At three in the morning, I was startled awake by a faint noise outside the guest room door.
Moonlight slipped through the gap in the curtains, outlining a slender figure hovering near the master bedroom—Vanessa.
When I packed last night, I left my laptop on the desk in the master bedroom, still powered on.
Silently, I got up and pressed my eye to the crack of the door. Vanessa was bent over my laptop, her fingers flying over the keyboard, the screen’s blue glow casting greed across her face. Her flash drive was plugged into the USB port, and the soft ticking of the loading bar felt deafening in the stillness of the night.
Inside that computer was the first draft of the bidding design I drew after staying up all night.
I gripped the doorframe, my knuckles turning white, but I didn’t rush out. I wanted to see how Liam would react to this.
Soon enough, Vanessa pulled out the flash drive, closed the laptop carefully, and turned with a triumphant smile tugging at her lips. She tiptoed back to the guest room as if nothing had happened.
That design draft was one I discarded. At first glance, it was captivating, but once executed, it had serious structural flaws—something only the inexperienced would miss. That was why I didn’t stop Vanessa when I saw she had copied it.
Vanessa was our junior in college. Even after I’d been a housewife for years, the one who believed most firmly in my abilities turned out to be the woman destroying my family.
When morning came, Liam rushed into the living room, unable to hide his excitement. Vanessa followed right behind him, clutching his arm with practiced shyness, holding the printed proposal in her hand.
“Clara, look!” Liam shoved the proposal toward me, voice overflowing with exhilaration. “Vanessa is incredible! This concept is flawless. The client is going to love it—this bid is ours!”
I looked down at the paper. The core concept, the spatial routes, even the color palettes—all identical to the draft on my computer, just under a different title.
“Liam, this proposal is mine.” My voice was dry, each word scraping its way out. “Vanessa copied the initial draft from my computer and made minor edits.”
Vanessa’s face drained instantly, her eyes reddening as she shrank behind Liam like a startled rabbit. “Clara, how could you say that? I spent three nights drawing this. How could it be yours?”
Liam’s expression soured, his gaze full of impatience and doubt. “Clara, are you done making a scene?”
“I am not making a scene!” My voice rose, finger landing on a key part of the blueprint. “This ‘suspension pathway concept’ is my original design. It only exists in my draft—you can check the laptop’s activity history!”
“What’s there to check?” Liam cut me off, his tone laced with undisguised contempt. “You haven’t touched design in years. You said yourself—you wanted to stay home as my wife and never return to the industry. How could you produce something like this?”
He wielded that promise like a knife, driving it into my chest. It was a compromise I made for his pride, yet now it had become the weapon to erase my worth.
“You’re jealous Vanessa can help me, aren’t you? Trying to take her credit?” Liam shielded Vanessa, pressing forward like a prosecutor. “Clara, can’t you be more mature? Vanessa gives everything for the company. Stop nitpicking over little things—you’re disappointing me.”
Watching Liam defend her, my heart sank to the bottom of the abyss.
I turned and rushed to the guest room, rummaging through the iron box in my suitcase and pulling out the original proposal—Liam’s first project, the one that opened doors for him in the investment world, also drawn by me. Its core logic and Vanessa’s proposal were unmistakably cut from the same cloth.
“Look!” I threw the draft in front of Liam. “This is the proposal that got you your first investment—it was drawn by me! Vanessa’s proposal follows the same conceptual lineage. I updated the design philosophy—how can you say I’m incapable of producing good work?”
Liam’s eyes flickered, pupils tightening as recognition crept in. But before he could think, Vanessa tugged his arm and cried, “Liam, don’t let Clara fool you. Similar concepts exist everywhere in this industry. You can’t accuse me based on this.”
Like her tears snapped him awake, Liam’s face hardened. He snatched the draft and tore it to pieces.
The scraps floated down, landing on my face and hands, sharp as needles.
That wasn’t just a draft—it was the proof of my devotion, the foundation of his career. Now destroyed by his own hand.
“Old paperwork from the past—stop embarrassing yourself.” His voice was ice. “Clara, I’m warning you for the last time—stop this, or there will be nothing left to talk about.”
Vanessa stood beside him, feigning concern. “Liam, don’t be mad. Clara probably just wants to help—that’s why she’s acting this way.” But triumph glimmered in her eyes.
I looked at the scattered paper, at Liam’s cold face, and finally understood—my sacrifice meant nothing to him.
That afternoon, Liam’s company held an internal review meeting. Vanessa sent me a message, asking me to “come support Liam.” I knew she wanted to claim my work in front of everyone—to reduce me to nothing.
I still went. I wanted to see just how heartless Liam could be.
The conference room was filled with the company’s core members. Vanessa stood before the screen with the stolen proposal in hand, presenting confidently. Her explanation was full of holes—she couldn’t articulate the core logic—but applause still followed every slide.
During the Q&A segment, a staff member asked, puzzled, “Vanessa, this pathway concept is very innovative. What inspired it?”
Vanessa’s eyes flickered, instinctively glancing at Liam. Liam stepped in immediately, “She developed this after many sleepless nights. Vanessa’s talent speaks for itself.”
Emboldened, Vanessa turned toward me in the corner, a taunting smile curling her lips. “It’s really nothing complicated. Mainly, Liam trusts me and gives me opportunities. Not like some people—holding the title of wife but only good for cooking and laundry. If someone like that handled this proposal, the bid would be doomed.”
Laughter swept through the room. Liam, seated at the head, didn’t stop it; he joined in, his glance toward me filled with disdain.
The laughter felt like countless slaps across my face. My fists clenched, nails digging deep into my palms, the taste of blood flooding my mouth. I stared at the screen displaying my creativity, at Vanessa’s smug face, at Liam’s indifference—even knowing this draft was a trap I planted, I still felt every last thread of patience snap.
I remembered when industry leaders competed to collaborate with me. I remembered locking all that glory away for Liam’s pride. I remembered bedridden after miscarriage, while he visited Vanessa. I remembered him saying I couldn’t survive without him.
The youth and devotion I treasured so deeply—were fed to a dog.
Liam seemed to notice my expression shift, frowning—not with concern, but warning. “Clara, stop making a scene. If you don’t want to stay, then leave.”
Slowly, I stood. My gaze swept the room, finally landing on Liam and Vanessa. My voice was calm—terrifyingly calm—yet firm with finality.
“Liam, Vanessa, for what you’ve done today—you will pay the price.”
