Victoria stood at the floor to ceiling windows of her office, watching the city spread out beneath her like a conquered kingdom, her heart soaring with a triumph that felt almost surreal. The phone call had come an hour ago, delivered by the crisp, professional voice of Anderson Group's chief executive, announcing their decision to partner exclusively with Sharp Innovations. The most coveted contract in their industry was hers.
The prestigious multinational conglomerate had chosen her company over Chad's parallel proposal, validating everything she had worked for, everything she had sacrificed to build. It was the kind of success that defined careers, the breakthrough moment that would elevate Sharp Innovations to unprecedented heights in the corporate world.
She had immediately called Diane into her office to share the news, watching her face light up with the same euphoria that was coursing through her veins. They had spent the next thirty minutes discussing implementation strategies and resource allocation, but beneath the professional excitement, Victoria found her thoughts drifting to James. This victory would change everything for both of them. The financial security, the industry recognition, the expanded opportunities, it all meant that their future together was more solid and promising than ever.
The irony wasn't lost on her that this success had come through Chad's introduction, his connection to the Anderson family that had opened the door for her proposal. But business was business, and the best proposal had won. Chad would understand that, eventually.
When her phone buzzed with a text message, her heart leaped with anticipation, expecting it to be James with news about his investor meetings. Instead, it was her security system notifying her that someone had entered her home. James was back. But why didn't he inform her? Was he planning a surprise? Ah whatever.
Victoria practically flew out of her office, barely pausing to grab her purse and keys before heading home. The drive felt interminable, her mind racing with plans for how they would celebrate this milestone together. Perhaps they could finally take that vacation they had been discussing, or start looking at houses where they could build a life that reflected their combined success.
She found James in her living room, sitting quietly on the couch with his travel bag beside him, looking exhausted but somehow peaceful. The sight of him filled her with such overwhelming joy that she rushed to him immediately.
"James! You're back! I have the most incredible news," she exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement as she stood beside him and took his hands in hers. "The Anderson Group chose us! They chose Sharp Innovations over Nexus Technologies. Can you believe it? This is everything we've worked for, everything we've dreamed about."
James looked at her with those warm brown green eyes she loved so much, and a genuine smile crossed his face. "That's amazing, Tori. Really amazing. You deserve this success more than anyone." His voice carried sincere happiness for her achievement, and she felt her heart swell with love for this man who could celebrate her victories even when his own ventures weren't progressing as hoped.
"This changes everything for us," she continued, her words tumbling out in her excitement. "The financial stability, the recognition, we can finally start planning our future without any uncertainty. We can..."
"Victoria," James interrupted gently, his smile fading into something more serious. "I need to ask you something."
Something in his tone made her pause, a subtle shift that sent an unexplained chill through her despite the warmth of the moment. "It's Tori and of course. What is it?"
James studied her face for a long moment, and she found herself growing uncomfortable under the intensity of his gaze. "I need to know about your involvement in sabotaging my investor meetings."
The words hit her like a physical blow, so unexpected and direct that for a moment she couldn't process what he had said. "What are you talking about?" she asked weakly, though even as the words left her mouth, she could feel the color draining from her face.
"Victoria," James said quietly, his voice carrying a gravity that made her stomach clench with dread. "Please don't lie to me. Not now. I know what you did."
The silence that followed was deafening. Victoria stared at him, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly as her mind raced through possible responses, possible explanations, possible ways to deflect or minimize what he somehow knew. But the look in his eyes told her that denial would be pointless.
"How did you..." she began, then stopped, realizing that the question itself was an admission.
"Does it matter how I found out?" James asked, his voice still gentle but carrying an undertone of deep hurt. "What matters is that it's true, isn't it?"
Victoria felt the walls closing in around her, the euphoria of her professional triumph evaporating like morning mist. She had always known this moment might come, had dreaded it even as she had convinced herself it would never be necessary to face it.
"James, I..." she started, then stopped again, unable to find words that could possibly justify what she had done.
"How long were you planning to stay silent? When did it start?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
The directness of the question broke something inside her. She looked down at her hands, unable to meet his eyes as the full weight of her actions crashed over her. "The second month," she whispered. "It started in the second month of our relationship."
James made a sound that might have been a laugh or a sob. "The second month," he repeated slowly. "And when did it stop?"
"Your birthday," she admitted, her voice so quiet it was barely audible. "I stopped on your birthday."
James staggered back as if she had struck him, his hands beginning to shake as the implications of what she was telling him sank in. "Wow," he said, his voice filled with a kind of wondering devastation. "The irony. My birthday actually represents such things."
Victoria watched in horror as the realization spread across his features, the understanding that for most of their relationship, she had been actively working against his dreams and ambitions. The man she loved was discovering that the person he trusted most in the world had been systematically betraying him for months.
"I can't believe it," James said, his voice breaking. "For most of our relationship, you've been lying to me. Deceiving me. Betraying me." His legs seemed to give way, and he sank into the nearest chair, his entire body trembling with the shock of it.
Victoria's own composure crumbled as she saw tears beginning to stream down James's face. The sight of his pain, knowing that she was the cause of it, filled her with a despair so profound it felt like drowning. She had never seen him cry before, had never seen him look so utterly broken, and the knowledge that she had done this to him was unbearable.
"No," she whispered, shaking her head frantically as she moved toward him. "James, no, please don't cry."
She touched his face and kissed him then wrapped her arms around him, pulling him against her as tightly as she could, as if she could somehow absorb his pain into herself. He felt so fragile in her embrace, this strong, confident man reduced to trembling vulnerability by her actions.
"I'm the one at fault," she said desperately, her own voice thick with unshed tears. "I wronged you. You shouldn't be the one crying. This is all my fault."
But even as she held him and whispered her admissions of guilt, she couldn't bring herself to say the words he needed to hear most. 'I'm sorry' remained trapped in her throat, blocked by pride and fear and a lifetime of never having to apologize for her choices.
"I know what I did was wrong," she continued, her voice muffled against his hair. "I didn't want you to leave, but I realize now that my actions were terrible. But James, we can move past this. This doesn't have to affect our relationship. I can make things better. I will make things better."
She pulled back to look at his face, and what she saw there made her heart break all over again. He looked so utterly lost, so completely shattered, that she felt tears beginning to prick at her own eyes. Her lips trembled as she fought to maintain some semblance of control.