Chapter Two
1158 Words
SERENA
*TWO YEARS LATER*
“And that's a wrap.”
Everyone cheered as I stared at my husband in admiration. He looked so good and confident in his suit, that I just couldn't look away no matter how hard I tried.
It's been two years, and we are married now. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made. Putting my past behind me and starting a new life afresh with Ethan.
He wasn't very rich and successful at the start, but all that stuff didn't matter to me. He loved me and made me feel seen for the first time in years. I was over the moon when he asked me to be his wife.
Together, we were able to rise to the top, against all challenges. I helped build his empire back, using my brain and my connections. And with enough dedication— We were able to become the top rising company.
We have everything—Money, Power and most importantly—Love.
The thought kept a smile on my face, and I couldn't stop staring at Ethan, until his assistant—Riley appeared. She acted like she was talking to him, then she began acting all flirty. I tried not to be bothered by it.
This was Ethan's interview after all and I'm here to be the supportive wife, not an insecure one. But I couldn't take it anymore when she tried fixing his tie. That was my thing.
My legs had a mind of their own, because it felt like I teleported there within seconds. They both looked startled to see me.
Riley put on a brave face, switching back to professional mode. “Mrs Carter, I didn't see you there. How are you doing?”
I paid no attention to her question and just went straight to the point. “I would like to speak to my husband alone and would appreciate it if you leave.”
Ethan’s expression changed. “What the hell are you doing, Serena?”
I didn't talk until his assistant was out of the room. “Why were you acting all cozy with her? And that too—Right in front of me?”
He scoffed, “Can we not do this right now? I thought you'd have gotten over your insecure self, but I guess nothing's changed much.”
He tried to leave, but I caught his hand before he was able to. “I'm not insecure a s I totally trust you. But she's the one I'm worried about. It's clear that she wants you and I don't want her around.”
His jaw clenched, and he leaned close to me, his breath fanning my cheeks. “Listen to me carefully,” he whispered, his voice low and dangerous. “You can't tell me what to do. Riley’s just an assistant so get over yourself.”
He walked past me, while my legs stayed glued to the ground. I couldn't believe he just said those words to me.
I couldn’t believe he just said those words to me.
For a few seconds, I just stood there, staring at the closed door. My throat felt tight, my chest even tighter. I wanted to tell myself that he was just stressed — that it was just another bad day. But deep down, something didn’t feel right anymore.
Ethan had changed.
At first, I thought it was because of the company. We had been working nonstop to keep everything afloat. He barely slept, barely smiled, barely looked at me. His words became shorter, colder. Even his touch, once warm and grounding, started to feel forced — like an obligation.
I kept trying to fix things, to bring back the man I fell in love with. The one who used to surprise me with cheap takeout and kiss my forehead before bed. But that man was gone, replaced by someone who looked like Ethan but didn’t act like him anymore.
He’d come home late at night, smelling of expensive perfume that wasn’t mine. When I asked where he’d been, he’d just mumble something about “meetings” and disappear into the shower.
One night, I decided not to wait in bed like I usually did. I sat quietly in the living room, lights off, scrolling aimlessly through my phone. The clock ticked past midnight when I heard the sound of his car pulling into the driveway.
I waited.
He came in, talking quietly on the phone. His voice was sharp, different — the tone he used only when he didn’t want anyone to hear what he was really saying.
“I told you already,” he hissed into the phone. “She’s served her purpose. We’re done.”
My whole body froze.
The phone clicked off, and for a long moment, I just sat there, unable to breathe. She’s served her purpose. Those words played over and over in my head like a broken record.
Was he talking about… me?
I didn’t want to believe it. Maybe I heard wrong. Maybe it was about business. But the uneasiness wouldn’t leave my chest.
The next morning, he left early — another “urgent meeting.” I stood by the window, watching his car drive off, my heart pounding. I needed to know.
I grabbed his office key.
I shouldn’t have done it, but I did. His office was the one place he never let me enter. Said it was “confidential.” But the moment I stepped in, it didn’t look like a workspace. It looked like a room full of secrets.
Stacks of files. Locked drawers. A laptop with a password I didn’t know.
I started opening drawers, my hands shaking the whole time. Most of them had business contracts, financial reports — things I barely understood. But then, at the bottom of one drawer, I found a thin black folder.
My heart nearly stopped when I saw the name on the front.
Serena Moretti.
That was my real name. The name I buried two years ago.
I opened the folder with trembling fingers. Inside were pictures — of me. My old ID card, documents, even a photo of my parents’ mansion. Everything I’d tried to erase was there.
Ethan knew. He knew who I was all along.
For a moment, I couldn’t move. The room spun, my vision blurring as I tried to understand what this meant. Did he find me on purpose? Was all of it—our love, our marriage, everything—just a plan?
I sank to the floor, clutching the folder to my chest as silent tears rolled down my cheeks.
The man I built my life around.
The man I trusted with every part of me.
The man I loved more than my own breath.
He wasn’t my salvation. He was my destruction waiting to happen.
And in that moment, I realized — The man I built was the one who would destroy me.
- Writer
