Chapter 1

On the anniversary of my mother's death, I found my husband in our bed with my best friend.

The betrayal shattered me, just as a similar affair had driven my mother to suicide years before.

Consumed by a blinding rage, I exposed their secrets to the world and destroyed her career. My vengeance was swift and brutal, but it was I who ended up behind bars for a year and a half. They watched as I was dragged away, their faces a mask of disgust.

They built a life on the ruins of mine, while I was left with nothing but the four walls of a prison cell.

But in that desolate place, my anger finally burned out, replaced by a quiet resolve to rebuild.

Five years later, I walked out a new woman. I had found peace, a new family, and a love I never thought possible.

I thought the past was buried, until I ran into him again. He looked at my simple dress with pity, offering me money and a ride home, completely unaware that the man waiting for me there could buy and sell him a thousand times over.

Chapter 1

Clara POV

Ava's video of "intentionally pushing down" the popular female star Chloe went viral, leading to widespread online criticism and abuse.

I stood there, the champagne bubbles tickling my nose, watching Hailey laugh. Her hair, a cascade of sun-kissed waves, bounced as she gestured wildly, recounting some anecdote about her painting class. It was a celebration, a gallery opening for a mutual friend, but all I could focus on was the effortless way Hailey navigated the room, a stark contrast to my own quiet contentment beside Camden.

"Seriously, Clara, you have to try this canapé," Hailey urged, a glint in her eyes. "It' s divine. Like, really, truly divine."

I smiled, taking the small bite. "It is good," I conceded, but my thoughts were elsewhere. Camden, my husband, was across the room, talking animatedly with a group of investors. His charisma was a magnet, always pulling people in. I loved that about him, his drive, his ambition. My family had given him a leg up, a chance to start his tech company, and he'd soared. He promised me the world, and I believed him. I always believed him.

Hailey leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "You know, Camden and I were talking about your studio space the other day. He thinks you could really expand if you just-"

"Hailey," I interrupted gently, my smile still in place. "My studio is perfect as it is. Small, quiet, just how I like it. I' m not looking to expand, remember? I' m happy with my little pottery business. It' s my passion, not a corporate takeover."

Hailey' s smile faltered for a split second, then snapped back into place, brighter than before. "Right, of course! Silly me. Just thinking big, you know? You deserve the best." She raised her glass. "To passion, then!"

We clinked glasses, the sound echoing the lightness of the evening. That night, sleep was a gentle embrace, and I woke feeling refreshed, unaware that the foundation of my life was about to crumble. The anniversary of my mother's death was a week away, a time often marked by a quiet grief, but this year, a different kind of sorrow was waiting.

It was a Tuesday afternoon, gray and damp, when I walked into our bedroom. Camden was supposed to be at a conference, Hailey at her art school. The air was thick with a scent that wasn't ours, a cloying sweetness mixed with something metallic. A strange feeling settled in my stomach, cold and heavy. I walked further into the room, my steps slow, deliberate.

Then I saw them.

They were in our bed, tangled limbs and hushed whispers. Hailey' s distinctive red hair was splayed across my pillows, her face flushed as Camden' s hand tangled in it. He looked up, his eyes wide, then narrowed to slits of cold fury. It wasn' t a mistake. It wasn't a misunderstanding. It was real. The image slammed into me, stealing my breath, curdling my blood. My best friend. My husband. In my bed.

I screamed. It was a raw, guttural sound that tore from my throat, shaking the very foundations of the house, of my world. The next few weeks were a blur of rage. I became a storm, intent on destruction. I didn't care about anything but making them hurt as much as they had hurt me. I posted everything online-the intimate photos I found on Camden's phone, the screenshots of their texts, every disgusting detail. I wanted the world to see them for what they were.

I didn't stop there. I found the prestigious art school Hailey attended, the one I had helped her get into, and I sent them everything. Every email, every photo, every piece of evidence of her duplicity. I wanted her expelled, her dreams shattered just like mine. The school forums exploded. Her name became a byword for scandal, a cautionary tale.

Then came her gallery debut, the culmination of her thesis. Camden had funded it, of course, a grand gesture for his new love. I walked in, cloaked in a dark hoodie, my heart a hammer against my ribs. My eyes landed on it: "Key to My Heart." A painting depicting a couple in an intimate embrace, set against the backdrop of my living room, the one with the climbing roses outside the window, the ones I had tended so lovingly. It was them. Their first time, in my home, in my space. The world spun. My stomach clenched, bile rising in my throat. I felt a violent surge of nausea, a hot, bitter wave that left me shaking. I gripped the small, sharp brooch I wore, a gift from my mother, and lunged.

The canvas shrieked as I tore through it, again and again, the sound reverberating through the stunned silence of the gallery. Paint splattered, colors bleeding into a chaotic mess, just like my life. People gasped, screamed. Security guards rushed me, pinning me to the cold marble floor. I could see Camden and Hailey standing over me, their faces a mixture of horror and disgust. They looked at me like I was a rat, vermin they'd found crawling in their pristine world.

"Call the police," Camden said, his voice cold and steady, without a hint of the man I once loved.

I started to laugh then. A low, broken sound that bubbled up from deep inside me, growing louder, more hysterical, until it filled the entire gallery. It was a terrifying sound, I knew, because I saw people recoil, their faces pale with fear. They thought I was insane. Maybe I was.

The next year and a half I spent behind bars. A felony conviction for vandalism. I tried to end it all, more than once, but they always pulled me back. In that sterile, lonely cell, something shifted. The rage burned itself out, replaced by a quiet, fierce resolve. I was done with them. Done with the past. I would rebuild.

Five years later, out of prison, a new woman. I had finally found peace, found love. Today, I was just Clara, running errands. I pushed open the heavy glass doors of 'Gourmet Delights,' a quaint little shop renowned for its artisanal cheeses and fine wines. I was looking for a specific vintage, a small indulgence for Christian, my husband. He wasn't a flashy man, despite his immense wealth, preferring quiet evenings at home. I found the bottle, the label an elegant dance of gold and deep crimson, and took it to the counter.

"That's an excellent choice, ma'am," the young clerk said, her eyes wide with recognition as she looked past me. "Mr. Rutledge, good afternoon."

My heart did a strange flutter. Rutledge. Camden. I hadn't heard that name in years. I turned slowly, and there he was. Older, perhaps, a few lines etched around his piercing blue eyes, but still undeniably Camden. He wore a tailored suit that screamed 'success', and there was an aura of effortless power about him.

He was in the middle of a phone call, his voice a low murmur, but his eyes, sharp and intelligent, landed on the bottle in my hand. He paused his conversation, a flicker of something unreadable passing through his gaze.

"Clara?" he asked, his voice a soft rasp. "Is that really you?" His tone sent a shiver down my spine, a ghost of a past I thought I had buried.

"It is," I replied, my voice calm, steady. I met his gaze without flinching.

He ended his call abruptly. "You haven't changed a bit," he said, but his eyes swept over my simple cotton dress, the canvas tote bag. "Are you... are you buying that for someone special?"

"Yes, for my husband," I said, a slight smile touching my lips. I watched his face, a flicker of surprise, then a shadow.

"Ah," he said, a strange note in his voice. "Let me get that for you. A small token, for old times' sake." He reached for his wallet, already pulling out a black card.

"That won't be necessary, Camden," I said, my voice firm but polite. I pushed my own debit card across the counter. "I'm quite capable of paying for my own purchases."

He paused, his hand hovering. "Still so stubborn, Clara," he said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Still holding a grudge, I see. All these years."

I felt a small, quiet laugh bubble up inside me, but I kept it contained. A grudge? No, not anymore. Not really. I had let go of the burning anger, the consuming need for revenge. What remained was a quiet satisfaction, a feeling of peaceful detachment. "No grudge, Camden," I said, meeting his eyes evenly. "Just independence."

The transaction was complete. I took my bag, the wine bottle nestled safely inside, and turned to leave. The overhead lights in the shop were bright, almost blinding. As I stepped outside, a sudden gust of wind whipped a strand of hair across my face, momentarily obscuring my vision. I blinked, trying to clear it.

Then, a sleek black Mercedes pulled up beside me, its engine a low purr. The window slid down, revealing Camden's face.

"Clara, you look a little pale," he said, his brow furrowed with what looked like genuine concern. "Are you alright? Let me give you a ride."

My heart gave a faint throb. It was a familiar gesture, one he used to make when we were young, when he would swoop in, a knight in shining armor, always there to take care of me. But that was a different lifetime.

"No, thank you, Camden," I said, shaking my head. "I'm fine. I prefer to walk."

He sighed, a hint of exasperation in his tone. "Don't be silly. It's a long walk, and that wine looks heavy. Where are you headed? Let me drop you off." His gaze swept over me again, lingering on my simple dress. "Are you... are you doing okay, Clara? Really?"

I met his gaze, my own eyes calm. "I'm doing very well, Camden. Thank you for asking."

He shook his head, a faint frown on his face. "I don't believe you. You look... tired. Let me help. It's the least I can do." He had a way of making "help" sound like an obligation, a penance.

The wind picked up, swirling around me, and I felt a chill despite my warmth. I looked around. There were a few curious glances from passersby. I inhaled slowly. This was not a fight I wanted to have in public.

"Fine," I said, a sigh escaping my lips. "Just to the old place. It's not far."

He raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "The old house? You're living there? Clara, that place... it's practically falling apart. Are you sure you're alright?" His voice was laced with a pity that grated on my nerves.

I knew what he meant. The small, unassuming house, the one I inherited from my mother, the one where my family's tragedy unfolded. The unspoken words hung in the air: How far have you fallen? I simply nodded, the corners of my lips turning up in a faint smile. He wouldn't understand. He couldn't.

I stepped into the luxurious interior of the Mercedes, the scent of leather and expensive cologne filling the air. It was a stark contrast to my simple life, a reminder of the world he inhabited. I reached for the air conditioning, a habit I'd developed to combat the occasional nausea that still plagued me sometimes, a lingering echo of the past.

"Still sensitive to smells, I see," Camden observed, a ghost of a smile touching his lips. "You always were, especially when you..." He trailed off, catching himself. "You've always been delicate."

"I'm not delicate anymore, Camden," I replied, my voice flat. "Things change. People change."

A heavy silence descended upon the car, broken only by the hum of the engine. Then, his phone rang, a cheerful, insistent tune. He glanced at the screen, and his expression softened.

"Hailey," he mumbled, almost to himself, before answering. "Hey, love. What's up?"

Hailey's voice, bright and overly cheerful, cut through the quiet. "Camden, darling! Where are you? I' ve been waiting for ages. Are you still with that... person?" The last word was barely a whisper, but I still heard it.

Camden cleared his throat. "I'm just giving Clara a ride home, Hailey. She was at Gourmet Delights."

"Clara? Oh, my goodness! What a small world! Is she okay? Poor thing. You know, we should all get together soon. For old times' sake. Dinner, maybe? I always loved our girls' nights. We could catch up, truly catch up. You know, before everything changed." Her voice dripped with a manufactured sweetness, a performance for Camden, perhaps. But I knew the truth. I remembered her, the timid art student I had taken under my wing, the one I had protected, the one who had then plunged a knife into my back.

"No, Hailey, not tonight," Camden said, his jaw tightening. "Clara is busy. We'll talk later." He hung up, his face a mask.

We pulled up to the curb of my old house. It looked just as it always had, small, faded, but standing firm. A quiet dignity in its age.

"Thank you for the ride, Camden," I said, reaching for the door handle. My voice was polite, distant.

"Clara, wait," he said, his voice stopping me just as I was about to step out.