Chapter 3

At eight o'clock that night, the company's IPO celebration gala was held at the most expensive hotel in the city.

I didn't want to go, but Ethan sent me a warning on Snapchat.

"Some major investors specifically asked to see you tonight. If you don’t show up, the headlines tomorrow will say you were fired in disgrace."

"Also, if you dare to skip this, your parents' VIP suite at the private clinic will be cleared out tonight. I don't think you want to see them sleeping in a public hospital hallway, do you?"

He always knew exactly how to squeeze my neck.

I pushed open the heavy doors of the grand ballroom.

Ethan stood in the center of the crowd, looking sharp in a custom tuxedo.

And next to him stood Chloe, wearing a black designer gown that matched my color, with a diamond necklace sparkling around her neck.

It was a piece from the latest season, worth a fortune.

In contrast, my faded, old dress looked cheap and ridiculous.

Someone spotted me and teased:

"Hey Ethan, your girl is here."

Ethan looked back at me, his brows instantly knitting into a tight knot.

"Why are you wearing that old rag? Didn't I give you the card?"

I walked over, keeping my head high.

"In the early days of our startup, you taught us to save money, Ethan. I thought I should practice what you preached."

Ethan choked on his words, glared at me, and turned back to drink with the investors.

"Back in the day, Ethan started from nothing. What a visionary!"

"Yes, Ethan's decision-making is top-tier in the industry."

Ethan boasted about his brilliance, talking endlessly about business models and market layouts. But he didn't mention a single word about the nights we spent coding until our eyes bled.

It was as if the success of this tech company had been achieved solely by his mouth.

Chloe, treated as the "greatest contributor," was surrounded by the crowd. Everyone praised her for being young, beautiful, and capable of leading a department.

I sat alone in a corner, looking at the expensive food, having absolutely no appetite.

Five years ago, Ethan and I were crammed into a tiny, damp basement.

On his birthday, we had only ten dollars left in our pockets.

We bought a cup of instant ramen and shared it.

Ethan gave me all the meat, swearing he would never let me suffer again.

Now, the instant ramen had turned into expensive lobsters, but the person he fed them to was someone else.

Chloe held a wine glass and walked over to me, swaying her hips.

"Aria, let me toast to you first."

"Thank you for your past contributions. You can safely leave the Tech Department to me now."

She smiled like an angel, but her hand "accidentally" slipped.

More than half a glass of red wine splashed onto my chest and skirt.

The cold liquid ran down my skin, leaving me in absolute humiliation.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Chloe screamed in panic, dropping her glass onto the floor, where it shattered.

Hearing the noise, Ethan rushed over immediately.

He grabbed Chloe's hand, checking it frantically.

"Did the glass cut you? Are you okay?"

Chloe shook her head, her eyes red.

"I'm fine... I just ruined Aria's dress..."

Ethan let out a sigh of relief. When he turned to look at me, his face was filled with impatience.

"Why are you so clumsy, Aria?"

"Chloe came to toast you out of respect. Even if you didn't want to accept it, you didn't have to scare her."

The ballroom fell silent. Everyone's eyes were locked onto the three of us.

Some looked with pity, some with amusement, and most were just enjoying the drama.

Someone mocked quietly, "Looks like the hierarchy between the old and the new is pretty clear."

To show off his authority in front of his business partners, Ethan pointed at the wine puddle and the broken glass on the floor.

"Aria, clean this up."

"Don't ruin everyone's night."

I looked at him, unable to believe my ears.

"What did you say?"

Ethan raised his voice.

"I said, clean it up. What, do you need me to do it myself?"

"You're in administration now. Keeping things clean is your job, isn't it?"

He wanted me to kneel on the floor and clean up the mess like a maid in front of everyone.

Looking at his cold face, I suddenly smiled.

I bent down and picked up an unopened bottle of red wine from the table.

"Sure. I'll clean it."

The moment the words left my mouth, I swung my arm and smashed the bottle of wine violently right at Ethan's feet.

"CRASH!"

The bottle exploded. The dark red liquid splashed all over Ethan's expensive trousers and custom leather shoes.

The entire room fell into a dead silence.

I patted the dust off my hands, turned around, and walked out.

Behind me, Ethan's furious roar echoed through the hall:

"Aria! Are you out of your mind?!"

"Once you walk out that door, don't expect another dime from me! I'm freezing your card right now!"

I didn't look back. The night breeze outside felt incredibly refreshing.