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Six Years as His Secret, Never His Bride

NovelShort Completed

Billionaire Revenge HotRejectedBetrayal

Chapters (4)

Chapter 1

In the sixth year of my secret relationship with my boss, Ethan Wells, he suddenly announced his engagement to another woman. I sent him a message. "Do you have time? We need to talk." I'd barely hit send when someone suddenly pulled me into a secluded alcove off the hallway. I looked up and found myself pressed against a familiar chest. His scent filled my senses, and I immediately pushed Ethan away. "No. You're engaged now." But he pinned me against the wall and leaned closer. "I'm only engaged. I never said I was breaking up with you. Nothing between us has to change." I froze. Was that all I was to him? A mistress? My chest tightened, and a wave of helplessness washed over me. The strength drained from my hands as I tried to push him away. Ethan took the opportunity to seize my wrists, leaving me unable to move. Beyond the glass wall, our colleagues came and went. He didn't seem to care. He kept me pinned against the wall, and once he'd gotten what he wanted, he simply turned and walked away. I stayed hidden in the corner, straightening my collar and skirt before touching up my lipstick. Only then did I push open the door and step outside. There, I ran straight into his newly announced fiancée, Chloe Bennett, who was cheerfully handing out engagement cakes to everyone. "To celebrate the happy news, I've decided we're all getting off work an hour early today!" I stood rooted to the spot, staring at Ethan. He merely smiled, letting Chloe happily recount the sweet memories they'd shared over the years. At that moment, regret washed over me. I regretted ever agreeing to keep our relationship a secret. I regretted believing in the future he'd promised me. Most of all, I regretted turning down promotion opportunities elsewhere, time and time again, just to stay by his side. I'd spent six years putting him before myself. But my future belonged to me, not to him. And it was time I took my life back. …… After handing out the cakes, Chloe turned around and hooked her arm through Ethan's, acting coquettishly. "Shall we take a picture and post it in the family group chat?" Ethan remained silent, and Chloe took that as tacit agreement. She glanced around and finally handed the phone to me. "Could you please take a picture for us?" I bit my lip and stiffly accepted it; Ethan's face instantly darkened. I never imagined that the person who was whispering sweet nothings to me last night would become someone else's fiancé today. In the photos, they were close together, with happy smiles on their faces. All I could do was hide behind my phone and press the shutter button. During our six-year relationship, he consistently emphasized avoiding any appearance of impropriety, saying that if our superior-subordinate relationship were made public, it would negatively impact our careers. To avoid suspicion, we had never taken a single photo together in the past six years. He had said, "Wait for me a little longer. Once our relationship is public, I'll let you take as many pictures as you want." But instead of announcing our relationship, I received news of his engagement. After the photos were taken, Chloe came over and nodded in satisfaction. "Great photos! How about you work part-time as a photographer for my wedding?" The moment I looked up and met Ethan's gaze, I panicked. He casually avoided the question and instead smoothed Chloe's stray hair. "Didn't you have a shopping appointment? You still have the nerve to poach my employees?" Chloe then dropped the idea. After the excitement subsided, I had just sat back down at my workstation when my colleagues surrounded me, eager to gossip. "Team Lead Sienna Reed, who is she? How did she manage to snag Mr. Wells? Tell us about her!" I lowered my head, avoiding their gaze. "Don't discuss the boss's personal life during work hours." A few people I didn't get along with started making sarcastic remarks. "What's so impressive about her? You're usually pretty good at throwing yourself at him." "Now that his real fiancée has shown up, she's probably afraid her little scheme will be exposed. She must wish the ground would swallow her whole right now." Their words were like a dull knife, slowly cutting into my heart. I couldn't refute it. When I got off work, I didn't wait for Ethan at the intersection as usual. As I approached the subway station, his car stopped in front of me. I hesitated for a moment, but then opened the car door and got in. If I couldn't make things clear that morning, I would make them clear today. He gripped the steering wheel with one hand, turned to look at me, and asked, "Why didn't you wait for me?" "I forgot." Without thinking, I made up an excuse while considering how to start the conversation. Ethan wasn't annoyed. He started the car and continued talking. "It's your birthday today, so I made a reservation at that restaurant you've wanted to go to for a long time." His tone was so calm that it was as if nothing had happened during the day. While waiting at a red light, he answered a phone call. "Ethan, we're having a family dinner today to celebrate the end of our six-year courtship. I've personally cooked your favorite dishes, so remember to come home."

Chapter 2

As the car started moving again, he said, "It's easy to get a taxi up ahead. You go first. I have some things to take care of." I didn't come to my senses until his car disappeared into traffic. Had they been together for six years? My supposedly six-year secret romance turned out to be six years of being a mistress. If that was the case, I didn't want to continue this clandestine relationship. When Ethan came home, I was standing on the balcony, lost in thought. He changed his shoes and hugged me from behind as before, his warm breath lingering on my neck. "Why didn't you go to the restaurant?" I didn't say anything. He tightened his grip on my hand and said, "What's wrong? Are you jealous?" In the past, if I had seen him like this, I probably would have swallowed my anger and never mentioned it again. This time, I wasn't willing to let it go. I awkwardly pushed him away, forcing a smile: "What right do I have to be jealous?" "A lover, a kept woman, or the other woman?" I turned around and met his gaze. “We agreed that if you didn’t love me, or if you had someone to marry, you could tell me and I wouldn’t bother you.” The first time I saw him was downstairs at the company. He chased away my parents who were pestering me for money, and even had a lawyer intervene to protect my dignity. My heart fluttered at that moment. Later, I happened to run into him several times in the underground parking garage. Then one day, I sprained my ankle and couldn't get out of his way in time, so he noticed me. He casually approached me step by step until he cornered me against the wall. Our breaths mingled, and he coaxed me in a seductive voice, "Want to try it with me?" And that's how we got together. He said that because of his position, we couldn't make our relationship public for the time being. So from that day on, he and I shared a secret we couldn't tell anyone else. We agreed then that if either of us changed our minds or stopped loving each other, we could be honest about it and end the relationship. But he didn't. He had cruelly made me the other woman and even brought his real fiancée right in front of me. I took a deep breath: "I want to end our relationship." Ethan was stunned for a moment, because no matter how much trouble I had caused before, I had never said such a thing. "Are you throwing a tantrum because of Chloe?" He looked down at me, his eyes filled with complex emotions. "I thought we had a tacit understanding, but I didn't expect you to have so little trust in me." After he finished speaking, he quickly tapped something on his phone. I soon received a notification that he had transferred 500,000 to me. "Birthday present." It was always the same; he always acted superior and never patiently resolved our problems. He would just wait for me to calm down before we went back to how things used to be. "I don't need it." A fleeting look of annoyance crossed Ethan's face, but he quickly regained his composure. "Pretending to be high and mighty? But you haven't been short of money these past few years either." He said this while picking up his coat and heading out. He paused at the door, as if remembering something. "Don't forget to take your medicine." I asked, puzzled, "What medicine?" Ethan chuckled and leaned lazily against the entryway cabinet. “I didn’t take any precautions that time during the day.” "Or are you thinking of taking a chance and using a baby to blackmail me into making our relationship public?" I lowered my eyes and gave a bitter smile. So that's how it is. "Don't worry, now that you already have a fiancée, I won't bother you." The next second, he turned and left, slamming the door shut with a loud bang. I understood him less and less, and I didn't understand why he was angry. He was the one who wanted to avoid suspicion and keep the relationship private, yet he was also the one who wanted to marry someone else. I ordered birth control pills online and swallowed them with water. That's fine. This ambiguous relationship was too sordid; I had to leave. I closed my eyes, wiped away my tears, and got up to draft my resignation.

Chapter 3

I didn't sleep a wink all night, and the next morning I arrived at the company right on time. I hadn't even settled into my seat when HR messaged me to come over. As it happened, I was looking for her too. When HR Manager Susan Parker saw me arrive, she invited me to sit down. "Sienna, I called you here because there's something I wanted to tell you in advance." "Your application for the director position may have to be rejected. Headquarters has reassigned Chloe to this position." I looked up at her, somewhat surprised, though part of me had expected it. I've been with the company for six years, climbing the ranks step by step. I eagerly volunteered for overseas assignments that others disliked, and I never refused difficult clients. I've been fighting for and waiting for this director position for three years. A month ago, headquarters sent me an email asking me to prepare a job presentation. I thought my promotion was a sure thing this time. But things didn't go as planned. Ethan had just made his relationship with Chloe public, and now she had suddenly appeared. Ms. Parker looked at me with a hint of guilt, and I gave her a reassuring smile. "Susan, perhaps this is fate's arrangement." "However, even if headquarters gives me this position, I'm afraid I won't be able to take it." I pushed my resignation form in front of her. "Susan, I'm here today to ask you to sign my resignation letter." She wanted to persuade me to stay, but she knew that once I made a decision, I wouldn't turn back. "When junior employees leave, they don't need Mr. Wells' approval; I can just sign off on it." "I'll compile a detailed list of the projects I have on hand in these next two days, and then I can leave once I hand them over." "Good." As I left the HR department, I saw Chloe already sitting in the director's seat, being flattered by her colleagues. I ignored it and just started sorting out the data without stopping. Once the handover was complete, I could leave this suffocating place. But Chloe turned around and put a stack of documents on my desk. "Sienna, I have a wedding dress fitting scheduled for this afternoon. Could you please compile these meeting materials and send them to my email?" She spoke with a smile throughout, displaying poise and grace. "I'm sorry, Director, this is not within my job scope, and I can't help you with it." Before she could answer, Ethan's voice rang out from behind her. "Anyone who refuses a supervisor's work assignment will have their bonus halved this quarter." After saying that, he took the bag from Chloe and turned to leave. Chloe smiled and said, "Thank you for your help. Remember to give it to me by tomorrow morning." I didn't argue; I just silently pushed the documents aside. As I passed the break room, I saw a few colleagues gathered together, their voices not loud, but just loud enough for me to hear. "See that? Sienna's face was so long after Director Bennett arrived." "What's so great about Sienna? Chloe is the Bennett family's daughter and Mr. Wells's real fiancée. Sienna has been trying to win him over for so long, and Mr. Wells still doesn't even give her a second glance." "Exactly, Sienna was throwing a tantrum while Chloe was trying on wedding dresses. Who would have thought that Mr. Wells wouldn't tolerate it at all and would cut her bonus directly?" I stood at the door, clutching my cup tightly. The sounds inside continued, but I no longer wanted to listen. Over the years, I had faced a lot of criticism because of this secret relationship. Every time I mentioned it to Ethan, he would smile knowingly. "If you showed less love for me, no one would notice." Yes, it was all my fault for loving too much. Can you really control yourself if you like someone? Soon, I received a message from Ethan and a transfer notification on my phone. "It's her first day at work, and she needs to establish her authority." "I will personally compensate you for the cut bonus." "I'll also take a look at your wedding dress." I stared at that message for a long time; I knew he wanted to use me to build Chloe's image. He was going to help me choose a wedding dress? But what did I need a wedding dress for?

Chapter 4

After a night of pain, I finally saw everything clearly. I was just his mistress, whom he had kept secret for six years. I never even had a chance to be seen in public. How could I dare to dream of getting married? After leaving the company, I hadn't seen either of them again. I was busy until eleven that morning trying to finish Chloe's materials. I opened my phone and received an update from Chloe. The photo showed her in a wedding dress, holding Ethan's hand. They looked like a loving couple. Caption: I've finally tied the knot with the person I love most. I silently gave it a thumbs up and then exited the interface. Back home, everything in the room Ethan and I had shared seemed increasingly jarring. I opened my suitcase and packed everything that belonged to me. At least now, there would be no trace of me left in this house. Looking at the fully packed suitcase, I suddenly felt a sense of relief. After six years together, in the end, all that was left was this. I was leaving tomorrow, and Ethan was busy preparing for his wedding with Chloe, so naturally he didn't come back that night. That's fine too. On the day of the handover, I went to the company early. My colleague grabbed my arm excitedly when he saw me. "Sienna, guess what I saw in Mr. Wells' office just now?" "It's a diamond ring, part of a matching set. They're moving pretty fast." "Yeah, that's fast enough." After all, I'd given him six years and still hadn't gotten anything. I gave a brief, perfunctory reply and found the project contact person to sign off on the handover before I left. As I was walking down the corridor, I ran into Ethan. I tried to walk around him and pretend I didn't see him, but he suddenly pulled me into his arms. "What, are you still throwing a tantrum at me?" I struggled to push him away. "Are you crazy? We're at work." He shrugged: "So?" "If someone sees us, I can just say you seduced me, and I won't lose anything." I silently cursed him a thousand times in my heart. No wonder I was the only one my colleagues ever insulted. Seeing that I didn't speak, he snatched the documents from my arms: "Be good and listen to me. You don't need to work so hard. Leave the promotion to me. What kind of project is this?" He was about to casually open it when my heart tightened. Before I could say anything, his phone rang. Judging from his nervous expression, it was obvious that it was Chloe calling. After hanging up the phone, Ethan tossed the documents in his hand back into my arms. His tone was softer than I had ever heard it. "I need to go back to the old house tonight to take care of some things, so I won't be going home." I took the document, thankful that he hadn't seen it was a resignation handover document. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to leave smoothly. I turned my head away and suppressed the complicated emotions in my heart. "If you don't come home, I'm not the one you need to report it to." Ethan's face immediately darkened, and after a long silence, he finally spoke. "You're right." "I was going to give you this necklace, but it seems you don't deserve it. If you want it, pick it up yourself." After saying that, he turned around and threw the necklace into the trash can. Watching his retreating figure, I couldn't help but twitch the corners of my mouth. This is the difference between a wife and a secret lover. Chloe got a carefully chosen diamond ring, but I got only a necklace Ethan could casually throw into the trash. After handing over my work, I threw everything of mine at the company into the trash can before leaving. After leaving the company, I checked the bank card that Ethan had opened for me. Over the years, he had transferred nearly five million to me in bits and pieces. That money had come at the cost of six years of my youth. I found the orphanage that had taken me in because my parents disliked me. I donated every single penny of that money. I breathed a sigh of relief, finally managing to rid myself of everything that tied me to him. On the day I left, I took one last look at the city that had imprisoned me for half my life. Finally, I no longer had to hide or care about what others thought. They hadn't needed my approval before. There would be even less need for it in the future. Ethan didn't come home all night and didn't even notice the change in me. I used to throw tantrums too, but he would coax me, and I would wisely give him a way out. *** This time, he thought Sienna was just angry because of Chloe. So he went back to his old family home and stayed away for two days. Having finally secured the deputy director position for Sienna, he returned to the company with great anticipation. The first thing he did was contact the company's HR department. "Quickly call Sienna here." "I made an exception and asked headquarters to give her the title of deputy director."