple blouse, so quick that only I caught it.

The office had gone silent. I could feel the eyes of every developer, designer, and marketing person on us, but I didn't care. Five years of my life had just been stolen.

"Marketable?" I repeated, my voice rising. "That game is my creation. Every line of code, every design element—all of it came from me. You've never written a single function in your life!"

"Victoria." Ryan's voice cut through the tension like a cold blade.

I turned to see my husband standing in the doorway of his corner office, his expression a mixture of annoyance and something else—something that looked disturbingly like contempt. He walked toward us with measured steps, his expensive shoes clicking against the polished concrete floor.

"This is highly unprofessional," he said, his voice low but carrying across the silent office. "If you have concerns, we can discuss them in private, not create a scene in front of the entire staff."

"Unprofessional?" I echoed in disbelief. "What's unprofessional is stealing someone's work and giving credit to someone else!"

Ryan's jaw tightened. He glanced around at our audience, clearly calculating the optics of the situation.

"You're obviously upset," he said dismissively, "and clearly not thinking straight. This sounds like unprofessional jealousy, and frankly, I expected better from you." He turned to the office at large. "Everyone, back to work. The launch is today, and we have metrics to track."

With that, he placed his hand on the small of Amanda's back—a gesture that was far too intimate for a boss and his executive assistant—and guided her away, leaving me standing alone in the middle of the office floor, humiliation burning through me like acid.

As my colleagues awkwardly returned to their tasks, avoiding eye contact with me, I felt something inside me harden. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

Hours later, I sat across from Ryan in our sterile penthouse living room, the city lights of San Francisco twinkling beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. The beautiful view that had once made me feel on top of the world now seemed to mock my powerlessness.

"I want answers, Ryan," I said, my voice tight with controlled fury. "Why would you do this?"

He looked at me over the rim of his whiskey glass, his eyes cold and calculating. "It's business, Victoria. Nothing personal."

"Nothing personal?" I repeated incredulously. "You stole my work and gave it to your assistant. How is that not personal?"

He set his glass down with deliberate care. "I need you to be generous here, Victoria. Sign over the rights formally. It would be best for everyone."

In that moment, looking into the eyes of the man I had once loved beyond reason, I realized I was staring at a stranger. And worse—an enemy.