Chapter 1
Kevin froze in the doorway,
his hand gripping the doorknob,
while his eyes darted across the room.
He looked at the files,
which were spread across the table,
and then he looked at Olivia.
The pink flowers in his hand drooped,
looking entirely out of place,
especially with the hospital sticker on his jacket.
The sticker was bright yellow,
boldly displaying the maternity ward logo,
which he had forgotten to remove.
I stared at that sticker,
feeling a cold wave of clarity,
knowing exactly where he had been.
He tried to force a smile,
but his lips trembled slightly,
giving away his sudden panic.
He stepped into the apartment,
closing the door behind him,
and cleared his throat loudly.
I did not stand up,
nor did I offer a greeting,
because I was completely done with his lies.
Olivia adjusted her glasses,
looking at him with sharp eyes,
like a predator watching its prey.
Kevin hid the flowers behind his back,
trying to look casual,
but the damage was already done.
He asked who my guest was,
pretending to be a confused husband,
who had just come home from a long day.
I folded my hands together,
resting them on the financial documents,
and told him she was an old friend.
He walked closer to the kitchen island,
his eyes scanning the paperwork,
trying to read the bold print.
I placed a folder over the bank statements,
hiding the evidence for now,
because it was not time to strike yet.
He asked why we were working so late,
sweat forming on his forehead,
as he noticed the blue baby gift.
The gift bag sat between us,
a silent witness to his ultimate betrayal,
shining under the kitchen lights.
He swallowed hard,
his Adam's apple bobbing up and down,
as he stared at the silver tissue paper.
I told him I went to the hospital,
watching his face turn pale,
like all the blood had drained away.
He asked how Sierra was doing,
his voice cracking on her name,
which made me sick to my stomach.
I smiled a completely empty smile,
telling him she was doing perfectly fine,
and that the baby was beautiful.
He let out a breath he was holding,
believing he had dodged a bullet,
thinking I was still his foolish wife.
He set the flowers on the counter,
saying he bought them for me,
because he knew I was feeling sad.
I looked at the pink petals,
knowing Sierra loved that exact color,
and realized they were meant for her.
He must have bought them at the gift shop,
deciding to bring them home instead,
to play the role of the caring partner.
I thanked him coldly,
not breaking eye contact,
until he looked away first.
He said he was going to take a shower,
needing to wash off the stress of his meeting,
which was just another pathetic lie.
He hurried down the hallway,
leaving me alone with Olivia,
who shook her head in sheer disgust.
She whispered that he was a fool,
and I completely agreed with her,
knowing his entire world was about to end.
We packed up the folders quickly,
sliding the bank records into her briefcase,
securing the proof of his financial fraud.
I promised Olivia I would call her tomorrow,
walking her to the front door,
feeling a new sense of dangerous power.
The door clicked shut,
May you like
leaving me in the quiet apartment,
ready to plan my absolute revenge.
