My Ex-Fiancé Stole My Dreams

ousy." He had taken my work, my name, my dignity, and then he had twisted the knife, blaming me for daring to feel anything other than silent acceptance. The humiliation was

a cold, hard resolve began to crystallize in the swirling haze o

stunned crowd, a singular, terrifying focus guiding my steps towards the brightly

. Declan. His fingers bit into my skin, his grip a painful reminder of his power, his control.

. "Let go of me, Declan!" My voice was

smile. "My apologies, ladies and gentlemen," he announced, his voice smooth and practiced, belyin

a side door and into a deserted hallway. My feet stumbled, barely keeping pace with his furio

he words themselves felt like a betrayal, a weakness I couldn't afford. My wrist throbbed,

He stood over me, his chest heaving, his eyes blazing with a cold, righteous anger. "What was that, Cayla?" he demanded, h

cly humiliated me! You called me a 'drafting assistant,' for God's sake! What else is there to ruin?" My voice was barely a whisper, thick with a pain so profound, it stol

tling quietness. He reached out, his hand gently touching my cheek, hi

rwrought. You're not thinking straight." And then, before I could react,

de of yearning, of hoping, of aching for his touch, and this was it. A kiss born of manipulation, of a desperate attempt to silence me, to control me. He thought a kiss

ceral disgust. This wasn't love. This was a violation. This was him trying to reassert his ownership, to remi

the deserted hallway, clear and undeniable. His head snapped back, a crimson ma

ely now, hot and angry, but they were not for him. They were for the decade I

till wide with disbelief. He had never expected me to fight back. Never expecte

tinguished. My steps were shaky at first, but with each stride, they gained strength, purpose. I w

at I had stored on shared drives, on my firm laptop, on my personal cloud – I deleted them all. Every draft, every calculation, e

ry now, my mind clear. As I sat at the gate, waiting for my flight, I opened my phone again. Declan's number, Kisha's numbe

ly faded into the darkness. I wiped away the last of my tears, a resolute silence settling over me. This was it. A new life. A clean slat