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468words2026-01-26 09:12

To claw my way into high society,I posed as a trust-fund heiress.
I even dated Ethan Caldwell,a golden boy,and had him wrapped around my little finger.
The day my lies unraveled,I knew I was in the wrong.I fled across the Atlantic overnight,a coward.

Later,I heard Ethan scoured the entire city looking for me.
When we met again,his eyes were red-rimmed,he cornered me,gripping my throat.“Jessica Lane,how dare you come back?”
…
On my first day at work,I overheard coworkers trashing me.
“Have you seen the new CFO?She’s carrying a Chanel bag!”
“Real or fake,who knows?Her other stuff looks pretty plain.”

“I checked her resume—an Ivy League graduate,just back from abroad,but she dropped out early.How’d she land this job?”
In the break room,a few women were gossiping loudly.
Holding my coffee mug,I felt no surge of anger.
Years ago,I’d have stormed in and argued,maybe even thrown punches.

But five years abroad had mellowed my temper.Now,I just smirked.
Then I knocked on the break room door.
“The bag’s fake.Want the link to purchase it?”
The women froze, with their eyes wide,staring at me.
“…Can you send it to me?”
I grinned.“Sure thing.”
“If you’re wondering how someone like me got hired,go ask the guy upstairs.”
I pointed upward.
The next floor held the CEO’s office,head of this up-and-coming tech firm.
I’d been here a day and already heard rumors about him—moody,unpredictable,with a sharp tongue.
My words changed their expressions dramatically.
The woman asking for the link even nudged me with her foot.
Frowning,I sensed something was off.
I turned stiffly,my blood ran cold at the sight behind me.
A man in a tailored suit,brooding and tall,with narrow eyelids that gave his gaze a natural disdain.
“Ethan Caldwell”nearly slipped from my lips.
Someone greeted him.“Good morning,Mr. Caldwell.”
Ethan’s eyes didn’t linger on me,his voice low.“Work hours—less gossip,please.”
The group scattered.I shuffled out,legs like wooden sticks,his icy stare boring into my back.
Ethan Caldwell.
My boyfriend from five years ago—and the man I’d ruthlessly deceived.
He was the CEO.
The word“quit”flashed in my mind instantly.
My office was far from the break room.His gaze followed me,each step felt heavy,my limbs not my own.
Halfway,his familiar voice cut through.“New CFO,report to my office immediately.”
I turned,my body rigid,and followed him.
His office was vast,minimalist,styled in the…
The design with the low-key,old-money aesthetic was which I’d loved five years ago.
With my head down,I avoided his eyes.
Ethan didn’t speak.I stood like a mannequin,frozen.
It hit me that he’d recognized me.
This was deliberate.
His favorite tactic for revenge.
I stood there until quitting time when his assistant entered.“Mr.Caldwell,you have a dinner with Mr.Larson tonight.”
Ethan looked up,the hand gripping his pen and tightening slightly.
I thought the torment was over.
But as he passed me,he turned.“Ms.Lane’s quite the drinker,isn’t she?We’re short a plus-one tonight.”