Page 67 of Shattered Dreams

She even texts me:

Annie: SAY SOMETHING! FUCKING HELP ME, YOUR WIFE IS A PSYCHO!

What does she expect me to do? My empire has fallen too. But unlike her, I’m beyond caring. I don’t want anything if I don’t have Ava.

I fucking block her. I should’ve blocked her a long time ago.

Ava doesn’t say a word. She doesn’t need to.

She just keeps smiling that quiet, dangerous smile of a woman who knows exactly what she’s doing.

And I realize something: She’s not just moving on.

She’s loving this.

And I’m not even part of her world anymore.

By the endof the week, I’m unrecognizable.

The media dubs it "Roman Muller’s Fall from Grace." Even my mother texts me.

Maybe you should talk to someone. A therapist. I’m so disappointed in you, Roman, but for Poppy’s sake, you need to be stronger than this.

Gee, thanks, Mom.

The final blow comes in the form of a team email.

We are disappointed in your recent conduct. The board is considering further action if the behavior continues.

My position isn’t guaranteed anymore.

I am one more scandal away from being cut, and for the first time in my entire life, I can’t fight it or charm my way out.

Because I already lost the one person who ever made me want to be better.

And now I’m just a shitty example of what happens when you fuck everything up.

I lie in bed that night staring at the ceiling, wondering if Ava is still awake.

If she’s thinking about me or if she ever will again.

24

AVA

The news cycle churns forward without mercy, and I find myself checking my phone every few minutes like some sort of digital addiction. I don't feel guilty about what I've done. Why should I? My husband didn't feel guilty when he cheated on me, so he can get fucked.

I sip my chamomile tea and scroll through the headlines like I'm checking tomorrow's weather forecast. The stories have taken on a life of their own now, spreading across every platform, every blog, every tabloid desperate for clicks.

Roman Muller suspended again amid rising backlash.

Annie Collins dropped from a third brand partnership this week.

Ava Muller, quiet in public, has become a symbol of silent strength.

This isn't revenge, no matter what anyone thinks. It's justice. Pure and simple justice for every woman who's been lied to, cheated on, and made to feel like she wasn't enough.

I lean against the granite kitchen counter, watching the steam rise from my mug in delicate spirals. Through the sliding glass door, I can see Roman on the back patio, slumped in oneof our wrought-iron chairs like a broken puppet. He's staring at the sky as if it might reveal the secrets of how to undo everything he's lost.