t of the Architectural Guild strode to the podium, his voice booming throug

relief. He squeezed my hand under the table, a gesture of shared victory for a ba

?" he whispered,

ed back, giving his

eup repaired, a brittle smile plastered on her face. Jacob was looking at h

of our community, and a devoted family man... it is my great honor

a dry, papery kiss for the benefit of the cameras-and strode to the stage. H

entors, his clients. He spoke of his passion for building not just structures,

e turned hi

steel and glass. It is the life I have built with my incredible wife, Alexandra.

proval. A collective "aww

locking with mine. "Would you do me

it. The

, his face a mask of loving pride. He was a condemned man, admiring

felt a thousand pairs of eyes on me. I reached the stage and took the microphone fr

ear and steady. The crowd quieted, expect

He builds magnificent facades. He builds beautiful public elevation

t was a joke. Anthony's smile wavered, a flicker of con

tonight, on the biggest night of his career, it would be fitting to share a proj

the back of the room. My assistan

cture of a Betrayal: A C

er side of the stage, which had been disp

one that started it all. *Last night

rom confusion to a dawning, slack-jawed horror. He r

is reach. "I'm just sha

f the Cartier watch on Katia's wrist. On the other side of the screen,

collective, sharp intake of breath, a thousand lungs sucking

om a screenshot of her 'story time' video. The caption I'd added

upright. Katia's parents stared at the sc

ing Ms. Shepherd here. In fact, he's been so dedicated to her professional development

nding out on his neck like taut wire

The final part of t

n." The one where she bragged about turning my son against me. Her smug, arrogant voice filled the gr

ed, the low murmur breaking into a

table, looked like he had been turned to ston

ming a sleeping Anthony. The comments from her friends flashing on screen. The e

hone. He was scrambling toward the tech booth,

had locke

ording, crystal clear, time-stamped just thirty minutes prior. I

with tears, echoed through the ballroom. *"You pr

, a desperate hiss. *"I swear, tomorrow

t descended upon the room was absolute, a heavy, suffocating

stage and the tech booth, the architecture of his life in ruins around h

bottomless pits of despair and hatred. "You bitch," he mouthed, his voi