My Revenge: His Empire Crumbles

I woke up in my husband's office to a chilling discovery. Stamped across my face in bold, red letters was "USDA PRIME"-a cruel joke from his intern, Karma.

But my husband, Josiah, the man whose tech empire I helped build, didn't defend me. He called it a harmless prank and shielded his mistress from my rage.

The humiliation was broadcast for the world to see. He then gave her my custom anniversary gown and took her to a charity gala.

As if that wasn't enough, she announced she was pregnant with his child.

He chose her. He chose their new "family" over our seven years of marriage, over the memory of the child we lost together. The look he gave her, full of a tenderness I hadn't seen in years, shattered the last piece of my heart.

So as he walked out the door with her, my lawyers walked in. At the next board meeting, I watched the color drain from his face as I froze every asset to his name.

"Sign the divorce papers, Josiah," I said, pushing a pen across the table. "My responsibility now is to clean house."

Chapter 1

I woke up to the chilling silence of Josiah's office, the faint glow of the city through the skyscraper windows doing little to warm the room. A dull ache throbbed behind my eyes. I must have drifted off after reviewing those charity proposals.

My hand went to my cheek. There was a raised, rough texture, alien to my skin.

Panic flared. I stumbled to the executive bathroom, flipped on the harsh light, and gasped. Stamped right across my face, from my temple to my jawline, in bold, red letters, was "USDA PRIME."

The grotesque irony hit me like a physical blow. It was the novelty stamp Josiah kept on his desk, a gag gift he thought was hilarious.

"Oh, look who decided to join the land of the living!" a syrupy voice cooed from the doorway.

Karma Clements leaned against the frame, a smirk playing on her lips. Her eyes, usually wide and innocent, were sharp, predatory.

"Quite the mark, isn't it, Avery?" She took a step closer, her gaze lingering on the grotesque stamp. "Josiah thought it was a brilliant idea. Said you looked just like a prize-winning heifer, ready for market."

My blood ran cold. My stomach churned.

"You did this," I whispered, the words tasting like ash.

"Me?" She feigned innocence, batting her eyelashes. "Why would I do such a thing? I merely assisted Josiah. He was quite... inspired."

She scoffed, her eyes raking over me. "Honestly, Avery, you're pathetic. Sleeping in your husband's office, waiting for him like some forlorn puppy. Don't you have a life? Or are you just collecting dust like your 'old money' antiques?"

Rage, hot and blinding, surged through me. This girl, this intern I had personally mentored, whose tuition I had covered, whose dreams I had championed.

"You ungrateful little snake," I snarled, lunging forward.

My hand connected with her cheek with a resounding smack. The sound echoed in the silent office. Her head snapped back, a crimson mark blossoming on her pale skin.

Before I could land another blow, a strong hand gripped my arm, pulling me back.

"Avery! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Josiah's voice, laced with fury, cut through the haze of my anger.

He shoved me away, his body shielding Karma. His eyes, usually so warm and loving, were now cold and accusatory.

"Are you insane? You just assaulted her!" he roared, his gaze fixed on the red mark on Karma's face.

My breath hitched. He was defending her. Defending the woman who had just publicly humiliated me in his own office.

"She... she stamped my face!" I stammered, pointing a trembling finger at Karma.

Josiah barely glanced at me. He was too busy cradling Karma's face, his thumb gently caressing the reddened skin.

"It was just a joke, Avery," he said, his voice dropping to a condescending tone. "A harmless prank. You're overreacting. You always do."

A cold dread seeped into my bones. A "harmless prank"? My gaze fell to Josiah's shirt sleeve. A faint, sweet floral scent, Karma's signature perfume, clung to the fabric.

He hadn't been home in two nights. He'd said he was working late, burning the midnight oil for his company.

"Josiah, what's that smell?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

Karma giggled, a high-pitched, childish sound. "Oh, that's just my new lotion. Josiah spilled some coffee on me earlier while we were, you know, working late. He was so apologetic."

She flashed me a saccharine smile, her eyes sparkling with malicious glee. She was playing him like a fiddle, and he was falling for it.

Josiah chuckled, a soft, indulgent sound that shredded my heart. "Karma is quite the work ethic, isn't she? Always so eager to learn, so dedicated. Not like some people, always complaining about my long hours."

A sharp pain lanced through my chest. He used to praise my tireless support, my unwavering belief in his vision. Now, my dedication was a complaint.

I remembered the early days, when Josiah would pull all-nighters, and I'd bring him coffee and comfort, my own family's connections quietly smoothing his path. He was a driven, ambitious man, but he was always grateful. Always.

When did he change? When did his ambition morph into this arrogant entitlement?

A sudden surge of nausea hit me. My head spun. The image of Josiah, laughing with Karma, defending her betrayal, blurred before my eyes.

The door to Josiah's office suddenly swung open. His secretary, a young woman named Brenda, stood there, her eyes wide with shock. She had obviously heard the commotion.

"Mrs. Chase?" she stammered, her gaze darting from my stamped face to Karma, then to Josiah.

I knew what she was thinking. Everyone in the building knew Avery Elliott, the elegant, composed heiress who married the charming tech CEO. The woman who had everything.

Brenda's initial reaction, a flicker of pity, quickly turned to a horrified gasp as her eyes landed on the "USDA PRIME" mark across my face.

The silence that followed was deafening, amplified by the sudden cessation of Brenda's startled breath. It hung heavy, thick with unspoken judgment and humiliation. Karma, seizing the moment, let a triumphant, almost imperceptible smirk creep onto her lips.

Josiah, oblivious in his rage, finally noticed the stamp. His eyes narrowed, not in understanding, but in a fresh wave of annoyance.

"Karma, apologize to Avery," he demanded, his voice tight. It wasn't a request, it was an order, delivered with the weary impatience of a parent dealing with squabbling children.

Karma's eyes widened, filling with perfectly timed tears. "Apologize? After she hit me? Josiah, she's a monster! She's always been jealous of us, of what we have!" She buried her face in Josiah's chest, her shoulders shaking with dramatic sobs. "I can't stay here, not with her. I'm leaving!"

She pulled away, stumbling towards the door, a picture of wounded innocence.

"Karma, wait!" Josiah exclaimed, his protective instincts kicking in. He reached for her, his voice softening, a stark contrast to the harsh tone he'd used with me. "Please, don't leave. She's just... she's not herself. You know how she gets."

He turned back to me, his gaze hardened. "Avery, don't you dare cause a scene. This is my office. And Karma is my intern. You're being completely unreasonable."