When the Sun Sets on Yesterday's Love

Under the spotlight, Ethan Wyatt gave away what should have been my endorsement deal to his first love, treating it as a reunion gift.

Hailey, Serena needs this title more than you do.

Eight years of secret love, four years of a hidden relationship. I spent my youth helping him build his empire, yet he casually handed away the project I'd poured three months of blood, sweat, and tears into.

On that rainy night when stomach cramps left me writhing in pain, I called him, only to hear him tenderly coaxing someone else.

To me, he had just one cold sentence. "Get lost. Don't bother me."

That moment, I finally understood. In his heart, I wasn't even qualified to compete for his affection.

I didn't cry or make a scene. I burned every memory of him and canceled my phone number.

Ethan Wyatt, I'm done playing the fool for love.

Hailey POV

The Starlight Awards venue was ablaze with intersecting spotlights and bustling energy.

I sat in the VIP section of the front row, my flawless makeup glowing under the lights. As a top beauty influencer with over thirty million followers, I deserved this attention. But at that moment, my racing heart was because of another man.

Ethan Wyatt, CEO of Wyatt Corporation.

Today marked the fourth anniversary of our secret relationship and the eighth year I'd loved him in silence.

Before coming here, Ethan's assistant had hinted that tonight, Wyatt Corporation's luxury cosmetics brand "Mystique" would announce me as their first global ambassador.

This wasn't just the ultimate validation of my career. It was Ethan's special promise to me.

On stage, Ethan stood in his custom-tailored suit, noble and aloof, his features radiating decisive coldness.

He gripped the microphone, his deep voice resonating throughout the venue.

"Tonight, I will announce Mystique's global ambassador."

I took a deep breath, unable to suppress the slight curve of my lips.

"She is... Serena Mitchell."

A crash echoed in my mind as the taut string inside me snapped instantly, the smile freezing on my face.

The venue erupted in applause, but I couldn't hear anything anymore.

Serena Mitchell? That ex-girlfriend who'd occupied a corner of Ethan's heart for years but had decisively left for abroad four years ago?

The spotlight instantly swung to the other side of the audience.

Serena, in a white dress like a pure swan, rose amid gasps from the crowd, lifted her skirt hem, and walked onto the stage.

Her eyes reddened as she threw herself into Ethan's arms.

And that man who always had a severe case of mysophobia and maintained cold distance. He didn't push her away.

Instead, he naturally wrapped his arm around her waist, his eyes showing a tenderness I'd never seen in four years.

"Serena just came back. This endorsement is my gift to her." Ethan spoke into the microphone, his tone dripping with affection.

The crowd below erupted. Media flashbulbs went crazy. Everyone marveled at Mr. Wyatt's devotion, but no one noticed that I, sitting in the front row, had lost all color in my face.

My pride in staying composed shattered in that instant.

For this endorsement, I'd worked nonstop for three months, turned down all other brand collaborations, and even created countless free promotional reviews for "Mystique."

Ethan knew exactly how important this endorsement was to me.

But the moment Serena returned, all my efforts became a joke.

After the event ended, I don't know how I made it to the VIP lounge backstage. I pushed open the door to find Ethan bent over, adjusting the hem of Serena's dress.

Hearing the sound, Ethan straightened up, his expression instantly reverting to its usual coldness.

"Hailey? Perfect timing. Serena just got back and isn't familiar with the beauty industry here yet. Half of those top-tier resources you have. Transfer them to her team first." His tone was flat, as if discussing the weather.

My fingernails dug into my palms as I fought to keep my voice from trembling. "Mr. Wyatt, we already signed a letter of intent for the Mystique endorsement."

Ethan frowned slightly, seemingly displeased by my lack of understanding. "Serena needs this title more than you to break into the market. You're already top-tier. One less endorsement won't affect you much. Be good. Don't make a fuss."

Be good. Don't make a fuss.

Those words were like a dull knife, sawing back and forth across my heart. Looking at Ethan's matter-of-fact expression, I suddenly found these eight years of feelings absurdly laughable.

Hailey POV

"Ethan, this is my career." I looked directly at him, my voice not loud but carrying a stubborn resolve. "I can give up the endorsement, but the resources my team worked hard to negotiate. Why should I hand them over?"

The moment I finished speaking, Serena, hiding behind Ethan, gently tugged his sleeve, her voice extremely soft.

"Ethan, forget it. Hailey might have misunderstood me. I don't want to affect your working relationship because of me. I don't need the resources. I'll just work my way up slowly."

"You just got back. How are you going to build your career?" Ethan gripped Serena's hand in return, and when he turned to look at me, his eyes had completely frozen over.

"Hailey, since when did you become so petty? Don't forget. You only got where you are because of the company's platform. Now the company needs to reallocate resources, and as a contracted influencer, you must follow the company's arrangements."

My heart turned completely cold.

So in his eyes, all my achievements from four years of endless makeup testing, script writing, and late-night livestreams were just handouts from Ethan Wyatt.

I took a deep breath, suppressing the sourness in my eyes, straightening my spine. "Fine. I'll follow company arrangements."

With that, I turned and pulled open the door, leaving without a trace of lingering attachment.

The moment the door closed, I heard Serena's saccharine voice. "Ethan, is Hailey angry? The way she looked at me was so scary."

"Don't mind her. She's always been sensible. She'll be fine in a couple days." Ethan's voice was still so confident.

I stopped in the empty hallway, tilted my head back, and blinked back my tears.

Yes, I was so sensible that he thought I had no heart and felt no pain.

Over the next few days, I truly experienced what "resource reallocation" meant.

The international luxury magazine cover I'd already booked was suddenly switched to Serena.

The prime position at the annual beauty awards my team had spent half a month planning was forcibly given to Serena.

Even my exclusive top-tier photography studio was commandeered by Serena under the pretext of "needing to shoot makeup test photos."

My assistant cried in the studio. "Hailey, they're going too far! You stayed up three nights straight perfecting that lighting, and she takes it with one word?"

I sat in front of the makeup mirror, looking at my slightly haggard reflection, and calmly handed my assistant a tissue. "Let her use it."

I wasn't unwilling to fight. I just knew I couldn't win.

In this industry, money makes the rules, and Ethan Wyatt was the biggest money of all. With him favoring Serena, I didn't even have room to resist.

That evening, Ethan unexpectedly returned to the luxury penthouse we shared.

He seemed to have forgotten the conflict from days earlier, hugging me from behind as I removed my makeup, resting his chin in the crook of my neck, his tone carrying a trace of patronizing warmth. "Had a rough few days? Tomorrow I'll take you to pick out a bag as compensation."

I looked at our overlapping figures in the mirror, my heart filled with endless desolation.

"No need." I gently pulled away from his embrace. "I don't need it."

Ethan's hand froze in midair, his brow furrowing. "Hailey, enough is enough. I've already given your resources to Serena. Compensating you is only fair. Why do you have to act all cold like this? Who are you trying to show?"

Hailey POV

"I'm not putting on an act. I'm just tired." I turned to face him, looking directly into Ethan's eyes. Those eyes that had captivated me for eight years now only felt strange.

Ethan looked at my calm expression, his brow slightly furrowed, seeming irritated. In the past, the slightest kindness from him would make my eyes light up like stars.

This current distant attitude seemed to make him feel like he'd lost control.

"If you're tired, rest for a few days." His tone was stiff. "You don't need to do tomorrow night's Starry Night livestream. Give your prime time slot to Serena. She just took on the Mystique endorsement and needs a wave of major traffic exposure."

I clenched the makeup remover cotton in my hand.

"Starry Night" was my annual fan appreciation special. Fans had been posting countdown anticipation on social media for two weeks.

Now he wanted me to cancel last minute and redirect millions of viewers to Serena?

"Ethan, this is my promise to my fans. I can't give it up." For the first time, I refused him with such a firm tone.

Ethan's expression darkened. "Hailey, don't make me repeat myself. Serena's livestream debut can't have any mishaps. You have a strong fan base and the best traffic conversion. Think of the bigger picture. Do you understand?"

"The bigger picture? Your bigger picture is using my hard work to pave her path?" My eyes reddened, but my voice turned ice-cold.

"Enough!" Ethan cut me off sharply, his eyes as cold as if looking at an unreasonable stranger. "Serena is the person I want to promote. As a company employee, cooperation is your job. If you don't even have this much generosity, you don't need to be an influencer with millions of followers either."

With that, he grabbed his coat and slammed the door.

The loud bang of the door echoed through the empty apartment as I collapsed into the chair, drained. Wave after wave of sharp pain hit my chest, making it impossible to breathe.

The next evening, my livestream went live as scheduled, but the person sitting in front of the camera wasn't me. It was Serena.

I was forced to work behind the scenes as on-site management. Watching Serena on screen use my carefully prepared script to act cute and flirty with my fans, the comments section filled with questions and criticism.

"Why isn't it Hailey? Who is this woman?"

"Give us back Hailey! We refuse to watch someone who got in through connections!"

"Her skills are terrible. She can't even get the lipstick shade numbers right!"

Looking at the comments, Serena's eyes instantly reddened as she pitifully addressed the camera. "I'm sorry everyone. This is my first livestream, so I might not be doing well. Hailey wasn't feeling well, so Ethan asked me to fill in for her..."

That one word, "Ethan," instantly dragged Ethan into the center of controversy while confirming her close relationship with him.

After the livestream ended, Serena cried backstage, her face covered in tears. Ethan rushed over upon hearing the news, pulled her into his arms, then turned to look at me with ice-cold, sharp eyes.

"I told you to give her the time slot, not to get trolls to attack her in the comments!" Ethan's voice was freezing cold.

I looked at him in disbelief. "You think I hired them?"

"Who else would do something like this out of jealousy?" Ethan accused me mercilessly. "Hailey, I never realized how vicious you were."

Hailey POV

"Vicious?" I repeated the word, a cold smile curving my lips.

Eight years of wholehearted devotion, four years of silent companionship. In his eyes, they couldn't compare to a few tears from Serena.

My pride, my professionalism, my sincerity. He trampled them all mercilessly underfoot.

"Ethan, if I were truly vicious, she wouldn't have been able to sit in that livestream room today." My gaze swept coldly over Serena hiding in his arms playing the victim, my tone completely calm.

"Those comments were genuine reactions from my fans. If the person you value has poor professional skills, don't blame the audience for not buying it."

BANG!

Ethan violently slammed the documents in his hand onto the table, the enormous crash instantly silencing the entire backstage area.

"Hailey, watch your attitude!" He was furious, as if his authority had been challenged. "Post a statement immediately clarifying that you were absent for personal reasons and publicly support Serena. Otherwise, all your commercial partnerships will be indefinitely suspended."

Threatening me with my career?

Looking at this man I'd loved for eight years, the last glimmer of light in my eyes finally extinguished completely.

"Fine. I'll post it." I didn't yell or cry. I just very calmly took out my phone and, right in front of him, posted an update.

No support, no clarification. Just one simple sentence: "As you wish."

After posting, I tossed my phone on the table and turned to walk out of the backstage area. From the corner of my eye, Ethan's brow seemed deeply furrowed, his expression flashing with what looked like panic, but it was quickly interrupted by Serena's sobbing.

Half a month later, the annual Fashion Gala was held as scheduled.

As a prominent beauty influencer, I originally had an exclusive custom starry sky gown from the brand. This dress took two months of communication with the designer to finalize and represented my highest fashion resource of the year.

However, two hours before the red carpet began, someone from the brand awkwardly came to my dressing room and handed me an ordinary off-season ready-to-wear piece.

"Hailey, we're terribly sorry. Mr. Wyatt just instructed us to transfer that custom starry sky gown... to Miss Mitchell."

My hand, which had been drawing my eyebrows, jerked to a halt, the eyebrow pencil leaving a glaring red mark at my temple.

"He says transfer and you transfer?" My assistant trembled with rage. "That dress was custom-made to Hailey's measurements. Can Serena even fit in it?"

"Mr. Wyatt said if the measurements don't fit, we can alter it, but Miss Mitchell must be the center of attention tonight." The brand representative wiped cold sweat, not daring to meet my eyes.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and when I opened them again, my eyes held only deathly silence.

Center of attention? By stripping away my dignity to create Serena's moment of glory?

"Hailey, let's not go! We won't attend this event!" my assistant pleaded, eyes red.

"Attend. Why wouldn't we attend?" I stood up and took the off-season outfit, my tone devoid of any fluctuation. "It's just a dress. I didn't get where I am today because of clothes."

That night on the red carpet, Serena wore that ill-fitting starry sky gown on Ethan Wyatt's arm, making a grand entrance as the finale. Media cameras captured them like the perfect couple.

And I, wearing that plain off-season outfit, walked alone in the cold wind.

Around me were undisguised mockery and gossip from industry peers. "So what if she's top-tier? Offend Mr. Wyatt and she can't even borrow a decent dress."

I didn't lower my head. I kept my spine straight, each step resolute. But in the corners where cameras couldn't reach, watching Ethan thoughtfully shield Serena from the wind, something inside my heart completely collapsed.

Hailey POV

Late that night after the Fashion Gala, New York was hit by a torrential downpour.

I dragged my exhausted body back to the penthouse I shared with Ethan. The place was pitch black, cold and silent without a trace of life.

Between continuous high-intensity work and catching a chill on the red carpet, my chronic stomach condition flared up without warning.

The stabbing pain felt like an invisible hand ruthlessly clutching my stomach. I broke out in cold sweat, my whole body curling up on the cold floor.

My trembling hands fumbled for my phone, and out of habit, I dialed Ethan's number.

Over these four years, no matter how independent I was, when sick I would instinctively depend on him. Even though he was always busy, even though he would only coldly have his assistant send medicine, I was still willing.

The phone rang for a long time before being answered.

"What is it?" Ethan's voice carried a trace of impatience.

"Ethan, my stomach hurts... could you... call a doctor for me..." My voice trembled with pain.

The other end went silent for a second, then Serena's sweet voice came through. "Ethan, it's thundering outside. I'm so scared. Can you please not leave..."

My breathing stopped instantly.

"It's just thunder. Don't be scared, I'm here with you." Ethan's voice held a tenderness I'd never heard before. Then he coldly said into the phone, "If your stomach hurts, take medicine yourself. I'm not a doctor. Hailey, stop using these pathetic tactics to compete for my attention and bother me."

The dial tone after he hung up sounded particularly harsh in the silent room.

I held the phone and suddenly let out a low laugh. As I laughed, tears uncontrollably fell onto the back of my hand.

Competing for attention? So when I was in unbearable pain, he only thought I was competing with Serena for his attention.

In that moment, I suddenly felt very tired. Eight years of pursuit, four years of humiliation. I'd lowered myself to the dirt, yet hadn't earned even a trace of his concern.

The stabbing pain in my stomach continued, but the pain in my heart had gone numb.

I forced myself to crawl up, not taking medicine or calling a doctor, but instead dragged a suitcase from the closet.

This penthouse was huge, filled everywhere with traces of my careful decorating. Matching mugs, matching slippers, curtains I'd personally selected... but now it all seemed like one enormous joke.

I didn't take a single thing Ethan had bought. I only packed a few of my old clothes and essential work items. Makeup brushes and my camera.

When I arrived, I was full of joy, thinking I'd finally entered his world.

When I left, I was utterly alone, not wanting to take even a trace of memory with me.

As the suitcase wheels rolled across the wooden floor with dull thuds, I took one last look at this place I'd lived for four years.

"Ethan Wyatt, we're even now."

I pushed open the door and walked into the raging storm outside. Ice-cold rain hit my face, yet it made me feel more clear-headed than ever before.

Later I learned that the next morning, Ethan received a call from his assistant.

The assistant told him I'd mailed back my studio keys and access cards to the company and unilaterally submitted a contract termination request to the company's legal department.

I heard that Ethan only gave a cold laugh at the time, thinking I was crazy and couldn't afford the penalty fee. He was certain I was just throwing a tantrum to make him give in, and even ordered all my resources cut off, wanting to see how long I could stay stubborn.

Hailey POV

Ethan probably thought I was playing hard to get, but he underestimated how resolute I could be.

Three days after submitting my termination request, the company's most important publication, "Elite Fashion" magazine, was shooting their annual cover. The original star was supposed to be me, but with one word from Ethan, the star became Serena.

That wasn't all. Ethan even had his assistant deliver an ultimatum: if I wanted a smooth termination, I had to serve as "Lead Makeup Artist" and personally create the cover makeup look for Serena.

He wanted me to do styling for the woman who'd stolen my resources and even stolen my boyfriend.

This wasn't just workplace suppression. It was the ultimate trampling on my professional dignity.

In the studio, my assistant was so angry she threw things. "Hailey, you can't go! What does Ethan Wyatt think you are? Your hands create commercial value. They're not for serving that scheming woman!"

I looked at my calm reflection in the mirror, my eyes holding not a trace of emotion.

"I'll go. Why not?" I organized my makeup kit. "This is my last assignment at this company. Once it's done, I'll be completely free."

At the shoot location, Serena sat in front of the makeup mirror radiating superiority. Seeing me walk in carrying my makeup kit, triumph flashed in her eyes.

"Oh my, Hailey, I'm so sorry. Ethan insisted your skills were the best and made you come do my makeup. How inconvenient for you." Serena covered her mouth, her tone full of showing off.

I didn't even glance at her, professionally opening my makeup kit. "Miss Mitchell, your skin condition is very poor. The foundation needs to be applied thicker. Close your eyes."

Serena was stung by my cold attitude. She bit her lip and let me apply makeup to her face.

For two full hours, I relied on my professional skills to transform Serena's ordinary face into one with an advanced, cool elegance. Even the photographer beside us couldn't help but praise it repeatedly.

However, halfway through the shoot, Serena suddenly screamed and covered her face.

"It hurts so much! My face hurts so much!"

The entire venue erupted in chaos. Ethan, hearing the commotion, rushed over from the adjacent conference room and quickly approached Serena.

"What happened?" He pushed aside the staff blocking his way and pulled Serena into his arms.

Serena looked up. Her face, which had been carefully made up moments ago, was now covered in large patches of red rashes that looked extremely serious.

She cried, her whole body trembling, pointing at me standing to the side.

"Ethan, it was her... the foundation Hailey used on me has a problem. My face hurts so much. Am I going to be disfigured..."

Ethan's gaze shot toward me, his eyes full of disgust and disbelief.

"Hailey, what the hell are you doing?!" he roared, his voice echoing through the photography studio.

I stood calmly in place, still holding the foundation bottle. "I only used products from the company's own line. The batch number and ingredients are all fine. If she's allergic, it's her own skin sensitivity, or..."

"Enough!" Ethan didn't listen to my explanation at all, cutting me off directly. "I thought you were just being willful. I didn't expect that for revenge, you'd abandon even professional ethics! Serena's work depends entirely on her appearance. You've ruined her face. That's going too far!"

Looking at this furious man before me, I suddenly felt strangely unfamiliar.

This was the man I'd loved for eight years. Without any evidence, based solely on one sentence from Serena, he'd found me guilty.

"Ethan, do you believe that anything Serena says must be true?" My voice was soft but carried bone-chilling coldness.

"The facts are right in front of us. You still want to make excuses?"

Ethan looked at me coldly. "Apologize to Serena immediately! Otherwise, I'll have the entire industry blacklist you so you can never work in this field again!"