Goodbye, My Toxic Benefactor I’m Marrying Your Rival

I had been in a secret relationship with the billionaire who sponsored my education for six years. In public, Julian Vance treated me as his most capable executive assistant. At home, he was a clingy, doting lover who showered me with affection. But one day, I accidentally found a million-dollar custom diamond jewelry set hidden in his drawer. I was thrilled, thinking it was a birthday surprise for me. On my birthday, however, I saw him holding a girl whose silhouette looked just like mine. Under a sky full of fireworks, he cried tears of joy, saying his true love had finally returned. Holding back my tears, I wanted to ask him for the truth. But instead, I overheard him talking to his friend. "You've got your dream girl now. But what about the charity case you've been sponsoring?" Julian laughed coldly. "She's just a clingy toy. I'll get rid of her when the time is right." Heartbroken, I immediately called my biological parents. "Mom, Dad, I agree to marry the billionaire CEO of the Cole Group in L.A.!" Later, when Julian found out my engagement party was on the exact same day as his wedding, he abandoned his bride and fell to his knees, begging for my forgiveness like a madman. On the other end of the line, my parents' voices cracked with emotion. "Elena, if it weren't for that terrible storm years ago that separated us, you wouldn't have had to rely on the Vance family's charity for so long. Now that you've finally decided, come home to L.A. right away." I took a deep breath and said softly, "Give me a week to wrap up things at work. After that, I'll stay in L.A. to be with you..." Thinking of Julian, my chest tightened with a sharp pain. He used to be my savior, the light of my life, and my secret lover of six years. But the cold words he said to his friend made our six years together feel like a cruel joke. Back at the office, I called a lawyer as fast as I could. Julian had once given me a one percent share in the company under the guise of rewarding the top salesperson. Now that I was leaving, I wanted to return everything that wasn't truly mine. As soon as the lawyer drafted the stock transfer agreement, I signed my name without hesitation. While we were talking, Julian suddenly burst in, looking exhausted from his trip. I quickly hid the documents and sent the lawyer away. The moment the door closed, Julian wrapped his arms tightly around me from behind, his eyes dark with unreadable emotions. "Why did you need a lawyer?" I pushed him away firmly and said flatly, "Just reviewing some sales contracts." Julian didn't think twice. His brow cleared, and a cheerful spark returned to his eyes. He pulled a small gift box from his pocket and raised an eyebrow. "Open it! I bought this birthday gift specially for you while I was on my business trip." I opened it casually. Inside was a sterling silver butterfly brooch. Julian leaned in warmly, trying to pin it on me. But I recoiled, filled with aversion. He had always loved giving me butterfly-themed accessories. Every time, I would refuse in fear. I had even told him that I only got lost and separated from my parents because I was chasing a butterfly as a child. Yet, he stubbornly kept giving them to me. Now, knowing that his beloved Chloe was a botanical painter who spent her life drawing butterflies, I finally understood. Julian only saw me as her substitute. He only remembered her preferences, while remaining completely deaf to my needs. Whether someone loves you or not is always painfully obvious. My sudden coldness caught Julian off guard. Just then, Chloe Brooks walked right in, followed by several bodyguards. She wrapped her arm intimately around Julian's and pouted. "I've been looking for you everywhere. Why are you in another girl's office?" Julian rubbed her hair dotingly, completely ignoring me. "She's just the student I've been sponsoring for years. She's our top salesperson now, so I was just checking in on the recent sales reports." Chloe smiled warmly at me. "Oh, so you're the little charity case our Julian helped out? I'm glad to see you're grateful enough to work for his company after graduation." "Work hard. Julian and I won't treat you badly!" Julian quickly winked at me and slipped a small note into my hand. I looked at the note: "Chloe has a severe anxiety disorder. My family is helping her get through therapy. Don't take anything she says to heart. Just go along with it."Julian was such a brilliant actor. I found it incredibly laughable. Since he insisted on lying to me, I decided to play along. After all, I only had a week left before I disappeared from his life forever. I sat back down at my desk and systematically packed my personal belongings. Julian's face darkened, and he whispered angrily, "I told you to cooperate with her. Why are you packing your stuff? Where are you going?" I replied indifferently, "I'm preparing for an out-of-town business trip..." Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a ceramic guardian angel figurine slip from Chloe's hand. My heart leaped into my throat. With a sharp crash, the figurine shattered. The floor was covered in broken ceramic pieces and crumpled prayer scrolls. Chloe shrieked in terror. "Why is there an angel with cat wings?! I'm a butterfly artist! I told you, I cannot stand anything that threatens butterflies—real or decorative! It completely ruins my artistic inspiration!" Julian stepped right over the holy scrolls and roared at his bodyguards, "What are you standing there for?! Search the entire office! I want every single cat-related item removed immediately. If anyone dares bring one in again, they're fired!" He turned to glare at me fiercely. "If you don't want to get fired, clean up this trash right now!" With that, he hurriedly escorted Chloe out. I knelt on the floor, my eyes stinging, and tried to piece the shattered shards back together. But it was impossible. Tears fell, soaking the handwritten prayer scrolls and blurring my memories. Back when Julian first sponsored me in high school, he saw me pushing through classes despite being constantly sick. Out of kindness, he gave me this ceramic guardian angel. He told me that from the moment he met me, he wanted to protect me and help me succeed. He said he was too busy taking over his family's empire, so he commissioned this guardian angel to watch over me. I thought he was just joking. But he looked at me with absolute sincerity. "Inside this angel are prayer scrolls I personally gathered from six different cathedrals. They will keep you safe and successful for the rest of your life." From that moment on, I loved him for years. I cherished that ceramic angel more than my own life. Now that everything was shattered, it was time for us to end. I emailed my resignation letter to my manager, then headed to the law firm to finalize the stock transfer. I instructed the lawyer to deliver the signed agreement to Julian in a few days. When I returned home, I finished packing my luggage and arranged for a shipping company to pick it up early. Julian called, claiming he had a business dinner and wouldn't be home tonight. Minutes later, Chloe used an anonymous account to send me a video of them enjoying a cozy, intimate couples' spa bath on Snapchat. I remembered when I graduated from college. I had begged Julian to take me on a graduation trip to a mountain hot spring. He had dismissed me, saying he had no time, and even scolded me, saying public baths were too indecent. Looking at their happy smiles in the video, a self-deprecating smile played on my lips. In the end, rules only apply to the ones who aren't loved. Julian never had me in his heart. I choked back my tears and left a comment on the post: "You look perfect together! I hope you last forever!" Over the weekend, I received a call from Julian's aunt, Sylvia. She warmly invited me to her private wine tasting party. Aunt Sylvia had no children of her own and had always treated me like a daughter. I decided to tell her the truth: I was moving to Los Angeles to get married. Hearing that I had reunited with my biological parents, Sylvia was thrilled for me, though she was sad to see me go. "Elena, no matter where you go, remember to come back and visit. I'll make this party extra special to send you off. You must come." I nodded and agreed. Before, my identity was too sensitive. I was just a penniless orphan sponsored by the Vance family. Julian had warned me many times that if our relationship were exposed at family events, it would hurt the company's reputation. He wanted me to focus on my career so that one day I could stand beside him as an equal, earning everyone's respect. Back then, I was foolish enough to work overtime every night, believing his promise that we would go public once I became his equal. Now that I was leaving everything behind, I could finally enjoy a party hosted by the Vance family without any burden.When I arrived at Sylvia's villa, the moment I stepped inside, I heard Julian announcing his upcoming wedding with Chloe to the entire room. The guests raised their glasses in congratulations. I looked at them laughing and talking. This was the exact scene I had once dreamed of for myself. As I stood frozen, Aunt Sylvia took my hand and led me over to Grandpa Charles. "Charles, look, this is Elena Sterling. She's one of the top executives at our company now! Isn't she wonderful?" Grandpa Charles smiled warmly. "Wonderful indeed! My daughter rarely praises young people. Elena, you can learn from Sylvia when it comes to your career, but don't follow her path when it comes to marriage. A successful life needs both a career and a loving family!" I forced a polite smile. Julian walked over and demanded coldly, "Why aren't you working overtime at the office? What are you doing here?" Chloe, wearing a glittering million-dollar diamond jewelry set, tapped his chest playfully. "Oh, you men understand nothing! She's a grown girl now with her own dreams. There are so many eligible bachelors here today, we should help her pick a good husband." Sylvia cut them off immediately. "No need! Elena already has someone. She's moving to L.A. to get married soon. Didn't you know? This party is actually her farewell celebration." Julian's face turned incredibly dark. While I was stepping out onto the balcony for some fresh air, Julian grabbed my wrist tightly. "What kind of ridiculous lie is this? Getting married to someone else? Let me tell you, Elena, you are not allowed to marry anyone but me!" I stared at him calmly. "Have you forgotten? You literally just announced your wedding to Chloe. How could you marry me?" Julian hesitated for a second. "I know I was harsh in the office the other day, but didn't I explain it to you? Chloe is mentally unstable. This is just a temporary compromise." He pulled me intimately into his embrace, trying to soothe me. "Our families' business interests are too deeply intertwined. Stop throwing a tantrum and listen to me. I promise things will go back to how they were. You're still the only one I truly care about." "Go back to how they were." His words stripped away my remaining delusions. Even though his family had sponsored my education, I had brought millions in revenue to his company through my own hard work. I was not some helpless parasite. I refused to stay in this toxic, hidden relationship any longer. As I turned to leave, a visibly drunk Chloe grabbed my arm. With tears in her eyes, she sobbed, "Please, stop chasing him, okay? I know his family sponsored you for years, and Julian is incredibly charming, but he and I are genuinely in love..." While playing the victim, her hand—hidden from view—clutched my arm, her sharp designer nails digging deep into my skin. Behind her, her friends immediately started jeering at me. "Ugh, what a shameless homewrecker. Trying to use her body to climb the social ladder." "A charity case from the slums trying to break into high society? What a joke! Julian is used to luxury; why would he ever want street trash like her?" Unable to bear the stinging pain, I pushed Chloe away. Chloe fell back, crying out in agony as she clutched her wrist. "My wrist! I think she broke it! It hurts so much!" Seeing her swollen wrist, Julian's heart practically broke. He whipped around, glaring at me with pure fury. "Elena Sterling! Get down on your knees and apologize to Chloe right now! Look what you've done!" Chloe whimpered miserably, "Elena, I don't know why you hate me so much. Even if you're jealous of Julian's love for me, you shouldn't have resorted to violence." Her tears flowed like rain, looking incredibly pitiful. A crowd began to gather, hurling harsh insults and condemnation at me. Julian lost his temper completely and roared, "Kneel down and apologize!" Biting my lip to keep from crying, I held up my arm, which was covered in bloody scratch marks. "I didn't do it on purpose. She clawed me first. I was in pain..." Before I can finish, Julian grabbed my arm and violently shoved me aside. A sickening crack echoed through the room. My arm was broken. As Julian carried Chloe away, he threw a cold, ruthless glare over his shoulder. "That's the price you pay for hurting her!" Sylvia rushed over, horrified, and immediately called a doctor to bind my arm. I sat there numbly, my heart completely dead. Six years of love meant absolutely nothing in the face of Chloe's cheap lies. To be unloved is truly a miserable thing. But I would never let myself be miserable again. Once on the plane to Los Angeles, I blocked and deleted every single one of his contact details on Snapchat, leaving New York with no regrets. Three days later, Julian sat in his wedding car, wearing a tailored tuxedo, but his eyes were completely vacant. His best man, who was driving, asked, "Why the long face? Still thinking about your little assistant?" Julian smiled wearily. "I'm thinking about what gift to buy to make it up to her. Otherwise, she'll throw another fit when she finds out I got married today." The best man looked back in shock. "Dude, you don't know? She's getting engaged to CEO Ethan Cole in L.A. today..."