When Ashton's childhood sweetheart, Chloe, threw her sixth tantrum and flew out of the country, I got hired to replace her as his personal assistant. In just two years, Ashton fell head over heels in love with me. On the day of our engagement party, Chloe stormed back into the country. Right in front of everyone, she leaked their old intimate photos into our Snapchat group chat. "I have plenty of photos like this. Ashton is just using you as a rebound, Serena." I pulled out my phone, saved the screenshots immediately, and gave her a quick legal lesson: "In this state, distributing non-consensual explicit images is a felony. You can get up to two years in prison for this." "How many people did you send this to, Chloe?" Chloe's face went rigid. She looked completely lost. Instinctively, she turned to Ashton, fully expecting him to take her side. Ashton simply pulled out his phone and, without a second thought, kicked her out of the group chat. Chloe gasped. "Ashton!" "Don't get it twisted, Chloe. I'm doing you a favor," Ashton said coldly. "Serena is right. She graduated top of her class from law school. If you break the law and drag us down with you, I'm not saving your ass." Chloe bit her lower lip so hard it almost bled. Finally, she forced a smile. "Oh, Ashton, you've got it all wrong. I was just trying to break the ice! I wanted to test her." "These days, so many gold-diggers have no shame. They'd do anything to climb their way into high society." "I was just testing her for you. But wow, Serena, you really keep your cool, don't you?" I smiled and said nothing. During my two years as Ashton's assistant, the number of women trying to throw themselves at him was endless. I had cleaned up all his messes and used my legal expertise to shield him from countless gold-diggers and blackmailers. Chloe's little stunt was amateur hour to me. It didn't even make a splash. In fact, two months after she had left the country, an influencer photoshopped a fake bedroom picture of Ashton and leaked it to get clout. I personally filed a lawsuit for defamation and harassment and threw her in a holding cell for seven days. Since then, any woman trying to climb into Ashton's bed had to think twice about whether they could outsmart the law. After all, I was a professional. Ashton looked at Chloe and said flatly, "Serena isn't like those girls. She's a top-tier attorney. The only reason she accepted my job offer was because I paid her a fortune. I'm the one who got lucky." He wasn't lying. I could easily make seven figures on my own. I have my own network and resources. But Ashton offered me a three-million-dollar annual salary. I had no reason to say no. Chloe fumed in silence, unable to say a word. Tyler, one of Ashton's buddies, laughed to ease the tension. "Alright, Chloe, stop messing around. You're back, and Ashton is getting engaged. It's a double celebration!" "Let's raise a glass, everyone!" Chloe's eyes darted around, and a smirk returned to her face. "Right! Ashton, you're so unfair. I was only out of the country, and you didn't even tell me you were getting engaged. Good thing I made it back in time!" "You deserve a penalty!" Ashton sighed. "What kind of penalty?" "How about... an arm-locked toast?" She quickly poured two glasses of champagne and handed one to Ashton. I watched them with amusement. Ashton thought about it, poured a third glass, and handed it to me. Chloe froze. "Ashton!" Ashton smiled helplessly. "I know you wanted to see a show. Serena and I will show you how it's done, so you know what to do when you get married." With that, he locked his arm with mine and drained his glass. The crowd erupted into cheers and whistles. Someone even chanted, "Kiss her! Kiss her!" I didn't hesitate. I leaned in on my tiptoes and pressed my lips against his. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chloe. Her eyes were red with rage. She slammed her glass onto the floor and stormed out. Ashton watched her retreating back and sighed. "I'll go check on her." I nodded graciously. Once he left, Tyler sauntered over to me, hands in his pockets. "I've seen plenty of girls like you, Serena. You're a much better actress than Chloe." "But she and Ashton grew up together. You want to take her place? Keep dreaming." I raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Well, at least I'm doing better than you. You've been secretly in love with her for years and never had the guts to say it. And now you're trying to threaten me?" "If I were you, Tyler, I'd keep my mouth shut. It's never a good idea to piss off a lawyer. I can destroy your life in a heartbeat." "For example... that hit-and-run on the East River bridge last night? I know it was you."
Tyler's face drained of color instantly. I gave him a sweet, cold smile. "Nothing Ashton does will shake my position. But as for you? You might want to think carefully about how you treat me from now on." Without giving him a second glance, I turned around to mingle with the guests. A while later, Ashton returned. He was rubbing his temples, looking exhausted. "How is Chloe?" I asked. "She's just throwing a tantrum. I'm used to it after all these years. Sorry you had to deal with that, Serena." "It's fine," I smiled softly. He wrapped his arm around my waist, and we continued greeting our guests. Not far away, his buddies were watching me with dark, unreadable expressions. I raised my glass to them from afar and smiled. They thought I was in over my head. I thought they were idiots. By staying by Ashton's side, my professional network had expanded tenfold. No matter what his friends thought of me, I wasn't going to let go of this golden ticket. Besides, Ashton wanted to marry me, and his parents approved. This meant I had already passed the real test. As for the girls buzzing around him, I trusted that a mature man would handle them himself. Sure enough, Chloe didn't show up for the rest of the night. But Ashton's friends couldn't stop making snide remarks and passive-aggressive comments. Eventually, Ashton snapped. "Serena is my fiancée, and she's going to be my wife. If you guys consider me a friend, you will treat her with respect. If I hear one more disrespectful comment about her, don't blame me for cutting ties with you forever!" His outburst terrified them. They exchanged uneasy glances. Finally, Tyler blurted out, "Ashton, you're blinded by this woman! Chloe is your—" "Chloe is just a friend," Ashton interrupted him coldly. "Yes, we grew up together. But Serena is the woman I love. Don't ever bring up Chloe in the same breath again." Everyone looked at Ashton like they had seen a ghost. They realized he was completely whipped. I looked at Tyler's furious face and sneered inwardly. Tyler was Chloe's ultimate puppet and her spy in the city. He reported my every move with Ashton back to Chloe. With that kind of dedication, he should have been a paparazzo. Tyler looked like he wanted to spit fire, but in the end, he kept his mouth shut. This engagement party made one thing clear: Ashton's feelings for me were real. Too bad some people refused to believe it, thinking I was just a gold-digging witch who had cast a spell on him. I didn't care to explain myself. After all, I was the one who was going to spend the rest of my life with him. After the party, Ashton drove me home. On the way, his phone rang again. He hung up impatiently. I caught a glimpse of the screen. It was Chloe. "She's probably upset because you were ignoring her all night," I said softly. "Why don't we go check on her? Just in case she does something stupid." Ashton sighed, steering the wheel. "Thanks for being so understanding, Serena. I wish she could be half as mature as you." I chuckled. "I wasn't born mature, Ashton. Chloe is just spoiled by everyone around her." I had seen these kinds of childish mind games back in college. Now that I'd been in the corporate world for years, Chloe's tactics looked pathetic. Ashton seemed to take my words to heart. "We're not going. Today is our engagement day. I'm not letting her ruin it." He ignored her calls for the rest of the night. When we got back to our apartment, Ashton turned his phone off completely. But Chloe, driven mad by the silence, actually showed up at our door.
Just as Ashton and I were about to go all the way, we heard the electronic lock at the front door beep, followed by an error sound. We both froze. Ashton quickly wrapped me in the duvet. A second later, the bedroom door burst open. Chloe stood there. Seeing us in bed, she screamed at the top of her lungs. "Ashton! How could you sleep with her?!" I threw on a silk robe and crossed my arms, looking at her coldly. "Chloe, we are engaged. It is completely normal for us to sleep together." "On the other hand, you just broke into a private residence. In this country, that's a felony. You could go to prison." Chloe ignored me completely. She ran over and grabbed Ashton's arm. "Did you really sleep with her?" "Ashton, how could you do this to me?" "I was only away for two years! And you couldn't even wait for me?!" Ashton's face darkened with pure fury. He grabbed her wrist and shoved her out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind them. I could hear his shouting through the heavy door. Ashton was livid. He absolutely detested being interrupted, especially at a moment like this. During my first two years as his assistant, Ashton would drink himself to sleep every night because of her. When he was wasted, he would drag me into his misery and ramble about their past. I had listened to those stories with professional patience. I knew every detail of their history. But I also slowly began to change his habits because I refused to work overtime just because my boss was having a heartbreak. Whenever he was in a bad mood, I would make him watch movies, read, or talk about business. Once my shift was over, I would immediately draw a line and leave, refusing to let his drama bleed into my personal life. Over time, this became his routine. Once we were in our personal space, Ashton dedicated all his time to me. He hated interruptions. Now that Chloe had shattered his boundaries, he wasn't going to let it slide. Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from the living room. "Ashton! If you don't want me anymore, there's no point in me living!" I rushed out of the bedroom just in time to hear Ashton roar, "Chloe, don't do this!" Chloe let out a bitter laugh and sliced her wrist with a piece of broken glass. Blood immediately welled up. Ashton panicked. He grabbed her hand, his eyes bloodshot. "Chloe! You owe me too much! You can't do this!" "Ashton, what about what you owe me? I've always loved you, but you changed!" "You engaged her! What about me? You owe me, Ashton!" Ashton screamed, "You're the one who abandoned me!" I couldn't stand the melodrama anymore. I interrupted them. "Can we stop the screaming and call an ambulance? Otherwise, she's going to bleed out before anyone owes anyone anything." Ashton looked up at me, tears in his eyes. I accompanied them to the hospital. After Chloe was rolled into the emergency room, Ashton leaned against my shoulder, looking exhausted and defeated. Chloe's parents arrived shortly after. Seeing their daughter's state, Mrs. Sterling was heartbroken. "Ashton, I know this is a lot to ask, but please, Chloe is unstable right now. Can you stay and watch over her? Just make sure she doesn't do anything drastic again!" Mrs. Sterling then shot me a venomous look, her eyes filled with disgust. "If some home-wrecker hadn't taken advantage of the situation, you and Chloe would have been married by now!" I finally understood where Chloe got her dramatic, toxic personality. It was entirely genetic. Chloe lay on the hospital bed, her face pale. "Ashton... I regret leaving. I really do." Ashton stared at her, silent. A complicated look flashed through his eyes. I couldn't stand the sight of this anymore. "Ashton, it's late. I'm going home." "Wait..." Ashton grabbed my hand. "You can't leave. We need to settle this tonight." "There's nothing to settle. It's past midnight," I said. Chloe suddenly looked hopeful. "She's right! Ashton, we need to settle this once and for all! I knew you still cared about—" "Great," Ashton interrupted her, looking exceptionally cold. "Then pay me back for my vintage vase, plus my emotional distress damages. If you pay up, I won't file charges for breaking and entering." Chloe's mouth fell open. "W-What did you say?!"
Ashton looked at her with pure annoyance. "Are you deaf? You broke into my house tonight, shattered my favorite vase, and threatened suicide to traumatize me. The emotional distress damages plus the cost of the antique vase total 3.8 million dollars." He snapped his fingers. His bodyguard immediately stepped forward and handed Chloe a printed invoice. Chloe stared at the paper, completely dumbfounded. "Ashton! I-I almost died for you!" She pointed at her bandaged wrist. Ashton nodded. "I have security cameras inside my apartment. They prove you broke in at midnight to perform a suicide stunt. You have caused me severe emotional trauma. Are you paying via wire transfer or check?" Ashton's cold logic left Chloe entirely speechless. I stood by the side, perfectly calm. During the two years Chloe was away, I had studied her personality inside out. I knew she loved playing the victim and threatening suicide. To desensitize Ashton, I had spent the last two years setting up "scenarios" with various gold-diggers who tried to throw themselves at him. I had exposed him to every trick in the book—from girls faking car accidents to stage-managed overdoses. Ashton had gone from panic-stricken to completely immune. Compared to what I had prepared him for, Chloe's little wrist-slitting show was amateur hour. Chloe couldn't believe her ears. "Ashton, I was willing to die for you, and you're asking me for money?!" "Of course," Ashton said seriously. "That vase was bought at a Sotheby's auction. It took me months to find one that matched my living room decor. And you just smashed it!" "And who gave you permission to enter my apartment anyway?" "You set the passcode to my birthday! You still love me!" Chloe shrieked. Ashton looked at her like she was insane. "Chloe, are you out of your mind? We share the same birthday! I set the passcode to my own birthday. What does that have to do with you?" "You broke into my home and traumatized me. The fact that I'm not calling the police right now is me being generous." Ashton then looked at me, waiting for my professional input. I gave him a thumbs-up. "Spot on. Illegal entry of a habitation is a felony punishable by up to three years in prison. If accompanied by other unlawful acts, the sentences run consecutively." "And Chloe, you're looking at a solid three years behind bars. Do you want us to call the cops and get a psychological evaluation? If you're deemed mentally sound, we'll proceed with the criminal charges." Chloe screamed in terror. Mrs. Sterling rushed forward and shoved me hard. "What nonsense are you talking?! Our Chloe grew up with Ashton! They were just playing a game!" I stumbled backward and hit my shoulder against the doorframe. I winced in pain. Ashton's eyes flared with rage. "Mrs. Sterling! If Chloe's break-in is a crime, your physical assault on my fiancée is even worse!" "I will make sure my legal team prosecutes this to the fullest extent!" Mr. Sterling, who had been quiet, finally realized Ashton wasn't bluffing. He quickly stepped in to apologize. "I'm so sorry, Ashton. My wife was just too worried about Chloe." "We will pay for the damages. But please, for the sake of our families' history, could you stay with Chloe for a bit?" Ashton wrapped his arm securely around my waist. "No. It's inappropriate." "Today is my engagement day. Chloe needs a professional therapist and her family, not me. We're leaving. And don't ever bother us again." With that, he guided me out of the hospital, leaving them behind.
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