Never Meant to Be His Bride

On our fifth anniversary, I dressed up for our date, thinking Ethan was going to propose to me.

Instead, he showed up with his first love, Luna, and asked me to plan their entire engagement party.

You didn't actually think that after warming my bed for a few years, you'd get to be a billionaire's wife, did you?

He humiliated me in public, threatened me with my family's livelihood, and even put the wedding dress I'd spent three years designing on Luna.

In the villa we'd shared for five years, all my personal belongings were thrown out like garbage.

He said my taste was cheap, that my feelings were shameful, that I was nothing more than a tool in a mutually beneficial arrangement.

At the banquet, Luna spilled red wine all over me, and he publicly scolded me for being in the way. Not a single apology.

From that moment on, I stopped defending myself, stopped resisting, and became completely obedient to him.

Ethan thought I'd finally learned my place and become the compliant secretary again.

He didn't know I'd already gotten engaged to his mortal enemy.

Stella POV

In the fifth year of keeping my relationship with Ethan Carter a secret, I thought I could finally be with him.

At eight PM, the most upscale revolving restaurant in downtown New York was reserved entirely. I wore a carefully selected black velvet gown, sitting by the window, watching the dazzling neon lights through the floor-to-ceiling glass.

In my purse was a copy of Ethan's schedule. Three days ago, as his chief secretary, I'd accidentally seen a massive transaction from his private account. It was for a pink diamond ring worth ten million dollars.

Five years of secret companionship. Five years of being on call.

At the company, I was billionaire Ethan's most capable right hand. In bed, I was his perfectly compatible lover.

We weren't public. Ethan said it was a critical period for the power transition at Carter Group, and he couldn't have any weaknesses.

I believed him and waited without complaint for five years.

Today was the fifth anniversary of us being together.

When the clock struck eight-thirty, the heavy wooden door of the private room finally opened.

I looked up with hopeful anticipation, but the smile on my lips froze completely the moment I saw who entered.

Ethan wore an impeccably tailored custom suit, his posture upright, his handsome face showing a gentle smile I'd never seen before. And on his arm was a woman in a white dress with an innocent, delicate aura.

Luna Sullivan.

Ethan's first love, the girl he couldn't forget, who'd been overseas for years.

My breathing stopped abruptly, my mind going completely blank. I stared at their intertwined arms, feeling all the blood in my body flowing backward, my fingertips instantly ice-cold.

"Ethan, is this the secretary you often mention?" Luna spoke first, her voice sweet and girlish, with a hint of innocent curiosity.

Ethan walked to the table with Luna, looking down at me from his superior position, his tone casual like he was discussing the weather. "Yeah, she's my chief secretary, Stella Forrester."

He didn't even ask me to sit down, didn't explain why he'd brought another woman on our fifth anniversary.

I forced down the violent trembling in my heart, my voice dry and tight. "Ethan, today is our..."

"Stella, you've always been reliable in your work, and your taste is good too." Ethan cut me off without mercy. He pulled out a chair for Luna to sit, then turned to look at me, his eyes cold and matter-of-fact.

"Luna just returned to New York and isn't familiar with the local environment yet. Next month's engagement party for her and me will be completely under your supervision. Don't let Luna suffer even the slightest grievance."

Word by word, like ice-cold knives, stabbing precisely into my heart.

Engagement party?

I stared at Ethan's familiar face, trying to find any trace of joking in his eyes. But there was nothing.

His eyes only held affection for Luna and the emotionless professionalism he showed toward me, his "secretary."

"You're getting engaged to her?" My voice trembled uncontrollably as I stood up abruptly, my eyes red. "Ethan, then what am I? What were these five years to us?"

Hearing this, Luna seemed startled, shrinking back and looking innocently at Ethan. "Ethan, what's wrong with Miss Forrester? You two..."

Ethan's expression instantly darkened. He glanced at me coldly, his lips curling into a mocking arc. "Stella, watch your identity. You didn't actually think that after warming my bed for a few years, you'd get to be a billionaire's wife, did you?"

Stella POV

Those words were like a resounding slap across my face.

All the strength seemed to drain from my body instantly, my face pale as paper.

"Between us, it was nothing more than mutual benefit. You got a generous salary and bonuses, I got an obedient bed partner and a useful secretary." Ethan's tone was cruel to the extreme, carrying the arrogance of someone in power.

"Now that Luna's back, those shameful games should end."

So it turned out that five years of youth, five years of giving everything I had, were just "shameful games" in his eyes.

That pink diamond wasn't a proposal ring for me at all, but his sincerity in marrying his first love.

Looking at this man I'd loved for five years, I suddenly felt he was completely unfamiliar. My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, the pain making it almost impossible to breathe, but I bit my lower lip hard, refusing to let the tears fall.

"Fine. I understand." I took a deep breath and grabbed my purse from the table, my spine straight.

I didn't scream or make a scene. I used every ounce of self-control I had to maintain my last shred of dignity.

"Since the game is over, Mr. Carter, you'd better find someone else to handle the engagement party. I find it disgusting."

With that, I turned without hesitation and strode out of the restaurant in my heels.

Behind me came Ethan's voice, suppressing his fury. "Stella, try walking out that door!"

I didn't look back. The moment the door closed, I leaned against the cold wall, gasping for air, and tears finally broke through like a dam.

Five years of wasted devotion, shattered to pieces in this moment.

The next morning, Carter Group CEO's office.

I'd applied elaborate makeup to hide the dark circles under my eyes. Like always, I arrived at the company half an hour early and placed a cup of perfectly heated black coffee on Ethan's desk.

Except this time, there was a white envelope beside the coffee.

When Ethan entered the office, he still had that superior, aloof demeanor. He glanced at the envelope on the desk, his brow furrowing slightly. "What's this?"

"My resignation letter." I stood in front of the desk, my voice so calm it had no inflection.

"Mr. Carter, since you're about to get engaged, to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, I should avoid suspicion. I'll complete the work handover within a week."

Ethan's movements stopped abruptly. He picked up the resignation letter, his eyes instantly darkening.

"Stella, you've grown bold, haven't you?" He laughed coldly, his slender fingers tearing the envelope in half and tossing it in the trash. "Trying to play mind games with your resignation? That trick is too old."

"I'm serious." I looked at him, my eyes no longer holding any of the adoration and compliance from before, only a deathly stillness.

He impatiently loosened his tie, his tone forceful.

"I haven't approved it, so you're still a Carter Group employee. Put away your ridiculous tantrums. I don't have time to indulge you. This afternoon, cancel all meetings and accompany Luna to try on wedding dresses."

I clenched my fists tightly, my nails digging into my palms. "Mr. Carter, accompanying your fiance to try on wedding dresses isn't within my job responsibilities."

"At Carter Group, my word is your responsibility." Ethan stood up, closing in step by step, his eyes full of oppression. "Stella, don't forget your brother is still at an Ivy League school, and your mother's care facility costs a significant amount every month. Angering me won't benefit you in any way."

He was threatening me with my family.

My whole body went cold as I looked at this man in disbelief.

After sharing a bed for five years, he knew my weaknesses better than anyone. And now he was mercilessly pointing the blade at my most vulnerable spots.

"Fine. I'll go." I closed my eyes and swallowed the bloody taste in my throat.

Stella POV

That afternoon, at New York's most exclusive private bridal boutique.

Luna was like a proud swan, selecting wedding dresses surrounded by staff. I stood expressionlessly to the side like a soulless puppet.

"Miss Forrester, what do you think of this one?" Luna suddenly turned around, pointing to a gown in the center display case.

I followed her finger and my pupils contracted sharply.

It was a strapless gown with a starry gradient pattern, the skirt encrusted with tens of thousands of tiny South African diamonds.

I had drawn the design for this wedding dress three years ago with my own hands.

At the time, I'd shown it to Ethan with such joy, asking if I could wear it when we got married.

What did Ethan say then? He said, "It's beautiful. I'll definitely have it made in the future and put it on you myself."

Now the dress was made, but the person wearing it wasn't me.

"Very beautiful." I heard my mechanical voice.

Luna smiled with satisfaction and turned to enter the fitting room.

Soon after, Ethan pushed the door open. He walked straight to the sofa and sat down, not giving me a single extra glance.

The curtain of the fitting room opened, and Luna walked out in that starry wedding dress, like a fairy descended to earth. She held up her skirt and walked shyly to Ethan. "Ethan, does it look good?"

A flash of amazement crossed Ethan's eyes. He stood up and gently adjusted her veil, his voice so tender it could drip water. "Beautiful. This dress looks like it was custom-made for you."

Luna leaned shyly into his embrace, but her eyes glanced provocatively at me. "I heard this dress was designed by some unknown designer. I was worried it wouldn't be worthy of a billionaire's status."

Ethan laughed lightly, his tone full of disdain. "Who cares who designed it? As long as you like it. Wearing it on you elevates that designer's cheap taste."

Cheap taste.

Those words were like a dull knife, slowly cutting back and forth across my heart.

I watched the embracing couple and suddenly felt it was all absurd. The promise I'd treasured was just a casual lie to him. The design I'd poured all my love into had become cheap garbage in his mouth.

I didn't refute or cry. I just stood quietly in the corner, watching Ethan lower his head to kiss Luna's forehead.

In that moment, I clearly heard the sound of my heart dying.

No heart-wrenching cries of pain, only a barren silence.

On the weekend, I went to Ethan's private villa in Long Island, New York.

This was where we'd lived together for five years. Although Ethan never allowed me to leave too many personal items, five years of accumulation meant there were still traces of me everywhere.

Since I'd decided to leave, I didn't want to leave anything behind to disgust myself.

I entered the password and pushed open the door, only to be frozen by the scene before me.

The living room was in chaos. Several servants were holding large black garbage bags, tossing things in one by one.

The matching coffee mugs I'd bought. The cushions I'd embroidered with our initials. My bunny slippers by the entrance. Even my luxury skincare products from the bathroom.

Everything was being thrown away like trash.

"What are you doing?" I demanded sharply.

The servants stopped and looked at each other. Then someone came down the stairs from the second floor.

Ethan wore gray loungewear, looking at me coldly. "I had them clean up. Luna's moving in next week. She has a cleanliness obsession and can't stand the smell of other women."

I looked at the coffee mug shattered in the trash. We'd made it together during a pottery class on a business trip to Paris. Though he'd looked impatient, he still stayed with me until we finished.

Now it was broken into pieces on the ground.

Stella POV

"Ethan, even if you want to make room for Luna, these are my personal belongings. What right do you have to throw them away like garbage without my permission?" I trembled with anger.

Ethan walked down the stairs, looking down at me with contempt.

"Your things? Stella, name one thing you have that I didn't buy? Keeping all this cheap junk around. Do you want Luna to have to look at it and be bothered?"

He walked to the garbage bag and kicked the clothes inside with his toe, his tone mocking. "Since you're here today, take this garbage with you yourself. Don't dirty my carpet."

I stared at him, my eyes so sore they hurt, but I held it in desperately.

I walked to the garbage bag. I didn't pick up those expensive clothes and jewelry. Instead, I bent down and dug through the pile of items to find a wooden music box.

It was a trinket he'd casually tossed to me five years ago when I first became his secretary. But I'd treasured it like a precious object for five years.

Seeing the music box, Ethan's brow furrowed imperceptibly, but he quickly returned to cold indifference.

"Just taking that?" He laughed coldly. "Stella, you really are pathetically poor."

I held the music box and slowly stood up. I looked at Ethan, my eyes as calm as if looking at a stranger.

"Ethan, these five years, I've done right by every cent you paid me, and done right by every bit of sincerity I gave." My voice was soft but abnormally clear. "You treated my sincerity like garbage. That's fine. Because from today on, in my eyes, you're worth less than garbage."

With that, right in front of Ethan, I used both hands to smash that music box hard against the marble floor.

With a crisp crack, the wooden box shattered into pieces, the spring inside popped out, making a few off-key wails before going completely silent.

Ethan's face instantly turned iron-blue, the veins on his forehead throbbing visibly. "Stella, what the hell are you doing!"

I ignored his rage. I pulled out the spare key that symbolized the villa's mistress status from my bag and casually tossed it onto that pile of garbage.

"Here's your key. I wish you and Miss Sullivan eternal happiness."

I turned around and walked out of the villa without looking back.

It had started pouring rain outside. I didn't carry an umbrella, letting the cold rainwater soak me through.

Rainwater slid down my cheeks. Impossible to tell if it was tears or rain. I didn't feel sad, only an unprecedented sense of relief.

The shackles of five years were finally broken by my own hands in this moment.

Carter Group's 60th anniversary gala.

As chief secretary, I was still forcibly kept in this position by Ethan, responsible for coordinating the entire event. I wore a low-key black business suit, weaving through the well-dressed guests, calm, efficient, and flawless.

When Ethan entered with Luna on his arm, it caused a sensation throughout the venue.

Luna wore a modified evening gown version of that starry wedding dress, adorned with that ten-million-dollar pink diamond, already carrying herself like the future mistress of the Carter family.

"Thank you all for coming tonight." Ethan stood on stage, gazing tenderly at Luna beside him. "I'd also like to take this opportunity to announce some good news. Next month, I will officially get engaged to Miss Luna."

Thunderous applause erupted below. I stood in a dark corner of the ballroom, walkie-talkie in hand, expressionlessly watching that dazzling couple on stage.

Stella POV

After announcing the good news, Luna smiled and walked toward the crystal piano in the center of the hall.

"Today is a special day. I'd like to play a piece dedicated to my fianc."

The piano music began. My fingertips dug sharply into my palm, nails breaking the skin.

This piece was one I'd taught Ethan hand-by-hand three years ago on his birthday. Back then, Ethan had held my hand and said he'd only play this piece for me in the future.

Now, the same melody had become Luna's tool to declare her claim to the world.

When the piece ended, applause thundered through the hall. Luna walked toward Ethan amidst the crowd's praise. As she passed by me, she suddenly stumbled, and the wine glass in her hand tilted directly, the crimson liquid instantly spilling all over me.

"Ah! I'm so sorry, Miss Forrester! I didn't mean to!" Luna cried out, her face full of panic as she apologized, her eyes instantly reddening as if she were the one wronged.

Ethan immediately strode over, pulling Luna protectively into his arms, nervously looking her up and down. "Luna, did you twist your ankle? Are you hurt anywhere?"

From start to finish, he didn't spare a single glance at me, drenched in wine and utterly disheveled.

"I'm fine, but Miss Forrester's clothes..." Luna bit her lip aggrievedly, her eyes secretly glancing at me.

Only then did Ethan turn to look at me. His gaze was cold and disgusted, as if looking at a troublemaker deliberately causing problems.

"Stella, are you blind? What are you doing standing here in the way?" Ethan scolded harshly, his voice loud enough that surrounding guests all looked over.

I looked down at my white shirt stained red. This shirt was bought for me by my mother with her first month's retirement pension. I'd been too reluctant to wear it and only put it on specially for tonight's gala. Now it was completely ruined.

"Luna bumped into me." I raised my head, looking directly into Ethan's eyes, my voice unflinching.

"You dare talk back?" Ethan's eyes grew even darker.

"Luna is so kind, how could she deliberately bump into you? You've ruined her mood. Can you afford to compensate? Hurry up and get to the restroom to change. Stop being an eyesore here!"

Mocking whispers came from the surrounding guests.

"How can this secretary have no manners at all, daring to bump into the future lady boss?"

"I heard she used to be pretty arrogant based on Mr. Carter's trust. Now that the real deal is back, she's got to take the heat, right?"

Every sentence was like a resounding slap across my face.

I watched Ethan carefully protect Luna as they walked away, and suddenly felt it was absurd.

I once thought that if I worked hard enough, was sincere enough, one day I could stand shoulder to shoulder with him. But now I understood that in front of his first love, nothing I did was right. Even breathing was wrong.

I turned and walked toward the restroom. Standing in front of the mirror, looking at that woman covered in wine stains with a pale face, I didn't shed a single tear.

When the heart is already dead, it can't feel pain anymore.

I turned on the faucet, cold water washing over my hands as I slowly cleaned the wine stains from my skin.

When the heart is dead, there's no more pain.

Stella POV

After the gala ended, I didn't return to my own apartment but went back to my parents' home.

In the old apartment complex in the suburbs, there was a comforting atmosphere of everyday life. When my parents saw me return late at night, though surprised, they immediately went to the kitchen to heat up food.

"Stella, no matter how busy work is, you need to take care of your health. Look how thin you've gotten lately." Mom lovingly brought me a steak.

I ate with my head down, my eyes welling up. After enduring all that coldness and humiliation at Ethan's, only here with my parents was I a treasured child.

After dinner, Dad hesitated before speaking. "Stella, we've been discussing something. My friend settled in Vancouver and says the environment there is perfect for retirement. Your mother and I have worked hard our whole lives and want to go out and see the world. We're thinking of settling in Vancouver."

I froze.

My parents had mentioned wanting to retire overseas before, but I'd found various excuses to delay because I couldn't bear to leave Ethan. My parents, feeling sorry for me, had shelved the plan.

"Stella, we know you're busy with work and developing well here. We're not forcing you to come with us, we just wanted your opinion." Mom held my hand, her eyes full of love.

Looking at my parents' graying temples, my heart ached sharply.

For a man who didn't love me, I'd wasted five years of my youth and even neglected the parents who loved me most. What exactly was I holding onto?

"Dad, Mom." I gripped Mom's hand back, raising my head with unprecedented determination in my eyes. "I'll go with you. The sooner the better."

Dad and Mom looked at each other, both seeing delight in the other's eyes.

"Good, good! Then I'll contact the agency tomorrow to process the passport. Our whole family will go together!"

Over the next few days, I began secret preparations. I contacted headhunters, handled my assets, and cooperated with my parents in processing overseas visas and moving arrangements.

At the company, I remained that perfect chief secretary. I no longer argued with Ethan, no longer reacted to Luna's provocations. Like a precision machine, I efficiently handled all work, including the procedures for Ethan and Luna's engagement party.

Ethan keenly noticed the change in me.

I'd become too compliant. No matter how he mocked and ridiculed, no matter how Luna ordered me around, I accepted everything without even frowning.

This compliance didn't satisfy Ethan. Instead, it stirred an inexplicable irritation in his heart.

"For the engagement party favors, Luna wants macarons flown in. Go arrange it." Ethan threw a document in front of me, his gaze fixed on my face, trying to find any trace of jealousy or pain.

"Yes, Mr. Carter. I'll contact the supplier immediately." My tone was emotionlessly professional, even thoughtfully adding, "Luna is allergic to nuts. I'll specifically instruct the supplier to avoid nut ingredients."

Ethan looked at my completely calm eyes, feeling like his punch had landed on cotton. Suffocatingly frustrating.

"Stella, you've finally learned your place." Ethan snorted coldly, trying to hurt me with words.

I smiled slightly. A flawless, impeccable smile. "Mr. Carter taught me well. As a secretary, solving my boss's problems is my duty."

Ethan stared at me intently. After a long moment, he waved his hand irritably. "Get out."

I turned to leave. The moment I closed the office door, the smile dropped from my face. Only icy coldness remained.

Lean my place?

Yes, I knew my place. And I was ready to flip the whole game over.