The End of Innocence

Clara's POV

The elevator doors opened to the 50th floor of Reid Enterprises, and I smoothed down my cream silk blouse, clutching the handmade bento box closer. Three years of marriage, and my heart still skipped whenever I was about to see Alexander. The thought made me smile despite myself.

"You're such a fool, Clara," I whispered to myself, though my lips curved into a hopeful smile.

The executive floor was oddly quiet today. Jessica's desk—my best friend and Alexander's secretary—sat empty. Strange. She was always here, ready with a warm hug and friendly gossip about the office drama. In three years, I'd never seen her station unmanned during business hours.

My Louboutin heels clicked against the marble floor as I made my way down the corridor. The sound echoed in the unusually silent space, making me feel like an intruder rather than the CEO's wife.

As I approached Alexander's office, voices drifted through the heavy mahogany door. I reached for the handle, then froze at Henderson's words:

"The quarterly reports need your signature, Mrs. Reid."

Mrs. Reid? But I wasn't in there...

A familiar feminine laugh floated through—Jessica's laugh. My stomach twisted as I eased the door open silently.

"You're getting careless, darling," Jessica purred, perched on Alexander's desk with her skirt hiked up indecently high. "Calling me Mrs. Reid where anyone could hear..."

Alexander's hands gripped her waist possessively. "You've always been my real wife, Jess. Clara was just a convenient business arrangement—you know that."

The bento box slipped from my numb fingers, crashing to the floor. They jumped apart, but not quickly enough to erase what I'd seen.

"Clara..." Alexander's face smoothed into that practiced mask I'd seen him use in business dealings. "This isn't what you think."

A bitter laugh escaped my throat. "Really? Because I think my husband is sleeping with my best friend. I think I've been living a lie for three years. Tell me, Alexander, how long? How long have you been laughing at stupid, naive Clara behind her back?"

"Don't be dramatic," Jessica stood, straightening her skirt. Her face showed a flash of guilt before settling into cool composure. "It's not personal, Clara. It's just business. You got the lifestyle you wanted, didn't you?"

"Business?" My voice cracked. "Is that what you call betraying your best friend? The person who helped you through college, who let you cry on her shoulder when your mother died?"

Alexander stepped forward, his six-foot-two frame towering over me. "Enough scenes. Go home, Clara. We'll discuss this later."

"Discuss what? How you two have been making a fool of me? How everyone probably knows except the stupid little wife?" I backed away, my designer heels catching on the plush carpet. "Well, congratulations. You've succeeded. I hope you're both very happy together."

"Clara, wait—" Jessica reached for me, but I slapped her hand away.

"Don't touch me! Don't you dare touch me, you treacherous snake!"

I turned and ran, ignoring their calls. Tears blurred my vision as I exited the building onto the busy street. The screech of tyres came too late for me to react.

The last thing I saw was the grill of an overspeeding truck, and a single thought flashed through my mind: *Am I going to die without making them pay?*

Then everything went black.

Pain exploded through my body, and somewhere distant, I heard screaming. The world spun in a kaleidoscope of colors and sounds.

"Someone call an ambulance!"

"Oh God, there's so much blood..."

"Miss, can you hear me? Stay with us!"

But I was already floating away, the voices growing fainter. In my last moments of consciousness, I thought about all the signs I'd missed. The late nights at the office, the secret smiles between them, the way Jessica always seemed to know Alexander's schedule better than I did.

*What a fool I've been*, I thought as darkness claimed me. *What an absolutely perfect fool*.

The world faded to black, and with it, the last traces of the naive woman I'd been. Clara Reid died that day on the street outside Reid Enterprises.

But that wasn't the end of my story.

******************

My eyes snapped open to the sound of Taylor Swift's "Love Story" blaring from my old iPhone alarm. For a moment, I lay frozen, the phantom pain of the truck impact still echoing through my body. The memory of crushed metal and screaming bystanders felt so real, so vivid.

But this wasn't the Reid mansion's master bedroom. This was...

"Impossible," I whispered, sitting up slowly.

My old apartment. My cramped bedroom with the IKEA furniture and the wall of dress designs I'd abandoned after marriage. And there, hanging on my closet door like a ghost from the past, was my wedding dress. Tomorrow's wedding dress.

I scrambled for my phone, my hands shaking as I checked the date. June 15, 2021—the day before my wedding to Alexander Reid.

A laugh bubbled up from my chest, slightly hysterical. "Oh my God. Oh my God."

My phone buzzed with a text from Jessica: "Rise and shine, bride-to-be! Big day tomorrow! ❤️"

I stared at her message, remembering how she'd helped me pick out my wedding dress, all while knowing she was sleeping with my fiancé. My fingers tightened around the phone until my knuckles turned white.

Another text came in, this one from Alexander: "Everything's arranged for tomorrow. Don't be late."

"Don't be late," I mimicked bitterly. "Can't keep your business arrangement waiting, can I?"

I got up and walked to my closet, pulling out the innocent white wedding dress I'd spent a month's salary on. In my previous life, I'd thought it made me look like a princess. Now I saw it for what it was—a costume for their perfectly orchestrated play.

My phone buzzed again. An unknown number this time:

"Miss Lin, this is Nathan Chen. I know we haven't met, but I have information about Alexander Reid that you need to hear before tomorrow. Please call me."

I remembered this message. Last time, I'd deleted it immediately, convinced it was just a jealous competitor trying to ruin my happiness. How differently things might have turned out if I'd listened.

This time, my fingers flew over the keypad: "Mr. Chen, I believe we have much to discuss. Café Laurent, one hour?"

His reply came instantly: "I'll be there."

Walking to my mirror, I studied my reflection. The naive Clara who'd died yesterday stared back at me—young, hopeful, desperate to believe in fairy tales. Her eyes still held that innocent sparkle, untouched by betrayal.

"Time to grow up, princess," I murmured, reaching for my red lipstick. "Let's show them what happens when they underestimate you."

I opened my laptop, pulling up files I'd never bothered to look at in my previous life. Alexander's company reports, news articles about Reid Enterprises, and most importantly, the string of mysterious acquisitions that had built his empire.

Three years as his wife had taught me every weakness in his armor. Every dirty deal, every skeleton in his closet, every person he'd stepped on to climb to the top. Knowledge that, in the right hands, could bring his empire crashing down.

My phone buzzed with another text from Jessica: "Don't forget our spa appointment at 2! Can't have our bride looking anything less than perfect! 💅✨"

I smiled at my phone, a plan forming in my mind. "Wouldn't miss it for the world, bestie."

Opening my contacts, I dialed a number I'd memorized but never used in my past life—my college roommate who now worked for the SEC.

"Sarah? It's Clara. Remember how you always said you owed me one for covering up your little scandal in senior year? I think it's time to collect."

As I outlined what I needed, I felt a thrill of anticipation. In three hours, I would meet Nathan Chen and set my plan in motion. In twenty-four hours, I would walk down the aisle again.

But this time, I wouldn't be the sacrificial lamb at their altar.

This time, I would be the wolf in white silk.

And they would never see me coming.