The fawning praises of Nicholas and Gwendoline as the perfect golden couple echoed clearly in my ears. Nicholas’s gaze swept over me without a hint of recognition. I felt like nothing more than an insignificant stranger.

Staring at the man I had loved for five years, I finally understood why my parents always said my judgment was lacking. Turns out, they were right—I had been utterly blind.

I never realized Gwendoline, Nicbolas’s ever-loyal secretary, had been in a relationship with him all along.

As the daughter of the Godfreys, my blindness didn’t necessarily prove my incapability to work in the elite society. No matter what, I had the power to lift him to the top and I could just as easily send him crashing down from the heights!

Clutching the resignation letter in my hand, I turned to leave this suffocating place.

However, just as I took my first step, Mr. Webb from HR stepped in front of me, a fake smile plastered on his face.

“Rose, there’s no need to rush off so soon.”

He adjusted his glasses, his tone carrying an undeniable firmness, "The company has regulations. Before resigning, you must sign a statement declaring that all your actions during your tenure have no connection to the company. Additionally, you’ll also need to sign a non-compete agreement—just to prevent you from using underhanded tactics to steal our clients once you leave our company."

Not long ago, everyone knew me as Nicholas’s fiancée. With my ability to secure high-profile clients, I was treated with nothing but the best hospitality.

Mr. Webb was especially eager to involve me in his interactions, he would bow his head and sweetly address me as ‘Mrs. Brakefield’. That was in the past though. Now, he looked down at me with a self-satisfied smirk, as if belittling me could somehow restore his own sense of superiority.

I took in his pathetic display and said coldly, "A statement? A non-compete agreement? What makes you think I’d ever sign them?"

Mr. Webb’s smile vanished in an instant, his tone turning sharp. “Why? Because of your dirty little schemes! The company has already shown you mercy by not pursuing legal action—don’t mistake kindness for weakness!”

I let out a mocking laugh and asked, “Dirty schemes? Do you even have proof? Or are you just talking about those out-of-context photos?”

“Proof?” Gwendoline strutted over in her high heels, her manicured finger jabbing toward my phone.

“Isn’t the proof right there in your phone? Who knows how many client contacts you’ve hoarded? For all we know, the moment you step out of here, you’ll start seducing them one by one to secure a new job.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Mr. Webb lunged for my phone. I was caught off guard and before I could react, it was snatched from my hands.

“Give it back!”

Gwendoline snatched the phone from Mr. Webb’s hand and quickly stepped back, a smug smirk playing on her lips.

“Look at how nervous you are now! There must be plenty of things that you don’t want anyone to see.”

She turned to Nicholas, asking for my passcode, but after trying both his and my birthdays—along with our anniversary—the screen remained locked. Growing impatient, Nicholas yanked the phone from her grip and barked at security to restrain me.

He tried to unlock it using facial recognition. But after multiple failed attempts, the phone defaulted to passcode entry.

“What’s the password?”

Since the day we got together, my passcode had always been the date he first confessed to me. How ironic that he had forgotten. Then again, I wasn’t surprised at all.

Failing to unlock my phone in front of his employees only deepened his humiliation. His face darkened, thunderous with rage, his pride crumbling with every passing second.

“Rose, you keep insisting those photos are a misunderstanding—then why did you secretly change your password?” His accusation was beyond tedious.

“It’s the date you first confessed to me,” I responded.

Nicholas froze, his expression shifting as he struggled to recall that day.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember. His face twisted, a chaotic blend of emotions, like a ruined painting.

I wrenched myself free from the security guards’ grasp and snatched my phone back from his hands. Nicholas watched in silence as I effortlessly unlocked it. His lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something—but no words came out.

Nicholas snatched my phone without warning. His fingers swiped furiously as he hunted for proof of my so-called betrayal. Then he stopped.

He went stiff as he stared at a close-up selfie of me and my brother. A second later, his fury erupted like a storm.

“Rose, how wonderful! The evidence is right here—what excuse do you have now?”

“I told you, he’s my brother! Give me back my phone!” I continued to protest. “This is theft! Slander! A complete violation of my privacy!”

Nicholas raised his hand and struck me across the face. The sharp sting spread instantly, but before I could react, he lifted my phone and smashed it against the ground with brutal force. The screen shattered on impact, shards of glass scattering across the floor.

I clutched my burning cheek, fury surging through me as I lunged at him. But before I could get my hands on him, security restrained me once more.

Nicholas was provoked by my intense reaction, his dropping to an icy sneer.

“Rose, don’t act all innocent. Do you really think you could’ve achieved those glorious accomplishments without spreading your legs? And don’t even try to tell me that you did it for me—that’s the most disgusting thing I’ve ever heard.”

I lifted my gaze to meet his, disappointment washing over me like a tidal wave.

“Nicholas, do you really have to humiliate me like this?”

He chuckled, slow and mocking. “Humiliate you? Do you think you even deserve that much?”

Faced with his cruelty and baseless accusations, a lump of frustration and rage formed in my chest.

“Fine. Since you refuse to listen to reason, let’s have the police settle this. We’ll see who’s really indecent here—you, with your slander, or me, with my so-called sins.”

“The police?” He took a slow step toward me, eyes glinting with disdain.

“Do you really think you still have a chance? You may not care about your reputation, but I sure as hell do.”

“I’m so glad we were only engaged and never married—because you would’ve been the biggest disgrace of my life!”

I stared at the shattered phone on the floor and at that moment, the fury burning inside me finally erupted.

“Nicholas, after what you’ve done to me, you can just forget about your IPO tomorrow!” Laughter exploded around the room.

“Rose, have you lost your mind?” Gwendoline clutched her stomach, doubling over with laughter.

“Who do you think you are? Do you really believe you have the power to stop the company from going public?” Nicholas smirked, his voice dripping with mockery.

“You think you’re the Queen Bee of the Elite Circles or something? Like a single word from you could sink my IPO?”

I lifted my head and locked eyes with him, unwavering. Then, I stated with firmness, “That’s exactly who I am. And the man in those photos? That’s my brother—Claude Godfrey.”

The laughter only grew louder.

“Rose, have you completely lost your mind?” Mr. Webb laughed so hard while slapped the table.

“If you’re the Queen Bee of the Elite Circles, then I must be Arthur Godfrey, the CEO of Nova Eternum Industries!”

“That’s right! That’s right!” Others quickly joined in, treating me like a joke.

“If you’re the Queen Bee of the Elite Circles, we’ll even eat shit right in front of you!”

I swept my gaze over them, my lips curling into a slow, scornful smile. “Arthur Godfrey is my father, not some ignorant fools like you.”

Their laughter faltered for half a second, but I wasn’t done. “You don’t believe me? Of course you don’t. Trash like you—who do nothing but spew garbage and blindly follow the crowd, must be used to eating shit every day.”

My words struck a nerve and the room erupted in fury.

“Believe you? Believe that you’re nothing but a whore who slept her way to the top?” The crowd’s laughter swelled, the banquet descending into chaos, their ridicule ringing in my ears.

Nicholas shook his head, looking at me with a mix of pity and disgust, his tone dripping with contempt. “Rose, stop making a fool of yourself and get the hell out. You’re contaminating my space—don’t you ever dare associate yourself with me again.”

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug deep into my palms. The fury inside me was suffocating, threatening to consume me whole. But I knew—now was not the right time to lose control.

“Fine, I’ll leave.”

I took one last look at them, my voice steady and sharp. “But remember this—the humiliation you gave me today? I’ll return it a hundredfold.”

Laughter erupted around the room.

"Payback? Seriously?"

Gwendoline clung to Nicholas’s arm, laughing so hard she could barely breathe. "Rose, have you been watching too many soap operas? Talking about payback like you're some kind of main character with plot armor?"

Nicholas smirked and waved me off like a beggar on the street. "Enough with the tragic act. Get out of here and stop wasting our time—we’ve got a celebration to enjoy."

I gave him one last look before turning on my heel and walking away. Behind me, the laughter and insults kept coming, but I didn’t care anymore.

Outside the ballroom, I bought a new phone and dialed a number.

"Before the stock market opens tomorrow, I want Nicholas ruined."

There was a brief silence on the other end before a deep voice responded. "Understood, Miss Godfrey."

I hung up, glanced up at the night sky and let a slow, cold smile spread across my lips.

Nicholas, you thought you've won? Too bad. The real game was just starting. Since you showed me no mercy—don’t expect any in return.