He Betrayed A Love Built on Lies

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Before I turned thirty-five, my whole life was my career. I had never been in a relationship.

I figured I'd stay single forever, until Damien Hale crashed into my world at twenty-two.

Faced with a thirteen-year age gap and every insecurity I carried, Damien always stood firm beside me.

Don't listen to anyone else. Just look at me.

All you have to do is stand there. I'll come to you.

Two years later, he was in the stairwell of our apartment complex, kissing another girl his own age like he'd forgotten the world existed.

She's thirty-seven. How could I possibly be serious about her?

You have no idea. A woman like that, successful but zero experience with men, she's the easiest mark there is. Desperate for a second bloom. I ask, she gives.

If it weren't for getting you to the top of the design world, I wouldn't take a woman like her if she threw herself at me.

In that moment, I finally woke up from the dream he'd so carefully constructed.

That love that had burst into my life like a break-in was never love at all. It existed because I was the most renowned jewelry designer in the country.

But Damien, you were wrong about one thing.

I was never desperate. And you were never my second bloom.

I leaned against the door to the stairwell, listening in silence to Damien's ragged breathing.

Christine James, the National Jewelry Competition is just days away. That first place is yours, guaranteed.

If it weren't for this, you think I'd still be stringing her along?

I stood behind the door, still gripping the umbrella I'd brought to give him.

Lightning split the sky outside the stairwell window, thunder rolling after it, but Christine's breathy moans came through with perfect clarity.

Everything you've done is for our future. A few more days and you'll never have to put up with that old woman again.

We've been together six years. Don't I know you by now? I'd never doubt you.

These two years must have been torture for you. And Zoe Payne actually thought you meant it. God, that's hilarious.

My fingers tightened around the umbrella until my knuckles went white.

Damien and Christine had both joined my company two years ago.

Fresh out of college, they'd started as interns in the design department.

Damien was my assistant. Christine was assigned to another designer's team.

They weren't in the same group, and their projects rarely overlapped.

Other than being in the same intern cohort, I'd had no reason to think they even knew each other well.

Only tonight did I learn they'd been a couple all along. Six years together, four before they ever set foot in my company.

The wet, sordid sounds from the stairwell kept going. I turned and walked home.

The second I got through the door, I went straight to the bathroom and stared at my reflection.

I was thirty-seven. Damien was twenty-four. Thirteen years younger than me.

He'd come to my company the year he graduated, starting as my intern, then staying on as my assistant.

Two months into his internship, he'd looked me dead in the eye with that steady gaze of his.

Ms. Payne, my internship ends in one month.

When it does, would you give me a chance to pursue you?

I hadn't taken him seriously at the time.

But the look in that twenty-two-year-old's eyes, bright and vast as a sky full of stars, had been almost frightening in its intensity.

After his internship ended, he passed every evaluation the company threw at him and earned a permanent position.

True to his word, he pursued me with everything he had.

Now the voice of that boy in my memory and the voice of the man in the stairwell collapsed into one.

For a moment, the world blurred at the edges.

Damien, what was I to you, really?

I didn't know how much time had passed before his panicked voice jolted me awake.

Zoe, what's wrong? You're burning up. You have a fever!

Why didn't you call me? Why can't you just take care of yourself?

Stay right there, don't fall asleep. Let me find you some medicine. Come on, take the pills first, then you can rest.

My eyelids were impossibly heavy. I forced them open, and the first thing I saw was Damien's face, tight with worry.

Just like every single day for the past two years.

When he saw I was awake, the tension in his shoulders eased. He turned and headed to the living room to grab the first-aid kit.

If I hadn't stumbled onto that scene in the stairwell, I never would have believed that everything he'd done for me these past two years was an act.

When he first started pursuing me, I turned him down more than once.

The age gap is too big, Damien. Thirteen years. A full thirteen years. When you were born, I was already in middle school.

You're only twenty-two. You have your whole life ahead of you. You'll meet so many other girls, better girls.

Do you even understand what being with me means? You'd have to deal with your family questioning you, strangers giving you looks. People would think something was wrong with you.

What had he said back then?

He was just a boy, eyes clear and voice steady, as though I were the only person in his world.

I don't care what anyone else thinks. All I want to know is what you think.

Everything you just said tells me you're worried about my age, worried about other people's doubts and opinions. But what about you, Zoe? What does your heart say?

I'm not afraid of anything. As long as you're by my side, I'll take on the whole world.

I was already thirty-five then. I knew his words were mostly the bravado of youth, the belief that love could conquer all.

But I couldn't deny it either. Faced with that kind of love, the kind that breaks down your door and refuses to leave, I fell for it.

From the day I entered this industry, my career had consumed me entirely.

By the time I was in my twenties, I was already the most renowned designer in Riverside City, arguably the whole country.

That was the first time in my life someone had chosen me so fiercely, loved me so openly.

So I believed him. I let myself fall.

While I was still lost in thought, he came back with pills in one hand and a glass of warm water in the other.

He coaxed me to take the medicine, scolding me gently between instructions.

I work one late shift and you manage to give yourself a fever.

Look at you, still like a little kid. What would you do without me?

Be good. Take the pills and get some sleep. If you still feel off in the morning, we're going to the hospital.

Maybe there was something in the medicine that helped with sleep, because I drifted off not long after swallowing the pills.

When I woke again, the apartment was empty. A sticky note sat on the nightstand.

There's porridge on the stove, and your medicine is on the dining table. Don't forget to eat. I called the office and took the day off for you. I'm heading to work. Get some rest.

SignedLove, Damien.

I crumpled the sticky note into a ball and tossed it into the trash can beside the bed.

After what I'd overheard between Damien and Christine last night, every little gesture of his love made my stomach turn.

Maybe it was the fever, or maybe it was the medicine, but I still had no energy. I spent the entire day drifting in and out of sleep.

By the time I woke for good, it was dark outside. I checked my phone. Eight o'clock.

Damien was rustling around, packing something. He turned and caught me sitting up.

Zoe, perfect timing. Get changed, you're coming with me.

Your fever broke, but you still look wiped out. We can't put this off. Let's get you to the hospital.

Dress warm. It's been raining the past couple days and the temperature's dropped. I don't want you catching cold again

He was mid-sentence when his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen, then stole a guilty look at me.

Zoe, give me one sec. It's someone from my team.

Before all this, I had given Damien my trust without reservation.

But maybe it was because of what happened last night. Something in my gut just knew.

That call was from Christine.

I slipped out of bed and crept to the door, pressing my ear against it. Damien kept his voice low, but I heard every word.

I know, I know. Christine, don't panic. You've still got me.

There are still a few days left, right? I'll figure something out. Don't worry.

Okay, okay, okay. I'm heading over now. We'll talk it through together.

The moment I heard that, I scrambled back into bed.

I had barely pulled the covers up when he pushed the door open.

The urgency from minutes ago, the insistence on rushing me to the hospital, was gone. In its place, guilt was written across every line of his face.

Zoe, something came up at the office. I have to go back and put in some overtime.

I thought about it, and your fever's already broken, so it should be fine to skip the hospital. Just rest up.

You know how much the National Jewelry Competition means to me. I can't afford any mistakes.

I nodded. I didn't ask him to stay.

I watched him hurry out, and it felt like a thousand tiny teeth gnawing at the inside of my chest.

The competition. Was it really so important to you, or was it important to Christine?

I picked up my phone and dialed my secretary.

Is anyone working overtime today?

Damien had been on my team since his internship.

For this year's National Jewelry Competition, his entry piece was a group effort. The entire team had poured everything into it, all of us hoping he'd place well.

If he could make a name for himself, it would be the best possible outcome for his career and for the company.

My question seemed to confuse my secretary.

No overtime. We all left a while ago.

Ms. Payne, you're the one steering the ship. If you're not here, what would we even be working on?

Though I did hear Team Two's competition entry hit some kind of snag. They were still in a meeting when we left.

I already knew the answer. But hearing it confirmed still sent a sharp sting through my nose, tears threatening to rise.

I was already thirty-five when I got together with Damien. He was my first love.

When we started dating, the whole world told me not to. Friends, parents, everyone said this relationship was doomed.

But I believed in him anyway, without hesitation, and I used every resource I had to help him find his footing in this industry.

Damien, you let me down. And you let down every ounce of conviction I had when I chose you against all odds.

Every resource I had to help him find his footing in this industry?

The thought sent a jolt through me. I forced myself up despite my body's protests and walked into the study.

Maybe it was all the sleep I'd gotten during the day, but I didn't feel the slightest bit tired. I sat on the living room sofa the entire night.

Damien didn't come home. Not once, the whole night.

Dawn was just breaking when he finally walked through the door. He flinched when he saw me sitting on the sofa.

Zoe, why are you up so early?

Are you still feeling sick? Did you go to the hospital? What did the doctor say?

This is all my fault for being so busy. I haven't been able to take care of you properly. I still have to run to the office for the competition designs. I just came back to grab a file and then I'm heading out again. Stay home and rest, okay?

The concern in his eyes was the same as always, but I didn't miss the red mark on his neck, the kind left behind by passion.

Damien didn't wait for my answer before hurrying into the study.

After a while, he came back out, crouched in front of me, and took both my hands in his.

Zoe, take care of yourself, okay? Remember to take your medicine.

I should be able to wrap things up today, no more overtime. I'll come home early to be with you.

When he saw me nod, his expression softened, and he pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead.

I watched him close the door and leave. Then I got up and went into the study.

The USB drive from the desk drawer was gone, and the most recent activity on my computer was a file copy.

My fists clenched. I stood, grabbed my coat off the sofa, and walked out the door.

Damien was still downstairs on a phone call. He hadn't left yet.

I followed him quietly, staying far enough behind that he wouldn't notice. He didn't take the car, and he wasn't heading toward the office. Instead, he walked to a 24-hour karaoke bar near our neighborhood.

He glanced around, checking both directions, then slipped into a private room.

I stood outside the door and watched through the small window.

The moment Damien walked in, he handed a USB drive to Christine.

This is the jade necklace Zoe designed specifically for Mrs. Gray. Take a look.

If your own design really can't cut it, use this one.

A few other people were in the room, friends Damien and Christine shared from college. They were already chiming in, grinning.

So we've got this in the bag, right?

Zoe Payne is the gold standard in this industry. Entering her work in the competition? That's not even a fair fight. Championship's locked down!

Once Christine takes home the title and you dump that old hag, the two of you jump ship to our firm, and we'll have Riverside City on lock!

Christine clutched the USB drive, barely able to contain herself. She leapt up and planted a hard kiss on Damien's lips.

Damien, you're so good to me. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you.

But this design won't cause any problems, will it? There won't be any trouble?

If anyone finds out I stole someone else's work, my career is over. Permanently.

Damien's brow creased slightly. He shook his head.

There won't be any problems. Mrs. Gray specifically requested Zoe to design it herself. Zoe did all the work at home. Only she and I have ever seen the design. Nobody else.

But Christine, your own design is solid too. When the time comes, I'll deliberately hold back on my entry, and you'll still be a shoo-in for the championship.

Zoe has a contract with Mrs. Gray. If anything goes wrong with this design, she won't just owe a breach-of-contract penalty. Her reputation in the industry will be destroyed.

Christine frowned when she heard that.

Damien, what are you saying? Don't tell me you've actually fallen for that old woman. Are you taking her side now?

Even if my own design wins the championship, it won't make the same splash as Zoe's would. I don't just want the title. I want to become a household name overnight.

Are you backing out? Did you forget what you promised me?

Seeing Christine's anger, Damien pulled her into his arms, his voice turning soft and indulgent as he soothed her.

How could I possibly like that old woman? You know me. Just looking at her makes me sick.

It's just that this design really matters to her. The penalty clause with Gray Group alone would bankrupt her. She could sell the whole company and still not cover it.

If your own designs were good enough to win, why would we need to go this far?

Christine's face twisted with displeasure, but before she could respond, the others in the room jumped in to cut Damien off.

Damien, that's not the point. Christine's right. Sure, we want the championship, but making a splash is just as important.

We made a pact back in college. Our company has to be the best in the country. Isn't that why you started selling your looks in the first place?

Drop the soft act. If this whole thing makes Zoe disappear from the industry for good, even better. One less obstacle in our way.

Christine picked up the glass in front of her and studied it, turning it slowly. The look in her eyes was vicious.

Damien, these past two years at Zoe's company, I watched you two flaunt your relationship right in front of me. How do you think that felt?

This competition, using Zoe's design, it's not just about winning. It's about making our dream happen.

And I get to use this chance to bring Gray Group's power down on her head and grind her into the dirt. You really think I'd pass that up?

My hands clenched into fists so tight my nails nearly broke the skin of my palms.

The room went quiet for a long time.

After what felt like an eternity, Damien's voice came through, barely above a whisper.

Christine. Do what you want.

The tears I'd been holding back finally fell, heavy and hot.

I wiped them away hard, turned, and walked away from the door.

Damien.

This time, I'm done with you.

As for the championship.

Go ahead and try. See if you can hold on to it.