Chapter 3

"Olivia! Come jump in the team photo! We're putting it on the company wall of fame!"

She playfully pushed me toward the center, right next to Ethan. Caught off guard, my heel caught on a cable, and I stumbled.

Before I hit the pavement, Ethan’s large hand caught my waist, pulling me steady. Genuine concern flashed across his face. "Are you okay? Did you twist your ankle?"

He bent down instinctively to check my foot.

It was one of the few silent understandings we had forged over five years. I was notoriously clumsy on uneven terrain, and whenever he was beside me, he always watched my footing.

Before our hands could fully part, a sudden force shoved me to the side.

"I want to stand in the middle!" Chloe chirped playfully, wedging herself directly between us.

Ethan’s face softened instantly into a fond grin. "Of course. The prettiest girl gets center stage."

A junior editor teased from behind the camera, "Well, yeah, the boss's lady always belongs in the middle!"

Chloe blushed prettily, and Ethan merely smiled along, making zero effort to correct the assumption.

A few senior employees who knew about my relationship with Ethan cast sympathetic, pitying glances my way.

As soon as the shutter clicked, I hoisted my bag and walked away without looking back.

Later, on the company WhatsApp group, Chloe posted the final group photo.

Every single person had been smoothed and brightened with a heavy beauty filter—except for me. In the corner, my skin looked dull, my dark circles prominent, and my expression utterly drained.

Shortly after I left, a close friend from HR sent me a direct message on Snapchat.

Olivia, Ethan is going live in two days to propose to Chloe. He told us it’s a publicity stunt to launch her career and drive traffic.

He’s already got the events team booking out a venue.

My fingers trembled over the screen as I read the words.

My chest felt submerged in arctic water, completely numb.

All that calculated cruelty, the demotion, the public humiliation—it was all designed to run me out of the office so I wouldn't be there to disrupt his live-streamed proposal.

Chloe hadn't been able to gain traction on her own, so Ethan was throwing himself into the arena to build her clout.

And what about the public wedding he had promised me once we hit five million followers?

Was my entire five-year wait just a massive, pathetic joke?

The night of the broadcast arrived.

The studio was transformed into a fairytale set, overflowing with yellow roses, glowing fairy lights, and scented candles. The staff lined up on both sides, waving sparklers and confetti poppers.

It was grand, cinematic, and breathtakingly romantic.

It was the exact proposal concept I had once described to Ethan in our tiny starter apartment. Now, the set had come to life, but the leading lady had been replaced.

I never knew Ethan had such romantic flair in him. He had certainly never wasted a drop of it on me.

Over a hundred thousand concurrent viewers flooded the stream to witness the five-million-follower creator pop the question to a rising starlet.

The comment section went wild.

“Omg, this is literally a real-life romance novel!”

“Where do I find an Ethan Vance? She’s the luckiest girl alive!”

“I’m crying, I believe in true love again!”

Suddenly, a long-time follower dropped a jarring comment:

“Wait, who is this girl? Wasn't that girl who used to appear in his early vlogs his actual girlfriend?”

Back when we first launched the channel, I occasionally stepped in front of the lens. Naturally, old fans still remembered my face.

Within seconds, the chat latched onto the breadcrumb, shifting the tide:

“Hold up. Does Ethan have a girlfriend? Why is he proposing to someone else?”

“Wait, so who was the girl behind the scenes? Did she get dumped?”

“Is this a live stream of a cheater proposing to his side piece??”

Watching the chat unravel, I calmly tapped my screen and sent a top-tier gift—a Galaxy animation that pinned my profile at the top of the viewer list.

The comment section exploded further.

Chloe’s rehearsed smile began to fracture. Panic flashed in her eyes as she looked at Ethan for help.

Ethan immediately stepped up to the mic, exuding calm authority. "Everyone, let's clear up the confusion. The girl from the early videos was just an assistant. Please don't misinterpret things."

The chat spiraled into vicious speculation.

“Wait, an assistant was acting that cozy with him on camera? Was she trying to be a homewrecker?”

“No wonder Ethan did a public proposal! He needed to give his real girlfriend security against the sneaky assistant! What a man!”

“Ew, so the old assistant was a clout-chasing side chick the whole time?”

Before long, hundreds of comments branded me as a desperate homewrecker.

I stared unblinkingly at the screen, my breath catching in my throat. Would Ethan say a single word to defend me?

On screen, Ethan glanced down at the toxic comments, offered zero clarification, and simply tightened his grip around Chloe’s hand.

To the internet, silence was a loud confession.

In the end, I didn't even get to keep the title of ex-girlfriend.

The numbness in my chest settled so deep that the pain stopped registering altogether.

Chloe looked at the camera, wearing an expression of delicate, patronizing grace.

"Guys, let's not attack other women, okay?" she purred, weaponizing faux-feminism. "Everyone deserves kindness."

Her calculated magnanimity won over thousands of new followers on the spot.

Overnight, I went from Ethan’s loyal partner of five years to a despised, scheming side chick.

They stepped on my reputation to climb to the top of the algorithmic ladder.

They bathed in applause and floral tributes, while burying me beneath an avalanche of internet vitriol.

In my dark apartment, with the lights off, I lay on the couch until my tears finally ran dry.

Ethan, I originally intended to walk away quietly and let you go.

Not anymore.

Since I had the power to lift you onto that pedestal, I have the power to drag you down into the mud.