- 19 hours ago
Six Years of Empty Marriage, Her Child Was Another's - Hot
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00:00She claimed she was asexual, pregnant by her boy toy.
00:03She gave my life's work to her lover.
00:05Gag, the sound cut through our penthouse like shattering glass.
00:08That was the end of our romantic Thanksgiving dinner.
00:10My wife shot up from her chair, clamping a hand over her mouth.
00:13Olivia?
00:15You okay? Was it the turkey?
00:17This is a blessing, Arthur.
00:18But a man like you wouldn't understand.
00:21The next morning, she left early for campus.
00:24I was in my office when I noticed the voicemail light blinking on the house line.
00:27I hit play.
00:28Hello, Professor Thorne.
00:30This is Beacon Women's Clinic.
00:31You left your ultrasound after your prenatal appointment yesterday.
00:34Please stop by at your convenience to pick it up.
00:36The message ended.
00:38For a second, I forgot how to breathe.
00:39That was impossible.
00:40We hadn't shared a bed in six years.
00:42Whose child was she carrying?
00:43I gripped the marble counter, forced myself to breathe.
00:46Then I called her.
00:48Olivia, where were you yesterday?
00:49The clinic left a voicemail about an ultrasound.
00:51Dead silence on the line.
00:53Then a light laugh.
00:54Oh, that.
00:54One of my students had an accidental pregnancy.
00:56I just went with her for support.
00:57Seriously, Arthur?
00:58You know I'm asexual?
00:59Are you really questioning me right now?
01:01She hung up.
01:02But after six years of marriage, I knew exactly what her lies sounded like.
01:05Without missing a beat, I hit redial on the house line.
01:08Can you confirm that ultrasound to Olivia Thorne?
01:10Yes, it's registered to Olivia Thorne.
01:11I'll be right there.
01:13At Thanksgiving, Olivia's friends kept clinking their glasses and laughing, calling me her sugar daddy.
01:19I just smiled and refilled their drinks.
01:21Thought it was a joke.
01:21Then came the voicemail.
01:22That's when I realized my wife had a very public boy toy right under my nose.
01:27Beep.
01:27Hello, Professor Thorne.
01:29This is Beacon Women's Clinic.
01:30You left your ultrasound after your prenatal appointment yesterday.
01:34Please stop by at your convenience to pick it up.
01:36The automated voice cut off.
01:37Six years.
01:38She told me she was asexual.
01:40That she couldn't stand to be touched.
01:42All of it was a lie.
01:43I was never her husband.
01:44Just her cover.
01:45I snatched on my phone.
01:46Scrolled to a number I hadn't called in years.
01:49Olivia Thorne is cheating on me.
01:51Draft the divorce papers.
01:52I need them now.
01:53After hanging up, I sat there for a full minute.
01:55Then I called the clinic back.
01:57Can you confirm that ultrasound scan belongs to Olivia Thorne?
02:00Yes.
02:00Good.
02:01I'll be right there.
02:02I held a scan in my hands.
02:03The moment I saw Olivia Thorne typed at the top, I forced myself to stay calm.
02:07I didn't confront her right away.
02:08My wife thinks she dropped her driver since here yesterday.
02:12Mind if I check the security tape?
02:13The receptionist frowned, then nodded toward a security officer nearby.
02:17The granny screen flickered a life.
02:18There she was.
02:19My wife of six years.
02:20Clinging to the arm of some college kid.
02:22They were smiling.
02:23The kid gently placed his hand on her stomach.
02:25Olivia's face lit up.
02:26Then they slipped into a quiet hallway.
02:28She pulled him close and kissed him hungrily.
02:30Something sharp tore through my chest.
02:32I'd spent years convincing myself her distance wasn't personal.
02:35That love could exist without touch.
02:37Turned out she'd saved all that warmth for someone else.
02:40The guard paused the video and looked at me with pity.
02:43Rough day, buddy.
02:44I shook my head, unable to speak.
02:45My eyes were glued to the screen.
02:47To the kid's wrist.
02:48A custom, emerald-encrusted Patek Philippe.
02:51Engraved with Olivia's initials.
02:52I had it made for our wedding.
02:54Custom.
02:54One of kind.
02:55And now it was on her boy toy's wrist.
02:56I slipped several hundred dollar bills into the guard's hand.
02:59Copy the footage.
03:00Now.
03:01The penthouse was quiet when I got back.
03:03I collapsed onto the sofa.
03:04I sat there for what felt like hours.
03:06Trying to reconcile the woman in that footage with the woman I'd married.
03:09Then my eyes landed on a folder.
03:11Almost without thinking, I opened it.
03:13And there he was.
03:14Chris Dalton.
03:15The kid from a clinic.
03:16I snapped a photo of his file.
03:18Then forwarded it to my private investigator.
03:20Along with the clinic footage.
03:21Find every dollar she spent in the last 12 months.
03:24Every transfer, every account, understood Mr. Sterling.
03:27He called back within the hour.
03:29Mr. Sterling.
03:30Her paper trail is sloppy.
03:31I'll have the full report in your inbox by tomorrow morning.
03:34But brace yourself, sir.
03:36Just as I hung up, my phone rang again.
03:38Olivia.
03:38I took a deep breath, pushed down the anger, and answered.
03:41Hey, honey.
03:43Something came up at the lab.
03:44I can't make it home tonight.
03:46I'll make it up to you tomorrow.
03:48How about your favorite pasta?
03:49That sweet, loving tone.
03:51It used to be my anchor.
03:52Now, I made my skin crawl.
03:53Sounds perfect.
03:54Actually, I'm preparing a huge surprise for you, too.
03:58The next morning, the report was already in my inbox.
04:01I opened the encrypted file.
04:03The first item was Chris Dalton's private Instagram account.
04:06His latest post showed someone hunched over a laptop.
04:09I recognized her immediately.
04:10Olivia.
04:11The caption read, she's pregnant and still pulling all-nighters just to fix my thesis.
04:15Honestly, being this loved feels incredible.
04:17The timestamp was from three days ago.
04:19Our sixth anniversary.
04:20That night, I'd spend hours preparing dinner.
04:23But she told me she had an emergency faculty meeting.
04:26I'd waited until 2 a.m.
04:27She never came back.
04:28I scrolled down.
04:29Valentine's Day.
04:30A close-up of their intertwined hands.
04:32The emerald Patek Philippe on his wrist glinting in the light.
04:35A piece of black lace lingerie was tossed over the bedside lamp.
04:39The caption, she says I'm her favorite boy.
04:41That she'd give me everything, including herself.
04:43I stared at the wallpaper in the background.
04:45It was our old apartment.
04:46The tiny studio where we spent our first struggling years of marriage.
04:49Every inch of it had once held memories I treasured.
04:52I sat there for a moment, unable to move.
04:54I forced my trembling fingers to keep scrolling, screenshotting every single post.
04:59I was about to close the tab.
05:01Then I saw Chris was smirking in a lab coat.
05:03Behind him, a familiar set of molecular trial data was blurred on a digital display.
05:08It was my anti-cancer drug data.
05:10Ten years of my blood, sweat, and tears.
05:13A sick realization washed over me.
05:15I walked to her home office and opened her work laptop.
05:18Password required.
05:18I entered my birthday.
05:19She swore she used it for everything.
05:22Even her bank accounts.
05:23I used to tease her for being cheesy.
05:25But I also loved how devoted it made her seem.
05:27Access denied.
05:28I tried her anniversary.
05:29Her parents' birthdays.
05:30Her birthday.
05:31Denied.
05:31Denied.
05:31Denied.
05:32My hands had already started shaking.
05:34There was only one date left.
05:35Chris Dalton's birthday.
05:36I typed it in.
05:37Access granted.
05:38The desktop wallpaper loaded.
05:39The two of them lying in bed together.
05:41I ignored the sting in my chest and clicked into her research folders.
05:45There it was.
05:45My life's work.
05:46My patent application.
05:47But the lead author was Chris Dalton.
05:49Months ago, she begged me to share my raw data.
05:51Said she wanted to learn my methodology.
05:53I trusted her blindly and sent her everything.
05:55She handed him my life's work to build his future and torch mine.
05:58I copied the entire hard drive to a secure cloud server.
06:02Then shut the laptop.
06:03She'd promised to love me forever.
06:05She'd sworn to me that academic fraud disgusted her.
06:08Turned out forever had an expiration date.
06:10She didn't just want to break my heart.
06:11She wanted to bury me.
06:12She wanted to leave me with nothing.
06:13But you forgot one crucial detail, my dear wife.
06:16That patent research is incomplete.
06:18It's full of fatal, unresolved flaws.
06:20Go ahead and take it.
06:21Every flaw, every crack.
06:23When it all falls apart, it'll be your name on the wreckage.
06:25That night, Olivia came home carrying a takeout bag.
06:28Playful smile.
06:29Look what I brought you, honey.
06:30She popped the lid off.
06:31A thick, overpowering smell of seafood hit my face.
06:35I grabbed a fork and poked through the pasta, my stomach turning.
06:38Half-eaten seafood pasta.
06:39Fork marks dragged through the sauce.
06:41Clear bite marks on every remaining piece.
06:43And I was allergic to shellfish.
06:45One bite could send me into anaphylactic shock.
06:47When I didn't react, her smile vanished.
06:49What?
06:50I worked all day and still brought you dinner.
06:52Why are you looking at me like that?
06:55You brought me someone else's leftovers.
06:57What am I to you, Olivia?
06:59Some kind of garbage disposal?
07:00And in case you forgot, I'm deathly allergic to shellfish.
07:04I rolled her eyes.
07:05Oh, please.
07:06So I forgot once.
07:08You didn't even eat it, did you?
07:10Why are you throwing a tantrum?
07:12And one of my students was hungry, so I let him have a few bites.
07:15What's the big deal?
07:16Honestly, Arthur, that's what good professors do.
07:20We put our students first.
07:22You're a grown man, yet somehow less mature than Chris.
07:25God, I must have been blind to marry you.
07:27Before I could answer, she swept the container off the table.
07:30It crashed against the floor.
07:31Thick cream sauce splattered all over my shirt.
07:34She didn't even look back.
07:35Just grabbed her bag and stormed out.
07:36The front door slammed hard enough to shake the walls.
07:39She stayed out all night.
07:40Again.
07:40The next morning, my private investigator texted me.
07:43Mr. Sterling, Boston University's auditorium is hosting a press conference.
07:47It involves Chris Dalton.
07:48You want to see this?
07:49It drove over instantly.
07:51The grand auditorium was packed.
07:52I slipped into a seat in the back row.
07:54Up on stage, Chris and Olivia stood shoulder to shoulder, looking like a power couple.
07:59The massive screen behind them displayed the title of a breakthrough anti-cancer patent.
08:03My patent.
08:04Chris soaked up the camera flashes, radiating smug confidence.
08:08He talked smoothly about his late nights in the lab, analyzing data.
08:12Data that Olivia had coaxed out of me while pretending to take an interest in my work.
08:16So this had been planned for a long time.
08:18She'd been feeding him my research piece by piece, paving his way to the top.
08:22Suddenly, a commanding voice cut through the applause.
08:25It was the dean of medicine, my old mentor, and Olivia's too.
08:28Mr. Dalton, remarkable work, especially for a grad student.
08:31But if memory serves, this exact anti-cancer pathway was being developed by your professor's husband, Arthur Sterling.
08:37Did you perhaps receive his help?
08:40The question was polite, but the implication was deadly.
08:42The auditorium fell dead silent.
08:44He wasn't smart enough to handle this.
08:46But Olivia smoothly grabbed the microphone.
08:49I know you've always looked out for your own, Dean Caldwell.
08:53Arthur tried his best.
08:55But ambition doesn't always equal ability.
08:58He abandoned the project years ago because it exceeded his limitations.
09:02Chris is different.
09:03He's a prodigy.
09:04He finished what my husband couldn't.
09:06This is his work.
09:07Period.
09:07The crowd erupted into applause again.
09:09My stomach dropped.
09:10She was publicly tearing me apart just to put her boy toy on a pedestal.
09:13With Olivia backing him up, his professor and my wife, the crowd ate it up.
09:17A sheer genius.
09:19Boston University's pride.
09:20Mr. Dalton, our firm wants to fast track this.
09:23Millions in funding, equity, name your price.
09:25Reporters swarmed the stage, shoving microphones in his face.
09:29Chris bowed, drinking in his stolen glory.
09:31That's when I stood up.
09:32Then perhaps Mr. Dalton can answer a simple question.
09:35Page 30, line 5.
09:37How would you resolve the phase 3 instability variable?
09:40Because if you can't answer that, this patent isn't worth the paper it's printed on.
09:43The auditorium exploded into whispers.
09:46Every camera pivoted to me.
09:48On stage, the color completely drained from Olivia's face.
09:51The chaotic auditorium fell silent.
09:53Arthur?
09:54What are you doing here?
09:56I stared her down, my eyes like ice.
09:58If I wasn't here, I would have missed the show.
10:01I kept my eyes locked on Chris.
10:03Well, Mr. Dalton, go ahead.
10:05Page 30, line 5.
10:07Explain the solution.
10:08Under my intense gaze, Chris turned ghost white.
10:11Sweat soaked through his tailored dress shirt.
10:13Of course he didn't know, because the work wasn't his.
10:16I fired off a few more technical questions.
10:18He just stood there, unable to answer a single one.
10:20The crowd's admiration quickly morphed into suspicion.
10:23Whispers broke out.
10:24The camera flashes went into a frenzy.
10:26Chris's lips trembled.
10:27Bah, no professor.
10:29Help me.
10:29He tripped over the word.
10:30But in a room full of bloodthirsty journalists, that was enough.
10:33Wait, did you just call Professor Thornton babe?
10:36Mr. Dalton, the internet just uncovered a private Instagram account.
10:40Is she the Professor Bah you posted about?
10:42You can't answer Mr. Sterling's questions.
10:44Is this even your research, Mr. Dalton?
10:46The questions hit him from every angle.
10:49Chris swayed on his feet, looking like he was about to pass out.
10:53Enough!
10:54She threw herself in front of Chris.
10:55Her elegant, intellectual facade completely shattered.
10:58We are taking no further questions.
11:02Arthur, Chris is young.
11:03You ambushed him in front of everyone.
11:05Of course he's nervous.
11:06Are you that threatened by someone more talented than you?
11:08You are truly despicable!
11:10She marched down the steps, stormed right up to me, and grabbed my shoulder.
11:14Fix this right now.
11:15Tell them you're wrong.
11:16Or I swear to God, Arthur, I'll divorce you.
11:19Almost laughed out loud.
11:20In her eyes, I was still so desperately in love with her.
11:24That divorce was the worst punishment she could possibly imagine.
11:27But a threat only lands if the other person still cares.
11:30And I didn't.
11:30I shoved her off me, my eyes cold as stone.
11:32Good.
11:33Let's get a divorce.
11:34You really thought I didn't know?
11:36Ignoring Olivia's ashen face, I turned straight to the flashing cameras.
11:40Of course Chris Dalton can't answer.
11:41Because that research is mine.
11:43The auditorium exploded into chaos.
11:46A few of Olivia's investor cronies jumped up to defend her.
11:49That's ridiculous!
11:50Professor Thorne confirmed it's his work!
11:52You can't just use your seniority to bully a young researcher!
11:54Give the kid a break!
11:55I swept my gaze over them and laughed.
11:58You want proof?
11:58Then let's do this properly.
11:59I took long, confident strides up the stage steps.
12:02Plugged a drive into the main console.
12:04The giant screen flickered.
12:06Then my original research drafts appeared.
12:08Beside them, the edit logs.
12:10Clearly showing Olivia's account, overriding my name with his.
12:13I grabbed the mic and pointed out every single fatal flaw in the data.
12:17And with every sentence, the truth became impossible to deny.
12:21Those investors shrank back into their seats.
12:23God, she has no shame.
12:24The way she talked about her own husband earlier.
12:27I knew something was off.
12:29Even if it was his work, why humiliate her husband like that?
12:33And wasn't Dean Caldwell her Ph.D. advisor?
12:35The disrespect is unreal.
12:37Wait, so were those reporters right?
12:39Is she actually sleeping with her own student?
12:41The whispers grew louder.
12:43Chris and Olivia's faces turned a sickening shade of gray.
12:46Security!
12:47Arthur Sterling wasn't invited!
12:49Throw him out right now!
12:51The nearest security officer barely moved.
12:53Instead, he looked at her with open confusion.
12:55Mr. Sterling is a university trustee, Professor Thorne.
12:58Given his funding and academic contributions,
13:01he has a standing invitation to all university events.
13:04All the blood rushed from Olivia's face.
13:06She stared at me, her eyes wide with shock.
13:09You have that kind of money?
13:11And academic contributions?
13:13What contributions?
13:14I let out a heavy sigh.
13:16I never hid anything from you, Olivia.
13:18You just made a habit of treating me like I was beneath you.
13:21Years ago, when we were both graduate students at Boston University,
13:25I was the top of our class.
13:26Dean Caldwell had privately earmarked me for the tenure-track position.
13:30But Olivia cried in my arms and said it was her lifelong.
13:34Dreamed to be a professor.
13:35Loved her, so I stepped aside and let her take the recommendation.
13:38Then I took over my family as medical, firm instead, and I never stopped researching.
13:43I published multiple papers in The Lancet.
13:45Every time I tried sharing victories with her, she just waved me off.
13:49I hadn't deceived her.
13:50She was just so used to belittling me that she took everything I gave her,
13:54the money, the lifestyle, completely for granted.
13:57A sudden flash of realization hit her.
13:59Her face flushed red.
14:00She reached out, trying to grab my sleeve.
14:02You want to know why I came, Olivia?
14:04I'm here to return something you forgot to pick up.
14:06Your sonogram.
14:07The color vanished from her face.
14:10No!
14:11She lunged at the console to unplug it.
14:13The massive screen flashed again.
14:15Clinic surveillance footage played for the entire auditorium.
14:17Everyone knew about our strictly asexual marriage.
14:20In a split second, the entire room was staring at her with pure disgust.
14:24Chris collapsed onto the stage.
14:26No!
14:26It's fake!
14:27Don't look at it!
14:29Her elegant persona entirely destroyed.
14:31She lunged at me, trying to claw my face.
14:34But her panic only made it worse.
14:35The screen changed again.
14:37The tangled bedsheets.
14:38The hotel receipts.
14:40The private Instagram posts.
14:42Ironclad proof.
14:43The journalists went into a feeding frenzy.
14:45Camera flashes strobed like lightning.
14:47The investors who had been kissing up to Chris just moments ago were backing away.
14:51You make me sick!
14:52We're pulling our funding immediately!
14:54Learn some basic ethics.
14:55Partnering with you is a lawsuit waiting to happen.
14:58Backstabbing your own husband?
14:59Take your lying boy toy and get out!
15:00Finally, the university president marched to the podium, his face dark with fury.
15:06Sleeping with a student.
15:07Massive academic fraud.
15:09Olivia Thorne, this is the last time anyone will ever call you professor.
15:13You have disgraced this university and forelifted your right to teach here.
15:17Effective immediately, your appointment is terminated.
15:20Do not set foot on this campus again.
15:22Get out of my university!
15:23That was the final nail in the coffin.
15:26The press went absolutely wild.
15:28Camera flashes lit up the auditorium.
15:30And half the reporters pulled out their phones to live stream the fallout.
15:34Is this what you wanted?
15:35To destroy us?
15:36To ruin our lives?
15:38What was I supposed to do?
15:40Stand by while you cheated on me?
15:42While you handed ten years of my research to your lover?
15:45While you two erased my future and smiled for cameras?
15:48You tried to bury me first, Olivia.
15:50She choked on her own rage.
15:52You'll regret this!
15:53She spat out one final threat.
15:55Then she grabbed Chris by the collar, shielding his face, and dragged him toward the exit.
16:00The circus finally ended.
16:01Dean Caldwell slowly walked over to me and let out a long, heavy sigh.
16:06Seeing the red rims of his eyes, a knot tightened in my throat.
16:09I'm sorry, professor.
16:11Did I go too far?
16:12She used to be one of us.
16:13He cut me off with a firm shake of his head.
16:15No, Arthur.
16:16You did exactly what you had to do.
16:18I've always said academic fraud needs to be crushed.
16:20You are the victim here.
16:22Of course you had to defend yourself.
16:23He sighed.
16:24That sigh wasn't about what you did.
16:26It just breaks my heart to remember the girl she used to be.
16:29How did she become so thoroughly corrupt?
16:32He looked toward the empty exit, shaking his head again.
16:35What a waste.
16:35People like that always destroy themselves in the end.
16:38Dean Caldwell was mourning who Olivia used to be.
16:40And honestly, so was I.
16:42Back then, Olivia kept her hair in a simple ponytail.
16:45She was poor, but she always kept her thrifted clothes pristine.
16:48She never pitted herself.
16:49She just worked twice as hard, juggling her studies with late night shifts at a diner.
16:54I still remember her looking up at me in the campus library, her bright eyes burning with fierce determination.
17:00Arthur, academic corruption is poisoning everything.
17:03One day, I'm getting into the system and I'm cleaning it out myself.
17:07During our second year of grad school, her mother died of cancer.
17:11She came back from the funeral looking like a ghost, skin and bones.
17:14The second she saw me, she collapsed into my arms and completely broke down.
17:19She's gone, Arthur.
17:21She's really gone.
17:22I held her on the floor of my apartment all night, crying right alongside her.
17:26The very next morning, I walked into the dean's office and asked to switch my research focus to oncology.
17:31Since I was so close to graduating, I couldn't completely abandon my original major.
17:36So, I took on a double workload, pushing myself to the absolute breaking point.
17:40It was hell.
17:41But every time I looked at Olivia, it felt worth it.
17:44So, when had she changed?
17:45When had ambition curdled into greed?
17:47Later that evening, the dean and I grabbed a booth at a local dive bar near campus.
17:51Back in the day, our entire lab team used to gather here once a month.
17:55Olivia had always been the center of the table.
17:58Everyone loved her.
17:59We all knew she was struggling financially.
18:00So, we always secretly covered the bill.
18:03We'd tell her the place belonged to the dean's family.
18:05So, dinner was always a treat.
18:07We never wanted her to feel like a charity case.
18:09I never knew if she actually bought it.
18:11But every time her campus work-study check came in, she'd buy little gifts for everyone in the lab.
18:16The dean must have been replaying those same memories.
18:19He didn't say much.
18:20Just kept downing his whiskey, shot after shot.
18:23Eventually, I had to pour him into a cab and send him home.
18:26When I finally went back home, Olivia's things were completely gone.
18:30Classic Olivia.
18:31Always packed up and vanished without a word.
18:33I didn't go after her.
18:35I splashed some cold water on my face and collapsed on a bed.
18:38Before falling asleep, I checked my phone.
18:41The press conference had completely blown up on X.
18:43It was the number one trending topic.
18:46Hashtag BU Professor Exposed.
18:48Hashtag Fake Asexual.
18:50Hashtag Cancer Drug Scandal.
18:52Posts were flooding in beneath them.
18:53Sleeping with a student and stealing research?
18:56No wonder BU fired her.
18:57Stealing her husband's cancer research for her boy toy?
19:00Pure evil.
19:01Claimed to be acsexual.
19:02Caught pregnant on ultrasound cam.
19:04Watch the leaked video.
19:05Staring at the viral photos of Olivia's panicked, shattered face.
19:08I didn't feel a single ounce of victory.
19:10Just a suffocating grief.
19:11I closed my eyes, letting the darkness pull me under.
19:14The next morning, Dean Caldwell's call jolted me awake.
19:17Arthur, get online now!
19:19They're twisting the whole story!
19:21His voice was pure panic.
19:22I shot out of bed and flipped open my laptop.
19:25The top headline hit instantly.
19:27Olivia and Chris were live streaming.
19:29They were sitting on a couch, bawling their eyes out to millions of viewers, playing the
19:33ultimate victims.
19:34Olivia looked straight into the camera, claiming I'd been stealing her research data back
19:38in grad school, that my company's medical devices were dangerously defective.
19:42According to her, I was an insanely controlling monster who wouldn't even let her speak to
19:47other men.
19:48And Chris?
19:48She claimed he was just a brilliant student she took under her wing.
19:52And because I was jealous of his talent, I used my massive wealth to frame them both.
19:56Because the journalist yesterday only wrote about my evidence instead of publishing the
20:01raw files, the internet was easily swayed.
20:03People ignore written facts, but a crying woman on a live stream?
20:08The internet eats that up.
20:09Their little performance worked.
20:10Overnight, I became the internet's public enemy number one.
20:14OMG, I actually felt bad for the husband yesterday.
20:17Men are such manipulative psychos.
20:18Justice for Professor Thorne and Chris.
20:21They are victims of a billionaire's ego.
20:23Boycott Sterling Medical.
20:25Don't let this scumbag make another dime.
20:27The backlash was a tsunami.
20:29Right on cue, my assistant called.
20:31Mr. Sterling, it's a disaster.
20:32Our stock is in freefall.
20:34We just lost half a billion dollars in market cap.
20:37Relax.
20:38They're going to pay back every single penny.
20:39My phone kept buzzing.
20:41Finally, Olivia called.
20:42I hit the record button and answered.
20:44Well, well, Arthur.
20:45I told you, you can't beat me.
20:46Give me 200 million and 50% of your company shares, and I might consider calling off the
20:51mob.
20:51I smirked, but forced my voice to sound desperate and furious.
20:55Olivia, you know those accusations are lies.
20:57My products pass everyday inspection.
20:59You two stole my research.
21:01How can you do this?
21:04Arthur, for a CEO, you are incredibly naive.
21:07These internet trolls are idiots.
21:09They believe whatever I tell them.
21:11All I have to do is squeeze out a few tears, and they become my weapon.
21:14You're out of moves, Arthur.
21:15I stopped the recording and hung up.
21:17The internet couldn't see the truth without raw evidence.
21:20So I gave it to them.
21:21I took the explosive dossier from my private investigator, blurred the NSFW photos, added
21:27Olivia's recorded extortion call, and posted everything online.
21:31Then I waited for the internet to explode all over again.
21:34It didn't even take an hour.
21:35Public opinion flipped completely.
21:37Wait, so she really used us to go after him?
21:40That's insane.
21:41Yeah, no.
21:41She's evil.
21:42And that boy boy is straight up garbage.
21:43Broad donates millions to charity, and we let these two sociopaths play us.
21:47Arthur, we are so sorry.
21:49My evidence was ironclad.
21:50No amount of tears could spin them out of this.
21:53In a matter of minutes, the court of public opinion dragged Olivia and Chris straight to
21:57the guillotine.
21:58When Olivia called me again, I was having dinner with the dean.
22:00Arthur, I'm so sorry.
22:02I was wrong.
22:03I made a terrible mistake.
22:05I got blinded by greed, but I still love you.
22:07Please pull the evidence.
22:08Don't divorce me.
22:09I sat there stunned.
22:10This was the first time I had ever heard her beg.
22:12Back then, she scraped by on student loans, surviving on marked down sandwiches from a
22:17convenience store rather than ask anyone for help.
22:19Pride had always been the armor she wore, but now it was gone.
22:22She was begging on her knees, desperate to keep her hands on my money.
22:26Not happening, Olivia.
22:27I'll file for an at-fault divorce.
22:28You won't see a single penny.
22:29I hung up, blocking her number for good.
22:32The dean looked at me.
22:32You okay?
22:33I know how deeply you loved her.
22:35I shook my head, a bitter smile touching my lips.
22:38I'm fine.
22:39It's over.
22:40The moment she got pregnant by another man and tried to steal my life's work,
22:44whatever was left between us died.
22:45He sighed heavily, didn't press anymore, just poured us another round of drinks.
22:50The old man got himself completely drunk again, and who could blame him?
22:53She was nothing like the bright, ambitious girl he used to treat like a daughter.
22:57Olivia signed the divorce papers in the end.
22:59She was left with absolutely nothing.
23:01The next time I saw her was in federal court.
23:03She and Chris were facing federal charges for academic fraud, research misconduct, and
23:08embezzlement.
23:08She looked almost unrecognizable.
23:11The radiant, fiery-eyed girl I used to know was gone.
23:13Now, her face was hollowed out, and her eyes were dead.
23:16Her clothes hung off her frail frame.
23:18Half her hair had turned gray.
23:20She looked like she had aged 10 years.
23:22Your Honor, it wasn't me.
23:23I'm just a student.
23:24She manipulated me.
23:25She forced me to do it.
23:27The moment proceedings began, Chris pointed straight at Olivia.
23:30Olivia froze.
23:45She lunged across the defense table, wrapping her hands around Chris's throat.
23:50The bailiffs had to violently pry them apart.
23:53Their screaming match echoed through the courtroom.
23:56I'd had enough.
23:57I quietly got up and left the courtroom.
23:58My lawyers later told me they'd both received substantial federal sentences.
24:03Five years.
24:04Neither appealed.
24:05I didn't care.
24:05I went back to the lab with the dean, burying myself in the anti-cancer research.
24:09The next time I heard their names, it was in a homicide report.
24:12Five years later, they were both released.
24:14And that same night, Olivia went to find Chris at a cheap motel.
24:18According to police reports, 18 stab wounds.
24:21Each one deliberate.
24:22Each one savage.
24:24Witnesses said she just kept hacking in the body, screaming the same thing over and over.
24:29It's your fault.
24:30It's all your fault.
24:31You took Arthur from me.
24:32You ruined everything.
24:34I'll kill you.
24:35When she finished, the room was a slaughterhouse.
24:38She sat in the pool of blood until dawn.
24:40Then she called 911.
24:42When the police arrived, they found her dead on the floor.
24:44She'd taken her own life.
24:46The dean and I sat in silence after hearing the news.
24:49All we could do was sigh.
24:50Then we went back to the lab.
24:51Because by then, their tragedy had nothing to do with us anymore.
24:55Our clinical trials had just broken through a major bottleneck.
24:58The patent was secured.
25:00And for the first time in years, the future looked bright.
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