Part 3My Fiancée Forced Me to Step Aside for Her First Love—Then Her Company Went Bankrupt After I Quit

I spent the night at the office.

Yesterday had been a whirlwind—I closed several major deals and contacted a long list of clients. By the time I was done, it was already past midnight. I stopped by my apartment to pack a few things before heading back to the office. That place wasn’t home anymore, and sleeping at my desk felt like the better option.

“Daniel!”

I was jolted awake by someone shaking me roughly.

Groggy, I opened my eyes to find Chloe’s perfectly made-up face staring down at me. Her makeup was flawless, but the hickey on her neck was impossible to miss, even under the thick layer of concealer she’d used to try and hide it.

Her movements were so aggressive that a few early-arriving coworkers were already sneaking glances in our direction.

She slammed a crumpled piece of paper onto my desk, her face twisted with anger, though she forced a saccharine smile a second later.

“Daniel, what is this?” she asked, her voice unnervingly sweet. “You moved out in the middle of the night? And now you’re handing me a resignation letter without even saying a word? What’s going on with you?”

I glanced at the wrinkled resignation letter on the desk and let out a bitter laugh.

“You’re asking me? Weren’t you the one who told me to leave?”

Her expression wavered for a moment, but she quickly plastered on a fake look of concern.

“I was just upset yesterday,” she said, softening her tone. “You shouldn’t have accused me of being inappropriate with someone else. Let’s talk about this calmly, okay?”

She reached out to touch my face, the same tender gesture that used to melt my heart. But now, it only made my stomach churn.

I turned my head away, dodging her hand.

“Chloe, you can drop the act,” I said coldly. “After the little show you put on last night, don’t bother pretending to be innocent.”

I shoved her hand aside.

“We’re done.”

Her face turned bright red, anger and humiliation flashing across her expression.

“What nonsense are you spewing?” she hissed.

Just then, the elevator doors opened. Jacob strolled out, followed by a few clients.

Ah, so that’s why Chloe was suddenly putting on this performance. She wasn’t here to patch things up—she was here to squeeze every last bit of value out of me before I walked out the door for good.

“Well, speak of the devil,” I said with a cold laugh, eyeing Jacob. “Chloe was just telling me how disappointed she is with your... performance.”

The room fell into a heavy silence.

Coworkers whispered among themselves, while the clients behind Jacob raised their eyebrows in interest.

Jacob’s face turned crimson, but he forced a smile, trying to maintain his composure.

“Mr. Brooks, please don’t joke like that... Ms. Hill and I have nothing but a professional relationship.”

He was dressed to impress, wearing a tailored suit and enough hair gel to make his head shine under the fluorescent lights. He looked like he belonged in a cheap cologne ad, not in a boardroom.

“Professional?” I smirked. “Didn’t sound so professional last night when you were bragging about your relationship at the party.”

The office erupted into murmurs.

“Everyone shut up!” Chloe snapped, her voice cutting through the chaos. She turned back to me, her face livid. “Daniel, I came here to talk things through, and you’re making a scene! I’m trying to be reasonable, but you’re being impossible!”

“Reasonable?” I scoffed, leaning back in my chair. “Did you forget the things you said while you were draped all over Jacob last night? Should I remind you?”

Jacob’s face went pale as he motioned for his assistant to guide the clients into a nearby conference room.

“Daniel, Chloe is still your girlfriend,” Jacob said, his tone stiff. “You shouldn’t humiliate her like this.”

Looking at the two of them standing side by side, their united front only made me feel colder inside.

Chloe’s face twisted with rage as she pointed a finger at me. “You ungrateful bastard! I’m trying to help you, and this is how you repay me? Do you even have a shred of decency left?”

Her voice was shrill, her eyes filled with nothing but disgust. The warmth she used to fake so well was completely gone.

I let out a humorless laugh.

“Careful, Jacob,” I said, locking eyes with him. “The same woman who’s throwing me aside today will do the same to you tomorrow. You’re just a placeholder, a temporary distraction.”

“Daniel, you’re asking for it!” Chloe shrieked, her voice echoing through the office. She raised her hand to slap me, but I dodged in time.

Her nails caught the side of my face, leaving a few shallow scratches. The sting was sharp, but I didn’t flinch.

Missing her target only made her angrier. She lunged at me again, completely abandoning the polished image she’d always tried to maintain in front of others.

Jacob quickly grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her to stop her from clawing at me again. “Chloe, calm down. Don’t let him get under your skin.”

I brushed off my suit and stood, smirking at the two of them.

“If I’m worthless, what does that make the two of you?”

“Get out, Daniel!” Chloe screamed, her voice cracking. “You’re nothing but a parasite! Do you hear me? I’ll ruin you! I’ll make sure you never work again!”

I adjusted my tie and straightened my jacket, taking my time before replying.

“Chloe,” I said, my voice calm but cutting, “you really think your little company would’ve made it this far without me? Without the clients I brought in?”

Her face turned an even deeper shade of red, her whole body trembling with rage.

“You think I need you?” she spat. “Take a few clients if you want—I don’t care. Hill Group will be fine without you!”

“Is that so?” I said with a cold smile. “We’ll see about that.”

“You touch even one of my clients, and I’ll make sure you regret it!”

I laughed, shaking my head. Chloe really thought she was untouchable.

I turned and walked toward the elevator, ignoring her shrill screams behind me.

“You’ll come crawling back, Daniel! You’ll beg me to take you back!”

Without looking back, I raised a middle finger as the elevator doors slid shut.

The sunlight outside was blinding, but I didn’t mind. Pulling out my phone, I scrolled to a familiar name in my contacts.

It was time to call Mila Morgan.

If Chloe wanted a war, I was more than ready to give her one.