I fell for a guy with nothing, hiding my identity as an heiress. I worked my way up from the bottom, right alongside him. But on the eve of our wedding, I caught him cheating with his female boss. “That Celeste is so ugly and poor, she can’t even hold a candle to you, Valerie.” “I’m still counting on you for career guidance.” My palms were stinging, and it was all I could do to stop myself from bursting through that door and tearing into him. After shredding the multi-million dollar contract in my hand, I fired off a text to Dad. “I agree to the arranged marriage. I’ll be home next week.” The lights were still on in our shared apartment. I was sitting on the couch when Derek walked in. “Celeste, why aren’t you asleep yet?” He took off his jacket, his voice soft, as if everything was normal. I looked up, meeting his eyes. There was a stark red smudge on his collar, unmistakably lipstick. “Worked late?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. He nodded, tossing his jacket onto the sofa, then leaned in to hug me. “Project’s on a tight deadline. I’m exhausted.” The scent of Valerie Sterling’s perfume clung to him, making my stomach churn. I sidestepped, avoiding his embrace, and gave him a forced smile. “I’m a little tired.” After a moment’s thought, I decided to give him one last chance. “Derek, what do you really think of me?” His expression froze, then he forced a stiff smile. “You’re the best, Celeste. You never cared that I wasn’t rich, and you always looked out for me.” My fingers trembled slightly. A bitter laugh escaped me, but only in my head. “Just that?” His gaze darted between the clock and me, confused by my question. “Of course not just that! I love you more than anyone.” “What if there was someone better? Someone rich, someone who could actually *give* you a future?” I pressed on, relentless. “Have you been listening to gossip? We’re getting married, of course I wouldn’t want anyone else.” I stared at him, my eyes full of scorn. “You sure?” “Absolutely!” He took my hand, his palm clammy, his voice dripping with sincerity. “I’ve wanted to marry you for ages, I just couldn’t afford it before.” He was always like that, always putting on this sincere act, but deep down… God, what a joke. I pulled my hand away, stood up, and asked, my voice chilling. “What about Valerie Sterling, then?” His smile froze on his face. “Valerie who?” “Never mind. Go to sleep.” My voice was barely a whisper, yet it was heavy with disappointment. I gave him a chance. He chose not to take it. Fine. So be it.
First thing the next morning, I packed all my documents and headed straight to the office. The glass door of the HR department shimmered under the harsh fluorescent lights. When I pushed it open, Valerie Sterling was leaning against a desk, her bright red nails tapping impatiently on a document. She was in a tight black dress today, making the executive badge pinned to her chest gleam like a taunt. “Well, well, if it isn’t our dear Assistant Celeste.” She savored the word ‘assistant,’ dragging it out with mocking emphasis. “Early bird, huh? Coming in to quit?” Manager Thompson, the HR manager, stood by awkwardly, her mouth opening and closing as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t. I calmly placed my resignation letter on the table, my voice flat. “That’s right. Please process it as quickly as possible.” Valerie suddenly reached out, pressing down on the document. “What’s the rush?” She leaned in, her perfume so cloying, it made my temples throb. “You know, Derek worked late at my place last night.” She suggestively traced the red mark on her neck, her voice dripping with venom. “Ah, to be young and full of stamina.” I dug my nails into my palms, the sharp pain a desperate anchor. Just then, the office door burst open, and Derek stormed in, cradling a stack of files. “Valerie, your reports.” His words died in his throat. Three pairs of eyes locked, and the air crackled with tension. Derek’s tie was crooked, and there was still an unsmudged lipstick print on his collar. He visibly flinched, his composure shattering the moment he saw me. “Celeste? What are you doing here?” “Just need to handle something with Valerie.” My voice was laced with ice, as if I were speaking to an enemy. “You certainly seem to appreciate how she ‘handles things,’ don’t you?” Valerie suddenly laughed. She playfully patted Derek’s shoulder. “Your girlfriend is hilarious.” She turned to me, a sneer on her face. “Celeste, a poor student like you won’t find another job after leaving here.” “Right, our future Director Miller?” Derek just stood there, his lips twitching, but he eventually just lowered his head, pretending to sort a stack of papers that were already perfectly aligned. That simple action was a sharper dagger than any words he could have spoken. I snatched up my signed resignation, glancing at Derek one last time before turning to leave. “You know what? When I was packing yesterday, I found that necklace you gave me.” He suddenly looked up, and I let out a light, mocking laugh. “It’s fake.” As I walked out of the office building, the sky was a suffocating grey, pressing down on the city. I took a deep breath and called Dad. “Dad, I quit. I’m coming home tomorrow.” On the other end, Dad’s voice was filled with relief. “Good, I’m glad you’re coming home.” Hanging up, I glanced back at the office building where I’d worked for three years, a chilling emptiness in my heart. The fluorescent light in the tiny apartment buzzed, casting a sickly greenish-white glow. Derek chased me through the door as I was zipping up the last of my sweaters in my suitcase. “Celeste, don’t do this!” He grabbed my wrist, his voice laced with pure panic. “Valerie and I really have nothing going on. She’s just… she’s just very friendly.” I yanked my hand away and pulled a velvet box from the drawer. Inside lay *the* “gold” necklace he’d saved three months’ salary for. I tossed it into the trash can right in front of him, the sharp clink of metal against plastic echoing like a final judgment. “Friendly enough to leave hickeys on your neck? Friendly enough for you to wear the *same* shirt for three days?” I pointed to the clothes drying on the balcony, then closed my eyes, my voice filled with anguish. “Derek, every single day when I washed your clothes, all I could smell was *her* perfume!” His face instantly went ashen. He lunged, grabbing my hand again. “Let me explain.” “Explain what?” I scoffed, shaking him off. “Explain how you told Valerie in the conference room that I was ugly and poor?” “Or explain how you sold your dignity just to get a promotion?” Outside, a sudden downpour started, raindrops slamming against the glass like countless tiny, mocking slaps. Derek slumped onto the edge of the bed, water dripping from his hair onto the floor, each drop a tiny accusation. “I know I’m not good enough for you, but this promotion is really important to me.” “How else am I supposed to marry you if I don’t get a higher position?” He said this with a pathetic sadness etched on his face, but his eyes… they held a chilling mix of threat and calculation. My heart felt like it was being gnawed by a thousand tiny insects, a creeping, unbearable pain. I zipped up my suitcase. The harsh zipper sound was like the final nail in the coffin. “Whatever you say.” With that, I turned and walked toward the door. “Where are you going?” He suddenly stood up, blocking the doorway, not wanting me to leave. “Business trip.” “Company arranged it last minute, just for a week.” I gave him a casual excuse, but inwardly, I scoffed. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but eventually just sighed. “Then be careful, come back soon.” I didn’t answer, pulling my suitcase out of the shared apartment.
The day after I got home, Dad arranged for me to meet my fiancé. In the Albright family mansion’s drawing-room, the black tea I was sipping caught in my throat as the double doors swung open. The man stood there, impeccably suited, a smirk playing on his lips, and a familiar glint in his eyes. It was Ashton Hayes, my childhood nemesis. “Ashton Hayes! What are *you* doing here?” I slammed my teacup down, the sharp clatter echoing through the room and startling a black cat on the windowsill. “What, disappointed to see me?” Ashton slowly polished his gold-rimmed glasses, his tone as infuriating as ever. “Heard the great Celeste Albright ran away for love. Figured I’d come back for the show.” His eyes, behind his glasses, curved into a dangerous arc. “Didn’t expect to see a pathetic, drowned rat instead.” I grabbed a cushion and hurled it at him, my face burning crimson with rage. “You’re the rat!” He easily caught the cushion, then suddenly turned serious. “I heard that guy hooked up with his female boss?” Seeing my silence, he scoffed. “I told you, some people, once they get a taste of money, lose their decency faster than you can blink.” “What do you know!” I shot up, ready to argue. “At least he…” “At least what?” Ashton also stood up, his figure towering over me, casting an oppressive shadow. “At least he’d be there for you when you’re sick, bringing you hot tea or chicken soup?” “Or make you breakfast?” He suddenly reached out, pinching my chin, his eyes filled with a trace of something… investigative. “When did you start settling for so little, Celeste?” I slapped his hand away fiercely, but then heard his next words. “So, what do you say? Will you marry me?” I let out a scoff, rolling my eyes so hard I almost saw my brain. “Why not?” Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, Dad and Mr. Hayes were deep in pleasant conversation in the garden. I stared at the diamond tie pin on Ashton’s tie, crossing my arms over my chest. “I want a wedding for the ages. Every media outlet invited.” He raised an eyebrow, a slight smile playing on his lips. “And?” I met his gaze, speaking each word deliberately. “On our wedding day, I want Derek to watch Valerie Sterling’s company go down in flames.” Ashton let out a booming laugh, then reached over and ruffled my hair, a gesture that usually infuriated me, but now felt… different. “*That’s* the Celeste I know.”
The wedding was set for a week later, a grand affair. I stood in the dressing room, wearing my custom-designed wedding gown, my palms slick with nervous sweat. Ashton walked in. Seeing my tension, he deliberately teased, “What, having second thoughts?” I glared at him, feigning ferocity. “Shut up!” He chuckled softly, then reached out to adjust my veil. “Relax. With me here, no one will dare to laugh at you.” I froze for a moment, suddenly feeling like this infuriating guy wasn’t so bad after all. On the signature wall at the reception, Derek’s name was scrawled crookedly, squeezed into a forgotten corner. As Valerie Sterling’s ‘plus one,’ he’d been relegated to an extra seat in the very last row. Derek was busily handing Valerie champagne, but his eyes kept darting towards the gift table, piled high with designer gifts. As the wedding march began, I walked down the aisle on my father’s arm. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Derek’s back suddenly stiffen. His champagne flute tilted, red wine staining Valerie’s pristine white dress. “What are you doing?!” Valerie’s sharp voice drew everyone’s attention. But Derek was deaf to it. He was staring, utterly transfixed, at the diamond waist chain on my gown. It was the limited edition piece he once swore he’d never be able to afford. “And now, may the bride and groom exchange rings.” The emcee’s voice resonated through the venue. Ashton deliberately raised my left hand, allowing the ten-carat pink diamond to sparkle brilliantly under the spotlights. “You may now kiss the bride.” The moment the emcee finished speaking, Ashton lifted my veil and kissed me. A wave of enthusiastic applause erupted from the crowd. In my peripheral vision, I saw Derek stumbling forward, pushing through the crowd, only to be stopped by security. “Celeste!” He cried out, his voice torn. The music swelled, hitting its perfect crescendo. Ashton wrapped an arm around my waist, leaning in to whisper in my ear. “Want to add another act to the show?” Before I could answer, he suddenly turned to the audience. “Thank you to all our distinguished guests for coming, especially my wife’s former colleague.” As he spoke, a spotlight suddenly illuminated Derek’s ashen face. He nervously clutched the edges of his cheap suit, his voice tight with barely suppressed rage. “Celeste, how could you marry someone else? Just for money?!” Ashton scoffed, his gaze sweeping mockingly over the guests. “Money? Mr. Miller, you’re not suggesting everyone is as obsessed with it as you are, are you?” “You might not know, but my wife is the heiress of the Albright Group.”
Under the spotlight, Derek’s face shifted from ashen to crimson. He shoved the security guard away, staggering towards the stage. “Celeste!” His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper. “You’ve been lying to me this whole time?!” I stood on the stage, my fingertip lightly caressing the cold facet of my diamond ring. I looked down at him, a sneer curving my lips. “Lying to you?” I let out a soft, contemptuous laugh. “Compared to the three years you spent acting out your pathetic love story, what’s a little secret of mine?” A wave of hushed whispers swept through the guests. Derek’s fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles were white. Valerie Sterling, her heels clicking, rushed forward and grabbed his arm, her bright red nails practically digging into his flesh. “You’re making a fool of yourself!” She hissed, her voice low, but her eyes were fixed on me, sharp and venomous. “Celeste, do you really think marrying into the Hayes family makes you untouchable?” Ashton casually adjusted his cuff, then looked up, his eyes suddenly chilling. “Valerie,” His tone was lazy, yet each word was a razor. “I heard your company’s stock plunged this morning, hitting rock bottom?” Valerie’s face instantly stiffened. “Oh, and one more thing.” Ashton suddenly smiled, pulling me closer by the waist. “Thank you for taking such good care of my wife’s ex-boyfriend. As a thank-you gift…” He paused, leaned down to plant a kiss on my ear, but his voice carried clearly to the entire ballroom. “Hayes Industries will be initiating a full takeover of your company.” Valerie staggered back, her meticulously made-up face twisting in horror. Derek violently shook off her hand, his eyes blazing crimson as he lunged for the stage, only to be grabbed by Ashton’s bodyguards, his shoulders seized, and he was slammed to the ground. “Celeste!” He struggled to look up, veins pulsed wildly in his forehead. “You planned all this, didn’t you? Watching me like an idiot, letting me run around in circles!” I crouched down, the train of my wedding gown billowed out like fresh snow. My fingertip hooked under his chin. “Derek.” I whispered. “You still have her lipstick on your neck.” His pupils constricted. I stood up, looking down at him imperiously. “Get out. Don’t dirty my wedding.” As the bodyguards dragged him away, he suddenly started laughing like a madman. “You think Ashton Hayes is any better?!” He shrieked, his voice swallowed by the soaring crescendo of the symphony.
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