To be with Ethan Vance, I cut ties with my family. The day I was kicked out of my house, my dad sneered at me: "Serena, you’ve been sheltered your whole life. You have a terrible eye for people. Let’s see how long you can last." For six years, I stayed by Ethan’s side. We moved from a cramped basement to a tiny studio apartment. We went from eating cheap instant ramen to occasionally being able to afford a nice dinner out. When he drank himself sick entertaining clients, I stayed up all night mixing electrolytes and making him black coffee. Finally, his tech startup went public. The IPO celebration was held at a five-star hotel. As his fiancée, I arrived early to make sure everything was perfect. But the moment I walked into the ballroom, I saw someone already sitting in the seat of honor—his infamous "work wife," Chloe Harper. Dressed in a crisp white pantsuit, she was laughing and chatting with the investors. She carried herself with the effortless grace of a hostess. When she saw me, she barely spared me a glance before speaking to me like it was her right: "Serena, you're here? Perfect. Go rush the kitchen staff. Mr. Caldwell has a severe seafood allergy, so they need to be extra careful with the appetizers." Beside her, Ethan casually took the champagne flute from Chloe’s hand, took a sip, and murmured, "Always so thoughtful. I almost forgot about Caldwell's allergy." Throughout the dinner, they bounced industry jargon and capital maneuvers off each other. In the most thrilling chapter of his life, Chloe was the absolute main character. I couldn't get a word in edgewise. A few drinks in, Ethan stood up to offer a toast. Chloe immediately looped her arm through his, standing up with a radiant smile: "Everyone! Ethan has hit the jackpot in both his career and his love life! Shouldn't all of us single folks make him take a penalty shot?" The room erupted in cheers. A few executives, buzzed from the alcohol, started getting loud: "If you ask me, you and Chloe are the perfect match! You understand each other with just a look. The synergy is insane!" "You guys went from eating ramen in the office to ringing the bell on Wall Street! What do you call that? Riding out the storm together to share the glory!" Ethan just smiled, not denying a word, letting the atmosphere bubble over. I looked at this banquet, supposedly a celebration, and felt like a complete outsider. "It seems your company's victory party doesn't lack a leading lady." "So you and your 'best partner' can celebrate properly." I grabbed my coat and walked out of the ballroom, ignoring the shocked stares of everyone at the table. Free Chapters 1 ######################### Data Divider ######################### Chapter 1 He chased after me, grabbing my wrist in the hallway. His voice dropped into a coaxing whisper: "Serena, don't make a scene." I yanked my arm away, my eyes stinging. A few board members had followed him out to smooth things over. The most senior one, Mr. Davis, patted Ethan on the shoulder. "Ethan, talk it out nicely. Don't make Serena feel left out." Ethan took a deep breath, his expression turning serious. "Chloe was just too excited and crossed a line. I apologize on her behalf. But Serena, six years together... are you really going to throw it all away because of her?" His tone grew a little panicked. "Did you forget what we promised? Once the company went public, we'd go to Norway to see the Northern Lights. We’d have our wedding in Tromsø." My heart gave a sharp ache. We had survived so much hardship, finally reaching this day. He rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb. "Don't you want to see the auroras with me anymore, Serena?" Those words hit my softest spot. Mr. Davis sighed. "Serena, you were wronged tonight. Chloe is a workaholic; she treats the company like it's her own home and lost her sense of boundaries." Just then, Chloe strolled out, stopping a few feet away. Her tone was perfectly polite. "Serena, I was careless earlier and caused a misunderstanding. I'll penalize myself with a drink." She raised a glass she had snagged from somewhere, her posture elegant. The tension awkwardly dissolved. Before leaving, Mr. Davis made a point to say, "Ethan, the executive team is heading up to the mountain spa resort tomorrow to unwind. Bring Serena along so she can relax, too." Ethan nodded immediately, wrapping his arm tightly around my shoulders. "I will. I'll definitely bring her." That night, back at our apartment. He held me in the steamy bathroom, whispering "I'm sorry" over and over, kissing me with desperate, heavy urgency. He took me several times that night, moving with such force it felt like he was trying to shatter all his insecurities. I closed my eyes and took it, but the thorn in my heart only dug deeper. 2 The next evening, we arrived at the luxury mountain resort. Chloe was already lounging by the indoor pool, wearing a silk robe and holding a glass of Pinot Noir. Seeing us, she smiled faintly. "Ethan, did you bring your swim trunks? You always forget." She then turned to me, bringing it up casually: "Last time we had a business trip in Chicago, I had to run out and buy his trunks at the last minute~" Ethan looked a little embarrassed and squeezed my hand. "That was ages ago." The group this time consisted mostly of younger executives and staff. Everyone naturally gathered around the edge of the hot springs, sipping wine and chatting. Someone cheered, "Chloe, tell us a story from the early startup days!" Chloe covered her mouth and giggled. "The most unforgettable moment was the night we secured our Series A funding. Ethan was so ecstatic he picked me up and spun me around, and we both fell into the pool." The crowd erupted in laughter. Ethan let out a soft chuckle. "You had quite a few drinks that night, too." More hooting and hollering from the peanut gallery. A project manager, clearly hammered, slurred, "Chloe, Ethan... have you two really never dated? Since the future Mrs. Vance is here, confess now and get a lighter sentence!" Someone instantly chimed in, "Yeah! I remember working late until 2 AM once and seeing you two hugging in the office!" Chloe took a sip of her wine. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkling as she shot him a sidelong glance. "We... well, we have kissed." My head snapped up. The area around the pool fell dead silent. Ethan leaned against the edge of the hot spring, his eyes closed, acting as if he hadn't heard. Chloe smiled, her tone dancing between joking and serious: "It was the night the company almost went under. He told me... if we could turn things around, he'd be with me." Her gaze shifted to my pale face, and she enunciated every word clearly: "And then," "He kissed me." 3 Those words were a bucket of ice water, drenching me from head to toe. The people around us were completely mute. I shot to my feet, staring at a very drunk Ethan. "Is she telling the truth?" Stripped of the warm water, I was left shivering. The man who had held me just last night, swearing his love, now had unfocused eyes. He looked at Chloe, then at me. Then, he broke into a dopey grin and mumbled thoughtlessly: "What truth? It was just one kiss!" "Her lips were so soft... she was crying, it broke my heart." The blood in my veins turned to ice. "So, the company turned around, which means you should be with her?" My voice shook. That seemed to sober him up a fraction. He rubbed his temples in frustration. "Serena, don't bring up ancient history... I was under so much pressure..." Before he could finish, Chloe rushed over to support his weight. Her face didn't change as she took the initiative to explain: "Things were just too hard back then. You can't take everything said in the heat of the moment seriously. Please don't be upset, Serena." She sounded so sincere. But the sheer adoration in her eyes when she looked at Ethan wasn't hidden at all! She helped Ethan stand, her voice gentle. "Ethan has a bad stomach; he shouldn't soak in the hot water too long." He leaned heavily against her in his drunken daze. They looked incredibly intimate. A veteran employee sighed. "Serena, you weren't there for the really bad times. When the company was about to fold, Chloe stayed up with Ethan for three days straight." "During the hardest moments, they definitely... relied on each other a lot." Chloe said softly, "It's all in the past. The company is doing great now, and he's with you. I'm happy for him." Her words said she was happy, but her eyes were pure provocation. Another drunken executive raised his hand. "I can vouch for that! Ethan even said back then that if we survived, he would never do Chloe wrong!" Amidst the chorus of ambiguous agreements, Ethan leaned his head on Chloe's shoulder, closed his eyes, and muttered, "Mhm... I'll never do you wrong, Chloe." That scene entirely broke me. I grabbed my towel robe, threw it on, and walked away. Behind me, I could hear the whispers: "She can't even handle that?" "They were never from the same world anyway." "Chloe is the one who actually suffered through the trenches with Ethan." Back in the hotel room, I locked the door. Outside the window was the quiet mountain night. I thought about the days we crammed into a two-hundred-square-foot studio, splitting a single bowl of ramen. He had held me and said, "Serena, once I make it, I will never let you suffer again." I thought about his first failed funding round, when I stood with him on a windy overpass at 3 AM. He had said, "Thank God I still have you." Now, he had made it. But it seemed that on his journey of loving me, he had fallen in love with someone else. I stared into the thick darkness, sitting paralyzed until dawn. Ethan didn't come back to the room that night. And I never expected that what I was waiting for wouldn't be his apology. At noon the next day, he barged into the room, furious. A slightly red-eyed Chloe trailed behind him. He slammed an iPad down in front of me—the company's official website homepage had been hijacked with a video playing on a loop: [Watch Chloe Harper, the Homewrecker, Reveal Her True Colors!] It was the exact clip of Chloe saying "we have kissed" and Ethan drunkenly slurring "I'll never do you wrong, Chloe." The comment section was a bloodbath of insults. "Serena!" Ethan's eyes were bloodshot. "The website was hacked! Now the entire industry is treating us like a laughingstock!" He glared at me intensely. "Your childhood best friend is a hacker, isn't he? Using tactics like this... you're beneath contempt!" I stood frozen. Because of a simple connection, he immediately convicted me. Chloe took a step forward. Her eyes were rimmed with red, but she stood tall and proud: "Serena, if you're unhappy, you can say it to my face. But this company is the blood, sweat, and tears of everyone here. You shouldn't take revenge like this." Every word was flawlessly composed, perfectly contrasting my supposed pettiness. I looked at this man I had loved for six years. For her sake, he didn't hesitate to condemn me. The death of a heart happens in an instant. I raised my eyes and looked at him calmly. "Ethan, so you brought her here to interrogate me?" I took a deep breath, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Did you forget that you owe me an explanation first?" "Or why don't you just look me in the eye and tell me you want to break up?" 4 "Break up?" Ethan frowned deeply. "Serena, we are talking about the company website being hacked!" "And the fact that you've ruined Chloe's reputation." He pinched the bridge of his nose impatiently, his tone hardening. "Is this really your attitude after doing something so wrong?" Chloe stood beside him, her voice level but laced with venom. "Serena, I understand you. But launching a cyberattack against corporate servers is a federal crime. This could destroy everything Ethan has built." Those words struck a nerve in him. He immediately stepped in front of Chloe to shield her, staring at me with profound disappointment. "She's looking at the big picture despite everything, and you're still throwing a tantrum? Apologize!" I watched them standing shoulder to shoulder. "I didn't do it," I said, my voice ice cold. "Who else could it be?" Ethan said with absolute certainty. "Isn't your best friend in that exact line of work?" The unwavering conviction in his eyes stabbed me right in the chest. My entire body was trembling. I couldn't hold it back a second longer. I raised my hand— Smack! A vicious slap landed squarely across Ethan's cheek. He froze. The left side of his face rapidly turned an angry red. "Ethan!" Chloe immediately stepped up to check on him. Hearing the commotion, several executives flooded into the room, all talking over each other: "Serena, how could you hit him?" "You're the one in the wrong, and you're acting this arrogant!" "Chloe is willing to let it slide, what more do you want?" I looked at their united front against me and laughed out of pure rage. "You say I hacked your website? Where's the proof?" "A room full of supposedly educated professionals, and you're just going to baselessly frame someone?" Seeing the situation escalate, Chloe played the peacemaker: "Everyone, please stop. Serena just acted on impulse." "She's probably just feeling a little neglected by Ethan and isn't thinking straight." Her words sounded like she was defending me, but they were actually hammering the nails into my coffin. She spoke with faux earnestness: "But Serena, whatever issues you have in your relationship, why make it so ugly for everyone else?" In the chaos, someone bumped my purse off the table. A small velvet box rolled out and popped open— It was the diamond engagement ring he had bought with his very first funding bonus. Crunch— A crisp, sickening sound of something shattering. Chloe's high heel had "accidentally" stepped right on it. The diamond popped out of the setting, and the band was bent out of shape. The world instantly went quiet. "Oh, sorry," Chloe said, stepping back. Her tone was airy. "I didn't notice." I bent down and picked up the crushed ring. My hands were shaking. Six years of love, crushed just like that. Ethan looked stunned too. He reached out to grab me. "Serena..." Before he could finish, I looked up, my eyes blazing. Breathing heavily, I swung my hand back and slapped Chloe. Smack! It was even louder than the first one. She stumbled backward, clutching her face, and crashed into the coffee table. A glass of red wine tipped over, splashing all over her. "You..." Her eyes were wide, her perfect makeup smeared. "That," I said, taking a step toward her, "was for your calculated scheming." The executives around us gasped. Chloe leaned against the table, struggling to stand upright. "Doing this will only humiliate Ethan..." "Shut up!" I cut her off. Ethan softened his voice. "Serena, let's sit down and talk this out." "Talk about what?" I sneered. "Talk about how you two were practically joined at the lips?" My heart hurt so much it felt like it was going to explode. Every suppressed emotion erupted in that single moment. I raised my hand and delivered another ringing slap to her other cheek. "And that is for willingly being the other woman!" Chloe shrieked and fell to the floor. The red wine stains bloomed across her pristine white suit. She looked utterly pathetic. She finally dropped her act. "Serena, you're psychotic!" I didn't even look at her again. I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. "Dad," my voice was as cold as liquid nitrogen. "Short Vance Tech immediately. Buy up the entire public float." Chapter 2 5 The moment the words "Short Vance Tech" left my mouth, the room went dead silent. Then, snickers broke out across the room. One of the executives pointed at me. "Serena, did the anger fry your brain? Do you even know what our market cap is right now?" Another voice piped up, shrill and mocking: "She's just a regular broke girl who moved to the city. She dated Ethan for six years and actually thinks she's somebody important!" "Short the stock? Does she even know what shorting means?" Chloe, clutching her swollen cheeks, started to laugh. "Serena, I know you're mad, but there's no need to make up such ridiculous lies." She turned to Ethan, her tone dripping with pity. "Ethan, take her somewhere to rest. She really needs to calm down." The woman who was just on the floor had suddenly reclaimed the high ground. She even straightened her spine. Ethan’s brows were locked together. He looked at me, his eyes full of exhaustion and disappointment: "Serena, stop saying these childish things. Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough?" He tried to grab my hand again. I slapped it away fiercely. My heart was completely frozen over, leaving me feeling strangely, unnervingly calm. "Who told you I was just a regular broke girl?" I swept my gaze across their faces, memorizing every sneer and look of contempt. Snobs. That was the only word for them. "Six years. Aside from knowing I was the girl keeping him company, did a single one of you ever ask what my family does for a living?" The room fell silent for a heartbeat. Ethan froze, a flicker of uncertainty passing through his eyes. Chloe scoffed. "What, is Serena going to tell us she's the long-lost heiress of some billionaire dynasty?" She dragged out her words mockingly. "Or maybe your hacker best friend is going to invent a shiny new identity for you online?" The crowd obligingly chuckled. "Where's the proof?" an executive shouted. "Talk is cheap!" "Exactly! No proof means you're just full of hot air!" Ethan took a deep breath, utilizing the very last shred of his patience. "Serena, stop spinning tales and come back to the city with me. We will handle today's mess privately." He looked at Chloe. "Apologize to Chloe, and we can put this behind us." I looked at him and felt nothing but absolute absurdity. Right then, a new call came through on my phone. It was Secretary Arthur. I put it on speaker. Arthur's voice was impeccably respectful: "Miss Sterling. The directive has been confirmed and executed. Furthermore, Mr. Carter and I will be arriving shortly to pick you up. Mr. Sterling asks if you are finished playing pretend and are finally ready to come home?" The voice on the other end paused before continuing: "Mr. Sterling also said: You are the heiress to the Sterling family. There is a long line of brilliant young men waiting for your attention. There is no need to hang yourself on a third-rate, unrefined tree." Unrefined. Hearing that word, Ethan's face drained of color. He stared at me, his expression twisting. I met his gaze and enunciated every word: "Yes. Tell him I'm officially coming back to the Sterling family." Silence. Chloe's face was stiff, but she was still stubbornly clinging to her narrative. "Serena, do you honestly think hiring some actors to make a phone call is going to fool anyone?" But a younger executive suddenly turned pale, as if he had just connected the dots. He pointed at me in sheer terror. "The Sterling family? Are you... are you from Sterling Capital?!" Hearing that name, Ethan whipped his head toward me, his eyes filled with an unprecedented horror. "Serena, are you..." "Impossible!" Chloe shrieked, cutting him off, desperately trying to maintain her composure. "Serena, who is this performance for? Everyone knows you come from a totally average family! We know exactly how you lived with Ethan for the last six years!" She sounded like she was clutching at straws, her voice growing increasingly frantic: "If you were really the heiress to Sterling Capital, why didn't you say anything when Ethan was begging for seed money? Why did you watch him grovel to investors? Why did you watch us almost go bankrupt?" Her words reignited the doubts in the room. "Yeah! That makes no sense." "Sterling Capital... they're institutional apex predators..." "If she was a billionaire heiress, why would she suffer like a peasant with us?" The shock in Ethan's eyes slowly settled, replaced by the furious indignation of someone who felt they were being played. "Serena, you hired people to put on a show just because you're throwing a tantrum? Do you think this is funny?" I looked at him, and the barren wasteland in my chest froze over completely. "Ethan, in the six years we've been together, aside from knowing my mother passed away when I was young, did you ever ask me what my dad does? Did you ever ask what my life was like before I met you?"
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