002_The poisoned apple

Evelyn's POV

After breakfast with Leo—which consisted of him staring at me in total silence while I tried to make small talk about his dinosaur toys—I went back upstairs to my dressing room. I needed to think. In my past life, I had used my skills as a software engineer to build a backdoor into Caleb’s company server. I had told myself I was a "genius" for outsmarting his security team, but I was really just a thief working for a liar.

I sat down at my laptop. My fingers flew across the keys. I wasn't just a socialite; I was a damn good coder. I had spent years hiding that from Caleb because Marcus told me "men like him" feel threatened by smart women. What a joke.

I quickly navigated to the hidden partition where I had stored the spyware. My finger hovered over the delete key, but I stopped. If I just deleted it, Marcus would know something was up. Instead, I began to write a script that would feed the spyware "ghost data"—fake logins, empty folders, and corrupted blueprints.

I was so deep into the code that I didn't hear the door open.

"Eve! Why are you sitting in the dark with that computer? You should be picking out your jewelry!"

I jumped, nearly knocking my coffee over. I slammed the laptop shut and turned around. Sarah was standing there, looking perfectly polished in a lime-green sundress. She looked exactly like she did in my memories—bright, cheerful, and completely rotten to the core.

"Sarah," I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "You're early."

"Early? I'm right on time! We have a big night ahead of us." She walked over and dropped her designer bag on my bed. She leaned in, whispering loudly. "Did you get it? The 'Aegis' files? Marcus is so excited, Eve. He said if this goes well, you two can finally be together without Caleb in the way."

I felt a wave of nausea. I had actually believed this woman. "I'm working on it, Sarah. Caleb is being extra cautious today. He’s been breathing down my neck."

Sarah rolled her eyes and sat at my vanity, picking up one of my lipsticks. "Ugh, he’s such a killjoy. I don’t know how you’ve lived with him this long. He’s so cold. Marcus, on the other hand... did you see the flowers he sent to your private office? He’s so romantic."

"He's something else, alright," I muttered. I stood up and walked toward the closet to distance myself from her. "So, did Marcus say anything else? About the plan for tonight?"

Sarah began applying my lipstick to her own mouth. "Just that you need to have the drive ready by the time we get to the gala. He’s going to meet you in the garden at ten. Oh! And he said to make sure you wear that red dress he likes. The one Caleb hates."

"The red one. Right." I remembered that dress. It was practically falling off my shoulders. Caleb had asked me not to wear it because it was "unprofessional" for a corporate event, and I had worn it specifically to spite him.

"Is everything okay, Eve? You look a bit pale," Sarah said, squinting at me through the mirror. "Are you getting cold feet? Think about the life you’ll have. No more boring board meetings, no more grumpy husband. Just you and Marcus in Italy."

"I'm fine," I said, forcing a smile. "Just a bit of a headache. I didn't sleep well."

"Well, take an aspirin. We can't have you looking tired." She stood up and started rifling through my jewelry box. "Can I borrow these diamond studs? They’d look so good with my hair today."

"Sure, Sarah. Take whatever you want," I said. I meant it in more ways than one. She’d already taken my husband’s peace of mind and my son’s happiness in the other life. What were a few diamonds?

Suddenly, my phone buzzed on the nightstand. The caller ID showed a heart emoji next to a name I now loathed: Marcus.

My heart hammered against my ribs. I felt like I couldn't breathe. The sound of his voice in my head—the way he laughed while I died—came rushing back.

"Ooh, it’s him!" Sarah squealed, clapping her hands. "Answer it! Put him on speaker!"

I took a deep breath, composed my face, and swiped to answer. I didn't put him on speaker.

"Hello?" I said.

"Evelyn, my star," Marcus’s voice smooth and oily. "I’ve been thinking about you all morning. Tell me you have good news for me."

I gripped the phone so hard I thought the screen might crack. "I have the files, Marcus. But like I told Sarah, Caleb is being difficult. I had to scramble the encryption so his IT team wouldn't track the d******d."

"That’s my girl. You’re so much smarter than him," Marcus chuckled. "Bring the drive to the gala. Ten o'clock, the fountain near the west wing. Don't be late. I have a surprise for you."

"I bet you do," I said, my voice cold.

"Is something wrong? You sound different."

"Just nervous," I lied quickly. "Caleb and I had a fight this morning. He’s suspicious."

"He's always suspicious, Eve. That’s why we’re doing this. Once he’s bankrupt and disgraced, he won't have the power to keep you anymore. Just hold on for a few more hours. I love you."

"I'll see you tonight," I said, and hung up before I could throw up.

I turned back to Sarah, who was busy trying on my necklaces. "He’s so in love with you," she sighed. "You're so lucky."

"Yeah," I said, walking back to my laptop. "Lucky."

"What are you doing now?" Sarah asked, frustrated that I wasn't paying attention to her jewelry show.

"Just finishing the transfer," I said. My fingers danced over the keys. I wasn't just deleting the spyware now; I was planting a virus on the drive I was going to give Marcus. If he plugged it into his computer, it would wipe his entire hard drive and send a copy of his personal emails to Caleb’s legal team.

"You're always on that thing," Sarah complained. "Let’s talk about the gala. I heard the Miller sisters are going to be there. We have to make sure we look better than them. Did you see what they wore last year? Absolute disasters."

I nodded along to her mindless chatter, pretending to listen while I finalized the code. "Mhm, disasters. Truly."

"And the catering! I hope they have those little lobster tarts again. Last time, I ate like six of them. Marcus said he’d save me a dance, too. I hope you don't mind!"

I looked at Sarah. In my past life, I hadn't minded. I thought it was sweet that my best friend and my lover got along so well. Now, I saw it for what it was—they were already sleeping together. They were probably laughing about me behind my back while they ate those lobster tarts.

"I don't mind at all, Sarah," I said, my voice steady. "I want you two to have exactly what you deserve."

"You're the best!" she said, oblivious to the edge in my voice. She finally picked a pair of earrings and tucked them into her bag. "I'm going to go get my hair done. I’ll meet you here at six so we can go together in the limo?"

"Actually," I said, "I think I'll ride with Caleb and Leo today. Family time, you know?"

Sarah paused, her hand on the door handle. She looked confused. "With Caleb? But you hate riding with him. You said his car smells like 'boring responsibilities.'"

"I'm trying a new tactic," I said. "Keep him close so he doesn't suspect anything."

Sarah’s face cleared, and she smirked. "Oh, you're getting good at this, Eve. Smart. Very smart. Okay, I'll see you there! Don't forget the red dress!"

As soon as she closed the door, I let out a breath I had been holding for ten minutes. I walked over to the vanity and grabbed a tissue, wiping off the lipstick she had used.

I looked at my laptop. The "ghost files" were ready. The virus was packed. Marcus thought he was getting the keys to the kingdom, but he was actually getting a ticking time bomb.

I sat down and looked at a photo on the vanity. It was a picture of Leo from his second birthday. He wasn't smiling in it; he looked like he was waiting for me to yell at him.

"No more red dresses," I whispered.

I stood up and went to the back of the closet, pulling out a gown I had bought a year ago and never touched. It was a deep, midnight blue—elegant, modest, and sophisticated. It was a dress for a wife, not a mistress.

I had a few hours left. I needed to find Caleb and show him that his wife wasn't just a socialite with a temper—she was the most dangerous ally he ever had.