Selene stood in the middle of the penthouse, her eyes vacant and lost, staring at the boxes piled up around her. The space that had once been her sanctuary now felt suffocating, foreign, and cold.
Selene had been packing her things for hours. Her hands trembled as she carefully folded a silk blouse she'd bought for their first anniversary. She had been so proud of it. Ethan had smiled when she gave it to him, but now the memory of that smile felt like a distant dream. How had she not seen it coming?
She placed the shirt in the box, her breath catching as she thought back to the countless sacrifices she had made for him. She'd emptied everything she could all for him, and yet this was what she got in return.
All she wanted from him was to build a life together. A family. She wanted them to be happy. She had loved him with everything she was.
But now, all of it, all the years spent by his side—felt worthless.
Her chest tightened as she wiped the tears that had been falling steadily down her cheeks. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. She had no idea where to go, what to do. The only thing she knew was that she couldn't stay here.
The phone in her pocket buzzed, jolting her out of her thoughts. She reached for it absently, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
It was Emma.
"Hey," Selene croaked, her voice raw. "I'm… I'm a mess."
"Where are you?" Emma asked softly.
"At the penthouse… I'm getting my stuff." Selene choked back a sob. "I can't believe this is happening."
"I know, Sel. I know. But listen to me," Emma's voice grew more urgent. "You need to get out of there. I've got a place for you. It's small, but it's a start. You can stay with me until you figure things out. You need a break. Get out of that penthouse, Selene."
The thought of staying in that space for another minute made Selene's stomach turn. She closed her eyes, her chest tightening. "Okay," she whispered. "I'll come."
"I'll text you the address. It's a one-room apartment. It's not much, but you are absolutely welcome if you want it. You know I'm always in your corner," Emma said over the phone.
Selene nodded numbly, wiping at her eyes again. "Thanks, Em, I'll be there soon."
The line clicked off, and Selene grabbed the last of her things, placing them into a box. She couldn't stand being here any longer. She had to leave.
When Selene arrived at Jane's apartment, she barely noticed the walk. Jane's place was small, with just one room—barely enough space to accommodate Jane herself—but it was a relief to know she cared enough to offer it.
She threw her things onto the bed, not bothering to unpack. Jane was at work, which meant it was just Selene in the room. She collapsed on the mattress, pulling the covers up to her chin, and sobbed into the pillow. She couldn't stop the tears. She had given everything to Ethan, everything she had, and now, he was gone. And with him, so was the life she had built for herself.
But it wasn't just Ethan.
Selene's phone buzzed again, interrupting her thoughts. She wiped her face on the sleeve of her shirt and reached for the phone.
The first alert came through.
"Transaction alert: Transfer of $10,000 to Ethan Calloway's account. Your balance is now $0."
Her breath caught in her throat. She opened the next notification, her hands shaking.
"Balance alert: You owe $50,000 on your credit card. The full amount is now due."
Another alert.
"Loan alert: Your loan repayment has been denied due to insufficient funds. Total loan amount owed: $150,000."
Selene's vision blurred, and her heart pounded in her ears. She scrolled through more alerts, her stomach turning as she saw the mounting debt. Ethan had wiped out everything—every single penny she had.
He had stolen from her. Borrowed money in her name without her consent. Now, she was drowning in a mountain of debt—debt she had never asked for, never agreed to.
This had to be one sick joke. A joke she would never recover from. With trembling hands, Selene immediately dialed Ethan's number only to find out she'd been blocked. Ethan blocked her.
The phone fell from her grasp. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stop the world from spinning. How could he have done this to her? How could she have been so blind?
Selene curled up into a ball on the bed, her phone clutched in her hand. There was no coming back from this. He had taken everything from her love, her money, her future, and left her in a sea of debts.