Ruin My Cheating Ex and Live My Perfect Life

On my birthday, my best friend gifted me an orange tabby. In the middle of the night, the cat actually looked at me, shook its head, and let out a heavy sigh.

She looks pretty, but how can someone be so clueless? Her best friend and boyfriend are literally stabbing her in the back, and she has no idea.

I thought my ears were playing tricks on me. I was just pulling my resignation letter out of my drawer, planning to quit my job with my best friend and go travel.

"Shes busy resigning, while Vivian is busy plotting to steal her promotion and become the General Manager."

"Honestly, her boyfriends scheme is absolutely toxic."

"What a shame. The other neighborhood cats said this company is about to secure a ten-billion-dollar funding round. The future is gold."

The cat's inner voice echoed in my head. My pen froze. I ripped the resignation letter to shreds.

I barely threw the scraps into the trash before my best friend, Vivian, texted me.

[Hey Naomi, let's set our final day for next Monday!]

She even attached a photo of her own signed resignation form.

Right after, my boyfriend, Greg, texted: [Did you fill out the resignation form yet?]

I stared at the screen, my mind blank. I couldn't wrap my head around the betrayal. We grew up together. Vivian had always followed me around like a shadow. I treated her like a real sister. When she couldn't find a job, I brought her into my firm, mentored her step-by-step, and even handed her my own clients. She used to shower me with public thank-yous. And Greg? He had been shouting that hed marry me since we were kids. He confessed his feelings when we were eighteen, and we'd been together ever since. Nearly seven years.

"That designer bag Greg got her for her birthday? Its actually Vivians hand-me-down. Theres a mark on the inside."

"He's been infatuated with Vivian since childhood."

The orange cat's inner voice sounded again.

I rushed to the closet, pulled out the leather purse, and inspected it under the light. Sure enough, etched into the bottom lining were three faint, scratched letters: V.W.

Vivian Wright. Her initials.

In that instant, the last thread of hope snapped. The love and friendship I had cherished so deeply were nothing but hollow, cheap illusions.

"But hey, theres a three-million-dollar lottery ticket hidden inside that bag's serial number."

I whipped my head around.

The orange cat hopped onto the windowsill, licked its paw, and muttered to itself: "The big white Persian at the pet shop said the brand is running a serial-number sweepstakes. The winning number matches this exact bag."

"Greg didn't leave his phone number at the store."

"There are only three days left to claim it!"

I shook off my shock, scrolled frantically through my chat history with Greg, and found the address of the boutique. Id claim it right after work tomorrow. Previously, Greg had suggested I pay the one-million-dollar down payment on a house, and hed handle the monthly mortgage. Now? I didn't need him. I could buy the whole damn place in cash.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed. Greg's contact photo lit up.

"Hey Naomi, you asleep? Why aren't you replying to me and Viv?"

"Did you finish the resignation letter? Viv says Hawaii is incredible. I already booked the tickets for next week. You can't back out now."

Everything was always about Vivian. He used to explain it away by saying, "Were a couple, Naomi. Viv is all on her own. We should look out for her and let her have her way sometimes." I had trusted them blindly.

"I just finished it. I was in the shower," I lied smoothly.

"Awesome! We're finally going to make our childhood dream of traveling the world come true!" He chuckled. "Get some sleep. Love you forever, babe."

His voice was as sweet and gentle as ever, like he was soothing a child. In the past, those late-night sweet nothings would have warmed my heart. Now, they made bile rise in my throat. From this moment on, I wouldn't waste a single second of my life on decayed love or rotten friendship.

The next morning, I arrived at the office parking lot half an hour early. As soon as I parked, I spotted two familiar figures. Greg was leaning down, kissing Vivian's forehead. "You worked hard last night, beautiful," he murmured, his voice dripping with affection.

"Oh, please. I work hard every night," Vivian giggled, swatting his chest. "Youre like a wild animal, always trying to devour me."

My hands clenched the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white. They were sleeping together. Every single night.

"By the way," Vivian asked, leaning against him, "is it really okay to trick Naomi into quitting?"

"Hey, it's a dog-eat-dog world," Greg smirked, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Besides, Naomi is tough. She'll find another job in no time. Shes too sentimental to hold a grudge against you anyway. Once we get married, Ill use her money to pamper you."

Chills ran down my spine. This was the man who promised to love me forever. He was more venomous than a viper. Thank god for my telepathic tabby. It wasn't too late. I didn't storm out to confront them. Instead, I quietly recorded a video on my phone, waited in my car for another ten minutes, and then headed up to the office.

"Naomi!" Vivian was waiting right by my desk, a beaming smile on her face. She grabbed my arm. "Let's go hand in our resignations to the boss."

I didn't resist. I was going to play my part in this little theater.

At Mr. Henderson's office door, Vivian slapped her forehead. "Oh, shoot! Naomi, I think I left my resignation letter at my desk. Go on in first, I'll go grab it."

"Sure," I said with a nod.

As I walked in, I heard her let out a quiet sigh of relief. She thought her little trap had sprung perfectly.

Mr. Henderson welcomed me warmly. "I heard a rumor you were thinking of leaving us, Naomi. Don't tell me this is a resignation letter?"

So Vivian had already started spreading rumors to pave her way to the top.

"Of course not," I replied, shaking my head. I handed him a sleek leather folder. Inside was not a resignation, but a groundbreaking marketing proposal for our upcoming product launch.

Mr. Henderson read through it, nodding with growing enthusiasm. "This is brilliant, Naomi! Absolutely brilliant. Run with it."

"Also, the Marketing Director position has been vacant. The board just finalized the decision to promote you. The official announcement goes out next Monday."

"If this campaign blows up, the final Executive VP slot is yours, along with company shares."

"Thank you, Mr. Henderson. I won't let you down," I said, my heart racing.

Leaving his office, I felt a wave of adrenaline mixed with sheer relief. If it weren't for my cat, I would have thrown my career down the drain. Vivian and Greg would have laughed behind my back while stepping all over me.

I returned to my office. Vivian used the excuse of delivering files to slip inside. "So, Naomi, what did Mr. Henderson say?"

"Not much," I said, keeping my face neutral.

"Wow, he didn't even try to keep you?" Vivian pouted, but her eyes danced with triumph. I let her enjoy her little fantasy.

That evening, Greg was waiting in the parking lot. Vivian naturally slid into the passenger seat, casually resting her legs on the dashboard, showing off her thighs without a care in the world. In the past, I thought it was just childhood-friend comfort. Now, I noticed Greg's eyes constantly darting to her legs with pure lust.

"Naomi," Greg smiled, turning back to me. "Viv says there's a new hotpot place down the street. I sent you the address. Let's go."

"You guys go ahead. I have things to do," I replied coldly.

Greg blinked, surprised. "Come on, whatever it is can wait. Dinner with Viv is a priority."

"Yeah, Naomi! If you don't come, you're not a real friend!" Vivian whined.

In the past, I would have given in. Now, it just felt like cheap emotional blackmail.

"No thanks. Family emergency." I didn't care about their reactions. I got into my car and drove straight to the luxury boutique.

"Hello, could you please check if this serial number has won the sweepstakes?"

The clerk took the bag, ran the number, and beamed. "Congratulations, ma'am! You've won the grand prize of three million dollars. Please step this way."

In less than a minute, the paperwork was done. A text notification buzzed on my phone: $2.7 million had cleared into my account after taxes.

Knowing the store would display a promotional banner next week, I knew Greg and Vivian would find out soon. I immediately called a real estate agent and bought the luxury riverfront penthouse I'd been eyeing for months. Paid in full.

After securing the deed, I went home and sat down with my parents. When they heard about the betrayal, they were shocked but stood firmly by my side, urging me to handle it my way.

Just as we finished dinner, my phone buzzed. Greg and Vivian had added me to a group chat.

Vivian sent a playful voice note: [Naomi, since you ditched us for dinner, youre paying the bill!]

Greg followed up immediately: [Its not much, just $3,888. Just Venmo it to me.]

Normally, I would have paid to keep the peace. This time, I ignored it and went to take a shower.

By the time I got out, the group chat had over 99 unread messages.

Vivian: [Naomi? Why aren't you answering?]

Greg: [It's been ten minutes. The waiter is waiting.]

Vivian: [Wow, I guess our friendship doesn't mean much to you anymore.]

Greg: [Seriously, Naomi, youre being so petty. Whatever, we'll pay it ourselves!]

Only then did I reply: [Just got out of the shower.]

Nobody replied. In the past, I would have sent them each a thousand-dollar digital red envelope to make up for it. What an idiot I had been.

I gave my cat some freeze-dried treats and sat down at my laptop. I needed to perfect the marketing plan for Monday's pitch.

The orange cat hopped onto the desk, staring at the screen. "The office cats say the big boss loves pets but tries to act all tough and professional. Hes been wishing someone would pitch a pet-themed marketing campaign."

A spark of inspiration hit me. I immediately rewrote the strategy, weaving in a brilliant pet-friendly angle.

I worked through the night. Just as dawn broke, Greg called.

"Naomi, you were way out of line yesterday. Ditching the bill like that really hurt Viv. She actually cried. I heard she wanted a designer necklace at the mall. Why don't you buy it for her to make peace?"

I almost laughed out loud. He really was taking the "spend Naomi's money to pamper Vivian" rule to heart.

"It's for the sake of our group," Greg continued. "Just pay for it, Viv will be happy, and I won't be mad at you anymore."

If I were still blind, I would have felt guilty. But now, I just felt disgust.

"I worked all night and I'm exhausted," I said flatly. "Go check it out yourself."

"Great!" Greg chirped, assuming I was agreeing to pay, and hung up.

Vivian immediately texted: [Naomi, youre the absolute best! Im not mad at you anymore. Love you, xoxo!]

I ignored it and fell asleep.

When I woke up in the evening, my screen was filled with more texts.

Vivian: [I found a better one! Its 0-088,000. Buy this one for me instead!]

Greg: [Since you didn't say no, we'll assume it's a yes. Viv put it on an installment plan, you can just go pay it off next week.]

Vivian: [No interest if paid within a month! Don't forget, Naomi!]

She even posted a photo of the necklace on her Instagram, naturally omitting who paid for it. The comments were flooded with jealousy. When someone asked if she got a massive raise, she replied: [Oh, it's nothing major!]

Greg commented: [My girl is the best.]

The cheek of it. I only wore a thousand-dollar necklace, and Vivian casually swiped my imaginary credit card for a 0-088k piece. But I didn't say a word. I wanted to see how Vivian, who lived paycheck to paycheck, would handle the bill when I refused to pay.

Monday morning arrived. Vivian walked into the office wearing the glittering 0-088,000 diamond necklace. She deliberately raised her voice so everyone could hear. "Naomi, do you like it?"

"It's beautiful," I smiled.

The other colleagues crowded around. "Oh my god, Vivian, how much was that?"

"Just 0-088,000," Vivian smirked, secretly squeezing my hand, signaling me to keep quiet and play along.

"Wow! 0-088,000? Vivian, I had no idea you were so loaded!"

"I wish I had your talent."

"Naomi, look at your friend, and look at you. She's really outshining you now."

"Exactly. Naomi brought her into the company, but Vivian is the one wearing a house on her neck. Naomi has nothing."

They gossiped and compared us. Vivian didn't defend me; she just bathed in the praise. I simply smiled.

"Alright, quiet down everyone!" Mr. Henderson walked into the department. "I am here to announce the new Marketing Director."

Vivian's grin widened, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. She was practically vibrating. The colleagues all looked at her, expecting her name to be called since the rumor of my resignation was widespread.

Mr. Henderson turned to me. "Effective today, Naomi Stone is our new Marketing Director."

Vivian's smile instantly shattered. She whipped her head toward me, her eyes wide with absolute shock.