Chapter 1

The silence in our apartment was the first thing that told me something was wrong, a heavy, cold quiet that had slowly replaced the easy laughter we used to share. Years ago, Chloe Davis and I were inseparable, the kind of childhood sweethearts people write stories about. We built our lives together from the ground up, from broke college kids to a married couple with a future. I poured my soul into my indie game studio, PixelHeart, and she climbed the ladder in tech marketing. But somewhere along the way, the warmth vanished. Our conversations became short, our touches rare.

We were two strangers living in the same space, the history between us a ghost in the hallways.

Today was our tenth anniversary, a day that should have been filled with celebration. Instead, a storm raged outside, mirroring the one in my chest. I called Chloe in the afternoon.

"Hey, are you heading home soon? I was thinking we could go to that Italian place we love."

Her voice was distant, distracted. "I can't, Ethan. I'm swamped with the OmniCorp launch. It's a huge deal."

"It's our anniversary, Chloe."

A sigh. "I know, but work is crazy. We can celebrate some other time. I have to go."

She hung up before I could say another word. The dial tone buzzed in my ear, a sound of finality. I felt a familiar chill, the kind of cold that settled deep in your bones when you realize you're alone even when you're not. I looked out the window at the rain lashing against the glass. It felt fitting.

Later that evening, scrolling aimlessly on my phone, I saw a post from one of Chloe's colleagues. It was a group photo from a celebratory dinner. In the center of the picture stood Chloe, smiling brightly, her hand resting comfortably on the arm of Liam Hayes, the ruthless CEO of OmniCorp. He was a tech mogul, a predator in a thousand-dollar suit, and he was looking at my wife with an expression that made my stomach turn. In the corner of the photo, on the table, was a small, velvet box. It looked like it held cufflinks, expensive ones. I zoomed in. The brand was one I knew I could never afford.

I drove home through the storm, my knuckles white on the steering wheel. The apartment was dark and empty. On the dining table, the small, wrapped gift I had left for her this morning was gone. I had bought her a first edition of her favorite book, a sentimental gift that spoke of our shared past. I found it tossed on her nightstand, the wrapping paper torn carelessly, the book itself unopened.

"Did you... did you see the gift I left?" I asked when she finally came home, smelling of expensive perfume and wine.

She didn't look at me, just shrugged off her coat. "Oh, yeah. Thanks. It's been a long day."

She walked past me towards the bedroom, her dismissal a physical blow. The book, our history, meant nothing to her anymore. The next morning, a call from my lead designer jolted me awake.

"Ethan, we have a massive problem. OmniCorp just announced a new game. The core mechanics, the art style... it's a direct copy of 'Aetheria'."

'Aetheria' was our flagship project, the game we had poured three years and all our savings into. The one Chloe knew every detail about.

"That's impossible," I said, my voice hoarse. "How could they know?"

But as I said it, the image of Chloe, smiling next to Liam Hayes, flashed in my mind. And I knew. The betrayal wasn't just in our home, it was in my life's work.