Chapter 2

The "party" Ethan mentioned was a gathering of his wealthy, spoiled friends.

It was held at The Elysium Club, the most exclusive VIP lounge in Manhattan.

When I walked in wearing a newly bought white haute couture gown, clinging to Ethan's arm, the entire lounge fell silent.

Then, the teasing started.

"Whoa, Ethan, did you bring Sera?"

"That's Clara, not Sera."

"Honestly, dressed up like that, she's a dead ringer for her. No wonder Ethan's kept her around for three years."

The speaker was Julian Ward, Ethan's childhood friend and the person who despised me the most.

To him, I was just a gold digger who sold her dignity for cash, a placeholder while Ethan's real girl was gone.

Ethan didn't deny it. He just led me to the main booth.

I smoothly grabbed the bottle and started pouring drinks for everyone, keeping my posture low and polite.

"Clara, I heard Sera is coming back. What are you going to do now?"

Julian smirked, swirling his glass, waiting for a show.

Everyone in the room turned their eyes on me.

They loved watching a poor substitute get discarded and cry.

My hands remained perfectly steady. I didn't spill a single drop.

"That is up to Mr. Vance. I will do whatever he decides."

Julian snorted. "Stop pretending. You must be screaming on the inside. You've enjoyed three years of luxury. Are you really ready to just let go?"

He suddenly reached out and twirled a lock of my hair, his voice dripping with condescension.

"Tell you what. If Ethan doesn't want you anymore, why don't you come to me? I might not be as rich as him, but I can easily give you ten thousand a month in pocket money."

The room erupted in laughter.

Ethan leaned back on the leather sofa, a cigarette between his fingers. Through the smoke, I couldn't read his expression, but he did nothing to stop it.

He enjoyed this feeling of total control.

I scoffed inwardly, but put on a terrified look, shrinking closer to Ethan.

"Please don't joke like that, Julian."

Satisfied by my reliance on him, Ethan finally brushed Julian's hand away.

"Alright, leave her alone. She scares easily."

He flicked his ashes. "She's been with me for three years and did her job. We're parting on good terms. Don't make it ugly."

Julian shrugged. "Fine, if you say so. But Clara, you need to know your place. Take your money and run. Don't go begging him to stay."

I nodded meekly. "I understand, Julian."

Halfway through the night, Ethan stepped out to take a call.

I didn't need to guess—it was about Sera.

The moment he left, the atmosphere in the room shifted.

Julian ordered me to peel grapes for him and even deliberately flicked cigarette ash onto the hem of my white dress.

I didn't say a word. I just took it.

It wasn't because I didn't have a temper. Ethan bought this dress anyway, so I didn't have to pay to clean it.

More importantly, every bit of humiliation I endured now was just fueling my drive to get that fifty million dollars.

Just then, my phone buzzed.

It was a text from the hospital:

[Mr. Taylor's condition is unstable. His vitals are dropping. We need to prepare for the second surgery as soon as possible, along with the post-op anti-rejection meds. Estimated additional cost is five hundred thousand dollars.]

Five hundred thousand.

And that was just the immediate gap.

Combined with what I already owed and the massive rehab fees needed to make sure Lucas woke up...

I couldn't lose a single dime of that fifty million.

My fingers tightened around my phone.

"What are you looking at? Ethan's gone, and you're not even trying to entertain us?"

Julian kicked my shin impatiently.

I hid my phone and looked up. For a split second, I forgot to hide the coldness in my eyes.

Julian froze. "What's with that look?"

In the next second, I went back to being the timid, submissive girl.

"Nothing. Just wondering when Mr. Vance will be back."

Right then, Ethan pushed the door open. He looked furious, almost frantic.

"We're leaving."

He grabbed my wrist and yanked me up so hard it hurt.

"Mr. Vance, what's wrong?"

Once in the car, Ethan slammed on the gas. The sports car roared down the street.

"Sera's flight got bumped up. She lands tomorrow," he said through gritted teeth. "You're packing and moving out tonight."