Revenge at the Altar: I Ruined My Billionaire Fiance

Everyone in our social circle laughed at me, calling me the most devoted substitute Ethan Vance ever had. I was at Ethan’s beck and call for five whole years before he finally agreed to marry me. But on the eve of our wedding, outside our new penthouse, I heard his heavy breathing mixed with another woman's. I pushed the door open. Chloe Thorne’s face was flushed, while Ethan was calmly buttoning his shirt. He looked up, giving me a dismissive glance. "Don't worry, the wedding is still on. You're still going to be Mrs. Vance." "It's just a shame you look less and less like Clara these days. But Chloe... even her moans sound exactly like her." I slapped him across the face, tears streaming down my cheeks. "Ethan, you are a monster!" The moment I ran out of his sight, I slowed my pace. I elegantly wiped the tears from my cheeks, pulled out my phone, and called Chloe. "Good job. That was a stellar performance." "After five grueling years, it's finally time to pull the net." Ethan, you’ve had so many substitutes. Did no one ever tell you that Clara, your dead first love who drowned... had a younger sister who swore to make you pay in blood? 1 After hanging up with Chloe, my phone buzzed. Message after message from Ethan popped up on SnapChat: [I'm hungry. Come home and cook.] [Don't make me wait.] My finger hovered over the screen for a second. Then, a cold sneer escaped my lips. For five years, Ethan had always been like this. He was so confident that I loved him to the point of madness, so sure I couldn't survive without him, that he never gave a damn about my feelings. I lowered my head and replied in my usual submissive tone: "I... I'm on my way back." "Your stomach has been acting up lately. I'll make sure to prepare some light fruits for you first." When I got back with the groceries, Ethan was lounging on the sofa, holding Chloe in his arms. Hearing me walk in, he didn't even look up. "You're back? Make some soup." "After all these years, only your cooking tastes like Clara's." I nodded meekly, keeping my eyes downcast as I walked toward the kitchen. But before I could take another step, Chloe’s sweet, dripping voice sounded from behind me. "Ethan, I want to learn how to cook from Rainey. That way, we won't have to bother her next time we're having our intimate moments." Hearing this, Ethan stroked Chloe’s hair affectionately. "Silly girl. Your hands are meant for playing the piano. They're precious." "But some people's hands are born to cook and serve. Some people just don't know their place. She practically begged to stay with me back then, and now she thinks because she's becoming Mrs. Vance, she can show off." He paused, then frowned and looked over at me. "Right, Rainey?" I knew Ethan was trying to humiliate me, punishing me for the slap I gave him earlier. I turned around immediately, putting on the terrified, eager-to-please face he loved so much. I looked at him with eyes full of desperate love, whispering with a crack in my voice: "I'm sorry, Ethan. I was out of line earlier. I shouldn't have hit you." I even took his hand and pressed it against my cheek, looking up at him like a beaten puppy. "You can slap me back. Just please don't be angry with me, okay? I know I was wrong." Ethan smiled, thoroughly satisfied with how hopelessly in love I looked. He stroked my face playfully before drawing his hand back. "Alright. At least you're sensible." Then he turned to Chloe. "Learn if you want." "I have some business to take care of in the study. You two... play nice." With that, he walked up to the second-floor study. The kitchen door closed. Chloe listened to make sure he was gone, then handed me a micro SD card from her pocket. With hesitation in her voice, she whispered: "Everything is in here." "Are you really going to marry him? With the evidence we have, it's enough to bring down the Vance family. You've endured five years. You don't need to throw away your own life..." I clutched the SD card tightly, cutting her off. "No! I must marry him." "I want to rip off his hypocritical mask at the altar! I want everyone in high society to see how rotten the Vance family really is!" "My sister Clara... will not die in vain!" 2 After getting the SD card, I prepared my counterattack. Naturally, I grew cold toward Ethan. I used "wedding prep" as an excuse to leave early and return late. When Ethan came home late, no one was waiting for him in the living room anymore. No hangover soup was warming on the stove. Even when we crossed paths, my smile lacked its usual warmth. He noticed. But he only thought it was another petty game to get his attention, so he didn't care. Until one night, he tried to kiss me awake, and I turned my face away to avoid him. I closed my eyes and muttered sleepily: "Ethan, I'm too tired today." Ethan's expression shifted. He frowned, letting out a sharp sneer. "What a buzzkill." But I kept my eyes shut, giving no reaction. Frustrated, he grabbed his coat, making a loud scene to get my attention. Before leaving, he said mockingly: "I'm going to Chloe's." "Don't make breakfast tomorrow. I'm staying over." He slammed the door hard. I opened my eyes slowly. Something felt off. Ethan never used to tell me where he was going. He never felt the need to report his whereabouts to me. While I was lost in thought, my phone buzzed with an encrypted message from Chloe on SnapChat: [He just called saying he missed me and is coming over. I'll use being sick as an excuse to reject him.] A moment later, another text popped up. [Strange. He drank half a glass of whiskey, barely spoke, and left before I could even say no. Did you guys fight?] I paused, confused, and replied: [No. I just turned down his physical advances. He's probably mad because I've been cold lately.] The "typing..." indicator on Chloe's end stayed on for a long time. Finally, her message came through: [No wonder. He's been distracted and moody around me lately. Rainey... I think Ethan might actually be in love with you.] Love? The word made me want to laugh out loud. How could a monster like Ethan Vance understand love? This was a man who stood by and watched his "first love" drown. I turned off my screen, ignoring her text. The next morning, as I was about to head out, the butler stopped me with a polite bow. "Ma'am, here is the invitation to the charity auction tonight." "Mr. Vance requested your presence." I took it without objection. He usually brought me to these high-society events, so it wasn't surprising. But it was odd that he sent it through the butler without a call or text. He was probably still sulking. I didn't care. That night, I went to the auction and headed straight for the front-row seat labeled "Mrs. Vance." Just as I was about to sit down, a cold voice stopped me. "Rainey, that's not your seat." I turned around to see Ethan and Chloe arriving together. He pulled out the chair in front of me for Chloe with perfect gentlemanly grace. "Sit, Chloe." Once they sat down, Ethan ignored me completely. I was left standing next to them like an unwanted prop. Whispers and jeers rose from the crowd around us. "Wow, Ethan has a new girl? Looks like Rainey's five-year hustle didn't secure her spot." "She brought this on herself! I heard she started acting cold the moment he agreed to marry her. Just a toy who forgot her place." "If this keeps up, the bride might change at the wedding in two days. She's just a bedwarmer anyway." I lowered my head, clenching my fists. Actually, it was a good reminder. The wedding was so close. I couldn't let Ethan lose interest now. My act of "devotion" couldn't slip. I looked up, throwing a pleading, tearful gaze at Ethan. Ethan stopped tapping his fingers on the armrest. He turned around, giving me a cool, calculating look. "Learned your lesson?" 3 I nodded meekly, keeping my head down. "Yes, Ethan. I was just stressed about the wedding..." He cut me off with an impatient wave of his hand. He turned to a nearby waiter. "Get her a chair. Standing there just embarrasses me!" Then he looked back at me. "I don't have time for your excuses. You know I only like obedient women." "Be quiet. The auction is starting." I didn't say another word and sat on the simple folding chair they brought, continuing to stare at him with longing. My devoted gaze cheered him up. He bid on item after item. The waiter brought the tray of won bids to Ethan. "Mr. Vance, where should we send these?" Ethan didn't answer directly. He smoothed Chloe's hair affectionately. "Send them to Miss Thorne's apartment. Consider it a reward for being so good lately." Chloe gasped, hugging him. "Ethan, you're the best!" Ethan glanced at me, waiting for me to lose control. I didn't disappoint him. I stood up, eyes red, and walked to him. "Ethan... what about me? Please don't stop loving me." He chuckled, pinching the back of my neck like I was a puppy. "What's the rush? The best is saved for last." I sat back down, seemingly mollified. When the final item, a magnificent diamond necklace symbolizing "Eternal Love," came up, Ethan bid immediately before the starting price was even set. "Ten million dollars!" The crowd gasped. The auctioneer screamed, "Mr. Vance is incredibly generous! Who is the lucky lady destined for this necklace?" Believing his earlier hint, I stood up and walked to Ethan, eyes shining. "Thank you, Ethan. I knew you still cared..." "Who said this was for you?" Ethan interrupted, frowning. My smile froze. I paled, standing there like an idiot. Ethan walked past me, picked up the necklace, and put it on Chloe. "Chloe, only you can pull this off." Snickers erupted into full-blown laughter at my expense. Humiliated, I burst into tears, covered my face, and ran out of the hall. Looking at my retreat, Chloe tapped Ethan's chest. "Ethan, aren't you being too mean to Rainey? What if she runs away?" Ethan laughed arrogantly. "Run? She would never." "Everyone knows Rainey has no dignity when it comes to me. Even if I kicked her right now, she'd crawl back to my feet tomorrow morning." Chloe's smile stiffened with pity. Ethan asked, "What's wrong? You usually hate her. Now you feel sorry for her?" Chloe pouted. "Of course not! I'm just worried your bride will run. Or... I could just marry you instead?" Ethan's grip on Chloe's waist tightened painfully. His eyes turned icy. "Chloe, don't overstep. The title of Mrs. Vance belongs only to Rainey." He patted her cheek. "Now, since you feel so 'sorry' for her, take the necklace off, find her, and give it to her. Tell her it's from me. Then bring her back." Chloe found me in the garden, my shoulders shaking in the shadows. "Rainey, call off the wedding," she whispered, hugging me. "Don't marry that scumbag. Don't cry..." I turned around. There were no tears on my face. I was shaking with sheer, manic joy. "Chloe, you were right." "Ethan... actually fell in love with me." I leaned in, my eyes cold as ice. "Ethan Vance is finished."