Semua Bab My Exit Marked Her Downfall: Bab 1 - Bab 10

A bitter chuckle escaped my lips as Effie's car finally stopped at a hotel.Barred from following her inside, I zeroed in on her car instead.Slipping into the driver's seat, I unlocked the dash camera and rewound the footage, my heart pounding as Effie's voice filled the air."Babe, you make it yet? I'm pulling up soon. Blame the delay on Gabriel. He's been paranoid, picking fights over nothing."My brows knitted, but her follow-up jab sliced deeper. "He forgets who handed him his big break. Now he's flipping out over the bonus. It's driving me nuts. I need your kisses to calm down."Rage surged through my veins as I recognized the voice on the line. It belonged to Kevin.His meteoric rise, the lavish praise, the bonus bonanza, and Effie's "extended working hours" all made sense now."How could you betray me like this?" I muttered bitterly.In fact, Kevin's arrival had raised eyebrows from day one. He was just a fresh graduate with scant experience, yet he landed a leadership

Our gazes clashed, and Effie froze."You're torching our marriage over a bonus squabble and today's argument?" she sulked. "Seriously? Grow a backbone. You're acting like a child."Disbelief clung to her, prompting an unconscious retreat.Kevin's eyes flashed with glee before he masked it with faux mediation."Gabriel, calm down," he chimed in. "I'm willing to give up my bonus to you. Don't torpedo your life with Ms. Marsh over this. Divorce talk is no joke."His words prompted Effie to compare us. "Gabriel, have some shame. Strong-arming a junior into forking over cash? You've been in the trenches for so many years, yet Kevin has got more maturity. Act your age, okay?"Kevin basked in her praise, but I remained impassive, undeterred by her barbs."Save it," I said. "Resignation and divorce are locked in. End of story."Effie squeezed her eyes shut, struggling to contain her fury. "Fine! I'll flip the bonus your way and tee up a promotion next cycle. Satisfied? That's your endg

Effie showed up at the courthouse entrance, dressed impeccably, though faint dark circles betrayed a sleepless night.We spoke only as needed, proceeding to finalize the divorce.The process was smooth as silk, and by that afternoon, the paperwork was stamped and official.I glanced at her, expecting relief or disdain. Instead, she looked lost.I didn't bother to dissect why she'd suddenly agreed to this. Maybe she was just fed up with me, or perhaps she'd spent the night tangled up with Kevin.Whatever the reason, the divorce was done, and that was all that mattered.Kevin came to pick her up, decked out in a sharp suit like a groom.With our marriage officially kaput, he dropped the nice-guy act, his smirk practically screaming victory."You're gonna regret letting Effie slip through your fingers," he said, raising her chin.I didn't dignify that with a response.Effie's gaze was hard to read. She opened her mouth, trying to say something, but I walked away without looking

"Mr. Walsh, this is low, even for you." Effie leaned over the desk, her face flushed with indignation. "We had a deal at that dinner. Nobody in the top-tier circle was supposed to touch Gabriel's resume. We agreed to freeze him out, and you went behind my back?"Henry sipped his tea leisurely. "Come on. Dinner talk doesn't hold up in court. Everyone's got a soft spot for talent, and let's be real. Gabriel's track record speaks for itself. He is a free agent now, and I'm not the only one who'd snap him up."Effie sucked in a sharp breath, trying to rein in her frustration. "But you're the only one who actually made a move."Henry's face fell at her harsh tone. She was just a newcomer in the elite legal scene, and her attitude wasn't winning her any favors."You wanna talk about playing dirty?" he scoffed. "Trying to blackball your ex to force him back? That's small-time. The rest of us gave you a pass because your firm's been pulling decent numbers lately, but screwing with someone'

The police laid out the whole sordid story.After their blowout, Effie and Kevin reconciled when he groveled.But the firm was crumbling. Mismanagement bled cash, and a wave of attorney resignations gutted its core.That botched case from before snowballed, dragging the firm's name deeper into the mud.Effie, drowning in stress, looked haggard every day. That was when Kevin showed his true colors, betraying her, too.She caught him siphoning off company assets and attempting to escape.She confronted him, and in the ensuing argument, she lost control, grabbing scissors and stabbing him in the chest.It happened so fast. By the time the staff screamed for paramedics, Kevin was bleeding out on the office floor.Despite efforts to save him, he didn't make it.Effie was cuffed and hauled away by the police.Kevin's wife filed a lawsuit, and Effie finally learned that he'd been married all along.Regret hit her hard, and she thought of me."For old times' sake, please help me,"