I create a fake account, add Lucas Bennett's lover, and then help her with advice and strategy.

"A little drama keeps the spark alive. If you don't stir things up now and then, how else will he remember to pay attention to you?"

So on my birthday, he spends an hour in the bathroom coaxing her to eat.

On our fifth anniversary, Lucas sneaks off to a hotel and spends an hour tangled up with her.

Lucas spends less time with me, but their relationship grows stronger.

On the night of the company banquet, when Lucas is entertaining important clients, I tell her, "Lucas' girlfriend will be there too. If you don't ruin this contract, they'll be tied together forever."

That evening, she picks up a glass of red wine and dumps it over my head.

Lucas, who's been fawning over my dad, completely lost his composure.

When Lucas Bennett was preparing to propose, I discovered flirtatious messages on his phone from a woman I didn’t recognize.

I created a fake profile and posed as a relationship counselor. Shortly after I added his mistress, Sophie Reid, she messaged me.

"He's proposing to his wealthy girlfriend and told me to keep my distance. What should I do?"

I kept my cool and asked her every detail about how they met. That was when I realized he'd been cheating on me for our entire five-year relationship.

The bitter irony was that he'd even met his mistress because of me. I was the one who had taken him to the hotel where she worked.

I was ready to confront him with everything I'd uncovered. But just as I approached his office, I heard him laughing and bantering with his friends.

"Once you tie the knot, you'll be tied down for good. You okay with that, man?"

Lucas scoffed, casually spinning the engagement ring on his finger that I'd once seen as a symbol of our love.

"It's just to put Mr. Thomas Cruise's mind at ease. I should probably rein myself in for a while and actually act like a good husband. I'll figure out the rest later."

One of his friends laughed and nudged him playfully.

"There's plenty of fish in the sea. Secure the bag with the marriage first, then you can settle down with Sophie."

My fists clenched so hard my phone dug painfully into my palm.

Lucas must have heard something, because he hurried out to see what was going on. When he spotted me in the doorway, a flicker of guilt crossed his face. He pressed his lips together briefly before settling into his signature easy smile.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

My mind flashed back five years, to when he had taken a huge hit in the business world and had begged my dad for help.

Dad hadn't wanted anything to do with him.

But I was the one who took pity on Lucas. I provided the capital to start this tech company and built him from nothing into the so-called tech wunderkind.

And now he had chosen to betray me.

I shot him a scathing look, shouldered past him into the office, and took his seat behind the desk, crossing my legs.

"What? Do I need to report to you before coming into my own company?"

My words caught him off guard. For years, I'd downplayed my role as the main investor to spare his pride. But now, I was done playing nice.

After a moment of stunned silence, Lucas let out a resigned sigh.

"Vee, why must you always be so assertive? Most men prefer a woman to be gentle. A little mischief is one thing, but it's better than being so domineering."

I wondered if this was his reason for betraying me. If I weren't assertive, this company would have gone bankrupt years ago.

My phone buzzed again with another insistent message from Sophie.

"You have to help me get him back. I'm willing to pay any consultation fee."

I typed out a quick reply.

"A little drama keeps the spark alive. If you don't stir things up now and then, how else will he remember to pay attention to you?"

A "thank you" sticker popped up in response.

I dragged myself home and collapsed on the bed, barely making it through the night in a daze.

The next morning, the moment I stepped into the company lobby, I stopped short. I saw Sophie standing at the reception desk, dressed in corporate attire.

At that moment, a message popped up on my phone.

"After I made a scene yesterday, not only did he not break up with me, he got me a job at his company. You're amazing."

Vanguard Tech was the result of years of hard work between Lucas and me. It was a testament to our entire journey. Now, he was dragging his affair right into the heart of it.

I walked past the reception desk as if nothing had happened.

Sophie, along with the others, greeted me. Around her neck was a ruby necklace with a pendant shaped like a swan that looked hauntingly familiar.

"Sophie, you're saying Mr. Bennett gave you that necklace? Really?"

A ripple of whispers spread behind me.

She tugged at the chain, a smug smile on her face.

"It was the top lot at last year's Belmont auction. How could it be fake? I'll be the lady of this place sooner or later. Just wait and see."

I hurried back to my office and went straight to the safe. Inside, the space where my ruby necklace should have been was empty.

I'd won that piece in an auction last year when Lucas accompanied me on a trip to Brenchfield. I loved its bold, dazzling red, which reminded me of myself and our relationship. I'd treasured it for so long, but now it was gone.

"Looking for something?"

Lucas had entered without me noticing. His arms slid around my waist from behind. The gesture that once felt tender, but now sent a cold ripple of disgust through me.

"I can't find my ruby necklace. I wanted to wear it to my birthday dinner tonight."

His eyes shifted slightly as he answered smoothly, "I sent it for cleaning. Wear the pink diamond one instead. It suits you better anyway."

Just before leaving work, I deliberately looped my arm through Lucas'. Then, we paraded past the front desk, announcing my birthday dinner plans loud enough for everyone to hear.

Through the reflection in the glass doors, I caught Sophie's resentful glance.

Shortly after we sat down at the restaurant, a message came through to my fake account.

"Lucas is at his rich girlfriend's birthday party again. He doesn't even like her. What should I do?"

The claim that he didn't like her made me watch Lucas more closely as he raised his glass to toast after toast with my friends and family. I caught a flicker of disgust in his eyes before he masked it.

A cold disbelief settled in my chest. Had everything he'd ever shown me been a transaction, utterly devoid of real feeling?

To test my theory, I sent Sophie another suggestion.

"Go on a hunger strike, saying you can't swallow a bite without him. See if he'll ditch his girlfriend to comfort you."

After downing another large glass of wine, Lucas' phone buzzed. He excused himself, citing a work emergency, and slipped out of the private room.

I followed him quietly to the restroom at the end of the hallway.

This man, who always pursued a high quality of life, was patiently trying to persuade Sophie to eat in this cramped and dirty place.

Seeing her victory-sign emoji on my phone, my mind immediately filled with Lucas' past promises.

"Every birthday from now on, you'll be the princess, and I'll be your knight. Let me take care of you."

The words echoed in my head, but the princess in his heart had long been replaced.

I couldn't take it anymore. I said goodbye to my relatives and friends and hurried out of the restaurant.

The autumn wind cut through my coat, and I shrank into myself.

The next moment, a figure skipped excitedly into a man's arms on the sidewalk. He wrapped her in his coat and helped her into the car.

"Miss, your trick worked. He ditched his girlfriend to take me to a fancy dinner."

I stared, straining to see through the gloom, until I recognized the car as Lucas'. It sped away before my eyes. He even had the nerve to leave me a message.

"Vee, an important client insists on meeting right now. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

Meanwhile, the chat log from Sophie kept updating with his complaints.

"Does turning 30 really require this whole spectacle? It's just another attempt to use her family to control me."

"My career's finally taking off. Once I close this last major deal, I can finally free myself from the Cruise family's control for good."

"You're the only one who really gets me, darling. I need to see you."

A tear slid down my cheek, and the wind turned it to a cold sting.

Sophie sent me another message.

"Their five-year anniversary is coming up soon. What should I prepare in advance?"

Almost like self-punishment, I texted Sophie.

"Find out where they're going and book a nearby hotel room to invite him over."

She replied with an "OK."

In the following days, Sophie and Lucas became inseparable. At the office, they even openly exchange flirtatious glances. They would also slip into corners for intimate moments whenever they thought I wasn't watching.

He believed no one noticed, but the gossip had already spread like wildfire.

Sophie wasn't keeping things low-key as she'd promised. If anything, she wanted everyone to know she was his lover.

Whenever I walked past different departments, I constantly overheard their gossip.

"Have you heard that the boss' lady is getting replaced?"

"Sophie from reception, right? She's one of those graceful Southern belles. Pretty, charming, knows how to have fun, and a world of difference from Vivian, that old hag."

"Exactly. All Vivian knows is hammering us about performance targets. It's so annoying. Let's see how she makes a fool of herself."

I said nothing. Instead, I silently prepared for my resignation and withdrawal of investment.

Our five-year anniversary arrived right on schedule. Lucas had hinted for weeks that he would propose tonight.

Across the candlelit table, he looked the part in a deep blue suit. But his hands kept clenching and unclenching in his lap.

My mind was elsewhere as I wondered whether Sophie had already made a scene and his plan for her.

The resident singer began performing our song—Fairytale. It was his cue to play the prince and lead me to the dance floor. Instead, he gripped his phone, his face twisting into an apologetic mask.

"Sorry, Vee. That difficult client from last time is…"

Before he could finish, I waved him off.

He fled like he'd been granted a pardon.

I continued texting Sophie instructions from the restaurant.

From my seat, I guided Sophie through text messages.

First, I told her to calm him down. Then, she needed to tell him how important he was to her. I also warned her not to go too far. The goal was to make him feel essential, not like a burden. Just as I predicted, she had him completely under her control.

A moment later, a photo from Sophie appeared on my screen. It showed Lucas on a rumpled bed, his usually proud face softened with desire, his gaze uncharacteristically tender.

I knew him better than anyone. With the slightest effort, I could have him exactly where I wanted him. But I had no interest in playing that part. I would only ever be myself.

Lucas returned to the restaurant soon after. His suit was perfectly neat, but it carried the distinct scent of Sophie's perfume. Even the engagement ring he produced seemed tainted by her touch.

"The moment is ruined," I said before he could speak. "I won't accept a proposal like this. Try again. Perhaps at my family's investment conference next month."

Hearing that, he silently put the ring away.

That night, I saw Sophie's photo on her social media. Her hand was intertwined with Lucas', and a glint on her ring finger caught the light. It was the engagement ring that had been meant for me.

"Lucas said his girlfriend doesn't appreciate him and gave me the engagement ring instead. Does this mean he's going to marry me?"

I found her message laughable. He was the one who abandoned his proposal halfway to meet his lover, yet he blamed everything on me.

I scrolled through the chat log, reading Lucas' malicious lies about me.

"She uses her family's money to treat me like a dog on a leash. I've had enough!"

"Sophie, please don't leave me. I'll do everything I can to give you the best."

"Just hang on a few more days. Once the agreement's signed at the investment conference, we won't have to fear anyone."

Sophie then texted me.

"But he says the investment conference is crucial, and he's planning another proposal there. How do I stop him?"

I replied, "The conference is where Vanguard Tech and the Cruise family sign a ten-year partnership contract. If that contract is signed, they'll be tied together forever. You need to sabotage this event.

"All the business leaders and family friends will be there. It's time for you to stop hiding and make your grand entrance."