Chapter 1

I spent four years believing my boyfriend was so broke he couldn't even afford a plane ticket.

Every single day, he sent me updates about his exhausting shifts. He once gave me a necklace made from bottle caps, claiming he handcrafted it with all his love. My best friend and my own brother took turns filming videos of him working grueling part-time jobs just to prove his devotion.

And I fell for it. For four straight years.

Living like that was tough, but every time his sweet texts popped up on my screen, I genuinely thought I was the luckiest girl in the world.

Until I spent a whole month skipping meals, scrimping every penny to fly cross-country and surprise him for his birthday.

Instead, I watched him drop four million dollars at an auction for a diamond necklace, gently fastening it around another woman’s neck.

I stood frozen for what felt like an eternity. With trembling hands, I sent Ethan a text: "[Where are you right now?]"

Across the room, my best friend Chloe grabbed his phone with practiced ease and texted back: "[Still working my shift, babe. I’ll make it up to you later.]"

My brother Liam scoffed, his face twisted in annoyance. "Just throw her a bone. She’s like a stray dog anyway—she’ll come crawling back no matter what."

I typed out five words: "[No need. We’re over.]"

…

Inside the VIP lounge, Chloe paused for a second before showing Ethan's phone screen to my brother.

Liam sneered. "Here goes the nuisance again. If we weren't covering for her, Ethan would've dumped her ass ages ago."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Where did she even learn this whole 'let's break up' routine? Does she actually think playing hard to get works on anyone?"

My phone buzzed. A message from Ethan:

"[Did I make you feel neglected because I’ve been busy? Don't overthink things, babe. As soon as I save up enough for a plane ticket, I'll fly out to see you.]"

Sent by Chloe, of course.

Ethan was supposed to be my boyfriend. Yet he couldn't even be bothered to reply to my texts while spending his night pampering another woman.

After sending the text, Chloe flashed a smug grin. "Honestly, Chloe is so desperate for love that she swallows every lie. That’s why Piper and Ethan can be together without any drama."

Piper. Piper Vance.

A memory flashed through my mind. Months ago, during a FaceTime call with Ethan, I caught a glimpse of a signed receipt on his desk: "Paid: $260,000. Recipient: Piper Vance."

I got suspicious back then. I asked him who Piper was and where on earth he got that kind of money.

He stayed silent for a long time. In the end, Chloe swore on her life that Ethan would never cheat on me. I convinced myself I was just being paranoid and let it go.

Turns out, I wasn't paranoid at all. They were just running a massive scam on me.

A sharp, throbbing ache ripped through my chest. Four years of love, built entirely on an elaborate lie.

Liam popped open an expensive bottle of wine and chimed in, "She’s been manipulative since we were kids. Nasty attitude, ugly as sin, built like a dead pig. She should be down on her knees thanking God someone actually wants her."

Ethan glanced at the two of them, a faint frown creasing his brow.

"That's enough."

I looked up, a tiny flicker of hope whispering that Ethan might defend me.

"Piper is right here," Ethan said coolly. "Don't ruin her mood."

My heart plummeted into ice. His first instinct wasn't to stand up for me—it was worrying about upsetting the other woman.

He took his phone back and skimmed the chat.

His frown deepened. "What is her problem now?"

His tone dripped with condescension, as if I were just some brat throwing a tantrum.

Chloe shrugged and said nothing.

Ethan stood up and let out an annoyed sigh. "Whatever. There are five minutes left until midnight. I'll spend her birthday with her first."

Beside him, Piper clung to his arm, whining, "Ethan, I don't want you to leave me."

Ethan sat right back down, affectionately ruffling her hair. "So clingy."

A second later, he tossed his phone back to Chloe. "Find a way to stall Chloe."

One word from Piper, and I became the inconvenient afterthought.

My eyes fell on the diamond necklace resting on Piper's collarbone.

He told me his family was drowning in medical debt, so I starved alongside him without a single complaint. I bought discounted, near-spoiled groceries and stretched single meals across two days.

Meanwhile, he turned around and gifted another woman a multi-million-dollar necklace.

He didn't lack money. He just didn't give a damn about me.

Just as I reached for the door handle to confront him, several servers approached me.

"Excuse me, miss. This is the private suite for the CEO of the Hayes Group. We're going to have to ask you to leave."

I froze, staring at them in disbelief. "Wait... who did you just say he was?"

Hayes Group was the company I worked for.

When I was first hired, they made me sign an aggressive non-compete clause under the guise of an "executive training program." Shortly after, they abruptly transferred me to a run-down, remote branch thousands of miles away.

They docked my pay on arbitrary pretexts, leaving me with barely three hundred dollars a month.

Over the past three years, I tried to quit multiple times. Ethan always talked me out of it, insisting that resilience was the key to building a career.

I endured endless mistreatment at Hayes Group while my boyfriend, the billionaire CEO behind it all, watched in silence.

Every single obstacle in my life had been orchestrated by him just to keep me out of the way.

The server looked me up and down with disgust before signaling the security guards to drag me out into the street.

I stood in the biting autumn wind as the nearby clock tower chimed midnight.

Just like that, my birthday was over.

Ethan had certainly given me an unforgettable gift.

A while later, Ethan walked out of the venue.

He casually strolled into a greasy roadside diner across the street, pulled out his phone, and dialed my number.

"Chloe, happy birthday."

"A client caught me at work earlier, so I got held up."

I was standing right across the street, watching his every move.

A bitter, mocking laugh escaped my lips.

"Ethan. Look up."