His Debts, My Sweetest Victory

On our eighth anniversary, I found my husband on a tropical beach with his junior employee. A photo on social media showed them with a diamond ring he' d bought with our company' s money, captioned: "Paradise found with my forever love."

But the moment he truly broke me was when I told him I was terminating the pregnancy and needed him there. He laughed.

"You think I'm going to play along with your pathetic games?" he sneered, before rushing off to comfort his mistress.

Later, in the hospital corridor, after I had gone through it all alone, he finally fell to his knees, crying and asking about "our baby." But it was too late. He and his mistress had already killed my child.

So I played the part of the grieving wife. While he begged for a second chance, I quietly transferred millions to my name, gathered every last piece of evidence of his affair, and served him the final divorce papers, leaving him with nothing but a mountain of debt.

Chapter 1

Kelsey Reyes POV:

I found him. Not in our bed, not even in our city. He was on some sun-drenched beach, miles away, with her.

It was almost midnight when I got home. The city lights blurred through the car window. The apartment was cold and quiet.

My eyes landed on the bed. A scattering of red rose petals still clung to the silk sheets. A gaudy "Happy Anniversary" banner drooped slightly from the wall above our headboard.

Anniversary. Eight years since we started our tech company. Eight years since we got married.

I felt nothing. Just a dull ache behind my eyes from staring at screens all day.

I swept the petals onto the floor with a tired hand. The banner, I just ripped it down. It went into the trash without a second thought.

I collapsed onto the mattress. My body was heavy, each bone protesting.

I plugged in my phone. The screen flashed to life.

My finger brushed against the social media app. It opened.

There it was. A picture.

Him. Elias. And Dayami. His junior employee.

They were laughing, their faces close, bathed in the golden glow of a tropical sunset. Her head was tilted against his shoulder. His arm was around her waist.

The caption read: "Paradise found with my forever love." A diamond emoji shimmered next to it.

A diamond ring. On her finger.

I stared at it. My heart didn't clench. My stomach didn' t drop.

It was just... information.

Last year, a picture like this would have sent me into a spiral. I would have screamed, cried, thrown things.

Tonight, I simply pressed the power button. The screen went dark.

I closed my eyes. Sleep found me easily.

The next few days passed in a blur of silence. No calls, no texts from Elias.

Dayami' s feed, however, was vibrant. More pictures. Fine dining, private beaches, expensive watches. All paid for with company money, I knew. Our company's money.

I just scrolled past them. Each post a fresh wound, but my skin had thickened.

I called my lawyer. I told her I wanted a divorce.

I thought about the eight years. The crazy, passionate beginning. The secret wedding in Vegas.

We were so young, so in love. Or so I thought.

Now, all that was left was a hollow space. A wreckage.

Two weeks later, the divorce papers sat on my coffee table. I was reviewing them, marking clauses, making notes.

The front door burst open. Elias and Dayami walked in.

Hand in hand. Like they owned the place.

Elias stopped dead when he saw me. His face went white. Dayami, beside him, squeezed his hand tighter. A smug little smile played on her lips.

"Kelsey? What are you doing here?" Elias stammered.

"What does it look like?" My voice was flat. Emotionless.

"I thought... I thought you were still at your parents'," he mumbled. "I mean, with... with your condition and everything." He gestured vaguely at my stomach.

I just arched an eyebrow. I didn't say a word.

My silence seemed to infuriate him more than any shout ever could.

"What's with the attitude, Kelsey? You're acting like I did something wrong!" he snapped.

"Did you?" I asked, my gaze steady.

"Of course not! Dayami and I were just on a business trip. Team building, you know?" He tried to sound flippant, but his eyes darted away.

"Business trip with diamond rings and 'forever love' captions?" I picked up my phone from the table. The screen showed Dayami' s post. I held it out.

His face flushed. "That's... that's just a joke! Dayami is like a little sister to me, you know that!"

"Oh, I know," I said, my voice dripping with ice. "A very expensive little sister."

Elias threw his hands up. "Why are you always so dramatic, Kelsey? Can't you just for once be normal?"

"Normal?" I scoffed. "My definition of normal clearly differs from yours."

Dayami stepped forward, a handkerchief dabbing at her eyes. "Kelsey, please don't be mad at Elias. It was all my fault. I made him take me on that trip. I just... I needed a break. And Elias is so kind."

I ignored her. My eyes were fixed on Elias.

"I'm busy, Elias," I said, gesturing to the stack of papers. "If you could just sign these, we can both move on."

He blinked. Then his gaze fell on the document. His eyes widened.

"Divorce papers?" he whispered, his voice cracking. "Kelsey, what is this? Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack," I said. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

I went to walk past him. He grabbed my arm.

"Kelsey, wait! We need to talk about this!" His voice was a whine.

"There's nothing to talk about," I said, my voice colder than ever. "It's over."

Kelsey Reyes POV:

He tightened his grip on my arm. I could feel his fingers digging into my skin.

"Over? What's over, Kelsey? You're being ridiculous! We' re married!"

My eyes flickered to Dayami. Her hand, still entwined with Elias' s earlier, now conspicuously sported a glittering diamond ring. A ring identical to the one in her social media post.

He fumbled in his pocket, pulling out a small, velvet box. He snapped it open. Inside, two tiny, unremarkable silver stud earrings glittered. They looked like something you' d find at a discount store.

He said, "I got them for you. They're in my pocket. I was going to give them to you."

It was a stark contrast to the massive diamond on Dayami's finger. A diamond Elias had undoubtedly purchased. With our company' s money. My money.

"You really think a cheap pair of earrings makes up for this?" I asked Elias, my voice low and dangerous.

"Don't worry about it, Elias," I said, pushing his hand away. "I already have plenty of little trinkets. I' m not interested in small change."

His face hardened. "Small change? Kelsey, what is wrong with you? You're acting like a spoiled brat!"

The air in the room grew heavy, thick with unspoken resentment. Dayami, ever the opportunist, started to sniffle dramatically.

"Elias, maybe I should just go," she whimpered, her voice saccharine sweet. "I don't want to cause any trouble between you two."

"No, Dayami, stay," Elias said, his eyes still on me. "She's just being difficult."

He slammed the velvet box onto the coffee table, next to the divorce papers. The cheap earrings bounced slightly.

"You really expect me to believe you didn't do anything wrong?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. "You bought her a diamond ring. You flaunted it on social media. And you think a pair of discount store earrings will make me forget all that?"

Elias' s jaw clenched. "That ring was... a gift! A thank you for her hard work! You' re just jealous, Kelsey!"

Dayami suddenly clasped her hands together. "Oh, no! Elias, she's right! It was too much. I'll give it back. I don't need it. I just want you two to be happy." Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

She looked at Elias, then back at me, a perfect picture of innocent distress.

Elias immediately went to her side, wrapping an arm around her. "Don't listen to her, Dayami. You deserve it. She' s just being petty." He glared at me. "You always do this, Kelsey. Make a big deal out of nothing."

I didn' t argue. I just picked up my pen and went back to the divorce papers. My silence, it seemed, was more potent than any argument.

Elias watched me, his face turning an angry shade of red. He grabbed Dayami's hand, pulling her toward the door.

"Fine! If you're going to be like this, we'll leave! Don't come crying to me when you realize what you've lost!" he shouted, then deliberately slammed the door, making the whole apartment shake.

I didn't flinch. I just made a mental note. One diamond ring. Company funds. I' d make sure it was meticulously documented in the asset division.

Later that evening, my phone rang. It was my mother. "Kelsey, your father and I are making dinner. Come over. We need to talk."

I knew what "talk" meant. They knew.

As I pulled up to my parents' house, Elias' s car was already in the driveway. My stomach tightened. He was here too. Of course he was.

He was waiting by the front door, looking pale and nervous. He tried to offer a weak smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Kelsey... I didn't know you were coming," he said, sounding genuinely surprised.

"Neither did I, until five minutes ago," I replied, walking past him without pause.

Dinner was a tense affair. My parents were polite, but their eyes held a chill whenever they looked at Elias. They offered short, clipped answers to his attempts at small talk.

I, usually the one trying to mediate, said nothing. I just focused on my food. The role of peacemaker no longer fit me.

After dinner, Elias insisted on driving me home. "We need to talk, Kelsey," he said, his voice softer now. "Alone."

I got into the passenger seat. The car smelled faintly of Dayami' s overly sweet perfume. And then I saw it. A small, sparkly sticker on the dashboard. A cartoon character, just like the one Dayami always used in her texts. Her "exclusive" sticker, she called it.

"Dayami left that there, didn't she?" I asked, my voice flat.

Elias gripped the steering wheel tighter. "It's nothing, Kelsey. Just... she was in the car earlier. I can take it off." He fumbled for it.

"Don't bother," I said. "It just confirms things, that's all."

He started the car. The silence was deafening. He tried to speak several times, but no words came out. He looked defeated.

My phone vibrated. A text from my lawyer. Urgent. I checked it. Important updates about the company's financial state. Elias had been bleeding it dry.

"We need to discuss something else, Elias," I said, my voice suddenly sharp. "About the company."

He flinched. "What about it? Everything's fine."

"No, it's not," I said. "And we both know it."

He didn't reply. He just drove in silence.

When we pulled up to our apartment building, I saw her. Dayami. Standing outside, hugging herself, looking tearful and distressed.

The moment she saw Elias' s car, her eyes lit up. She ran towards it, throwing herself against his door as he got out.

"Oh, Elias! I was so worried! Where have you been? I tried calling, but you didn't answer!" she wailed, clinging to him.

Elias stiffened, his eyes darting to me. His face was a mask of discomfort. "Dayami, not now," he hissed, trying to gently push her away.

"But, Elias! I miss you! I thought you were mad at me!" she pouted, her voice rising.

"Stop being childish, Dayami," Elias snapped, pushing her away more firmly. "Kelsey is right here."

Dayami' s eyes narrowed at me. "Oh, don't worry about her, Elias. She's leaving anyway, isn't she? Isn't that right, Kelsey?" She smirked.

I stepped out of the car, ignoring them both. I walked straight to the entrance. Let them play their little games. They weren't my problem anymore.

As I entered the lobby, I glanced at the large electronic screen on the wall. It usually displayed building notices. Tonight, it was showing a slideshow.

A slideshow of photos. Bright, colorful photos. Elias and Dayami. Laughing, holding hands, sharing ice cream, kissing. Intimate moments, captured and displayed for all to see.

My breath hitched. They were everywhere. All over the screen.

Elias ran in behind me, his face horrified. "Kelsey! That's not... that's not real! Dayami, what is this?!"

Dayami, now looking genuinely panicked, tried to stammer out an explanation. "I... I don't know! It must be a hack! Elias, I swear!"

Elias turned to me, his eyes wide, pleading. "Kelsey, please! Don't believe this! It's fake! It has to be fake!"

He reached for my hand. I pulled it away.

"Fake?" I asked, my voice soft, almost a whisper. "They look pretty real to me, Elias. Whoever took them is a very talented photographer."

"Kelsey, no! You can't believe this! Think about our baby!" he pleaded, desperation coloring his tone. "Our child needs us!"

"Our child?" I repeated, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "Elias, these pictures are just another drop in the ocean. And that child is... long gone."

His eyes widened in shock. "What are you talking about?"

My phone rang. The doctor. "Mrs. Reyes, we have you scheduled for tomorrow morning. Eight AM. Please ensure you have someone with you."

"Got it," I said, my voice steady. I hung up.

"Kelsey, what was that?" Elias demanded, his voice trembling. "What child is long gone? What doctor?"

I simply walked to the elevator, pressing the button. The doors opened. I stepped inside.

"You'll figure it out," I said, as the doors began to close.

Elias stared at me, his face a mixture of confusion and dawning horror. Dayami stood beside him, her face a pale imitation of sympathy.

I watched their frantic faces until the doors sealed them out.

Kelsey Reyes POV:

Elias didn't come home that night. I knew he wouldn't. After seeing those pictures and my complete indifference, he probably ran to Dayami for comfort.

The next morning, I was downstairs with my parents, waiting to leave for the appointment. The front door swung open.

Elias walked in, looking disheveled, with Dayami by his side. He was holding a bag of takeout coffee and pastries.

"Good morning, Kelsey!" he chirped, trying to sound cheerful. "I brought breakfast! I thought we could have a nice morning together."

Dayami squeezed his arm. "Yes, Elias was so worried about you, Kelsey! He insisted we get you something nice."

My parents glared at them. My father' s jaw was tight. My mother' s eyes were narrowed.

I just watched Elias. He had a faint scent of Dayami' s perfume clinging to him, stronger than before.

"Worried, were you?" I asked, my voice flat. "That's why you spent the night comforting your 'little sister' instead of coming home?"

Elias flushed. "Kelsey, it's not what you think! Dayami had a crisis. She needed me!"

Dayami nodded vigorously. "I did, Kelsey! It was a really scary night. But Elias was there for me. He' s such a good guy."

"A good guy," I repeated, a hollow laugh escaping my lips. "Right."

Elias placed the bag on the counter. "See? I even brought your favorite pastry. And I was thinking... maybe we could take that trip, just the two of us. To Paris. Like we always talked about."

My stomach churned. Paris. That was always our dream. A romantic getaway we'd planned for years. He always said he was too busy.

Now, he was offering it.

I remembered finding a picture on Dayami's social media, just a few days ago. Her, in front of the Eiffel Tower, sipping champagne. With a caption that read: "Finally living out my Parisian dream. Thanks, Elias."

He had gone to Paris. With her. He was just offering me a recycled fantasy.

And the perfume. It was stronger now. A sickly sweet scent.

"No, thank you, Elias," I said, pushing the pastries away. "I' m not interested in Paris anymore. And I'm certainly not interested in your recycled dreams."

He flinched. "Recycled? Kelsey, what are you talking about?"

Dayami stepped forward, her eyes wide with feigned concern. "Kelsey, you seem so... distant lately. What have you been up to?"

My gaze sharpened. How did she know I was "distant"? Unless Elias had been telling her everything.

"Why, Dayami," I said, a dangerous edge to my voice. "Are you tracking my every move now? Or is Elias giving you daily updates?"

Dayami gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh, no! Elias, she thinks I'm spying on her! I just... I heard you two talking about her being busy, and I was just concerned!"

She turned to Elias, her eyes brimming with fake tears. "She thinks I'm a bad person, Elias! She thinks I'm trying to hurt her!"

Elias exploded. "Kelsey! What the hell is wrong with you?! Dayami is worried about you! And you accuse her of spying?!"

He grabbed a vase from the table, a beautiful ceramic piece my mother had given us, and hurled it against the wall. It shattered into a million pieces.

"You're unbelievable! You're selfish! You don't care about anyone but yourself!" he roared, pointing a trembling finger at me. "You' re out sleeping around, probably, and ignoring your own child, and then you try to blame Dayami?!"

I stood there, unflinching. His words were just noise now.

Dayami, seeing her cue, rushed to Elias's side. "Elias, darling, calm down! She's not worth it. Don't let her upset you."

"She's not worth it?" I repeated, my voice dangerously soft. "Oh, I'm not worth it? What about my mother, Dayami? Is she 'not worth it' either?" I knew she' d been talking about my mother behind my back. Elias's mother, Dayami always called her.

Dayami' s eyes widened. She knew she'd been caught. "I... I don't know what you're talking about!"

My hand shot out. I grabbed the heavy ashtray from the coffee table. I didn't even think.

With a primal scream, I flung it at her.

It sailed through the air, thankfully missing her head, but it struck her arm with a sickening thud.

Dayami shrieked, clutching her arm. "Oh, my arm! Elias, she hit me! She hurt me!" She sank to the floor, sobbing dramatically.

Elias rushed to her, cradling her in his arms. He glared at me, his eyes blazing with fury. "Kelsey! Are you crazy?! You hit her! You physically assaulted her!"

"She lied," I said, my voice steady. "And you know it."

Elias paused, his eyes flickering. Just for a second. He knew. He knew Dayami was a liar. But then the anger returned, stronger than before.

"I don't care if she lied! You don't hit people, Kelsey! You've gone too far!" he shouted. "Apologize to her! Now!"

I laughed. A cold, hard laugh. "Apologize? For what? For telling the truth? For defending my family?"

"If you don't apologize, Kelsey, I swear to God, I'll divorce you!" he screamed, pulling Dayami closer.

My heart, which had been frozen for weeks, felt a faint flicker. A tiny spark of doubt. Maybe he still cared. Maybe this was a chance.

"Elias," I said, my voice softer now. "I have something important to do today. I need you to come with me."

He looked at me, his eyes narrowed. "What is it?"

"I'm going to... terminate the pregnancy," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "I need you there. As the father."

He stared at me, then burst out laughing. A harsh, cruel laugh. "You're joking, right? You think I'm going to play along with your pathetic games?"