Chapter 2

"Ms. Sinclair, this Starfire campaign is an absolute masterpiece!"

"Especially the reverse-marketing strategy at its core. Incredible!"

"Which creative genius in your agency came up with this?"

Inside the sleek, glass-walled boardroom of our penthouse office, our biggest client, Mr. Davis, was practically vibrating with excitement. He slammed his hand on the mahogany table in pure admiration.

I stood in the dimmest corner of the room, my fingers gripping the presentation clicker so hard my knuckles turned white.

My palms were slick with cold sweat.

But I kept my face blank.

My eyes instinctively drifted to the woman sitting at the head of the table—Chloe Sinclair.

She was my boss, and for the last three years, my secret girlfriend.

That 120-page pitch deck was the result of seven straight all-nighters. I had analyzed thousands of competitor strategies and drank energy drinks until my stomach literally bled just to perfect it.

Every word, every graph, was bought with my blood and sweat.

I had foolishly believed that this time, Chloe would keep her promise. That she would finally let me put my name on the deck and introduce me to the client.

Instead, Chloe just smiled.

A look of smug triumph washed over her gorgeous, cold face.

With a casual wave of her manicured hand, she pointed to the man sitting right next to her.

A man wearing a custom-tailored designer suit, sporting a perfectly styled, handsome face—Julian Thorne.

"You have a great eye, Mr. Davis," Chloe purred.

"This is our newly appointed Creative Director, Julian Thorne."

"He’s an Ivy League graduate. This entire campaign was his brainchild."

*Boom.*

My brain went completely numb.

A sharp ringing in my ears drowned out the murmurs of the room.

Julian?

He had joined the company less than three days ago!

He didn't even understand our basic business model yet. Aside from sipping espresso and flipping through magazines in his office, the guy didn’t even know how to format a PowerPoint slide!

How dare he steal my life's work?

I stared at Chloe, waiting for a flicker of guilt, a fleeting glance of apology, or even a subtle signal.

Nothing.

She didn't even spare me a passing glance.

Julian gave a modest, polished nod, adjusting his expensive cufflinks with practiced grace.

His voice was smooth and deep. "You flatter me, Mr. Davis. It was just a sudden spark of inspiration. Honestly, it’s all thanks to Chloe's brilliant leadership."

"Haha! A match made in heaven! Powerhouse duo!" Mr. Davis laughed, before shifting the topic. "But Julian, I do have a quick question about the execution phase. How exactly did you calculate the conversion rate model for the emotional resonance phase?"

The boardroom suddenly fell dead silent.

The slick smile on Julian’s face froze.

He turned to Chloe, his eyes wide with a look of pure, unadulterated panic.

How could he possibly explain the model? He didn’t even know what the words meant!

Chloe’s brow furrowed slightly.

Under the table, her high heel sharply kicked my shoe.

She turned her head slightly, shooting me a furious, impatient glare.

"Ethan," she hissed under her breath, her voice barely a whisper meant only for Julian and me. "What are you standing there for? Feed him the explanation, now!"

At that exact moment, my heart went completely cold.

Three years.

I had lived like a ghost in her shadow, writing every single viral campaign that built her career.

I helped her climb from a low-level manager all the way to Vice President of this branch.

She used to hold me in bed late at night, tracing my brow with her fingers.

*“Ethan, your mind is a work of art,”* she would whisper. *“Everyone else only sees my spotlight, but I know you are my soul. Once my position is secure, I’ll bring you out of the shadows. We’ll stand together.”*

And I had believed her.

Like an idiot, I endured the mockery of our coworkers, content to play the role of her low-paid, coffee-running "assistant" just for that empty promise.

But now that her golden boy ex was back, I didn't even deserve to be a shadow anymore.

I was just a human teleprompter to be used and discarded.

I took a deep breath, swallowing the bitter taste in my mouth.

I stepped up behind Julian, leaned down slightly, and spoke in a clear, professional tone. I recited the complex mathematical model word for word.

Julian parroted my words like a well-trained monkey, stumbling slightly but getting the message across.

Mr. Davis looked a bit puzzled by the awkward delivery, but he ultimately nodded in satisfaction.

He signed the ten-million-dollar contract right then and there.

Once the meeting wrapped up and the room cleared out, Chloe leaned back in her leather chair.

She tossed a thin white envelope at my feet.

"Good job today. You didn't screw up. Here’s your bonus."

I looked down at the envelope.

There was maybe five hundred dollars in there.

Meanwhile, the commission on this ten-million-dollar deal was easily worth fifty grand.

I bent down, picked up the envelope, and let out a cold, mocking laugh.

"Thank you, Ms. Sinclair."

Chloe stood up, looking down her nose at me with patronizing pity.

"Ethan, I know you feel cheated."

"But Julian just returned to the country. He needs a big win to establish himself here."

"Besides, you only have an associate degree from a community college. Even if we put your name on the pitch, the clients wouldn't respect it."

"Be smart about this. Play your cards right, and I’ll take care of you later."

"I understand," I replied, my voice so calm it surprised even me.

"Good."

Chloe tapped my cheek affectionately.

"Now go book a Michelin-star restaurant. I’m taking Julian out to celebrate tonight."

I turned and walked out of the boardroom.

The second the heavy doors clicked shut behind me, I pulled out my phone and opened my bank app.

Looking at the newly updated balance, my lips curled into a smile.

That was the last of the money I had saved over the years from freelancing and stock trading.

With this extra five hundred dollars, I finally had enough to pay off my younger brother's final surgery bill and fully clear my family’s old debts.

The chains that had bound me for three years finally shattered into dust.

Chloe, did you really think I loved you enough to destroy myself for you?

You thought wrong.

I only put up with your toxic garbage because of your elite connections—the high-profile portfolio builders that allowed me to fast-track my career.

Now, my personal portfolio is strong enough to open doors at any global agency in the world.

I don't owe you a single thing anymore.

Just wait and see.