Chapter 15 - The Burner Phone
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Richard collapsed into bed and was asleep within ten minutes, dead to the world.
I walked into his walk-in closet to unpack his garment bag—a final act of domestic espionage. As I pulled his spare suit jacket from the canvas bag, a heavy object clunked against the wooden hanger.
I reached into the inner breast pocket and pulled out a sleek, black smartphone.
It wasn't his corporate phone. It was the burner. The lifeline to his second reality.
I didn't need a hacker to unlock it. Richard used the same four-digit passcode for everything—the year Horizon Prime was founded. I typed the numbers in, and the screen unlocked.
My stomach churned as I opened the messaging app.
There were thousands of texts. Years of conversations.
Evelyn: Leo scored a goal today! We missed you.
Richard: Tell my champion I’m proud of him. I hate being trapped in this city with her, Ev. Two more years until the trust matures, then I file the divorce and we never have to hide again.
I stared at the glowing screen, the sheer, calculated malice of his plan laid bare. He wasn't just living a double life; he was using our marriage as a holding pattern, waiting for a specific corporate trust to vest before discarding Stella and me entirely. We were just placeholders.
Another message caught my eye, sent just three hours ago.
Evelyn: A strange woman came into the gallery today asking about art for her husband. She gave me a really weird feeling. Are you sure Victoria doesn't suspect anything?
Richard: Victoria is clueless, baby. She's too busy organizing playdates to notice anything outside her little bubble. Stop worrying. Paris is booked. Soon, you'll officially be Mrs. Vance.
A cold, venomous smile spread across my face in the dark closet.
Clueless.
May you like
I placed the burner phone back into his jacket pocket exactly where I had found it. I didn't want him to suspect a thing. I wanted him to wake up tomorrow morning feeling like the master of his universe, right up until the moment I tore the sky down on his head.
I walked out of the closet, leaving the bedroom door cracked open, and went downstairs to sleep on the sofa. I refused to spend one last night in the bed of a monster.
