Greg Fox had been a respectable intellectual his entire life. He'd probably never been publicly humiliated like this before.
"David, I know long-distance relationships are hard, but you can't just—"
I knew words alone wouldn't clear my name.
So I pulled out my phone and dialed 911.
I'd only pressed the first two digits when Dora snatched the phone from my hand.
"Don't make a scene on our big day. I said I believe you, isn't that enough?"
"The engagement ceremony starts soon. Calling the police over something this trivial? That's bad luck."
I stared at her, disappointment crashing through me. My head was buzzing.
Ever since Guy showed up a year ago, I'd sensed Dora pulling away. She didn't cling to me like she used to.
When I'd gotten into that minor car accident in Berlin, she'd barely seemed concerned.
I'd told myself it was normal—relationships cool down after a while.
But now I saw the truth. The man in her heart wasn't me anymore.
"Are you worried the police will delay our engagement—or are you afraid they'll arrest the person who made up these lies?"
I swallowed the hurt clawing at my chest and shook off Dora's grip as she tried to pull me back.
"David, I—" she started.
Before she could finish, Guy's eyes welled up, his voice cracking into a pitiful whimper.
"I'm sorry, this is all my fault..." He sniffled. "Please don't fight with Ms. Fox because of me. There are so many business partners here—if you cause a scene, how is she supposed to face her clients afterward?"
He dabbed at his eyes. "I got the wrong person. I was talking nonsense. There. Happy now?"
I almost laughed from sheer disbelief.
What a performance. Retreat to advance—classic.
With all these people listening to his carefully vague denials, they'd all walk away thinking exactly what he wanted: that I'd sold myself overseas.
If I didn't clear this up today, Dora would spend the rest of her life wearing the shame he'd pinned on me.
I clenched my jaw and fixed Guy with a cold smile.
"I don't care what your angle is or why you pulled this stunt."
"You're going to explain yourself. Right now. Or I won't hold back."
The color drained from Guy's face.
His expression crumpled into wounded innocence, tears threatening to spill.
"I already said I got the wrong person! What more do you want from me?"
"That account's been deleted anyway. I'm not going to share the videos I downloaded."
"Please..." His voice broke. "Don't use your position as the boss's future husband to fire me..."
"I'll get on my knees and apologize if that's what it takes!"
Still sobbing, he started to lower himself into a kowtow.
His knees had barely bent before someone caught him.
Dora shoved past me, nearly knocking me off balance.
Her face was ashen. Behind her perfectly applied makeup, her eyes had turned venomous.
"David, are you done?"
"I've been biting my tongue this whole time. Even if you had a lapse in judgment and made those videos, I was willing to look the other way!"
"So why do you have to keep pushing? Why are you bullying him?"
My mind went blank.
The pain in my chest made it impossible to breathe.
This woman—who had occupied a full third of my life, who had held my hand just an hour ago, who had promised to grow old with me—didn't believe me.
What was the point of this engagement anymore?
"Fine. If we can't sort this out here, then you're coming with me to the police station."
I reached past Dora to grab Guy.
A grown man in his twenties—yet he recoiled like a rabbit facing the butcher's knife, thrashing in wide-eyed terror.
