All Chapters of Shattered Masks: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Someone's been here, hasn't they?"I broke from her kiss and turned my head to stare at the showerhead, my voice steady.Ruby Lynch's eyes darted to where I was looking, and she turned pale."It's... Janice. She's staying with me for a few days. You know, with you gone, I get scared in this big house all alone."My heart sank.Janice was Ruby's bestie and the secretary to the president at the company I work with.I had just seen her yesterday in the city.Ruby was lying to me."Go ahead and shower. I'll start on dinner," I said, nudging her away, keeping my tone even.She nibbled her lip, her eyes brimming with tears."Honey... have you stopped loving me?"I held back a scoff.'Ruby, who's stopped loving who?' I wondered."Okay, okay, I get it. You're tired. I'll shower now."She quickly hid her hurt, gave me a hard kiss on the cheek.However, as she looked down, I caught sight of the telltale red marks under her collar.She was scared, alright.I turned away and scru

Chapter 2

I was always the type to hold a grudge.Bright and early the next day, I cooked up some excuse to get Seth over to my office.The proposal I slammed down in front of him was flawless, but I tore into him anyway, nitpicking in front of the colleague he had brought along.When he slunk out with a strained smile, I could see the anger simmering in his eyes.I pulled out my phone and started the GPS tracker.The night before, while Ruby was out on the balcony deep in conversation with Seth, I had slipped a tracker into her purse, tucked inside her favorite tube of lipstick.As expected, her location started to move, first away from the office, then stopping at the Horton Hotel downtown.What irony–that was where we had our wedding.That wedding day snapshot remained my wallpaper all this time.Seven years ago, she was in white, clinging to my arm, tears of joy streaming down her face.Who would have guessed that seven years later, she would be at that same hotel for a secret rend

Chapter 3

"Mr. Carter, fancy meeting you here," I said, my attention shifting past Ruby to Seth, who was trying to slip out unnoticed.Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the sweat on her brow gather and slide down in a neat streak.I let out a soft laugh, gave a nonchalant shrug, and said with a hint of scorn, "Here I was thinking you'd be busy revising the bid for that Cascade City deal. Looks like your company isn't exactly chomping at the bit..."Seth stepped forward, head down, a glint of resentment fleeting across his eyes."Mr. Scott, Mrs. Scott, good to see you. I was just wrapping up an impromptu meeting here and was about to head back to work on that bid, just like you wanted."Ruby, quick to pick up on Seth's discomfort, latched onto my arm and said in a sugary tone, "Come on, love. Mr. Carter is my supervisor, and he's always looked out for me at work. Let's not give him a hard time, okay?"Mr. Carter, you really should've come to me knowing my husband's company is eyeing the Ca

Chapter 4

"Honey... When did you get this place, and why is it such a mess? Maybe we should call someone to clean up..."Ruby stumbled back from my push, but she braced herself and tried to act clueless.I had to stop myself from laughing at her act.Ignoring her question, I headed straight for the television, flicked it on, and quickly found what I was looking for.The sounds that filled the room were intimate and cringeworthy.Ruby, the voice behind those sounds, stood frozen in shock."Ahhh!"She shrieked and scrambled toward the TV, desperately trying to shut it off, to silence the mortifying noise.When she realized it was no use, she threw her arms out, shielding the screen with her body.Fear was written all over her face, her voice shaking uncontrollably."Honey... Let me explain..."I grabbed a chair and sat down with a gesture toward the television. "Do we really need an explanation?""I..." Ruby's voice faltered, and then tears streamed down her face. "I'm sorry... I messe

Chapter 5

As the cops burst through the door, Ruby was beneath Seth, tears streaming down her face as she pleaded for him to stop.Seth, in his ignorance, thought it was just another one of their usual role-play games.It was not until he was tackled to the ground by the police, and Ruby was still wrapped up in her clothes, weeping, that reality hit him.He kept up his charade with a grin, claiming he was just playing with his wife.A female officer draped a jacket over Ruby, whispering words of comfort.I lingered in the doorway, my gaze fixed on Ruby.She felt my eyes on her, and her sobs slowly subsided.With a shaky hand, she pointed at Seth, her voice a mix of fear and perfectly measured loathing:"He... He's my supervisor... He made me come here today... He wanted... favors..."I didn't want to... but he... He..."Ruby's words trailed off as she spun around and collapsed into the female officer's embrace, crying her heart out.Seth's fake smile solidified on his face, then morph

Chapter 6

When Ruby felt the firmness of my embrace, she clung to me tighter, her body shaking nonstop. It was as if she was scared out of her wits, too afraid to even sneak a peek at Seth."Mr. Carter!"I spun, my glare as sharp as daggers, my voice booming with the fury of a scorned husband, "I never would've pegged you for this type, Carter! Using your power to bully my wife? I'm Zayden, and I won't stand for it! You'll get what's coming to you; the law will see to that!"I stood tall, my words echoing with conviction, claiming the high ground of morality and justice.The journalists buzzed around us, their pens flying over their notepads.A business mogul, a stunning wife, an office scandal, assault charges–each piece was tabloid gold.Seth, red with rage at my accusations, was practically foaming at the mouth as he spat out his defense, "Lies! Zayden! Acting all high and mighty! Your wife came to me! She's a witch! We've been at it for three months! Even in your own bed–""Enough!"

Chapter 7

The moment was ripe.On the day Seth's trial concluded with his inevitable prison sentence, I came home and laid a divorce agreement before Ruby.She was draped across the couch in her silk pajamas, a lazy posture with a trace of a triumphant smirk as she watched the news of Seth's downfall.At first, she barely glanced at the papers I had set on the coffee table, asking offhandedly, "Honey, what's this? Some new project you need me to sign off on?"However, when she picked up the papers and saw 'Divorce Agreement' in bold at the top, her smile shattered.She recoiled as if burned, shot to her feet, and fixed me with a piercing gaze, her voice sharp with disbelief. "Zayden! What is this supposed to mean?!""It means what it says." I settled into the couch across from her, my eyes icy, as if I were looking at a stranger. "Just sign it.""Why?! Is it because I was... It wasn't my fault! I'm the victim here!"Ruby's voice broke, tears spilling over, "Honey, have you grown to despi

Chapter 8

Ruby's gaze was glued to the screen, her body shaking as if she had seen a ghost."You don't have to sign," I said, my voice a chilling whisper. "But if you don't, this unedited, crystal-clear video will be tomorrow's sensation, plastered over every news site. I'll even send a copy to your parents, all your relatives, friends, and colleagues."Think you'll see a dime of that settlement then? Think you'll have the dignity to walk this earth?"Ruby crumpled to the floor, her complexion ghostly pale.She then realized she had been dancing on a stage set straight to hell since her affair began. I had been holding the ultimate weapon to shatter her life all along. The tenderness she had seen? Nothing but a lure.Her little performance, her schemes–they were nothing against the hard evidence and my steely resolve.Her eyes met mine, a journey from pleading to despair, then spiraling down into a deep, icy fear, and finally twisting into a look of pure venom."Zayden... You're heartless

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