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."