Chapter 1

The very night Ethan proposed to me, my company sent me on a business trip. Halfway there, I got a call saying it had been canceled.

I dragged my suitcase home and pushed open the front door.

Ethan's hand rested on my best friend Chloe's bare back as he gently slipped the strap off her shoulder.

My fingers instinctively brushed the diamond ring on my left hand. I stared at the two people I trusted most, unable to believe what I was seeing.

Sensing my presence, Ethan didn't look guilty at all.

"Maya," he said calmly, "I don't want to hurt either of you. Let's just have an open relationship."

Chloe stepped in front of him as if to protect him.

"Maya, if you need to hit someone, hit me. Ethan didn't do anything wrong."

I laughed.

Ten years ago, when she stood between me and my school bullies, she had said those exact same words.

Now, she was using them again—after destroying everything I had.

Maya's POV

The very night Ethan successfully proposed to me, my company sent me on an urgent out-of-town business trip.

But halfway there, I got a text saying the trip was canceled.

When I dragged my suitcase back home and pushed the door open, Ethan's hand was on my best friend Chloe's back, gently sliding her dress strap down her shoulder.

I touched the diamond ring on my ring finger, staring in utter disbelief at the two people I trusted most in the world. They had betrayed me.

Sensing my presence, Ethan turned around. His face was shockingly calm. "Maya, I don't want to hurt either of you. Why don't we just try an open relationship?"

The moment those words left his mouth, my mind went completely blank. The blood in my veins ran ice-cold.

Ethan stepped in front of Chloe, shielding her. "Maya, let me explain. We didn't mean to lie to you. Honestly, so many people are in open relationships these days. Chloe is totally fine with it."

I let out a cold laugh. Chloe was the home-wrecker here. What right did she have to be "fine" or "not fine" with anything?

I raised my hand, pointing the diamond ring right at his face. "Then what the hell are we? If you're in love with Chloe, why did you propose to me today?"

Why give me the happiest moment of my life just to crush me with the ultimate nightmare?

"Maya..."

Biting back my tears, I raised my hand to slap his face. But Chloe suddenly lunged forward, throwing herself between us and taking the blow for him.

I stared at Chloe's face in shock. A bright red mark bloomed on her pale skin. Her eyes welled with tears. "Maya, if you want to hit someone, hit me. Ethan did nothing wrong."

My lips trembled. Suddenly, my mind flashed back to six years ago, when Chloe had stood in front of me to block the bullies at school.

That was my freshman year at our elite private prep school. My mom worked as a housekeeper for Chloe's family, which was the only reason I got in on a tuition waiver. I was the only girl in the entire school who couldn't afford designer clothes.

Many kids called me Chloe's pet dog.

Some girls even ripped up my homework, looking at me with pure disgust. "Everyone in this school is just passing time until we inherit our family businesses. You're the only one studying like crazy. Don't you feel out of place?"

"What's the point of getting good grades? When you apply for a job at my dad's company, you'll still have to beg me."

"Shut up! If you mess with Maya, you mess with me!"

Back then, Chloe had stood in front of me, glaring at them until they all backed down.

She had turned to me with a warm smile. "We're best friends, Maya. If anyone bothers you in the future, just come to me."

After that, Chloe always stood up for me, even getting into fights for my sake. I finally let my guard down and took her as my sister...

I never imagined that one day, Chloe would be standing on the opposite side, defending the man who broke my heart.

I watched as Ethan pulled Chloe into his arms, his eyes filled with tender worry.

He glared at me, his voice sharp. "That's enough, Maya! Chloe has been spoiled her whole life. She's never faced this kind of abuse. Now that she took a slap for you, are you finally satisfied?"

Staring at his angry face, a sharp, stabbing pain pierced my chest.

He was the second person at that prep school who had ever protected me.

Our first meeting was in an alleyway near the school. Ethan, sitting in his family's luxury car, had spotted me being followed by a group of sketchy guys.

He had immediately jumped out of the car, calling his driver and bodyguards to chase the guys away. I still remembered the look in his eyes back then.

It wasn't condescending. He looked at me with the same equality that Chloe did.

"If you're ever in danger again, just call me."

After that, everyone at school knew I had two powerful protectors. We ate lunch together, took classes together, and I even tutored them.

On graduation day, Ethan confessed his love to me. He promised he would never let me feel hurt or abandoned.

Now, he had broken every single promise.

I squeezed my fingers tight, the diamond ring cutting into my skin until it went numb. "How long have you two been seeing each other behind my back?"

"Six months ago, our parents set us up on a blind date. We started talking more after that."

"Our families want us to get married. It's for the family business merger."

My grip on the ring tightened, and my confidence crumbled bit by bit.

There was a massive wealth gap between Ethan and me. After graduation, I worked myself to the bone, hoping to close that gap. But some gaps can never be bridged. Just like my self-esteem, there was always a piece missing.

For the past six months, I had been working overtime and traveling constantly just to get a promotion. I didn't want anyone to say I wasn't good enough for Ethan. But I never realized my dedication to work would give them the perfect opportunity to hook up.

"But you don't have to worry. Chloe and I won't get married. We would never hurt you like that," Ethan added quickly.

"Maya, if you just agree to this, we can keep the open relationship going. Just the three of us. I promise I'll treat you exactly the same as before."

"I don't agree." I turned around, trying to leave.

Ethan grabbed my arm. "Don't be stupid, Maya. Staying with us gives you endless perks. It's been years. How are you even going to survive without us?"

I found myself unable to say a single word of rebuttal. Because my current job was recommended by Chloe, and many of my high-paying clients were introduced to me by Ethan.

Just like he said, it seemed I really couldn't survive without them.

But was I really going to endure this humiliation forever just for a career?

No. I do not tolerate betrayal.