The Billionaire’s Redemption Screw You, My Ex

On the night of our engagement party, Ethan abandoned me to fly across the world to Chloe—his first love. I begged him to stay. He just looked at me with cold annoyance and said, "We're not even married yet. Who the hell do you think you are?" That same night, Chloe posted on Instagram: “It feels so good to be cherished.” In the photo, she was wearing a diamond ring. It was the exact engagement ring Ethan hadn't even given me yet. A week later, he received a wedding invitation. It was for my wedding to an Upper East Side billionaire. He flew back overnight. Seeing the glittering ring on my finger, the usually arrogant Ethan completely lost his mind. "Serena, please take it off. I’ll buy you a new one. I swear." I flashed my marriage certificate in his face and sneered, "I'm already married. Who the hell do you think you are?" ...... The wedding was meticulously designed, creating a dreamlike fairytale atmosphere. The guests raised their crystal champagne flutes, whispering in awe, "Only the elite could pull off a wedding this lavish." My husband, worried I’d get tired, handled the guests all by himself. He only wanted my best friend, Ava, to keep me company. When the reception finally wound down, my husband walked over and gently massaged my shoulders. He leaned down and whispered in my ear: "You worked so hard today, wifey." "You have no idea how worried I was that Ethan would crash the party and steal you away." I couldn't help but laugh. "Are you kidding? That's impossible." My husband pulled out his phone, looking annoyed but amused. "Look at the digital invitation views. Ethan checked it exactly 1,019 times today." I froze for a second, then smiled. "People like him aren't worth our time." "Serena, thank you for marrying me." My husband pulled me into his arms, whispering with deep gratitude. Who would have thought that just a week ago, I was almost married to Ethan. That night, Ethan stood in the corner of the banquet hall, frowning at his phone for the longest time. After greeting the guests, I noticed his strange behavior and walked over to ask what was wrong. Through the corner of my eye, I saw a text on his Snapchat from Chloe: “Ethan, I’m leaving the country.” Whenever Chloe was involved, Ethan completely lost his mind. "Ethan, it’s our turn to go on stage for the toast." Suppressing the sharp pain in my chest, I reached out to grab his hand, but he violently pushed me away. Ignoring me, Ethan grabbed his suit jacket, preparing to leave. With tears in my eyes, I begged, "Ethan, please don't go." There was no warmth in his eyes, only cold indifference. "It’s just a formality. Just make up some speech yourself." He pinched my chin, his voice dropping to a low, dismissive murmur. "Be good. I’ll be back in a few days. What gift do you want?" Ethan loved buying me gifts to placate me—except for rings. He rarely bought Chloe gifts, but every single one he gave her was a ring. I took a deep breath, staring at his cold, handsome face, and humbled myself one last time: "Ethan, can you please just leave a little later?" Ethan’s face darkened, his voice dripping with impatience. "Serena, don't push it." "We're not even married yet. Who the hell do you think you are?" I stood frozen, watching his silhouette disappear from the hall. During the toast, the guests saw me walking up to the stage alone. Whispers broke out instantly. I grabbed the microphone, my voice steady. "The engagement is officially off. The groom ran away. Please enjoy your dinner and head home." For about thirty seconds, the massive hall was dead silent. I dropped the microphone and walked out of the venue. My heart felt like it was being ripped apart. Tears welled in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Everyone knew I was the one who chased Ethan. I washed his clothes, cooked his meals, and even acted as a messenger between him and Chloe. The night he got into a huge fight with Chloe, he got drunk and held me tightly in his arms. "Do you really love me that much?" I stroked his furrowed brows and gathered the courage to nod. When Chloe and Ethan didn't work out, we became a couple. Our families had been business partners for generations. Hearing we were dating, our parents rushed to arrange the engagement, terrified of missing the chance. But Ethan still cared about Chloe. Even when she called him drunk in the middle of the night, he would throw on his clothes and rush to pick her up. Ethan always left without a single explanation. I thought that once we were engaged, things would change. I was delusional. He still chased Chloe across the world, without giving me a single thought. Because I loved him, I used to pretend I didn’t care. Until Chloe posted a selfie on Instagram, flaunting the ring on her finger. It felt like a bucket of ice water poured over my head, making me shiver to my bones. That was my engagement ring. Ethan had told me to pick any ring I wanted. I spent weeks choosing it, only for it to end up on Chloe's finger. The anger built up inside me until my teeth clenched so hard they clicked. Love isn't a necessity for marriage, but respect is. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Ethan. "Serena, what the hell is your problem? What do you mean 'the groom ran away'?" "Call my dad right now and explain. Tell him I had an urgent business emergency and had to fly out of the country." His panicked voice made me realize just how much face the Sinclair family had lost. I let out a cold laugh. "That’s your family's problem, Ethan. It has nothing to do with me." Shocked by my attitude, Ethan raised his voice, shouting, "Are you insane? I told you I’d be back in a few days! Stop being so stubborn!" Before I could speak, a sweet, whiny female voice came through the receiver. "He wore me out after just one day. If he stays any longer, I won't survive." "Go back, Ethan, or your little wife is going to get mad." Chloe really knew how to stir the pot. Then, Ethan’s dismissive voice echoed in my ear: "We're not even married. She’s not my wife." His tone was so casual, so certain that I could never leave him. "I’ll have Chloe pick out a necklace for you tomorrow. She has great taste. Consider yourself lucky."Standing in our empty apartment, I felt like the biggest joke in the world. I packed my suitcase and walked out without looking back. My phone kept buzzing with texts from my mother: “Serena, what is going on? You completely humiliated us at the engagement party!” “Apologize to Ethan right now. Stop throwing tantrums.” I shut off my phone. A wave of sorrow washed over me. They never cared about my feelings. They only cared about their precious reputation. The Sinclair family was wealthier than ours. As long as I could marry in, they didn't care if I was miserable. My best friend, Ava, kept texting me when she found out. “There are plenty of fish in the sea. Who does Ethan think he is?” “He’s just Chloe’s pathetic lapdog. I can't believe you treated him like a prize.” Ava’s words hit the nail on the head. Just hearing those two names made me feel sick. I ended up at a club. The bass vibrated through the floor, and the alcohol numbed my pain, leaving only a hollow sense of freedom. Ethan hated it when I drank. He said the smell of alcohol on my breath disgusted him. But on Chloe’s birthday, when she got so drunk she threw up everywhere, Ethan carried her gently, cleaned her up, and stayed by her side all night. I knew then. He didn't hate alcohol. He just hated me. "Serena, the guy in the VIP booth has been staring at you for an hour. I think he’s totally into you." Ava ran over to me, her eyes sparkling with excitement. I looked over. A man with deep, intense eyes was staring right at me. My heart skipped a beat. After a few more drinks, the world started spinning. Suddenly, a pair of strong hands caught my waist. A deep, comforting voice whispered near my ear, "Careful." It was the handsome man from the VIP booth. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was a desperate desire for revenge. Normally, I would have pushed him away, terrified of betraying Ethan. But under the flashing lights, his sharp jawline and perfectly sculpted lips looked incredibly tempting. A voice screamed in my head: You’re single now. Who cares? Drunk and reckless, I pulled him down and kissed him hard. He froze for a second, but then he kissed me back with overwhelming passion. He tasted so good. "Ow." A sharp pain shot through my temples. I opened my eyes and realized I was in a luxury hotel room, with a strange man sleeping next to me. "You're awake? How are you feeling?" A husky, lazy voice came from beside me. I turned and saw red scratch marks all over his neck. My face burned. I looked under the sheets and realized I was completely naked. Everything came rushing back. The memories of last night flashed in my mind. I had held his hand, begging him not to leave. I even actively stripped his shirt off and pinned him to the bed... "I'm so sorry. This was a mistake. Let's just pretend last night never happened." I frantically put my clothes on and grabbed my phone to escape, but the man blocked the door, pinning me against it. "Since you know you did wrong, shouldn't you make it up to me? How can we just pretend it never happened, Serena?" Serena? How did he know my name? I frowned, staring at his face, my brain working overtime. This face... He looked so much like Julian, the chubby kid who confessed to me years ago. Suddenly, my phone rang. I answered it awkwardly. Ethan’s impatient voice came through: "Chloe and I are at the Cartier counter right now." "Do you want the gold or silver necklace?" I snapped back to reality. I looked at the man in front of me, whose eyes had darkened with displeasure. Clearing my throat, I said coldly, "No need. I don't want it." The moment I said that, the man in front of me let out a soft chuckle and coughed on purpose. Ethan, who usually acted deaf to my words, suddenly had incredible hearing. His voice dropped. "Who is that? Why is there a man's voice?" "None of your damn business!" I yelled, slamming the phone shut.The man’s warm gaze hovered over me. He smiled, his lips curving up. "Serena, you said that if I lost weight, you’d marry me." It really was him. Julian, my middle school classmate. The first time I saw him, he was cornered by a bunch of bullies who were calling him a "fat pig." I rolled up my sleeves and fought them off. After that, Julian became my shadow. Everyone teased me about having a "pig" following me around. But I didn't care. I cared about his health. My grandfather had passed away from complications due to obesity, and I didn't want the same for Julian. So when he gathered the courage to confess to me, I laughed it off and said, "Sure. Lose the weight, and I'll marry you." For a 200-pound kid, losing weight seemed like an impossible dream. Later, my family’s business hit a rough patch, and my parents moved me to another city. I never saw him again. I swallowed hard, looking at his perfectly sculpted muscles. His physique was incredible. Compared to him, Ethan was nothing. I can't believe my first one-night stand was with such a masterpiece. Julian’s intense gaze locked onto me, waiting for my answer. My heart raced, and for a moment, I couldn't speak. Finally, out of sheer impulse, I blurted out, "Then let's do it." I underestimated Julian’s efficiency. He immediately put me in his car and drove straight to City Hall. In less than twenty minutes, we were holding a marriage certificate. Julian pulled me into a tight embrace, laughing with pure joy. "Serena, thank you for marrying me." "You protected me back then. Now, it’s my turn to protect you." Those simple words brought tears to my eyes. Julian kissed my forehead, his eyes filled with absolute devotion. "Oh my god, did we rush into this? If my parents find out, they’ll disown me," I worried, my morning confidence suddenly fading. Julian laughed, pinching my nose gently. "Since when did you become such a coward, Serena?" "Don't worry. I’ll give you a wedding that will make the whole world jealous." Over the next few days, we picked out a wedding dress, chose a ring, and took wedding photos. We were in perfect sync. Our tastes were identical. I actually started looking forward to the wedding. Right then, Ethan called again. "Serena, why haven't you explained things to my dad yet? Are you really that busy?" "Make sure to buy some fruits and swing by his place. A good daughter-in-law starts with the little things." Hearing his arrogant tone made my blood boil. "Ethan, why the hell should I explain anything? Your business has nothing to do with me." "Don't call me again. My husband gets jealous." There was a long silence on the other end, followed by a sarcastic laugh. "Are you daydreaming? Who would marry you besides me?" I sneered. I could already picture his face when he saw the digital wedding invitation. He had never cared about my feelings, constantly putting me down until I felt worthless. I used to have so many pursuers. I was just blinded by love when I chose him. "If you aren't at my dad's house in an hour, don't blame me for—" I hung up and immediately blocked his number. Julian wrapped his arms around my waist, asking softly, "Who annoyed my beautiful wife? Do you want me to handle him?" I smiled at his playfulness and shook my head. "He’s not worth it." Then, a text from my mother popped up: “You brat, get home right now!” My heart sank. I didn't know how to explain this to my parents. "Julian, I need to go home and tell my parents the truth, or..." He saw through my anxiety. With confidence shining in his eyes, he smiled. "I'll go with you." "Maybe your family will prefer their new son-in-law."