When his firm hit trouble in its second year, she quietly funneled money through a “private investor” to stabilize it. Jake credited his own intelligence. Olivia lets him.
For a while, the illusion held.
Then Jake changed.
He began correcting her at dinners, chuckling when she mispronounced a name. “You’re adorable when you try,” he would say, as if she were naive. He started staying out late, dismissing her questions as insecurity. “You’re overthinking,” he’d tell her. “You’re lucky I’m patient.”
By year four, she wasn’t a partner—she was a prop.
When Olivia discovered she was pregnant in their fifth year, she hoped it might soften him. Instead, Jake’s face remained unreadable. “This isn’t ideal timing,” he said flatly. “Do you realize what a child costs?”
A week later, the truth found her.
Jake’s phone buzzed while he was showering. A message read up from someone saved as Lauren:
“I miss you. When are you finally leaving her?”
Leave a Comment