Chapter 1

Serena had been an affair interventionist for ten years. Ironically, I became the proudest trophy of her career.

At her live-streamed celebration party, Serena linked her arm through my boyfriend Ethan’s. She looked at the camera with a smug smile.

"Look closely, everyone. No matter how stubborn the mistress is, she has no choice but to leave in ruins when I'm on the case."

With that, she threw a marriage certificate right in front of my face.

"Chloe, Ethan and I already signed the papers at City Hall."

"You’ve been clinging to him for so many years. It’s time to back off gracefully."

I watched with my own eyes as Ethan lovingly slipped a custom-made diamond ring onto Serena's finger.

My ears buzzed.

Just last month, Ethan’s company suffered a massive financial crisis.

Without a second thought, I sold the design studio I had worked so hard to build for years just to save him.

Back then, he held me tight and swore to me:

"Chloe, once I get through this, I will give you the most grand, beautiful wedding this city has ever seen."

And I believed him.

I never expected that my unconditional sacrifice would only help them set up this trap to destroy me.

Watching the two most important people in my life step on my dignity just to get claps and blessings from thousands of strangers on TikTok Live...

The dull ache in my chest suddenly vanished.

I slipped off the cheap promise ring from my ring finger and tossed it into the trash can.

I walked away, ignoring the shouts behind me.

Since you both wanted to use me as a stepping stone to climb to the top, I will personally drag you down into the dirt.

......

By the time I got home, the internet was already flooded with hate directed at me.

Serena’s live stream was still trending at the top of the charts.

She hadn't blurred any of my personal information. In fact, she deliberately leaked my studio's address and my personal accounts.

In just a few hours, I became the "evil, homewrecking mistress" in everyone's eyes.

The comments under her post were disgusting.

"She looks like a snake just by looking at her photos."

"This kind of woman deserves to go to hell!"

"I heard her dad just died last month. Karma is a bitch!"

Looking at those words, my heart squeezed with sharp pain.

Ten years of friendship ended in a double betrayal.

And she was twisting the truth just to get views and clout at the expense of my reputation.

Before I could fully process the shock, the front door was pushed open.

Ethan walked in quickly and pulled me into his arms without asking.

"Chloe, I had no idea Serena would take it this far. I'm so sorry you had to go through this."

"But honestly, this is all for her promotion. She needed a big case to secure her spot. You have me to protect you, so don't be scared."

"Once she gets the promotion, I'll divorce her immediately."

He used that same soothing, babying tone he always used.

But looking at him now, he felt like a complete stranger.

I remembered when Serena first started working as an affair interventionist.

She used to share her cases with me as juicy gossip.

Back then, Ethan would hold my hand and swear that he would never tolerate a third party in our relationship.

But now, he was using every dirty trick in the book just to clear the path for Serena.

I pulled away from his embrace.

"If the one being doxed and insulted online today was Serena, would you still be this calm?"

He froze for a long moment, unable to say a word.

But I already knew the answer.

"Ethan, we are done."

Ethan snapped back to reality, rubbing his temples with frustration.

"Chloe, you were the one who told me to take care of her back then. Why are you twisting things now?"

A bitter taste rose in my throat.

The year Serena first moved to Brookhaven, she knew absolutely nothing about the city.

So, I begged Ethan to help her out and look after her.

He was a bit reluctant at first. He had pinched my cheek and laughed:

"Fine, only because she's your best friend."

"But let's get one thing straight. You will always come first."

But as time went on, he seemed to get used to putting me behind Serena.

Even when I had a high fever in the middle of the night and almost passed out...

He was busy helping Serena deal with a client's crazy ex, ignoring my calls completely.

I used to comfort myself, thinking Ethan was only doing those things because he loved me and wanted to help my bestie.

But now, I refused to lie to myself anymore.

Seeing my silence, Ethan kept pushing.

"Chloe, I admit I didn't plan the live stream well."

"But you know how the internet works. You need drama for clout, and she needs clout for the promotion. As her best friend, shouldn't you be more understanding?"

Listening to his hollow excuses, I only felt disgusted.

A few years ago, when a coworker spread rumors about me...

Ethan was the one who stormed into my office to fight for me and clear my name.

Back then, he swore he would protect me forever.

It turned out his old promises didn't mean crap to him anymore.

My eyes stung with tears.

Suddenly, a special ringtone rang out from his phone—it was Serena's custom alert.

Ethan quickly tapped his screen to reply.

"Just forget what happened tonight. Don't overthink it."

"I have some business to take care of. Go to sleep early."

Without waiting for my reply, he shut the door and left.

I stared at that closed door for a long time.

All my emotions drained away, leaving only a cold, empty void.

I turned around, pulled the voice recorder out from the gap in the sofa cushions, and hit stop.

Ethan, you of all people should know that I am not someone you can just push around.

Just as I was about to organize the audio file to post it online, my phone buzzed.

Serena's account was live again.