Planting Scandal? Here is my Security Footage

Chapter One

Me and my childhood enemy? We’ve been at each other’s throats since we were five.

Then, right after we turned eighteen, our parents decided we were destined soulmates. Fated. Meant to be. The whole ridiculous prophecy.

So yeah. I ended up married to my worst enemy — who somehow became the youngest professor at Stanford.

Five years married. Five years secret.

Everyone wanted him: young, successful, stupid hot. And he’d rather flirt back than admit I existed.

At the academic conference, my coworker started gossiping about my love life.

And this asshole just joined right in, smiling like he didn’t go home to me every night.

“Sloane, you’re not getting any younger. Want me to set you up?”

In my past life, I snapped. Pulled out our marriage certificate right in front of everyone. His precious little student Sienna went pale and transferred to another advisor the next day.

After that, he could barely look at me.

Six months later, my research got published under Sienna’s name.

When I confronted them, Beckett said I stole her work.

Academic misconduct. Fired. Blacklisted from every lab.

I had nothing left.

But this time?

I caught his smug-ass look and smiled real sweet.

“Pass. My fiancé’s the jealous type. Doesn’t like sharing.”

The whole room went dead silent.

Beckett’s smile almost fell off his face.

Sienna — sitting right next to him — got this sharp, glittering look in her eyes and jumped in before he could speak.

“Wow, Sloane. Keeping secrets now? Guess you weren’t planning to tell anyone until after the wedding, huh?”

I looked her dead in the eyes and smiled.

“Doesn’t matter if I tell you. I’m still the one with the ring.”

Past me? Total idiot. I actually believed she had no idea about me and Beckett. Thought she was clueless. Thought she was getting screwed over just like me.

I even apologized to her.

Then my research got stolen, and I watched those two assholes gloat to my face. That’s when I realized she knew everything the whole damn time.

Sienna’s eyes flashed with something nasty. She opened her mouth, then shut it again.

Someone else tried to smooth things over.

“Ha! So that’s why you never come to drinks — you’ve got a man!”

I forced a smile. “Yeah. Sorry. I’ll bring him around sometime.”

Sienna cut me off, voice dripping fake sugar. “Really? I think you’re full of it. I mean, thirty-something and single? That’s just sad.”

“Right, Beck?” She turned to him, batting her lashes.

Beckett didn’t even glance my way. Just nodded.

“Yeah. Sounds about right.”

I wanted to slap myself for hoping he’d say something different. Still expecting anything from a cheating douchebag — pathetic.

Right when things got painfully awkward, a deep voice cut through the room:

“I’m here for Sloane. Time to head home.”

CHAPTER 2

Everyone turned to look.

This stupidly hot guy in an expensive suit walked straight toward me like he owned the place.

He smiled and took my hand.

“Come on, Sloane. Let’s go home.”

I let him lead me out.

Behind us, people were whispering.

Hold up — is that Wilder Hayes?

The guy who funds half the lab?

Seriously? That’s Sloane’s fiancé?

I could feel Beckett staring daggers into my back. I ignored it and kept walking.

But of course, Beckett couldn’t let it go.

“Sloane!” he suddenly yelled.

I stopped, annoyed. “Yeah?”

Sienna grabbed his arm, smiling at me like she’d won something.

“Sloane, I’m presenting in five minutes. You’re really not staying?”

I looked her dead in the eye.

“Not interested.”

I didn’t wait for Beckett to respond. I just turned and left.

Wilder stayed quiet the whole time. Not until I was in his car — and he’d buckled my seatbelt like some kind of gentleman menace — did he finally look at me and smile.

“Your place?”

I shook my head. “It’s fine. Just drop me at the corner.”

Wilder kept driving. “Nah. I’ve got you today. You get me next time. Deal?”

I couldn’t really push back after that, so I told him my address in Palo Alto.

But right when we pulled up to my building — before I could get out — my department head texted me.

She sounded more hyped than I’d ever heard her, telling me to check the Stanford forum immediately.

Confused, I opened it.

The second I saw the top post, my stomach dropped.

[youngest prof beckett ashford + campus queen sienna waverly present together — power couple goals]

The photos showed Beckett and Sienna standing together onstage, smiling at each other like they were in a damn romance movie.

Their eyes full of intimacy.

My face must’ve said everything, because Wilder looked over right away.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” I shoved my phone away and got out. “Thanks for the ride.”

I waited until I was back in my room before pulling my phone out again.

Then I scrolled to the comments.

[beckett ashford: @sienna waverly — brilliant student, love of my life]

[sienna waverly: @beckett ashford — amazing mentor, my everything]

Even though I already knew about them, even though I’d given him up ages ago — seeing those matching posts still made me want to throw up.

What I waited five years for…

Beckett just handed to someone else like it was nothing.

CHAPTER THREE

My department head was pissed.

“Those assholes went public, and now everyone’s calling you the homewrecker.

Sloane, you’re his wife. You can’t let them trash you like this.”

I cut her off.

“Did they approve my resignation?”

Silence.

“You’re up for full professor next year. You seriously want to leave?”

“Yeah.” I didn’t hesitate.

I’d been better than Beckett at everything in grad school.

Five years ago, if I hadn’t married him, I never would’ve stayed here teaching.

When we got married, I actually thought we’d grow up together. He kept begging me to stay, saying we’d build feelings over time. So I turned down the national lab in Boston and stayed at Stanford.

But now? This marriage was dead. There was no way I was staying.

Right after I hung up, Beckett called.

He got straight to it.

“You saw the forum, right? Sienna’s young. I’m not letting people drag her online over some post.”

I didn’t give him anything.

His voice sharpened. “Don’t be dramatic. You left with Wilder in front of everyone. Me helping Sienna — we’re square.”

Then: “I’m flying to London tomorrow for a conference. Sienna’s coming with me. Handle yourself. When I’m back, we’ll tell people the truth.”

He hung up immediately.

I stared at my phone and laughed at myself.

Five years married. Nobody knew about us.

But we worked at the same university — there was overlap all the time. And everyone knew we grew up together.

Me: a nobody lecturer.

Him: a hotshot professor.

Whenever people connected the dots or gossip started, I’d tell Beckett, and all I ever got was:

“You’re an adult. Don’t be so petty.”

Now his precious student gets a little gossip and he can’t handle it for one second — jumps to defend her immediately.

I thought the worst Beckett could do was make me look like a joke for five years.

Turns out he could do way worse.

CHAPTER FOUR

Beckett came home around 3 a.m.

With Sienna.

I stood at my bedroom door, watching him let her hang all over him. He barely glanced at me before carefully laying her down on the couch.

“She’s wasted. Can’t leave her alone like that.”

“You’re not seriously making this a thing, right?”

I was this close to losing it. There were fifty other people at that event. He could’ve called a friend. A colleague. Literally anyone. But he brought her here — to my house.

“Sloane, when the fuck did you turn into such a heartless bitch?”

I actually laughed. “I’m the heartless one? This is my house. I didn’t throw her out — that’s me being nice.”

Beckett looked pissed, but seeing how serious I was, he backed down a little.

“Fine. Jesus.” He pulled out his phone, glancing at me. “Just keep an eye on her. I’ll call someone to come get her.”

But the second he turned around, there was a loud thud.

Sienna — who’d been on the couch — was now on the floor. Her ankle twisted at a horrible angle.

Beckett whipped around, face going white.

He rushed over, picked her up. After checking that it was just her ankle, he turned and slapped me hard across the face.

“Sloane, I said I’d get her out of here. Why the hell would you push her?”

I smiled, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “You seriously think I did that?”

“Who else?” he snapped.

That was it. Something inside me shut down. I didn’t want to fight anymore. Didn’t want anything anymore.

I pulled out the divorce papers.

“Wanna leave? Sign this.”

Beckett’s head was full of worry for Sienna. He didn’t even look at what I handed him — just scribbled his name.

I stared at the divorce papers with both signatures and felt like I could finally breathe.

That night, I was too hyped to sleep. As soon as the courthouse opened the next morning, I was there. Only then did I calm down.

While I was at the courthouse, the Stanford forum exploded.

Breaking news: Prof Sloane tries to steal Prof Ashford from Sienna — violently attacks her when rejected.

Two pictures.

One: me at my door, looking at my phone.

Two: Beckett holding Sienna, looking panicked.

The comments were brutal.

How is she still working there? Fire her already.

She went after a student’s boyfriend — that’s insane. Get her off campus.

LMAO called it. That fiancé was 100% fake. She’s been obsessed with Prof Ashford since grad school.

Someone questioned it — but another person posted photos as “proof.”

Looking at those familiar photos, I stopped breathing.

Only two people had those photos: me and Beckett’s family.

I called him over and over. After fifty tries, he finally picked up.

Before I could say anything, he spoke down to me.

“Sloane, you hurt Sienna. That’s on you.

Get to the hospital and apologize — on your knees. I’ll get her to post that she forgives you. Then we’re done.”

I laughed so hard I started crying.

“Beckett, I don’t care how much we hate each other — I’m still your wife.

And you want me to apologize to your mistress?”

He actually laughed. “You fucked up. Apologize.

You’re a teacher — what kind of example is this?

Don’t want to? I’ll ruin you.”

Click.

My phone rang immediately — the department head.

“Sloane, what do we do? This is going viral.”

I blinked hard, fighting back tears.

Then I sent her everything:

The recording, our marriage certificate, the deed to the house , the security footage

Burn him.

CHAPTER FIVE

Beckett was always arrogant. He never thought I’d have recordings. Or cameras.

Growing up constantly getting blamed for things taught me one thing: always keep proof.

The home security system was supposed to be for safety. I never thought it would end up saving my ass like this.

The living room cameras caught everything that night in perfect detail — me, Beckett, Sienna.

In the footage, I stood at my bedroom door the entire time. Didn’t move.

It was drunk Sienna who — the second Beckett turned around — suddenly woke up, threw herself off the couch, and broke her own ankle.

Once the footage and evidence went public, everything flipped.

[Wait… he brought her to Sloane’s house?? His wife’s house?? I’m sorry, the AUDACITY.]

[Ashford really out here believing anything Sienna says… man is down BAD.]

[They’ve been married for FIVE YEARS?? And nobody knew?? I’m gonna throw up.]

[So Sienna was the homewrecker this whole time… not Sloane… the plot twist I’m deceased.]

My department head sent me screenshots of people dragging Beckett and Sienna.

Those pieces of trash! Karma finally got them hahaha.

She unsent it right after.

I smiled. They really were trash.

Beckett — who never looked at me twice but jumped for Sienna instantly — moved fast.

First, Sienna posted something pathetic:

[I’m really sorry for all the drama.I had way too much to drink and Prof. Ashford was worried about my safety, so he brought me somewhere I could rest. That’s all it was.When I heard them arguing, I felt horrible. I didn’t want to make things worse so I tried to leave quietly. I didn’t mean to fall and I never wanted Professor Sloane to take the blame for any of this.Professor Sloane, I am so sorry. I really hope you can forgive me.]

Beckett played the good professor, taking “responsibility,”

but conveniently forgot about their relationship announcement two days earlier.

The forum didn’t.

[Lol but y’all were official two days ago.]

In the hospital, Sienna saw the comments and lost it.

“That bitch,” she snapped, her face twisting. “How dare she set me up.”

She heard footsteps and instantly switched to sweet mode.

Seeing Beckett frown, Sienna looked guilty.

“Professor… this is all my fault. You two are fighting because of me.

I’ll leave right now and apologize to Professor Sloane. Maybe if I do that, she’ll forgive you.”

Her tears broke him. He couldn’t stay mad.

“Hey, stop.” He gently brushed her tears away. “I’ll take care of it, okay?

You don’t need to worry. Just rest.”

Right in front of Sienna, Beckett called me.

Dozens of calls. I didn’t pick up once.

Instead, I posted one thing on the forum:

[Good. Stanford’s excited for what’s next.]

Attached: my resignation letter.

Beckett’s heart dropped — the first time he’d ever felt panic like that.

Sienna was thrilled inside, but she didn’t dare show it.

“Professor… is she mad at me?” Her eyes filled with tears. “If she left because of me, I’ll drop out right now. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Before, Beckett would’ve pulled her close and told her it wasn’t her fault.

But right now, he was too panicked to care. He barely glanced at her.

“This isn’t about you. It’s between me and her. Just rest, okay?”

“No, I have to help—”

His phone buzzed. He looked down.

[Stop DMing me asking if I quit because of the mistress. I didn’t.]

[I’m leaving because I got offered something way better and I don’t want to see my shitty ex‑husband’s face anymore.]

Two divorce certificates made everything crystal clear.

After that, way fewer people asked why I left.

I wrapped up everything as fast as possible and caught a flight to Boston that same night — where the national lab was.

Crazy coincidence — I ran into someone I knew on the plane.

Chapter 6

“Sloane… wait, seriously?” He laughed. “What are the odds?”

I grinned and checked my ticket before dropping into the seat next to him.

Wilder scooted over, studying my face.

“I saw all that mess blowing up on the Stanford forum the last couple days.” His voice dropped. “You okay? Need anything?”

I shook my head. “Nah. Already handled.”

“I’m not going back. Like, ever. Done with all of them.”

Something sparked in Wilder’s eyes for half a second before he killed it.

“So where are you headed?”

I pulled an envelope out of my bag and waved it. “Pretty sure you already know, Mr. Hayes.”

The National Lab I was going to? Wilder was literally their biggest investor.

Wilder rubbed his nose, looking a little embarrassed. Gave up pretending he didn’t know.

After we landed, I turned my phone back on. Beckett’s missed calls and texts were blowing up my screen.

I didn’t even look. Just blocked him and took an Uber to the lab.

With Wilder as this angel investor who asked for nothing back, the lab had money to burn. Every researcher got their own two-bedroom apartment.

I dragged my suitcase to my place and noticed someone moving stuff into the unit across from mine.

But I was dead tired. Didn’t have the energy to meet my future coworker. Just went inside and passed out.

Next morning, running into my neighbor at the door, I froze.

“You?!”

Wilder smiled and passed me a bowl of oatmeal. “Funny seeing you again, Ms. Brennan.”

He offered to drive me to the lab. I didn’t say no.

On the way, Wilder told me he’d been the lab’s admin director for three years now.

The old director got busted for embezzling and went to prison. The lab head needed someone trustworthy to fill in temporarily, and Wilder was the only person available.

Supposed to be temporary. Ended up permanent.

“My company pretty much runs itself at this point.” Wilder winked. “I’ve got time.”

“You’re new here—don’t know anyone yet. If you need anything, just let me know.”

I listened, frowning a little.

At first I didn’t think much of it… but after hearing “Ms. Brennan” like five times, it started feeling weird.

“Just call me Sloane,” I said.

“You got it, Sloane.”

For the next month, with Wilder bringing me food every day, I didn’t even need to hit the cafeteria. Just went back and forth between my apartment and the lab, totally buried in work.

Wilder and I got closer during those daily meals.

Until one coworker pointed out something I’d been oblivious to:

“The lab’s got tons of people. Even when Nobel Prize winners visit, Mr. Hayes doesn’t bring them food.”

Right then, I got what Wilder actually meant.

But after getting burned before, and being swamped with work, I didn’t have the time or energy for a new relationship.

So the day I figured it out, I told Wilder straight up.

Wilder didn’t care: “I’m going after you ’cause I like you. Has nothing to do with whether you like me back.”

I thought he was bullshitting.

But his bullshit didn’t annoy me, so I just let him do his thing.

That peaceful life didn’t last long. Got shattered by Beckett suddenly showing up.

“Sloane!”

Beckett stepped in front of me, eyes bloodshot, looking like absolute shit. “Stop running from me, okay?”

My eye twitched. I was so fucking done. “Beckett, are you seriously that full of yourself?”

“Look at me right now. What part of this looks like I’m running from you?”

Beckett’s face fell. He reached for my hand. “Sloane, you never used to talk to me like this.”

Wilder stepped between us, locking eyes with him. “Touch her and find out what happens.”

Beckett froze for a second. Then his face twisted with rage.

“You made my wife divorce me?!”

Wilder’s smile was ice-cold. “Ex-wife. Sloane’s done with you.”

Beckett went pale. He turned back to me, voice cracking. “Sloane, I didn’t know! If I’d known those were divorce papers—”

Wilder cut in. “Right. You didn’t know. And why didn’t you know? Because back then all you gave a shit about was your injured little mistress.”

“You even hit Sloane because of that homewrecker.”

“Where the hell do you get off asking for anything?”

Beckett couldn’t say shit. Just stared at me with those red eyes.

Even six months ago, if Beckett looked at me like that, I would’ve forgiven him for literally anything.

But now? It just made my eyes hurt. Made me wanna puke.

Wilder kept going: “Memory goes to shit when you’re old. Lemme think… oh yeah! After you rushed your little mistress to the hospital, you came back and tried to pin it on Sloane—said she was the homewrecker!”

Beckett snapped: “This is between me and Sloane! Who the hell asked you?!”

I looked away, glancing at Wilder—who was clearly ready to keep going.

“Not worth arguing with trash. Take me home.”

Beckett lost his shit. “You’re letting HIM take you home?! What the fuck gives YOU the right to take my wife home?! You trying to fuck her or what?!”

Wilder’s grin spread wide, cocky as hell:

“One—you’ve got zero say over Sloane anymore.

Two—yeah, I like her. Yeah, I’m going after her. The fuck are you gonna do about it?”

Beckett looked ready to swing. “She’s married! You got no fucking shame?!”

Watching these two about to actually fight, I was so done.

Looking around—coworkers and random people were already gathering, faces screaming THIS IS GOOD.

I couldn’t even speak for a second. Finally just walked up and slapped Beckett across the face.

Beckett stared at me in shock.

Looking at this trash’s face, my ability to form words came back.

“Shame? Where do YOU get off talking about shame?”

“YOU’RE the one who hid our marriage for five years. YOU’RE the one who fucked around with your student. YOU’RE the one who turned me into the bad guy!”

“You and that little bitch plotted to steal my research and tank my entire career—that was ALL YOU!”

“Beckett! From the start—from DAY ONE—it’s been YOU!”

Beckett went white as a sheet.

He stammered, grasping at straws.

“I didn’t—I… I didn’t do that. Sloane, we… we grew up together. You’re my wife. Why would I fuck you over?”

I smiled, ice-cold. “Sienna told me everything. Want me to play it?”

Even though all this happened in my past life, the fact that it happened at all meant Beckett was already thinking it now.

Sure enough, hearing I had proof, his face went gray.

“So… you quit and divorced me because you found out?”

“But I just—I only thought about it! I wasn’t gonna actually do it!”

Wilder: “Yeah, ‘cause you didn’t get the chance to!”

Beckett shut up.

I was done. Turned to Wilder. “I said what I needed to say. Let’s go.”

After that day, I never saw Beckett again.

Next time I heard about him? He’d been arrested for assault.

My old department head sent me a video.

Beckett, eyes completely red, hands wrapped around Sienna’s throat, screaming:

“I warned you not to drag Sloane into this!”

Sienna struggled hard, shaking her head, trying to deny it.

But Beckett believed what I’d said. Didn’t believe her at all.

In the end, he broke all four of her limbs himself.

“You love playing the victim and blaming everyone else, right? Cool. This time I’ll help.”

Sienna had already been expelled for being a homewrecker. Now with her arms and legs broken, she was completely useless, stuck at home.

But her parents weren’t easy either. Even though they didn’t wanna deal with Sienna, they still wanted to squeeze every last cent out of her.

They demanded huge compensation from Beckett. But Beckett had already been fired for academic misconduct and plagiarism—he was broke.

Couldn’t settle privately. Had to go to jail.

Hearing about their ending, I wasn’t surprised.

In my past life, they teamed up because I was there to take all the blame while they enjoyed the results of my hard work. Of course they got along.

Now without me to pin everything on, without me funding their cushy lives, their relationship naturally fell apart.

My department head told me privately that because of the Beckett–Sienna mess, Stanford did a massive cleanup. Things were completely different now.

With my credentials, if I wanted to come back, I’d be a full professor immediately.

I turned her down. “I really like my life now.”

Even though I was far from home, my new coworkers and friends here made everything better.

Especially with Wilder shamelessly hanging around me 24/7.

No reason to go back somewhere that hurt me.