After spending two years roughing it at a remote project site, I came back to find my position at work stolen, my boyfriend snatched away, and a pick-me girl arrogantly telling me to get out of the company. Unable to take it anymore, I kicked her and my scumbag ex out of the building. "What gives you the right to fire me?!" I slammed the company's business license onto the table in front of them: "Because I am the owner of this company now." With my two powerful older brothers backing me up: "Anyone who bullies our sister can forget about ever showing their face in this city again!" 1 After graduating from college, I rejected my family's proposal to work for our own corporation. Instead, I joined a mid-sized firm in the city with decent benefits, alongside my boyfriend, Caleb Wright. I didn’t want him to feel insecure or think I was just a spoiled brat who relied on her parents. So, I never told him that my dad was a real estate and construction tycoon, my oldest brother was a tech billionaire, and my second brother was a high-ranking diplomat. During our second year at the company, we took on a remote infrastructure project in a small town in North Dakota—a place I had always been curious about but never visited. Caleb and I agreed to go together to build our resumes for two years. But a week before our departure, he changed his mind, claiming he needed to stay at the headquarters to secure a promotion. Coaxed by his promises, I agreed to go to the site alone. The boss had also promised that upon the project's completion, my position would be bumped up a level when I returned. The project wrapped up a week early. Wanting to give Caleb a surprise, I secretly booked a flight back. But when I arrived at our apartment, there was another woman in the house. Actually, no, there were two... Opening the door, I found an older woman sitting on the sofa. Before I could even speak, a young woman with very average looks walked out of the kitchen. She was carrying a fruit platter and wearing an apron, acting completely like the lady of the house. Seeing me walk in, she didn't look surprised at all. I knew her. Her name was Harper Quinn, a junior colleague who had previously flirted with Caleb, though he claimed to have rejected her. "What are you doing here?" "Who are you?" The older woman on the sofa and I spoke at the exact same time. Naturally, I was asking Harper, who was holding the fruit. The older woman was asking me. I shifted my gaze to the woman on the sofa and found her somewhat familiar. It took me a moment to realize she was Caleb's mother. I had seen her in a family portrait Caleb kept on his desk. "Mrs..." Before I could utter a polite greeting, she turned her head and shouted toward the hallway: "Caleb! Caleb... come out here for a second." "What is it, Mom?" Caleb walked out of the study. When he saw me standing at the door, the color drained from his face. In our six years together, he rarely furrowed his brows that tightly or wore such a conflicted expression. It was the exact same look he had when he told me he wasn't going to North Dakota. A bad feeling crept into my heart. Whenever Caleb had to choose between two things, he never chose me. "Who is this woman? How does she have the passcode to our house?" Our house? "Mom, this is a coworker. She's here to drop something off." A coworker? 2 While I stood there in shock, Caleb rushed to the door, grabbed my suitcase with one hand, and wrapped his other arm around my shoulder, practically shoving me out into the hallway. "Let's go outside. I'll explain everything," he whispered urgently. Just as we took two steps, I heard the woman inside say to his mother, "Auntie, I know that girl. That's Caleb's ex-girlfriend. But don't worry, I trust Caleb to handle it." His mother quickly chimed in, "Yes, exactly! Our Caleb is a good boy, he'll handle it. That woman must just be clinging to him. Don't overthink it, Harper." ... Caleb dragged me all the way to the elevators. He reached out to press the button, and the doors happened to open. He tried to pull me in, but I stood my ground. "What is the meaning of this?" I looked up and confronted him. "I've been gone for two months, and suddenly I'm your ex-girlfriend?" Even though I was stationed at a remote project for the last two years, Caleb and I saw each other at least once every two months. Of course, it was almost always me flying back to see him. "Serena, please, just listen to me." "Speak. I'm listening," I said, crossing my arms. He tried to pull me into the elevator, saying we should argue outside so his mom wouldn't hear us. Even now, he was only worried about his mom hearing us, entirely ignoring my feelings. A cold chill washed over my heart. "That is my apartment. Are you trying to force me to go back in there right now and kick those two women out?" I was furious, my voice raising an octave. Caleb came from a rural, working-class background. To protect his ego, I had never told him about my family's wealth, nor did I tell him that my family bought me this apartment. "Even if the apartment belongs to your friend, I've been paying the rent for the last two years," he retorted. Knowing I didn't respond well to aggression, he immediately softened his tone. "Serena, I swear, I haven't done anything to betray you. Please, I'm begging you, let's just go downstairs for now, okay?" He pulled me into the elevator and hit the button for the lobby. Once he was sure those two women couldn't hear us, he told me that his mom had come to the city for a minor surgery last month. She insisted on meeting his girlfriend, so he asked Harper to play the part. I was dumbfounded. I never imagined such an absurd excuse. If he had told me early on that he was bringing his mom in for surgery, I would have thought it was her dying wish or something. And even if she genuinely wanted to meet his girlfriend, why didn't he just call me back? North Dakota wasn't the moon. It was a three-hour flight. "I didn't reach out to Harper. I ran into her at the hospital when I took my mom in for a checkup. She happens to know a doctor there and kindly helped us schedule the surgery sooner. My mom misunderstood and thought she was my girlfriend... Just to give my mom peace of mind for her surgery, I didn't correct her." "I never even knew your mom was coming for surgery. You could have told me! Why keep it a secret?" "I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to hide it from you. She came so suddenly, and you were so far away. Plus, the project was in its final crunch phase for the last two months. I didn't want to distract you." The last two months of the project really were insanely busy. I had been working myself to the bone, mainly because I wanted to finish early and come back. So, hearing him say that did soften my heart a little. After all, we had been together for six years. I couldn't just condemn him over this one incident. "So what are you going to do now? Are you going to tell your mom the truth, or are you going to keep up the charade and officially make me your ex?" I asked, suppressing my temper. 3 "Just give me a little time, okay? My mom has mostly recovered. I'm putting her on a flight back home in a couple of days. After that, it'll just be the two of us again." He reached out and hugged me. I struggled for a moment but couldn't break free. "Forgive me, please? I'm really just putting on an act for my mom. I have absolutely zero feelings for her," he whispered in my ear, his tone incredibly sincere. He even added, "I didn't like her in college, why would I have anything to do with her now?" Thinking about it, it made sense. She wasn't as pretty as me, nor did she have my figure. How could Caleb possibly like her? Seeing that I was listening, Caleb pressed his advantage, saying I must be exhausted from the flight. He promised to take me out for a nice dinner and book a nice hotel so I could get a good night's sleep. Before I could even ask where he planned to sleep tonight, he volunteered: "A new boutique spa resort opened a few miles east of our office. The CEO stayed there when he came for a meeting, and I dropped off some files for him. The scenery is beautiful. Let's stay there tonight, okay?" I still felt sick to my stomach. Two voices were fighting in my head: The other woman has literally moved into your house. Are they really just acting? But we had known each other for nearly ten years and had been together for exactly six. I knew what kind of person he was. I should trust him. He definitely wouldn't cross a fundamental line. In the end, between logic and emotion, I chose the latter. I agreed to go to the hotel with him. On the way, Caleb promised me again that he would send his mom back home by the day after tomorrow at the latest. "What I want isn't for you to send your mom back home. I want you to explain everything to her clearly. You can't let her think that I'm some clingy ex-girlfriend and Harper is your actual girlfriend." I wanted the current problem solved immediately, leaving no lingering issues. Caleb looked conflicted, saying his mom had just had surgery and he was afraid the shock would be too much for her. He also mentioned that she really liked Harper since she had made such a good first impression. "So what? When we get married, is Harper going to play the bride too?" I refused to accept his excuses and told him straight out: "If you won't tell her, I'm going back right now to clear things up." He finally surrendered, promising to find a good time in the next two days to tell his mom the truth. 4 Bombarded by Caleb's sweet talk, I dropped the issue for the moment. We arrived at the spa resort on the outskirts of the city. After dropping our bags in the room, we headed out to grab some food. The receptionist had mentioned there was a highly-rated rooftop garden restaurant. I hadn't eaten much all day, and I was genuinely starving. Just as we walked into the restaurant, Caleb's phone rang. He turned his back to answer it. His voice wasn't loud, but I heard every word. "Mom, no... there was an emergency at work. I won't be back for dinner, you guys go ahead and eat. Alright... I'll drop by for a bit later. Yeah..." Obviously, his mom was calling to demand he come home. Honestly, part of me hoped he would just go back and resolve the situation right then. But he hung up, walked over, and didn't mention his mom at all. He just said, "You must be starving. Let's order." Just as we flagged a waiter down, Caleb's phone rang again. He glanced at the screen, flipped the phone over, and ignored it. I pretended not to notice and kept looking at the menu. But his phone kept buzzing relentlessly. I didn't want to finish this meal to the soundtrack of his vibrating phone. I looked up at him. "Answer it." He gave me an awkward look and finally picked it up. I minded my own business and ordered two local dishes I had been craving while I was in North Dakota. By the time I finished ordering, his call was over too. "My mom said Harper burned her hand making soup. She insists I go back." I had heard the whole thing. On the other end of the line, his mom was frantically saying Harper burned herself and he needed to come back. Then, a sickly-sweet voice chimed in: "I'm fine, Auntie. Tell Caleb he doesn't need to come. It's not that serious. I'll just go buy some ointment at the pharmacy later." His mom yelled, "Your whole hand is red! How can you be fine?! We need to go to the hospital immediately!" Harper replied, "Caleb must be busy. Auntie, let's not bother him." Then, my boyfriend said, "Don't panic. I'll be right there." I couldn't help but wonder: injuring yourself and acting this pathetic just for a man... is it really worth it? "Are you a doctor?" I put the menu down and looked at him. My implication was obvious: if she has a burn, she needs a doctor, not him. "But, Harper got burned while cooking for my mom. Serena, you don't understand. For the past month, Harper has been taking care of my mom with so much dedication—more than even I have. My mom's surgery wasn't supposed to happen this fast; the waitlist was at least two weeks. It was Harper who pulled strings with a contact at the hospital to bump her up. I know I shouldn't be telling you this..." "Then shut the hell up!" I slammed the menu onto the table, cutting him off. Seeing his face instantly darken, I suddenly felt that exhausting myself to finish a project a week early just to rush back for him was completely worthless. "What does any of that have to do with me? That's your mom, not mine." "Right, she's my mom." He gave a bizarre, cold chuckle. "You're always like this. You never try to understand my difficulties. Why didn't I tell you about my mom's surgery? Because telling you wouldn't have helped! You don't know how to cook, you don't know how to take care of people, and you don't have Harper's connections. Now someone else has stepped up and done everything, and instead of being grateful, you throw a tantrum. Serena, why don't you take a good look at yourself?" Me? I was so angry I actually laughed. His mother gets sick, so he brings his flirty admirer into my apartment, uses my kitchen, and then expects me to be overflowing with gratitude that she took care of my future mother-in-law? I wasn't Harper Quinn. I didn't have a pathetic bone in my body. "Caleb Wright, get the hell out!" I couldn't swallow this insult. I pointed at the door and told him to leave. 5 Caleb turned around without hesitation. I was so furious I grabbed my water glass and hurled it at him. "Caleb, we're done!" He left without looking back. Furious, I ate two entire bowls of rice by myself. I thought he just went back to check on the situation and would return to coax me considering our six years together. But not only did he not return after dinner, I also received a gloating message from Harper. "Serena, since Caleb can't bring himself to say it, let me spell it out for you. Caleb got bored of you a long time ago. I suggest you take the hint and leave on your own. You can't give Caleb what he wants." I didn't even know how Harper got on my contacts list. Because of work, I had added a lot of colleagues and clients, so she probably snuck in using an alt account. I clicked on her Instagram profile. Wow, her grid was spectacular. All the designer bags and skincare products she was showing off were photographed in my bedroom. Of course, the luxury waterfront condo was mine too. Even the boyfriend was mine. The most recent post was a screenshot of their texts: Her: "I want the first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the fall, and I want it from you." The profile picture was blurred, but I instantly recognized it as Caleb. He replied: "Okay, I'll get it for you right now." Her: "Just... the latte?" Followed by a pouting, expectant emoji. Caleb: "I'll buy you whatever you want." Followed by a cute emoji. She replied with a smirking emoji. In the past two years, when had he ever sent me emojis like that? When had he ever spoken to me in such a doting tone? The first year I was away was mostly fine; we video-called almost every day. But gradually, he said he needed to focus on work so he could get promoted and give us a better life. So, he always used work as an excuse to avoid calling me. I thought he was genuinely busy... Well, he was busy, just not with work. He was busy spoiling another woman. There were so many similar screenshots. Two months ago on Valentine's Day, I said I'd fly back to spend it with him. He said he was swamped with a new project and wouldn't have time for me even if I came. He told me to wait until my project was over, and he'd make it up to me. That exact day, Harper posted a picture of two movie tickets. The long, slender fingers holding them were unmistakably Caleb's. Half a year ago, on my birthday, I thought he'd fly out to see me. Instead, he sent me a $30 lipstick, claiming a new executive had taken over and was working everyone to the bone. But that very day, Harper posted a picture of a steak dinner. On the wrist holding the wine glass, the Rolex I bought for him was glaringly obvious. There was so much more. I couldn't stomach reading any further. At this point, my heart was ice cold. Colder than a butcher's knife. If I read any more, I was afraid I'd grab a butcher's knife myself and slaughter the two of them. Clearly, Harper didn't think her Instagram posts were enough to provoke me. Back in our chat, I saw she had shamelessly sent several more messages: texts, voice memos, and photos. The photo was her and Caleb sitting on a bed, kissing. Yes, on my bed. The voice memo was a secret recording of his mother scolding Caleb. "That woman doesn't look like a good person at all. You need to end it with her. Harper is such a sweet girl, don't do her wrong." "I know, Mom. I'll handle it. Don't worry." "I'm getting old, I can't help you much. Thank God you're successful and found a girlfriend as wealthy and virtuous as Harper. Caleb, don't take the wrong path. We shouldn't get involved with wild girls like that. Only a refined lady like Harper is worthy of our family." I actually wanted to vomit. In all these years, I truly hadn't realized Caleb was this kind of person. Even if he had just defended me with a single sentence when his mother spoke like that, I wouldn't be this furious. But he didn't. Six years of my youth, fed to the dogs. Well then, isn't it time I kick the dogs out of my house and clean up the trash? I'm a decisive person who knows how to hold a grudge. Without a second thought, I headed straight to my family home and grabbed the deed to that apartment. Before Caleb moved into that place, I lied and told him it belonged to a wealthy friend who lived abroad and was renting it to me for a third of the market price—just to have someone watch the place. I made Caleb pay half the rent every month. Of course, the money he gave me was almost entirely spent back on him. Buying him meals, gifts... I was never stingy with him. My heart ached for his poor background and frugal nature. I thought he was just a reliable, honest guy. Who would have thought it was just a massive scam? 6 With the deed in hand, I returned to the apartment. The three people relaxing on the sofa, eating fruit and watching TV, were all stunned. "Why are you lingering like a ghost... Caleb, change the passcode immediately. What kind of shameless person keeps harassing her ex after they've broken up?" His mother spoke first, her tone venomous. "You definitely should change the passcode. But before that, we need to kick the stray dogs out," I said, stepping inside and crossing my arms. "Are you going to leave on your own, or should I have security throw you out?" "This is my Caleb's house! Who are you to kick anyone out?" "Haha... Caleb's house." I stepped closer, looking at Caleb. "Your house?" "Serena, stop making a scene." He came over and grabbed my arm, trying to pull me outside. I forcefully shook him off and scanned the room. In just two months, my home had completely changed. "Caleb, get rid of this woman. My head hurts and I want to sleep." His mother dramatically massaged her temples. Harper immediately rushed over to play the devoted servant. "Auntie, let me help you to bed. Serena must have something to discuss with Caleb, let them talk." Harper's understanding demeanor was obviously meant to make me look like I was throwing an unreasonable tantrum. Hah! As if I cared anymore! "Serena, let's talk in the bedroom." Caleb tried to pull me toward the master bedroom. I refused, sitting down directly on the sofa, and said calmly, "I'm putting this out there right now. Either you leave, or I have you thrown out." "What gives you the right to kick us out? This is my Caleb's house, not yours! If anyone is leaving, it's you!" Before Caleb could speak, his mother yelled again. "Caleb's house? Did he buy it?" I looked at his mother with amusement. "Of course he did! Did you see how wealthy, capable, and propertied my Caleb is, and decide you wanted to leech off him? Let me tell you, no way! My only daughter-in-law is Harper!" Hearing Caleb's mother say this, Harper feigned embarrassment, but a smug look flashed in her eyes. "Wow... Caleb, I really didn't know you were this vain," I said, looking up at him. Guilty under my gaze, he lowered his eyes, his voice softening. "Serena, please don't make a scene, okay? We can talk this out reasonably." "What's there to talk about reasonably? Caleb, we're not afraid of her." His mother really was a clueless country woman; she had no idea her son's face was burning bright red with shame. I couldn't be bothered to argue with them anymore. I pulled the property deed from my bag and shoved it in their faces. "Old lady, open your eyes wide and look closely. This apartment is mine. It clearly says 'Serena Sterling' right here. For the past two years, your precious son has been renting from me." "What?" His mother's eyes widened in disbelief. But the person even more shocked was Caleb. "This is your apartment? I thought you said..." "That was to protect your fragile ego. Who rents out a three-bedroom luxury waterfront condo in this neighborhood for $1,500 a month? You know exactly what housing prices are like around here." Looking at the information on the deed, Caleb was utterly speechless. "This is impossible, it must be fake." His mother refused to believe it and reached out to snatch the deed. I tossed it back into my bag and pulled out my phone to call the concierge. "We'll see if it's fake when security gets here." Within two minutes of my call, the concierge sent up two security guards. "Hello, Ms. Sterling. How can we assist you?" "These people are trespassing in my home. Please escort them out." When I first told Caleb it was my friend's place, I told him I had already paid the deposit, so we just needed to pay the monthly rent. We split it, and he gave me $750 a month. But for the last two months, I hadn't asked him for the money, and he hadn't offered it. So kicking them out was entirely within my rights! "Serena, do you have to be this ruthless?" Caleb frowned at me. I sneered and looked up at him. "Me, ruthless? ...Hah, did you think about me when you brought her into my home? Did you think about me when you told me not to visit on Valentine's Day so you could take her to the movies? Did you think about whether you were ruthless when you left me alone in North Dakota on my birthday to eat steak with her?" Looking up at him, I suddenly felt like the man in front of me was a total stranger. In the past ten years, had I never truly known him, or was he just an incredible actor? I had completely failed to see how vain and selfish he really was. Actually, the signs were all there. I was just blinded by love, treating all his flaws as quirks. "Ma'am, are you ready to leave with your wonderful son and daughter-in-law now?" I turned to Caleb's mother, using every ounce of my upbringing to restrain my temper. "I'm not leaving! This is my son's house. My son bought it with his money. You must have bewitched him into buying it and putting your name on it. This is my son's property!" I truly had never met a woman this shameless. "Do you know how much this apartment costs? This condo is worth over three million dollars. Your son has been working for four years, making barely six grand a month after taxes. Even if he didn't eat or drink for ten years, he couldn't afford a single bathroom in this place. This apartment was bought for me by my family as a graduation gift." Upon graduation, my oldest brother bought me this apartment, and my second brother bought me a car. It just so happened the job I took wasn't far away, so I invited Caleb to move in with me. "I'll give you two hours to pack your things. If you're not done in two hours, I'll have everything thrown out into the hall." After saying that, I took out my phone and called my oldest brother, Carter. "Carter, I need you to buy me two new beds and have them delivered to Harborview Penthouse right now. Oh, and a new sofa, dining chairs, vanity... just replace everything you can see. Everything." But honestly, even if I replaced the furniture, I'd still feel grossed out. No, I need Carter to find someone to remodel the whole place. Or maybe just buy me a new apartment entirely... A new apartment... That sounded like a good idea. Thinking of an excuse to get my parents to buy me a new place improved my mood slightly.
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