Chapter 1

Seven years of building the company from nothing with Ethan Vance, and we finally went public on the New York Stock Exchange today.

But that very afternoon, he blocked me on Instagram just so he could announce his relationship with Chloe Bennett, his high school sweetheart.

My feed blew up instantly.

"Didn't Audrey quit a six-figure job to build this empire with you? Now that the company is public, you're just going to kick her to the curb?" one of our mutual friends commented.

Ethan replied, clearly annoyed.

"When you have nothing, you don't have the luxury of choice. I had to take what I could get back then."

"Besides, after seven years with Audrey, I've realized one thing: if I'm getting married, it has to be with someone I actually love."

The friend tried to reason with him.

"But Audrey runs almost the entire operations side. What happens if she quits because of this?"

Ethan hesitated for a second, then doubled down.

"She's just an assistant. I can hire ten of her off the street. The company will survive without her."

Little did he know, on the other side of the screen, I was logged into his shared work account, watching him type every single word.

I hope you like the parting gift I'm about to leave you, Ethan.

My resignation letter was halfway through the printer when my office door swung open.

Ethan walked in, tossed a thick folder onto my desk, and ordered.

"Audrey, redo this financial report."

He didn't even look at me. He was staring down at his phone, a soft, lingering smile playing on his lips.

I recognized that smile.

Back in college, whenever he got a text from Chloe, he had that exact same expression.

It had been seven years. I had almost forgotten that he was capable of looking so gentle.

It was just never for me.

"Mr. Vance," my voice was flat, "this report was already cleared by the finance department yesterday."

He finally looked up, his brows furrowing. "I said redo it. Do you have a problem with that?"

I lowered my eyes, my fingers brushing against the fountain pen on my desk.

It was a birthday gift from him during my first year at the company. It wasn't expensive, but he had picked it out himself.

"Fine. I'll have it for you tomorrow."

"I need it before you leave today." He turned to walk out, then paused.

"Oh, and order a box of dark chocolate truffles. Make sure they're imported from Belgium. I need them for someone."

My heart sank. "A client?"

"Are you jealous, Audrey?" He smirked, a playful glint in his eyes. "Don't worry, they're for a client."

"If you want some, order a box for yourself too. Put it on the company card."

"No thanks. I'm cutting back on sugar." I kept my head down, typing the request into my reminders.

Satisfied, he turned and walked away, the sharp click of his leather shoes fading down the hallway.

Outside my window, the confetti from our IPO celebration was still being swept off the streets.

Just yesterday, we were clinking glasses, celebrating the biggest victory of our lives.

I thought it was the beginning of our new chapter.

I didn't realize it was just the end of my one-sided fairytale.

At 4:00 PM, I sent the revised report to Ethan's email.

At 5:30 PM, I packed my bag.

As I passed his office, the door was slightly ajar. I saw him standing in front of the mirror, adjusting his tie.

On his desk sat a bouquet of fresh white roses.

They were blooming beautifully, reflecting the anticipation on his face.

Zach, my assistant, leaned in and whispered, "Audrey, is Mr. Vance on a date tonight?"

I forced a smile. "Just focus on your work, Zach."

In the elevator, I stared at my reflection in the polished metal doors. I was thirty now.

The spark in my eyes from my twenties was gone, replaced by years of exhaustion.

When Ethan first started the company, I poured all my savings into his dream.

At our lowest point, I didn't even have a hundred dollars left in my bank account.

We used to cram into a tiny, drafty office, sharing instant ramen. Back then, he would look into my eyes and say:

"Audrey, we're going to make it. When we get rich, I'll pay you a salary bigger than any corporate firm could ever offer."

I believed him.

It wasn't about the money. I just believed that one day, he would finally see me.

Seven years later, the company was worth billions. But he didn't need me anymore.

My phone buzzed. It was Ethan.

"Audrey, cancel tomorrow morning's meeting. I have some personal matters to handle."

I already knew, but I asked anyway. "Should I arrange a car for you?"

"No need. I'm picking up Chloe myself."

Chloe. He said her name so naturally.

"Okay. Do you need me to prepare anything else?"

"No, just..." He paused. "Get some rest."

Before the call cut, I heard Chloe's voice in the background: "Ethan, who's calling this late?"

"Just my assistant from work. Just checking in."

Assistant.

With those two words, he drew a line between us that I could never cross.