My Fiancée Married My Bully

Just stepped out of the auction house when my phone buzzed. My old college WhatsApp group, which had been dead for ages, was suddenly blowing up. Someone was spamming my name: "Yo, Brandon! Our former student body president, Ethan, is getting married today and you're a no-show? That’s cold!" That was how I found out Ethan, our high-and-mighty former class president, was tying the knot today. Apparently, every single person from our old college circle was there. Except me. We were never close in college. I sent a polite, generic text, planning to decline and move on. "Oh look, Brandon the big shot replied! Tell us, does your struggle job even pay you three grand a month?" The moment my message sent, the group chat erupted in mockery. Then Ethan chimed in, tagging me. "I just wanted everyone to witness my happiness, Brandon. Honestly, I don't care about whatever pocket change you’re making anyway." Another guy piped up. "Come on, Ethan. Back in college, Brandon practically begged the campus queen to look his way and got brutally rejected. Now she’s Ethan's wife! No wonder he’s too embarrassed to show his face!" I frowned. When did that happen? As far as I recalled, I spent my college years buried in textbooks and building my business. I never chased anyone. "Oh, still playing dumb, are we?" Ethan sneered, dropping a photo of their marriage certificate into the chat. "Take a good, hard look. Feast your eyes!" The moment I saw the woman's face in the photo, I froze. Isn't that my fiancée? A wave of white-hot rage washed over me. The woman who got engaged to me just three months ago had gone behind my back to register a marriage with someone else? While my brain was still trying to process whether to trust Chloe or dig deeper, the group chat kept spamming me with insults. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue? Or are you crying in a corner somewhere?" "Cut him some slack. Chloe is the CEO of Apex Enterprises now. It’s a lot to process." "Exactly! Word on the street is she gifted Ethan a beachfront villa and a Ferrari right before the wedding!" The flood of messages left me dazed. I was about to call Chloe to demand answers when Ethan decided to play the nice guy. "Look, Brandon, even if you’re a total loser, we’re still college buddies. Come to the wedding, make the guys happy, and I might just slide you a job in our maintenance department." "We’re talking about Apex Enterprises. Even if you're just sweeping floors, it’s a 9-to-5 with benefits. Way better than whatever sweatshop job you have now!" "Sure." I typed those two words, sent them, and muted the chat. "Babe, put your coat on. Don't catch a cold." The moment I stepped out of my car back at my place, Chloe handed me a heavy coat. I took it quietly, my face completely blank. Chloe's smile faltered. "What's wrong, babe? Did you lose the bid at the auction?" She looked at me, a hint of anxiety in her eyes. Thinking about the group chat, I couldn't force a smile. I just shook my head. "It's fine. Go head upstairs." "Oh, by the way, babe. I'm going on a trip with my girls tomorrow. I'll be out of town for about a week." With that, Chloe planted a heavy kiss on my cheek, leaving a wet lipstick mark, before skipping happily back inside. "The CEO of Apex Enterprises, huh?" Watching my fiancée's cheerful retreat, my mind drifted. Chloe and I met in college, but we were barely acquaintances back then. We only started dating a year ago, and we got engaged three months back. Throughout our year-long relationship, Chloe had been incredibly sweet and attentive. She stayed up late with me while I worked, brought me coffee, massaged my shoulders when I was tired, and even took care of my mother when she was sick in the hospital. Getting engaged felt like the natural next step. But now, the photo of that marriage certificate and her fake affection made me look like the biggest joke in the world. I grabbed my phone, looked up the wedding venue from the group chat, and hopped into my car. I didn't even wait for my driver. I slammed the gas and sped toward the venue.When I arrived, the scale of the wedding was staggering. The red carpet stretched for blocks, looking more like a high-fashion runway than a wedding. A giant LED screen flashed a blinding message: "Happy Wedding to Chloe, CEO of Apex Enterprises!" Under the screen stood Ethan, holding a massive bouquet, his hair slicked back, wearing pointy dress shoes. He was practically vibrating with excitement, waiting for Chloe. Surrounding him were our old college buddies, kissing his ass just like they used to. "Ethan, man, you're a legend! Chloe is the boss of Apex, and you bagged her just like that. Respect!" "Seriously! You kept it so quiet. You didn't tell us until the last second!" "With your brains, Ethan, Apex is basically yours now. Don't forget us when you hit the big leagues!" Even our old college dean was there, holding a lavish gift and rubbing his hands together to flatter him. "Ethan, I always knew you'd achieve great things. See? My intuition never lies. Now you're married to a literal CEO!" The dean nudged his friend proudly. "Impressive, right? He was my student." Hearing their empty flattery, Ethan’s ego reached the stratosphere. He waved them off modestly. "Oh, it's nothing. I owe it all to the education I got back in college." Looking at their fake faces, I couldn't help but remember when Chloe used to scrape by under these exact people. When she first graduated, she was timid and soft-spoken. Anyone could walk all over her. Back then, I'd often see her getting chewed out in the hallways, looking so frail and helpless. Maybe it was because we went to the same college, or maybe I just felt sorry for her, but I transferred her to my personal department. I taught her the ropes of the corporate world and how to navigate office politics. But I never expected her to masquerade as the CEO of Apex Enterprises and brag about it to our entire college circle. This was completely different from the Chloe I thought I knew. "Oh, look! It's Brandon the wage slave! Did you actually rent a supercar just to show off?" "How much is that per day? Does your monthly salary even cover the rental fee?" "Look at you trying so hard. It's Ethan's wedding, and you rent a luxury car to flex? What, jealous much?" Before I could even step out of my car, Tyler, Ethan's chief bootlicker from our college days, spotted me and started jeering. "Ethan got the girl you couldn't have, and you're so petty you rented a car just to save face?" "Come on, Chloe is a real CEO. You think she’s going to be impressed by a rental?" "Yeah, look at him in that suit. He’s dressed like he’s the CEO. Honestly, it's pathetic. Chloe hates people who flex fake wealth, and this guy is flexing on a budget!" With Tyler leading the charge, the rest of the group quickly joined in, throwing insults my way. "If you ask me, Brandon, you should drop the act. Apologize to Ethan, congratulate him, and maybe he'll still give you that janitor job." "Showing up like this is a direct insult to Ethan. So fake!" I stared coldly at my former classmates. Just as I was about to speak, Ethan walked over, clutching his bouquet, his face dark. "Where did you rent this car? Why does it look exactly like one of my wife's cars?" He leaned in, and when he saw the license plate, his face turned bright green with rage. Without warning, he threw a punch straight at my head. "You motherfucker! I'll kill you! You're sleeping with my wife!""No wonder Chloe is always 'on business trips' and never comes home! She was with you!" "Spit it out! How long has this been going on? How many hotel rooms did you book?" "You absolute piece of trash! Sleeping with my wife, taking her money, and now you have the balls to drive her car to our wedding?!" Ethan screamed, his fists raining down on me. I was caught off guard and dazed. I bought this car two years ago. Sure, Chloe drove it occasionally, but it was registered under my name. Since when did it become Chloe's car? "Ethan, wait, is there a mistake? Chloe wouldn't do that." "Yeah, is there some misunderstanding? Let's talk it out." A few of the ass-lickers, sensing things were getting out of hand, tried to de-escalate. But Ethan was completely unhinged. He snatched his phone and started swiping through photos, shoving them in everyone's faces. "I'd recognize this car anywhere! This bastard is screwing my wife!" Everyone crowded around, and sure enough, the screen was filled with photos of Ethan and Chloe. They were kissing passionately inside the car. Taking goofy selfies on the hood. There were even a few explicit, intimate photos. The proof was undeniable. Chloe was definitely sleeping with Ethan. I closed my eyes, my heart freezing over. Faced with this solid evidence, the crowd fell silent for a second before instantly taking Ethan's side. "Brandon, care to explain?" "Ethan treated you like a brother, and you sleep with his wife? I didn't know you were such a scumbag." Ethan pointed a finger right at my nose, spitting as he yelled. "Now I get why you didn't want to come! You were hooking up with my wife and were too scared of getting caught!" "You're pathetic! Showing up at my wedding just to spite me? You're desperate to climb into high society, aren't you?" "Too bad for you. Chloe loves me." Even our old college dean spit on the ground. "Brandon, I never thought you'd turn out to be such trash. You are an absolute disgrace to our university." Everyone around me began pointing, whispering, and cursing. Someone even pulled out their phone to film. "Breaking news: Apex CEO's side piece crashes her wedding!" Ethan lost it. He snatched the guy's phone and smashed it onto the pavement. "Are you trying to embarrass me?! You want everyone to laugh at me?!" Confirming Chloe's betrayal was enough. I rubbed my aching forehead, preparing to leave. "Ethan, I only came here to confirm one thing. But seeing how blind and delusional you are, there’s no point in explaining anything to you." "You'll find out the truth soon enough. But hey, happy wedding anyway." Ethan's veins bulged on his neck, his face turning crimson. "You slept with my wife and now you're calling me delusional? I'll show you what the truth looks like!" He marched over to my car, grabbed a heavy metal chair, and slammed it onto the hood. With a deafening crash, the hood caved in. But he wasn't done. He grabbed a can of spray paint and began defacing my car. "I AM A MALE WHORE. I AM A SIDE PIECE." The words burned my eyes, a constant reminder of Chloe’s betrayal. I clenched my jaw. "Ethan, do you have any idea what the consequences of this are?" Ethan let out a manic laugh. "What? The car belongs to my wife! Why can't I trash my own wife's car?""You’re just a cheap gigolo. How do you even have the nerve to speak to me? Sleeping with my woman... honestly, trashing this car is me being merciful." "I should tear you limb from limb." The more he spoke, the angrier he got. Ethan lunged at me. The crowd immediately rushed in, but instead of stopping him, they held me back. They pinned my arms and legs, locking me in place. Ethan’s fists landed on me over and over again. By the time his arms got tired, he still wasn't satisfied. He grabbed a metal pipe and started smashing the car from front to back. "Think you can sleep with my wife and get away with it? I'll show you what happens when you play big shot!" Fortunately, the car was custom-built with high-grade materials, so it only sustained minor surface damage. Seeing this, Ethan waved his hand. His pack of goons immediately joined the destruction. "Brandon, you piece of trash! You dare disrespect Ethan? You're done!" "Smash it, boys! Whoever smashes it hardest gets a massive bonus!" Ethan roared. I watched them destroy the car coldly, not bothering to stop them. The happier they were smashing it now, the harder they’d cry when it came time to pay. "It's just a car. Smash it all you want. Just don't cry when the bill comes." Hearing this, Ethan marched over and slapped me hard across the face. One of his goons kicked my knees, forcing me to the ground. "Ethan, this idiot is still acting tough. What a clown." Ethan spat right in my face. "You act like this car actually belongs to you. I'm smashing my wife's car, you loser!" Ethan glared at me. Suddenly, he reached into my inner jacket pocket and ripped out a small velvet box. Inside was the pink diamond necklace I had just won at the auction. It was meant to be a birthday gift for my mother. It was worth fifteen million dollars. "Oh, look at this. The gigolo has some nice jewelry!" "The cut looks decent. It's probably cheap glass, though." Ethan eyed me suspiciously. "Where did you get this? It even has a fake certificate." My heart sank. I had tracked this diamond necklace for six months before finally winning it at the auction. My mother had once mentioned how much she loved it, and I bought it to fulfill her lifelong dream. Even Chloe knew how much this necklace meant to me. "Doesn't look entirely fake. Did you steal it?" Ethan tossed the box up and down mockingly. My heart leaped with every toss. "Ethan, if you touch that necklace, I swear I will make you regret ever being born." "Ooh, look at him! He's threatening me! I'm so scared!" Pinned to the ground, I couldn't move. My fists clenched so hard my knuckles cracked, my eyes bloodshot. "Yeah, I'm shaking. Watch me touch it. What are you gonna do about it?" Ethan threw the necklace high into the air and let it crash onto the concrete. "You think you can threaten me? Who do you think you are?" "Look at this. This is the watch Chloe bought me. It's worth way more than your piece of glass!" Ethan proudly showed off his limited-edition Vacheron Constantin watch. I recognized it instantly. Before our engagement, Chloe had bought it in front of me, saying it was an engagement gift for me. She never gave it to me, and I never asked. It turned out she gave it to Ethan. Using my money to buy an engagement gift for another man. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Even though I kept telling myself to let it go, Ethan's actions pushed me over the edge. I clenched my fists, my nails digging deep into my palms. My eyes burned with pure fury. "Oh, look, he’s crying. He’s jealous because Chloe bought me a million-dollar watch." "This idiot really thought he was special. Talk about a reality check." "Some diamond necklace! It can't even compare to Ethan's watch. It's probably just a piece of cheap glass from a chandelier." The ruthless laughter of the crowd echoed in my ears. I couldn't take it anymore. I struggled against the hands holding me down, pulled out my phone with a trembling hand, and dialed a number. "Chloe. Get your ass over here right now!"