Her Crown, His Broken Heart

s energy. Tomorrow, Sarah Jenkins' company, Nexus AI, would go public. Ten years of my

d prom

goes public, Alex,

wn, of being her shadow while she became the sun of Silicon Valley. We were a team, an anchor for each other in a world o

She looked radiant, powerful. My Sarah. I smiled, a wave of pride wa

d my name a

for ten years. I'll def

oyal employee, a pet. My smile faltered, but I told myself I was overth

n Th

ged. Her sharp, corporate mask softened. Her voice, usually

leagues; a title does

's the purest soul I've eve

the party noise. The world tilted. Purest soul? Ethan Thorne, the tech influ

vered in whiteboards filled with algorithms. We shared a single desk. Her dream was to build an empire, my

the world, Alex,"

project, to fund her first round of seed money. She had kissed m

r future, together

t. I felt cold, hollowed out. I turned away from her and her circle,

house, the one she insisted we get because it "reflected h

The party was incredible

elt her arms wrap around me, but there was

excitement and gaining a familiar edge of impati

g time. The woman I loved was gone, replaced by this polished, suc

a weight in my chest. I had to

oice hoarse. "After t