Chapter 2

Every pair of eyes in the room followed me.

Sophie arched an eyebrow, chin lifted, looking like she was daring me to confront her in front of everyone, like she was itching for the drama.

I didn't even spare her a glance.

I walked straight up to Ethan.

He finally looked at me.

He furrowed his brows, giving me a look that said, "Don't make a scene."

I held out my hand.

I slipped the ring off my left ring finger.

It was a six-carat diamond ring, the same one Ethan had put on me when he proposed, kneeling down in front of me.

I slid the ring into his breast pocket and gave it a gentle tap.

"No need to compete," my voice was steady, calm as ever. "I'm out."

The whole room erupted.

Ethan's expression finally cracked.

His pupils constricted, and he reached out to grab my wrist.

I stepped back just enough to dodge him.

"Julia," Ethan called.

"Mr. Howard," I cut him off, addressing him formally. "Enjoy the Anniversary Gala."

I turned around and walked out.

The sound of my heels on the marble floor was crisp and steady.

My back was straight, my posture unwavering.

Just as I stepped out of the reception hall, my phone buzzed.

Megan Sterling texted me. [Are you crazy? What happened? Everyone's posting about it.]

I didn't reply.

Then my phone buzzed again.

It was a number I'd had saved for three years.

Sean Harper.

Sean wrote, [Ms. Lane, Mr. Howard asked me to let you know that it is not what it looks like. He has his reasons.]

I read the message twice.

Then I locked my phone.

Reasons.

He always had some excuse.

The last time he got caught having dinner with a female client, he claimed it was business, another excuse.

The time before that, when he bailed on our anniversary, he said he had a last-minute meeting, another excuse.

Every single time, he never explained what those excuses really were.

And every single time, he assumed I'd get it.

For three years, I really did understand.

But tonight, in front of eight hundred people, he had turned me into an object people could compete over fair and square.

That was one excuse I no longer wanted to understand.

I made my way to the parking lot, pulled open the car door, and slid inside.

I shut the door behind me.

As I started the engine, my hand was shaking.

I looked down at my left ring finger.

A pale white mark was left where the ring had been.

It had been three years.

After three years with that ring on, all that's left was just this pale line.

I gripped the steering wheel.

My phone buzzed again.

This time, it was a work number.

It was from the Director of Operations at Prism Consulting.

The Director of Operations wrote, [Ms. Lane, Howard Enterprises is really pressing us about the Third Quarter partnership. Do you want to keep pushing ahead, or should we pause?]

I stared at the message for five seconds.

Then I typed out four words.

Then I typed out three words. [Put it on hold.]

After sending it, I tossed my phone onto the passenger seat.

I started the car.

As I pulled out of the parking lot, the reception hall's bright lights glowed in my rearview mirror.

I didn't look back.

The next morning, I thought the matter would at least come to some kind of conclusion.

Maybe Ethan would call to explain, or at least have Sean pass along a message saying Sophie had been dealt with. But nothing happened.

Ethan's phone stayed off all morning.

But news about Sophie was everywhere.

Megan shared a trending topic from Twitter in our group chat. [Howard Enterprises Anniversary Gala: Intern Publicly Confesses to CEO.]

The comments were blowing up.

[What's wrong with chasing love?]

[This intern is so badass.]

[The fiancee got challenged. This is hilarious. What a show.]

[So what was Mr. Howard's reaction? I heard he didn't deny it.]

[His ex-fiancée took off her ring and walked out. That's brutal, but honestly, if you can't keep your man, that's on you.]

I stared at that last comment, my nails digging into my palm.

Megan's voice messages started blowing up my phone. "Julia, listen to me. Those people are talking nonsense, don't even look at that garbage. Where are you? I'm coming to get you."

"At home," I replied.

"Have you eaten?

"No appetite."

"Then I'll bring you some soup."

"Megan."

"Yeah?"

"Can you check something for me?"

I kept my voice steady.

"The bidding process for the Stanton Group's supply chain contract with Howard Enterprises' Tropic Alliance Project last year. I want all the details," I said.

There was a two-second pause on the other end.

"You suspect the Stanton family?" Megan asked.

"I don't think, I know," I said.

I stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, staring out at the city skyline.

"I saw a 'Top Secret' file in Ethan's study. The Stanton Group's name was marked in red. If there was nothing wrong, he wouldn't have highlighted it like that," I said.

"Then why didn't he just handle it himself?" Megan asked.

"Because he needs hard evidence."

"So..."

"So Sophie's 'declaration of war' that day probably wasn't a coincidence."

I closed my eyes.

I said, "But that isn't a reason for me to stay.

"Whether he's using that woman or not, it doesn't matter to me anymore. He chose not to deny it, not to back me up, not to protect me in front of everyone. That's all I need to know.

"No matter what's going on in his head, to everyone else, I'm just the one he left behind."

Megan went quiet.

After a long pause, she sighed. "Alright. I'll look into it."