Chapter 4

The courier arrived the next morning, as Mark had promised.

A sleek, velvet box. Inside, a diamond necklace. Ostentatious. Impersonal.

Probably chosen by his assistant. Or Sophia.

I left it on the kitchen counter, untouched.

Mark called later that day, his voice crackling with static. "Hey, Em. Just landed. Crazy trip. Did you get my gift?"

"Yes, Mark. It's... lovely."

"Great! Listen, I've got to run. Meetings back to back. I'll try to call later. Love you."

Click.

Love me. The words were hollow, meaningless.

I spent the day in a daze. The house felt enormous, empty.

My friend Jessica called. My college roommate, now a sharp-as-a-tack VC. She'd always been wary of Mark's ambition.

"Em? You okay? You sound... off."

I told her everything. The tablet. Sophia. The anniversary. Paris.

There was a long silence on the other end.

"That bastard," Jessica finally said, her voice tight with anger. "I knew he was a snake."

"I feel so stupid, Jess."

"Don't. He's the fool. And a liar." She paused. "Sophia Dubois, you said? From the Dubois real estate family on the East Coast?"

"I think so. She mentioned her 'daddy'."

"Hold on." I heard furious typing. "Okay, got it. Dubois Holdings. Massive. They've been looking to diversify into tech. Mark's NovaDrive would be a prime target for a strategic investment, especially if he's... close to the daughter."

The cold knot in my stomach tightened.

This wasn't just about a younger woman, a new love.

This was about money. Power.

Sophia wasn't just a mistress. She was a key.

"Emily," Jessica said, her voice serious. "You need a lawyer. A good one. And you need to find out what's going on with your joint assets. Mark's been planning this for a while, I'd bet my last dollar."

The thought was terrifying.

That evening, Mark called again, his voice smoother now, the connection clearer.

"Hey, Em. Just finished for the day. God, I miss you. This trip is brutal."

"Is it, Mark?"

"Yeah. But it's for us, you know? For our future."

Our future. The one he was building with Sophia.

"Mark," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "I know you're in Paris. With Sophia Dubois."

Silence. Then, a nervous laugh.

"Emily, what are you talking about? I'm in Zurich. You know, the banking conference?"

"Stop lying, Mark."

Another pause, longer this time.

"Look, Em, it's complicated. Sophia... she's an important business contact. Her family is considering a major investment."

"And sleeping with her is part of the due diligence?"

"It's not like that!" His voice rose, defensive. "Things just... happened. I was going to tell you."

"When, Mark? After her father signed the check? After she had your baby?"

A sharp intake of breath on his end.

"How did you...?"

"It doesn't matter. What matters is you lied. About everything."

"Emily, please. Let me explain when I get back. We can work this out. I still love you. This... this was a mistake."

A mistake. Months of deception, a planned future with another woman, a child on the way. A mistake.

"I don't think we can, Mark," I said, and hung up.

The necklace on the counter seemed to mock me.