Chapter 3

The morning after my reassignment, I walked into the office to find an email announcing a 'special celebration coffee break' for senior management. No invitation for me, of course. I wasn't senior management anymore—I was the crazy woman who'd been demoted to tech support after falsely claiming credit for Amanda Walsh's 'brilliant innovation.'

I watched from my new desk near the bathroom as they gathered in the glass-walled conference room. Amanda stood at the center, her blonde hair perfectly styled, wearing a dress that probably cost more than my monthly salary. She was laughing, touching Ryan's arm as she spoke, her eyes constantly seeking his approval.

'She doesn't even know what a recursive function is,' I muttered, my fingers gripping my coffee mug so tightly I feared it might shatter.

Liam Evans, my senior programmer, paused by my desk. 'This is wrong, Victoria,' he whispered, his eyes darting nervously toward Ryan's office. 'We all know it.'

'Then why isn't anyone saying anything?' I asked, unable to keep the bitterness from my voice.

He looked down, shame coloring his features. 'You know why.'

I did know. Fear. Mortgages to pay, families to support. Ryan had made an example of me—cross him, and your career would be destroyed.

Through the glass, I watched Amanda raise her coffee cup in a toast. 'To new responsibilities,' she announced loudly enough for her voice to carry. Several colleagues glanced in my direction, their expressions a mixture of pity and relief that they weren't in my position.

* * *

Two weeks later, I sat in the back row of the grand ballroom at the Game Developers Conference in Los Angeles. I hadn't planned to attend, but something drove me here—perhaps the masochistic need to witness firsthand how completely my life's work had been stolen.

The Innovation Award was the last category of the night. My heart hammered against my ribs as the presenter opened the envelope.

'And the winner is... Dreamscape by Mitchell Tech Solutions!'

The crowd erupted in applause. I remained motionless, watching as Ryan and Amanda rose from their front-row seats. They walked hand-in-hand to the stage, fingers intertwined in a display that went far beyond professional collegiality. The spotlight followed them, illuminating Amanda's sequined gown and Ryan's satisfied smile.

She stepped to the microphone first, clutching the crystal trophy like it was her firstborn child.

'This is such an incredible honor,' she gushed, her voice echoing through the ballroom. 'Dreamscape was a labor of love, a vision I've carried for years.'

Each word was a dagger. Years? She hadn't even known about the project until I was nearly finished with it.

'I have so many people to thank,' she continued, 'but most importantly...' She turned to Ryan, her expression softening into something intimate and possessive. 'My life partner, Ryan Mitchell, who believed in me when no one else did.'

Life partner.

The room spun around me. Not boss. Not CEO. Life partner. She'd just publicly declared their relationship—their affair—to the entire industry. And Ryan stood there beaming, his hand at the small of her back, nodding as if this was completely normal.

I couldn't breathe. The betrayal was no longer private; it was being broadcast, celebrated. People were applauding my husband and his mistress as they stood on stage, accepting an award for my creation.

Somehow I made it through the rest of the ceremony. As soon as it ended, I slipped out a side door before anyone could see the tears threatening to spill down my cheeks.

* * *

Back in my hotel room, I sank onto the bed, no longer able to contain the sobs that wracked my body. I opened my laptop with trembling hands and found the livestream of the ceremony, torturing myself by replaying Amanda's acceptance speech.

'My life partner, Ryan Mitchell...'

The tears came harder now, staining the pristine white hotel pillowcase. Five years of work stolen. My marriage publicly shattered. My professional reputation in tatters.

I curled into myself, feeling smaller and more alone than I ever had in my life. But as I lay there, something shifted inside me—the pain crystallizing into something harder, colder, more focused.

I reached for my phone and opened my family group chat. I hadn't contacted them in months, determined to make it on my own. But now, with shaking fingers, I typed a message and attached a link to the awards ceremony.

'I need help. It's time you knew what my husband has done.'

The Chen family had remained in the shadows of my life for years. But shadows could be powerful things when they belonged to one of the wealthiest families in Asia. And Ryan Mitchell was about to learn exactly who he had betrayed.