Ethan had just sent me a Snapchat when the new intern handed me a wedding invitation. “Working late tonight. Ordered takeout for you.” As I opened the envelope, I wondered which coworker was rich enough to use heavy gold foil. But my heart stopped when I saw the names on the card. *The wedding of Mr. Ethan Vance & Miss Tiffany Sterling.* The venue was The Skyline Penthouse, the most expensive rooftop restaurant in the city. Just last week, for my birthday, he told me that place was too gaudy and overpriced. He said we should just order takeout and watch Netflix at home instead. I snapped a photo of the invitation and sent it to Ethan. “So you’re getting married. Why am I just finding out?” He called back almost instantly. “It’s just someone with the same name, Chloe. Are you worried I’d get married behind your back?” Ethan’s laugh sounded forced, laced with a nervous cheerfulness. “Not at all.” I leaned back in my chair, matching his casual tone. “Just a friendly reminder. If you ever dare to get married without me, I’ll walk down that aisle and list every single dollar you owe me in front of all your guests.” “Don’t talk crazy,” his voice dropped, turning serious. “You’re the only one I’ll ever marry. Once this partnership goes through, we’ll get our marriage license. Don’t overthink it, babe. Eat your dinner.” The moment I hung up, my smile vanished. Sienna, the executive assistant, glanced at the invitation in my hand and whispered. “Chloe, isn’t that Tiffany? She was bragging last week about how amazing her boyfriend is. She said he bought her a luxury condo downtown, and she even mentioned she knew you.” My mind flashed through Tiffany’s three months at our company. As an intern who dropped in out of nowhere, she never lacked designer bags or limited-edition jewelry. During our last team dinner, she held up her phone to show everyone a matching couple’s bracelet. “My boyfriend picked it. He said this simple style suits me best.” It was the exact same bracelet Ethan had bought me for his birthday last year. The one he later claimed he “accidentally lost.” Over the past six months, his “late-night meetings” had become more frequent. Every time I brought up marriage, he would brush it off, claiming the company was just starting up. So, he was keeping a side piece. With a cold smile, I called the Skyline Penthouse booking line. After giving the receptionist Ethan’s name and phone number, she replied politely. “Yes, Ms. Vance has booked the main hall for tomorrow afternoon for a wedding ceremony. Would you like to modify the reservation details?” I froze for a few seconds before hanging up. A sharp, piercing pain stabbed at my chest. Ethan and I had been dating for three years and living together for five. He had never paid a single cent of rent or utilities, racking up a total of $35,000 in unpaid bills. He always said he was too busy with work. He promised that when we bought a house, he would put my name on the deed. It was all a lie. I took a pen and wrote on the back of the wedding invitation, stroke by stroke. “Wedding Gift: $35,000 in unpaid rent and utilities owed by Ethan Vance. Please collect on his behalf, Tiffany.” Once done, I stood up and walked to the breakroom. Tiffany was drinking coffee and chatting with a colleague, a sweet, smug smile plastered on her face. I walked over and slammed the invitation onto the table in front of her. “Tiffany, congratulations on your upcoming wedding.” “Please accept this wedding gift. After all, you’re about to own half his debts anyway.” The smile on Tiffany’s face froze. She looked at me, completely bewildered. “Chloe, what is this supposed to mean?” “Nothing much.” I looked her straight in the eyes. “Just letting you know that the man you’re marrying, Ethan, is my boyfriend.” “Liar!” Tiffany’s face flushed red, and tears welled up in her eyes. “Ethan said he knew you, but you’re just casual acquaintances!” “Casual acquaintances?” I laughed, pulling up my phone to show her a photo of Ethan and me. It was taken at the beach last summer. He had his arm wrapped tightly around my shoulder, smiling warmly. I said slowly, “We’ve lived together for five years. When he started his company, I borrowed $50,000 from my Aunt Sarah to fund him. When his first venture failed, I co-signed his $800,000 business debt.” “Tiffany, do you really think ‘casual acquaintances’ do that?” The surrounding colleagues immediately turned to stare, whispering. Tiffany couldn’t hold back her tears. She grabbed the invitation and ran out of the office, sobbing. Less than ten minutes later, my phone rang. It was Ethan. His voice was dripping with fury. “Chloe! What the hell did you say to Tiffany? She’s crying and threatening to call off the wedding! Our entire partnership with Sterling Group is about to blow up!” I let out a soft laugh. “Ethan, instead of asking what I said to her, why don’t you ask yourself if you’re the one marrying her tomorrow?”
The line went silent for a few seconds before Ethan’s voice returned, suddenly sounding pathetic and desperate. “Chloe, the wedding with Tiffany is just a business arrangement. The Sterling Group has a strict policy that only married executives can lead this new project. I’m doing all of this for our future! Once I get my share of the project dividends, I’ll divorce her. Then, I’ll buy us a mansion and give you the grandest wedding ever, okay?” “A business arrangement?” I couldn’t believe he was still trying to feed me this garbage. I shut him down instantly. “So the downtown condo you bought her with corporate funds is a business arrangement? The $5,000 monthly allowance you wire her is also part of the contract?” “Ethan, do you think I’m an idiot?” I was practically shouting, my chest heaving with rage. “How… how do you know about that?” His voice panicked. “Chloe, listen to me, those were just…” “Save it.” I cut him off coldly. “I only have one question. When are you paying back the $35,000 you owe me for rent, and when are you releasing me from the $800,000 debt I co-signed?” Hearing me mention money, Ethan’s tone turned vicious. “Chloe, don’t push it! It’s just a few thousand bucks! Are you really going to ruin my entire career over this?” “I’m warning you, go apologize to Tiffany right now, or don’t blame me for what happens next!” He slammed the phone down, not even giving me a chance to fire back. I opened my bottom drawer and pulled out the yellowed debt-guarantee agreement. Three years ago, Ethan had literally dropped to his knees, begging me with teary eyes to co-sign that loan. He said he would marry me once the company succeeded. He said he would never let me suffer. He said our future would be beautiful. But I was never in his future. I was just a tool—someone whose trust and credit he could exploit to fund his lifestyle and charm another woman. I took a photo of the agreement and drafted a text message. “Ethan Vance’s co-signed debt of $800,000, plus $120,000 in accumulated interest, totaling $920,000. Please sign as a co-debtor, Tiffany.” I attached a voice clip of him begging me to sign the papers three years ago and sent it to Tiffany. “Congratulations, Tiffany. The moment you sign that marriage certificate, half of his debt becomes yours.” I don’t know how much time passed before my office door was slammed open. “Chloe! What the hell is wrong with you?” Ethan marched in, his eyes bloodshot, completely stripped of his usual polished demeanor. “Tiffany is locked in her room crying, trying to cancel the wedding! Mr. Sterling has put the entire project on hold! Are you trying to ruin everyone?” I looked up at him, my eyes devoid of any emotion. “Everyone? Do you mean you, or Tiffany?” He choked on his words, his tone suddenly softening. “That money… Aunt Sarah said I could pay her back slowly…” “Oh, slowly?” I let out a sarcastic laugh. “So you’re slowly paying back my aunt, while using company funds to buy Tiffany a luxury condo downtown? Ethan, how many years in federal prison do you get for embezzlement again?” Ethan’s voice dropped, trembling. “What do you want?” “Two choices.” My voice was dead calm. “First, wire the $920,000 into my aunt’s account before the wedding tomorrow, and I’ll keep my mouth shut. Second, I walk into that wedding venue with all the evidence and hand it to every single guest, especially the bank executives Tiffany’s dad invited.” “How would you even get my financial records!” “Did you forget?” I whispered softly. “Your company’s online banking is tied to my phone number. I receive a text alert for every single suspicious transaction.” Realization dawned on Ethan. He tried one last desperate attempt to gaslight me. “Chloe, we’ve been together for five years. Are you really this heartless? You want to destroy me?” I looked at him blankly. “You did this to yourself.” In the end, Ethan left the office, his face pale as a ghost.
After he left, Sienna placed a hot coffee on my desk. “Chloe, if you want to cry, just cry.” “I’m fine.” I smiled at her. “By the way, you interned in the commercial lending department before, right?” She blinked, nodding. “Do me a favor.” I unlocked my phone and pulled up the public financing announcement for Tiffany’s father’s company, Sterling Group. “Look up the status of their latest loan application. Keep it quiet. Don’t leave a paper trail.” Sienna’s eyes widened, but she nodded quickly. “Got it. I’m on it.” By 9 PM, I received the preliminary audit report for Sterling Group’s latest $30 million bank loan. The status was *Pending Approval*. And one of the key guarantors listed was none other than Ethan Vance. Of course. The only reason Ethan had climbed onto the Sterling family tree was to secure this massive loan. His ambition was terrifying. I kept digging into Ethan’s projects over the past few years. I discovered he had used his executive position to pocket kickbacks and funnel corporate money. During the five years I thought he was working hard for us, he had rotted to the core. At 11 PM, Ethan sent two threatening texts. “The money will be wired first thing tomorrow. Don’t do anything stupid.” “If Tiffany finds out about this debt, she’ll die!” I scoffed. “Whether she lives or dies is none of my business. I just want my money.” Before midnight, Aunt Sarah texted me confirming she had received the full wire transfer. She asked how Ethan and I were doing, and if we were finally getting married. I gave her a brief, bitter reply, and then got ready for my grand entrance at the Skyline Penthouse. The wedding march was reaching its climax when I walked in. Ethan and Tiffany were standing under a lush arch of white roses, exchanging rings. The officiant spoke into the microphone. “Tiffany Sterling, do you take Ethan Vance to be your husband, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer…” “Objection.” My voice, projected through a Bluetooth microphone I brought, echoed loudly across the ballroom. “Maybe you should ask her if she’s willing to marry a man who is $920,000 in debt, has embezzled $3 million from his own firm, and is currently under investigation by federal auditors.” Every single guest gasped and whipped their heads around. The color drained from Ethan’s face. Tiffany’s eyes widened in sheer horror. I walked up the aisle, straight onto the stage, and took the microphone from the stunned officiant. “Before you answer that, Tiffany, you might want to listen to this.” I raised my phone and hit play. Ethan’s voice, talking to his accountant, blasted through the speakers. “Chloe is carrying that $800,000 debt. She won’t say anything. Once the Sterling loan is approved, I’ll use the cash to plug the company’s holes. No one will ever know…” Tiffany turned to Ethan, her white gown shaking as she trembled. I looked down at Mr. Sterling, whose face had turned a deep shade of crimson. “Ethan used my credit to guarantee his personal debts, and he planned to use your company’s loan to cover up his financial crimes.” Before anyone could speak, I played the second audio clip—the recording from last night. “I’ll clean up the $3 million embezzlement for the condo after the wedding. Just don’t expose me at the venue, and I’ll pay you off.” The crowd erupted into whispers and shouting. Mr. Sterling slammed his hands on the table and stood up, pointing a shaking finger at me. “Who are you! Stop spreading lies at my daughter’s wedding!” I smiled warmly. “I am Ethan’s actual girlfriend of five years. I’m also the co-signer of his massive debt, and the whistleblower who just submitted all the embezzlement evidence to the authorities. The forensic team should be at his office right now.” As if on cue, Mr. Sterling’s phone started ringing off the hook. The caller’s voice was loud enough for those nearby to hear. I caught words like *loan suspended*, *emergency audit*, and *fraud investigation*. Ethan lunged forward to grab my microphone, but two security guards—whom I had tipped off beforehand about a potential disruption—tackled him to the ground. “Chloe! You bitch! You ruined me!” he screamed, pinning his face against the polished floor. I looked down at him. “You ruined yourself.” “The moment you made me sign that debt agreement and went to sleep with another woman, you should have expected this day.” I turned to Tiffany. She had collapsed into the arms of her bridesmaids, her expensive makeup ruined by tears. “Tiffany, now you can answer the officiant.” “Tell him if you still want to marry Ethan.”
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