But now, that tureen of soup and our engagement photo on my desk felt like props in a cruel joke, and I was the fool at the center
of it.
I snatched my phone, scrolling furiously through the chat history until I found the wedding venue Lary had posted. I called my driv-
- er. We were going.
Even from a block away, the hotel Lary had booked was impossible to miss. A massive, ostentatious banner was stretched across
the entrance.
“Congratulations to Isabella, CEO of Apex Holdings, on Her Wedding Day!”
Beneath it, Lary stood, resplendent in a sharp suit, his hair slicked back, eagerly awaiting his bride. He was surrounded by a fawni-
ng crowd of our old classmates.
“Lary, my man! You’re the real success story of our class. The CEO of Apex… and you locked her down! You’re a legend!”
“Seriously, man, you kept this quiet! You wait until the wedding day to tell us?”
“Lary, with your talent, it’s only a matter of time before Apex Holdings is yours. Don’t forget us old friends when you’re at the top!”
I even saw our old college advisor, his face beaming, sucking up to Lary. “Lary, from the day you set foot on campus, I knew you
were the one to be class president. My eye for talent is never wrong. Look at you now, the most successful of them all!”
The chorus of ass–kissing was so thick it made me sick. Lary, however, was soaking it in, his grin so wide it nearly split his face. ”
Not at all, not at all. It’s all thanks to your guidance, sir.”
As Lary lapped up the praise, my car pulled closer.
Through the tinted window, watching their pathetic display, my mind drifted back to the first time I met Isabella.
We weren’t together then. She was just an intern at the company, completely lost in the cutthroat corporate world. She spent her days being bullied by senior employees, either forcing a smile or getting chewed out.
I couldn’t stand to watch it. We were the same age and had gone to the same school, so I stepped in and had her transferred to my office as my secretary.
To be honest, her professional skills were lacking, but her attitude was excellent, and she never made any major mistakes. Over time, she grew more competent, and I started entrusting her with more significant parts of the business.
2013
Chapter 1
I never imagined she’d relay every single detail to Lary.
Or that he would use those trade secrets as his own personal bragging rights.
The thought sparked a fresh wave of anger, sharp and painful, laced with
“Well, well, if it isn’t Thomas. Had to rent a fancy car just to show up?”
Predness.
“This is Lary’s wedding, man. Who are you trying to impress? Don’t you have any shame?”
2014 U
The moment I stepped out of the Panamera, a couple of Lary’s sycophants broke away from the group, their voices dripping with
disdain.
Once they started, the others noticed me and joined the chorus of ridicule.
“Thomas, seriously. A day’s rental on this thing must be three months‘ salary for you. Why bother?”
“So what if Lary snagged your dream girl? Do you have to be so petty about it?”
“Thomas, we were all classmates, so don’t take this the wrong way, but you picked the wrong audience to flex on. Lary’s wife is the
CEO of Apex!”
The subtext was clear: I was an idiot who couldn’t read the room.
My face hardened. As I was about to speak, Lary pushed through the crowd, his face a smug mask.
“Where’d you rent this car? It looks a lot like my wife’s.” He squinted. “Wait a minute… why are the license plates the same?”
The realization dawned on him. His expression twisted into a snarl, and his fist flew towards my face.
