My ex-fiancé dumped me for my sister because I was “too fat for his image”—then five days later, I walked into their wedding in a wine-red dress beside the one man who made 300 guests go silent.

Two weeks later, as the legal net tightened around Ethan, a surprise visitor arrived at my design studio’s new downtown office—a modern space Alexander had helped me lease.

It was Chloe.

She looked nothing like the glamorously styled bride from the chapel. She was wearing plain jeans and an oversized hoodie, her hair pulled back into a messy bun, dark circles under her eyes.

My assistant looked at me nervously, but I waved her away. "It's fine, Sarah. Let her in."

Chloe stepped into my office, looking around at the sleek glass tables, the large monitors, and the vibrant design sketches hanging on the walls.

"Nice place," Chloe said, her voice small, lacking all of its usual venom.

"What do you want, Chloe?" I asked, not bothering to offer her a seat.

Chloe stood near the middle of the room, her hands shoved deep into her hoodie pockets. "Ethan is crazy, Olivia," she whispered, her voice trembling. "He's completely lost his mind."

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that supposed to surprise me?"

"He's screaming at Mom every day," Chloe revealed, tears welling up in her eyes. "He moved into our house after his uncle refused to pay his legal fees anymore. He’s drinking every night. He keeps saying he’s going to 'make you pay' for ruining his career."

I kept my face neutral. "Ethan ruined his own career when he embezzled Vance Global funds."

"He told me to come here," Chloe confessed, her shoulders slumping. "He told me to come beg you to drop the intellectual property lawsuit. He said if you don't drop it, he’ll tell the SEC that Mom and I were co-conspirators in his financial fraud!"

I leaned against my desk, looking at my younger sister. "Were you?"

Chloe froze, her face turning deathly pale. "What?"

"Were you a co-conspirator, Chloe?" I asked clearly. "When Ethan transferred $450,000 from Vance Global to pay for your wedding venue, did you know where that money came from?"

Chloe looked down at the floor, unable to meet my eyes.

"You knew," I gasped softly, the realization hitting me like a cold wind. "You knew he was using stolen money."

"He told me it was fine!" Chloe sobbed, burying her face in her hands. "He said Vance Global was so rich they wouldn't notice half a million dollars missing for a few months! He promised me he would replace it once his new investment fund opened! I just wanted a big wedding, Olivia! I wanted everyone to look at me and think I was special!"

"You wanted to steal my life," I corrected her coldly. "You didn't care that Ethan dumped me. You didn't care that he stole my savings. You just wanted the shine."

"I was stupid!" Chloe wailed. "Mom told me Ethan was a catch! She said you were too independent and that Ethan needed a woman who would let him shine! I just listened to her!"

"You are twenty-four years old, Chloe," I said, my heart turning to solid stone. "You are an adult. You made your choices. Now you get to live with the consequences."