Chapter 4 - The Poisoned Well
Beatrice Sterling did not take kindly to threats, especially not from boys who wore polyester-blend suits. By Friday evening, her retaliation struck with the precision of a drone strike.
Julian was waiting for Victoria at their favorite Italian restaurant in the city, a small, candlelit place far away from the Sterling’s usual haunts. When Victoria finally walked in, she didn't look like the girl he loved. She looked like a ghost. Her eyes were red, her makeup slightly smudged, and her hands were shaking.
Julian stood up, alarmed. "Vic? What’s wrong?"
She didn't sit down. She reached into her designer handbag and threw a heavy stack of glossy photographs onto the table. They scattered across the red-checkered tablecloth.
Julian looked down. The breath left his lungs.
The photos showed Julian sitting in a dark booth with a stunning brunette. In one photo, he was leaning in close. In another, their hands were clasped over the table. In the last, the woman was handing him a thick envelope, and he was smiling.
"Victoria, I don't..." Julian stammered, his mind racing. "I don't know who this is. This is photoshopped. Or a setup."
"Don't," Victoria whispered, her voice cracking. "Just... don't insult my intelligence, Julian. Grandmother's private investigator took these yesterday. The woman is a corporate scout for a rival firm. Grandmother told me you were only with me to steal insider information about our upcoming real estate acquisitions. I defended you. I screamed at her for you."
"Vic, look at me," Julian pleaded, reaching for her hand.
She pulled away as if he were made of fire. "The investigator tracked the envelope, Julian. A hundred thousand dollars was deposited into an offshore account in your name this morning. The bank records are in my car."
Beatrice hadn't just framed him for cheating; she had framed him for corporate espionage. She had built an airtight cage of lies.
"It's Beatrice," Julian said, his voice rising, desperation clawing at his throat. "She offered me two million dollars to leave you on Tuesday! I turned it down! She's doing this to destroy us!"
"My grandmother is ruthless, Julian, but she doesn't forge bank records!" Victoria cried, tears spilling over her lashes. "You used me. You made me believe you loved me, and you used me."
May you like
"Victoria, please—"
"I never want to see you again," she choked out. She turned and fled the restaurant, leaving Julian standing alone in the ruins of his life, the fake photographs burning a hole in his vision.
