Chapter 2

When I arrived, the scale of the wedding was staggering. The red carpet stretched for blocks, looking more like a high-fashion runway than a wedding.

A giant LED screen flashed a blinding message:

"Happy Wedding to Chloe, CEO of Apex Enterprises!"

Under the screen stood Ethan, holding a massive bouquet, his hair slicked back, wearing pointy dress shoes. He was practically vibrating with excitement, waiting for Chloe.

Surrounding him were our old college buddies, kissing his ass just like they used to.

"Ethan, man, you're a legend! Chloe is the boss of Apex, and you bagged her just like that. Respect!"

"Seriously! You kept it so quiet. You didn't tell us until the last second!"

"With your brains, Ethan, Apex is basically yours now. Don't forget us when you hit the big leagues!"

Even our old college dean was there, holding a lavish gift and rubbing his hands together to flatter him.

"Ethan, I always knew you'd achieve great things. See? My intuition never lies. Now you're married to a literal CEO!"

The dean nudged his friend proudly. "Impressive, right? He was my student."

Hearing their empty flattery, Ethan’s ego reached the stratosphere. He waved them off modestly.

"Oh, it's nothing. I owe it all to the education I got back in college."

Looking at their fake faces, I couldn't help but remember when Chloe used to scrape by under these exact people.

When she first graduated, she was timid and soft-spoken. Anyone could walk all over her.

Back then, I'd often see her getting chewed out in the hallways, looking so frail and helpless.

Maybe it was because we went to the same college, or maybe I just felt sorry for her, but I transferred her to my personal department. I taught her the ropes of the corporate world and how to navigate office politics.

But I never expected her to masquerade as the CEO of Apex Enterprises and brag about it to our entire college circle.

This was completely different from the Chloe I thought I knew.

"Oh, look! It's Brandon the wage slave! Did you actually rent a supercar just to show off?"

"How much is that per day? Does your monthly salary even cover the rental fee?"

"Look at you trying so hard. It's Ethan's wedding, and you rent a luxury car to flex? What, jealous much?"

Before I could even step out of my car, Tyler, Ethan's chief bootlicker from our college days, spotted me and started jeering.

"Ethan got the girl you couldn't have, and you're so petty you rented a car just to save face?"

"Come on, Chloe is a real CEO. You think she’s going to be impressed by a rental?"

"Yeah, look at him in that suit. He’s dressed like he’s the CEO. Honestly, it's pathetic. Chloe hates people who flex fake wealth, and this guy is flexing on a budget!"

With Tyler leading the charge, the rest of the group quickly joined in, throwing insults my way.

"If you ask me, Brandon, you should drop the act. Apologize to Ethan, congratulate him, and maybe he'll still give you that janitor job."

"Showing up like this is a direct insult to Ethan. So fake!"

I stared coldly at my former classmates. Just as I was about to speak, Ethan walked over, clutching his bouquet, his face dark.

"Where did you rent this car? Why does it look exactly like one of my wife's cars?"

He leaned in, and when he saw the license plate, his face turned bright green with rage.

Without warning, he threw a punch straight at my head.

"You motherfucker! I'll kill you! You're sleeping with my wife!"