Chapter 4: The Final Act
The aftermath was chaos. Security escorted Vanessa out, her screams echoing through the grand hall, leaving her reputation in tatters. She had bet her entire future on a hallucination, and the reality was a brutal fall from grace.
But it wasn't over. Vanessa wasn't just crazy; she was vindictive.
Two days later, I was alone in the office when the lights went out. The power in the entire building flickered and died. A backup generator kicked in, but the silence that followed was unsettling.
I heard footsteps. Heavy, deliberate steps.
"You think you won?" Vanessa’s voice slithered through the darkness. She was in the room.
I reached for my phone, but my hands were shaking. I wasn't just an engaged woman anymore; I was a target. I backed away toward the desk, feeling for the panic button Dave had installed.
"You’re a gold-digger," she hissed, emerging from the shadows. She was holding something—a jagged shard of a broken glass vase. "You stole my life! You stole my wedding!"
"Vanessa, stop," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "You don't have to do this. You have a life, you have a family. You don't need Dave."
"I am Dave’s wife!" she shrieked, lunging at me.
I dodged, grabbing a heavy paperweight and swinging it, but she was faster. She shoved me, and I fell against the desk, the glass shard slicing my arm. Pain flared, hot and sharp.
Suddenly, the office door burst open. Dave.
May you like
He saw the blood, he saw the look in Vanessa’s eyes, and he didn't hesitate. He tackled her, pinning her to the floor before she could lunge again. Security flooded the room, taking over.
"I’ve got you," Dave whispered, rushing to my side, his face a mask of pure terror. "I’ve got you."
