Chapter 3

3

Three days before our divorce certificate was finalized, I remembered an essential handover document left at our penthouse.

When I tried to enter, the smart lock refused to open.

My fingerprint, our shared passcode―everything returned an access error.

After too many failed attempts, the alarm triggered an automatic video call to Savannah.

Seeing my face on her screen, Savannah paused for several seconds before speaking.

"Devon, Miles stayed over for a few days recently. He found the old code too complicated, so I changed it to his birthday."

I detected the subtle guilt in her voice and let out a self-deprecating laugh.

This place wasn't lavish, but it was the first home we bought together with our pooled savings.

When we first moved in, Savannah had insisted on setting our wedding anniversary as the master passcode.

The irony tasted like ash in my mouth.

Savannah rushed over to unlock the door, but blocked my exit when I turned to leave.

"Devon, Miles is struggling to close a major development contract. Can you help him out?"

"The client is your college friend Frank Wallace. With your connection, it's a guaranteed win. Miles needs this success to silence the board."

"Didn't you always want to see the Northern Lights? I promise I'll take you on that trip the moment this deal closes."

I looked past her at the remodeled living room, completely unrecognizable from what it used to be.

Miles had been constantly posting photos on social media bragging about his sweet life in his new love nest.

It turned out his love nest was built directly on the ruins of my former home.

They had been playing house here for a month, yet she never even noticed that all my personal belongings were already gone.

I clutched my files and walked toward the elevator.

"We're divorced. Having the CEO handle it personally will look much better than relying on a ruined man."

Over the next few days, Savannah bombarded me with sweet messages and fake concern.

She desperately needed this contract to legitimize Miles's promotion within the firm.

When she realized I wouldn't budge, she began firing my loyal team members and closest colleagues one by one.

Seeing their exhausted, hopeless faces when they begged me to step in, I finally gave in.

They had families to feed; I couldn't let them become collateral damage in her petty games.

Inside the conference room, Miles greeted me with a smug smirk.

"Having the legendary Devon Hayes working as my assistant is quite an honor. But people need to know their place instead of clinging to seats they don't deserve, don't you think?"

I glanced over the preliminary project outline and responded coldly.

"A sparrow sitting in an eagle's nest still doesn't make it an eagle. Have you ever looked in a mirror?"

Miles's face flushed red with humiliation.

Halfway through the meeting, Miles suddenly leaned over with a sinister grin.

"Devon, want to bet I can drag you straight to hell today with no way back up?"

I was calculating the core financial projections and snapped without looking up.

"Cut the crap. Your preliminary structural data is completely off. Pushing this forward will cause a catastrophic collapse!"

Miles chuckled and hit play on the projector screen.

Footage showed a partially constructed framework collapsing in a cloud of dust, burying dozens of construction workers beneath the rubble.

The bold headline on the screen read:

"Devon Hayes's Criminal Negligence."

Panic gripped me as I reached for my phone to call emergency rescue teams.

Miles scoffed coldly.

"That footage was recorded a week ago. Do you like my gift, Devon?"

Before I could react, Frank Wallace kicked the door open and punched me square across the jaw.

"Devon, you monster! Why the hell were you running this site?! Miles told me you hijacked the project! You're going to pay for every cent of my loss!"

My heart turned entirely numb as I watched Miles throw himself into Savannah's arms, playing the terrified victim.

In that single moment, every piece of the puzzle clicked into place.

"Savannah, Devon forced his way into taking lead on this account. I was too scared to stop him, but I never imagined such a horrific disaster would happen!"

"Dozens of innocent lives were on the line! How could he be so reckless?!"

Savannah glared down at me like I was scum.

"Get on your knees and apologize to Frank!"

I looked at Savannah, the deep sense of betrayal burning through my chest.

"I only saw this file today! I wasn't even involved in the initial phase, and I have timestamped alibis proving I wasn't even in town!"

As I pulled out my phone to show the proof, Savannah slapped me across the face with a sharp crack.

"Shut up! Why would Miles ever frame you?!"

"Frank is our most valuable partner! This disaster only happened because of your arrogant recklessness! The digital signature on the project master file has your name on it, Devon! How dare you make excuses?!"

"Apologize right now!"

Staring into her cold, unyielding eyes, I swallowed every remaining word.

This entire trap was orchestrated by Savannah from the start, solely to make me Miles's permanent scapegoat.

Who would believe the defense of a disgraced executive when the CEO herself provided signed digital evidence?

"I'm sorry," I choked out. "It was entirely my mistake."

Frank lunged forward again, kicking and cursing me until Savannah's security pulled him away.

Savannah looked down at me with utter contempt.

"You will pay for all the damages yourself. You're beyond redemption, Devon. There is no place for you in this industry anymore."

"Once our divorce decree is finalized, we are completely through!"

Savannah's fabricated evidence worked flawlessly, plunging me into another storm of public hatred.

When I later met Frank privately to discuss compensating his losses, he waved his hand and looked at me with deep sympathy.

"We've been friends since college, Devon. Do you really think I couldn't tell Savannah was setting you up?"

"Don't worry, nobody died. The workers had minor scrapes and were discharged after two days."

Seeing my heavy sigh of relief, he patted my shoulder warmly.

"I'll settle my scores with Savannah's company myself. Stop wasting your life being a doormat for that toxic woman!"

I smiled and said my goodbyes to Frank.

I collected my final divorce certificate from the registry and immediately boarded the earliest flight out of the country.

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