The Wife He Betrayed

Chapter 4

The first call comes before I finish my coffee.

Morning light fills the small kitchen table where I am sitting with my laptop open in front of me. The apartment I moved into yesterday is quiet, almost too quiet. It is smaller than the penthouse I shared with Victor, but the silence here feels cleaner. Nothing in this space belongs to the life I just left behind.

My phone vibrates against the table.

The screen lights up with a name I recognize.

Daniel.

My lawyer.

I answer before the second ring finishes.

"Good morning," I say.

Daniel does not waste time with greetings.

"You should turn on the news."

My fingers pause around the coffee cup.

"What happened?"

"The story broke about twenty minutes ago."

I lean back in the chair.

"What story?"

"The one involving your husband."

There is something careful in his tone now.

"What exactly did they say?"

Daniel exhales slowly.

"Everything."

A long silence stretches between us.

"How?" I ask.

"We're not completely sure yet. But several outlets are reporting that Victor Diaz fathered a child with his wife's sister."

I close my eyes for a moment.

"Already?"

"Yes."

"That was fast."

"Scandals involving billionaires usually move quickly."

"What are they saying about me?"

Daniel hesitates before answering.

"They're calling you the betrayed wife."

I open my eyes and stare at the blank wall in front of me.

"That's not surprising."

"No."

"Are they using my name?"

"Yes."

"Pictures?"

"Yes."

"Of Eva?"

"Not yet."

"And Victor?"

"Everywhere."

I reach for the remote control on the table and turn on the television.

The screen flashes to life immediately.

A morning news anchor sits behind a desk with the kind of expression people use when they are discussing something scandalous but pretending it is simply another story.

Victor's face fills the screen behind her.

The caption reads clearly.

TECH BILLIONAIRE CAUGHT IN FAMILY AFFAIR SCANDAL.

I watch without blinking.

"...sources confirm that Victor Diaz, founder of Diaz Technologies, allegedly fathered a child with his wife's younger sister," the anchor is saying.

Images of Victor appear beside her.

Press photos. Conference appearances. Interviews.

He looks exactly the way he always does.

Confident. Controlled. Untouchable.

The anchor continues.

"Leticia Diaz, a corporate attorney known for her work in international law, reportedly filed for divorce early this morning. Representatives for her have declined to comment."

Daniel speaks again through the phone.

"You see what I mean."

"Yes."

"You're going to receive calls."

"I already have."

"How many?"

"Eight missed calls from unknown numbers."

"They'll keep coming."

"I assumed they would."

Daniel lowers his voice slightly.

"Reporters are already outside your old building."

"I'm not there."

"I know."

"You didn't tell anyone where I moved."

"Of course not."

"Good."

Another voice appears on the television as the program switches to a panel discussion.

"This kind of scandal is devastating for someone in Victor Diaz's position," a financial analyst is saying.

"Why?" the host asks.

"Because investors trust leadership. When a leader's personal judgment appears questionable, it raises concerns about everything else."

I turn the volume down slightly.

Daniel continues speaking.

"The markets are reacting."

"How badly?"

"Diaz Technologies stock dropped twelve percent in the last hour."

I raise an eyebrow slightly.

"That much?"

"Investors don't like headlines like this."

"Neither do board members."

"Exactly."

I take another sip of coffee.

"Have you spoken to Victor?"

"No."

"Has he tried to contact you?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"I haven't responded."

"That's probably wise."

The television screen switches to footage outside Victor's company headquarters.

A crowd of reporters stands near the entrance.

Microphones. Cameras. Flashing lights.

Someone says Victor's name loudly as if he might suddenly appear.

Daniel's voice brings my attention back to the phone.

"I need to ask you something."

"What?"

"Are you planning to make a public statement?"

"No."

"Not even a short one?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"There's a strategic advantage sometimes to controlling the narrative."

"I'm not interested in narratives."

"You're sure?"

"I'm certain."

Daniel pauses for a moment.

"Alright."

"What about the divorce filing?" I ask.

"It's done."

"Already?"

"Yes."

"You work quickly."

"That's my job."

"Has Victor been notified?"

"He will be today."

"Good."

The television panel continues discussing the scandal as if it were a sporting event.

One of the commentators speaks next.

"The most shocking part of this story isn't the affair itself," she says. "It's the fact that the other woman is the wife's sister."

Another voice responds.

"That's the part that makes it explosive."

I mute the television completely.

Daniel speaks again.

"There's something else you should know."

"What?"

"Several reporters have contacted my office asking for interviews with you."

"I expected that."

"I declined them."

"Thank you."

"They might try approaching you directly."

"They won't find me."

"You sound very calm."

"I am calm."

"Most people would not be."

"I'm not most people."

Daniel chuckles softly.

"That's true."

The call ends a few minutes later after we review the next legal steps.

When I place the phone back on the table, the apartment falls quiet again.

The television screen continues showing images of Victor surrounded by speculation.

My phone vibrates again.

This time the name on the screen makes my stomach tighten slightly.

Victor.

I let the call ring for a moment before answering.

"Yes."

His voice sounds different than it did yesterday.

Rougher.

More controlled.

"You filed for divorce."

"Yes."

"Already."

"Yes."

"You didn't even speak to me first."

"There was nothing to discuss."

"There is plenty to discuss."

"I disagree."

Victor is silent for a moment.

"Is that why the media knows about this?"

"No."

"You didn't tell them?"

"No."

"Then who did?"

"I don't know."

Victor exhales slowly.

"This is becoming a disaster."

"I imagine it is."

"You don't sound concerned."

"Why would I be?"

"Because this affects both of us."

"No."

"Yes it does."

"I'm not the one who created this situation."

Victor's voice sharpens slightly.

"That doesn't mean you have to make it worse."

"I'm not making anything worse."

"You filed for divorce within hours."

"Yes."

"That's not normal behavior."

"It seems perfectly reasonable to me."

"Leticia."

"Yes."

"We should handle this privately."

"It stopped being private the moment your child was born."

Victor goes quiet again.

"You spoke to Eva."

"Yes."

"What did she tell you?"

"Enough."

"Leticia."

"Yes."

"I know you're angry."

"I'm not angry."

"Then what are you?"

"Finished."

The word hangs in the air between us.

Victor speaks more quietly now.

"You're ending our marriage because of one mistake."

"One mistake."

"Yes."

"You slept with my sister."

Victor does not respond.

"You got her pregnant."

Still nothing.

"You let me go through fertility treatments while she was carrying your child."

His voice finally returns.

"I didn't know how to tell you."

"That's not my problem."

"I was trying to protect you."

I laugh once.

It is a short sound without humor.

"You were protecting yourself."

"That's not fair."

"Fair ended the moment you betrayed me."

Another long pause fills the call.

Victor speaks again with difficulty.

"The press is destroying my company."

"That's unfortunate."

"You don't care."

"No."

"They're calling me immoral. Reckless. Dishonest."

I glance at the muted television screen.

"They're not wrong."

"You're enjoying this."

"No."

"Then why won't you help me stop it?"

"Because it's not my job."

"You're still my wife."

"Not for long."

Victor's frustration finally surfaces.

"You're acting like a stranger."

"I am one now."

"That's ridiculous."

"You made it that way."

His voice lowers again.

"Please talk to the press. Just once. Tell them this is a private family matter."

"No."

"That would calm investors."

"That's not my concern."

"Leticia."

"Yes."

"You're destroying everything I built."

"No."

"You are."

"No, Victor."

I pause before finishing the sentence.

"You did that yourself."

He says nothing.

The silence stretches long enough that I can almost hear the thoughts forming in his mind.

Finally he speaks again.

"Where are you staying?"

"That's not information you need."

"I want to talk to you in person."

"That won't happen."

"Why?"

"Because I don't need closure."

"You think this is easy for me?"

"No."

"Good. Because it isn't."

"Actions have consequences."

Victor breathes slowly through the phone.

"I never stopped loving you."

"That's interesting."

"It's true."

"Love usually prevents betrayal."

"I made a mistake."

"You made a series of decisions."

"Leticia."

"Yes."

"I'm asking you to meet with me."

"No."

"Just once."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because there's nothing left to say."

Before he can respond, I end the call.

The apartment returns to silence again.

Outside the window the city continues moving.

Cars pass through the street below.

Somewhere a siren echoes in the distance.

On the television screen Victor's face remains frozen in the middle of the scandal that now surrounds him.

I turn the television off.

The quiet feels stronger now.

Cleaner.

My phone vibrates again.

Another unknown number.

I decline the call.

Then another.

I decline that one too.

The world can talk about Victor Diaz all it wants.

It can analyze his mistakes. Debate his character. Speculate about the damage to his reputation.

But they will not hear from me.

Because the most powerful thing I can do right now is remain silent.

And silence, when used correctly, can be louder than any interview.