Ten years together, my life with Liam Ashford was perfect.

Until Chloe Finch, his mentor's daughter, stormed into my penthouse.

She was on my bed.

"Liam's scent…I wonder what it would feel like, being pinned to this bed by him, smelling this while he takes me.”

She purred, spraying my custom perfume as she filmed herself.

I filmed her little show and sent the video straight to our family’s iMessage group.

Liam rushed home. He held Chloe and yelled at me.

“My mentor’s dying wish was to protect her! Get out if you can’t handle it!”

The look on my face was uglier than the sheets she'd just wrinkled.

Fine. I didn’t want the bed anymore.

And I was done with my fiancé, too.

————————

1

A rare day off, ruined by a persistent doorbell. I shuffled to the door in my silk robe to find a young woman on my doorstep.

She gave me a dismissive once-over, then shoved past me, wheeling a suitcase behind her.

I’d never seen her before. I had no idea who she was. I instinctively blocked her path.

She rolled her eyes impatiently. “Out of the way. Liam—oh, I mean, Mr. Ashford, your Director of Marketing—told me to move in.”

Liam? Move in?

My mind went blank.

We had been together for ten years. This was supposed to be our marital home. And now he was moving a strange woman in without even talking to me?

When I didn’t move, the woman shoved me.

“You must be the housekeeper for Liam, right? Get a move on. Help me with my bags. And be careful, they’re designer. You can’t afford to replace them.”

My brow furrowed. I asked her slowly, “Did Liam not tell you he has a fiancée?”

She scoffed. “What does it matter if he told me? What does that have to do with a servant like you?”

“He’s been with that Sterling heiress, Ava, right? Ten years and still not married. It’s obvious he doesn’t love her!”

“Let me give you some friendly advice, so you know where things stand. His fiancée is no match for me, Chloe Finch. You should think about who you want to be loyal to.”

Chloe Finch?

A cold laugh escaped me. The name sounded vaguely familiar.

The daughter of his business ethics professor from grad school.

She shot me a sideways glance and continued to wheel her suitcase inside, leaving two grimy tracks on my spotless, polished floors.

I’m a notorious neat freak.

Without a second thought, I picked up her suitcase and tossed it right back outside with a satisfying thud. I dusted my hands off. “Trash belongs outside.”

Chloe clearly wasn't expecting that. She spun around, shocked, and shrieked at me,

“How dare you! You really think Liam was on a business trip to London these past few days? Let me tell you! He took me on vacation to the Amalfi Coast! He said he wanted to help me unwind!”

“You dare treat me like this! He’ll make you sorry when he gets back! I’ll have him fire you immediately!”

A business trip? A vacation?

Hah. I really had to thank her for letting me know.

I pointed a disgusted finger toward the door and enunciated each word carefully, “You can get out, too. And take your trash with you. Thanks.”

Chloe was trembling with rage. But instead of leaving, she pulled out her phone, dialed Liam, and put him on speaker.

He picked up instantly. His deep voice came through the phone. “Chloe?”

Her voice immediately took on a whiny, tearful quality. “Liam! Is your housekeeper crazy? She threw all my luggage outside!”

I snatched the phone from her. My voice was ice. “Director Ashford, I think you’re the one who has lost his mind.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end, then Liam’s voice, laced with annoyance. “Let Chloe in.”

Before I could respond, Chloe hung up triumphantly. She shoved me aside and clicked across the living room in her high heels.

She sauntered around, swaying her hips.

“Wow, the old man’s student is richer than I thought!” she sneered.

“Hmm… this Murano glass chandelier… a bit dated. And this Ligne Roset sofa? What kind of taste is that? The place is big, but the decor is so tacky. I’ll have Liam replace all of it soon.”

The sight of her made my stomach churn.

Liam and I both worked at Sterling Scents, the premier niche perfume house in New York, founded by my father.

My father had made it clear—if Liam remained loyal to me during our three-year engagement, he would get more shares in the company. Eventually, the entire marketing department would be his.

There were less than two months left in his "probation period." It seemed his patience had run out.

I turned on my heel and headed for the study, ready to throw out everything Liam owned.

But before I reached the door, someone shoved me hard from behind. I stumbled, nearly falling.

“What are you doing?!” I spun around, furious.

Chloe stood there with her arms crossed, a smug, challenging look on her face. “Tsk, tsk. A servant should act like a servant. Don’t you dare get angry at your masters.”

Before I could reply, she walked into the master bedroom—our bedroom—and plopped down on the bed.

Then she started taking selfies, spritzing herself with my limited-edition custom perfume, and recording provocative videos to send to her friends.

“I’m just thinking… about what it would be like to sleep with Liam in this bed.”

The absolute nerve.

I strolled back downstairs, sent the video I’d just recorded to the family iMessage group, and added a caption: "Looks like Liam has a new girlfriend."

Sure enough, less than half an hour later, Liam—who had claimed to be in an urgent meeting—burst through the door.

The moment Chloe heard his voice, she scampered downstairs to greet him, her voice sweet and eager. “Liam, you’re back!”

Liam completely ignored the fury on my face and gave her a gentle smile. “Chloe, go pick out a room you like. Let me know if you need anything.”

When he finally saw me sitting motionless on the sofa, his face darkened, and he strode toward me.

Chloe, still clinging to his side, pouted dramatically. “Liam, I don’t think your housekeeper is very good at her job. Shouldn’t she be helping now that the master is home?”

Liam grabbed my arm roughly and pulled me to my feet. “Ava Sterling! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

I crossed my arms and sneered at him. “What did I do? I just introduced everyone to your new muse. So people will know what to call her when they see her.”

I glanced at my phone. The family group chat had over 99 unread messages. The drama I’d unleashed had sparked quite a storm. The group hadn't been this lively in ages.

Liam snatched the phone out of my hand. “Explain this to everyone, right now. Tell them it was all a misunderstanding.”

I laughed out loud. “Explain what? She said it herself. She wants to sleep with you.”

Chloe finally realized what was happening and stared at me in shock. Her face went pale, then flushed with shame. She stammered, “Liam… no, Ava… I’m so sorry, I didn’t know you were…”

She started to sob. “Ava, I was just joking! You didn’t take it seriously, did you?”

I slowly sat back down and crossed my legs. “As if you wouldn’t have barged in here even if you did know I was Liam’s fiancée.”

“And another thing—cut the crap.”

Seeing her tears, Liam immediately pulled her into his arms and glared at me. “Ava, can you stop being so petty?! My mentor just passed away. His dying wish was that I'd look after Chloe!”

“This place is always so quiet anyway. Isn’t it better to have someone here to keep you company?”

He frowned, as if I were just a child throwing a tantrum.

His self-righteous tone made me laugh out loud. “Quiet? We have a housekeeper, a driver, and maids—they’re all here! Or have you gone blind?”

Chloe continued to sob, playing the damsel in distress. “If Ava doesn’t want me here, I’ll leave. I don’t want to cause any trouble…”

I shot up, opened the front door, and gestured outside. “Then go. Don’t be all talk.”

Her face turned white again, but this time, she didn’t dare move.

Seeing this, Liam sighed and went outside to drag her suitcase back in.

“Ava, you have to understand… my mentor was so good to me. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have even made it through college. Chloe is just a poor, helpless girl. How can I just ignore her?”

I crossed my arms and watched him, amused. “What are you trying to say? Your mentor was good to you, so you should be the one to repay him. Why are you dragging me into this?”

Liam opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. “Oh, did your mentor forget to teach you to respect your wife? Did he only teach you how to take care of your mistress?”

“Ava!” Liam slammed his hand on the table, furious. “You’re going too far! If you can’t accept this, you can get the hell out!”

I frowned, my expression turning darker than the Frette sheets Chloe had crumpled.

Fine.

I didn’t want the bed. And I was done with the fiancé.

I gave a firm nod to myself and glanced at my watch. “It’s only a little after three. If you start packing now, you should be done before nine.”

I took out my phone and hired a professional moving service. Then, I turned to Liam with a smile. “The movers are on their way. What are you waiting for? Start packing.”

Liam was frozen to the spot, as if he couldn’t believe I was serious. He grabbed my arm again, his tone bordering on desperate. “Ava, don’t be like this. I just want to repay my mentor’s kindness, that’s all—”

“Repay his kindness?” I shook his hand off, my voice dripping with contempt.

“Do you think I’m a child? If you really wanted to honor him, you’d donate a building to the business school in his name. I’d fully support that. But look at what you brought home—she’s a poor excuse for a tribute.”

I pointed at Chloe, who flinched at my words. “Helpless? All alone? She’s far more calculating than she lets on. Anyone can play the victim. Besides, my home is not a charity!”

Liam’s face darkened, his embarrassment turning to anger. “Haven't you said enough, Ava!”

“Done? Not even close!” I scoffed, grabbing the Murano glass sculpture we had bought together in Italy from the coffee table and smashing it on the floor.

The sound of shattering glass echoed through the room. “Liam, who gave you the nerve to bring another woman into our home?!”

The glass shattered near Chloe’s feet, and a sharp piece cut her delicate calf.

She let out a scream, “Ahh—!” and instinctively threw herself into Liam’s arms for protection. “Ava, why are you doing this to me?! I never meant to ruin your relationship. I was just joking around, like a friend!”

Before she could finish, the movers arrived at the door.

I waved them in. “Excuse me. Please take those two suitcases, and then clear out the study on the second floor. Especially all of his personal belongings in there.”

“Ava!” Liam grabbed my hand fiercely, his patience finally gone. “You’re going too far. Stop acting like a child!”

I snorted, finding it all hilarious. “Acting like a child? This isn't a game, Liam. I’m dead serious. We’re done.”

I walked over to Chloe and looked down at her. She was helplessly wiping away tears, looking pathetic, but I knew better.

I let out a small laugh and leaned close to her ear, whispering, “Sweetheart, you have terrible taste in men.”

I straightened up, raising my voice to continue. “As for this apartment? It’s my favorite minimalist design. Who are you to criticize it? And you had the nerve to claim Liam would redecorate for you. Please. The only thing around here that needs work is your face.”

Her expression shifted from shock to horror. She stared at me, dumbfounded, while Liam shielded her behind him. “She’s just a kid, Ava. There’s no need to be so cruel.”

I pulled her ID out of her purse and glanced at it with disdain. “Twenty-eight. Hmm, two years younger than me. Quite the actress.”

I turned to Liam, my voice laced with sarcasm. “You know, you could do better at any dive bar.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off again, turning to the movers. “What are you waiting for? Start packing. And by the way, all those expensive suits in his closet—send them all to Goodwill.”

Liam, who had played the role of the perfect fiancé for ten years, had clearly never been on the receiving end of such humiliation. He took Chloe’s hand and rushed toward the door. “Chloe, let’s go. She just needs to cool off.”

The movers hesitated, looking confused. “So… should we still move the stuff?”

I took a deep breath. “Move it. All of it.”

I glanced down at my phone. The family group chat was still blowing up.

With a final, cold laugh, I kicked Liam out of the group and left one last message for everyone to see: "Final Review: Failed."