He Threw Me Away, So I Became My Own Universe

Ethan and I grew up together.

When I was grounded as a kid, he would sneak out to stay with me.

When I was sick, he would drive across town just to get me my favorite strawberry cake.

When I was bullied, he fought them until he bled, then looked at me with a bruised face and smiled.

Don't worry, Chloe. I've got you.

Everyone said he loved me. I believed them too.

Until my twentieth birthday.

Tipsy and brave, I finally gathered the courage to kiss him.

But Ethan took a step back, his handsome brow furrowing.

He took Naomi's hand, who was standing right next to him, and said:

"Chloe, I have only ever seen you as a sister."

Our friends went dead silent, staring at us.

After that, I stopped crossing the line.

I stayed in my place as his "sister."

I watched him and Naomi go everywhere together.

I even smiled and gave him advice, teaching him how to make it up to Naomi when they fought.

But one night, Ethan got wasted. With bloodshot eyes, he grabbed my wrist.

"Are you really that okay with this? Can't you at least show some jealousy?"

I just smiled.

But I didn't want to cross that line anymore.

At the company's anniversary gala, Ethan walked up to me with a champagne glass. His voice was as gentle as ever.

"Chloe, I will drive you home after this."

I shook my head, my eyes drifting to Naomi, who was laughing and chatting with some investors nearby.

"No need. Stay with Naomi. She is wearing high heels tonight; it is not convenient for her to be alone."

Ethan's brow furrowed slightly.

"When did you start being so polite with me?"

I smiled but didn't say anything.

It wasn't politeness. It was the boundary a "sister" should keep.

During the highlight of the gala, the host decided to play a game to hype up the crowd.

"Mr. Carter, what would you say is the luckiest moment of your life?"

The spotlight hit Ethan. He let out a soft smile, his gaze sweeping past the crowd to land on Naomi.

"The luckiest moment... was meeting my sunshine when I thought my entire world had gone dark."

The crowd cheered and swooned. Naomi blushed and lowered her head.

And I, sitting in a dark corner, downed my glass of red wine.

Only I knew that during those "dark days" he talked about, I was the one who pulled all-nighters for three months straight to rewrite our business proposals. I was the one who poured all of my parents' inheritance into his company to save him from bankruptcy.

But now that he was in the clear, Naomi was his sunshine.

And I was nothing.

Some drunk colleague boldly teased him.

"Hey Ethan, what about Chloe then? You two grew up together. That is a real-life childhood sweetheart romance!"

"Yeah! If it weren't for Chloe back then, Carter Tech wouldn't even exist today!"

The atmosphere instantly turned awkward.

The smile on Ethan's face faded. Just as he was about to speak,

I stood up first.

I raised my glass toward them and smiled.

"Guys, stop joking around. Ethan and I are like family. As his sister, I only want him to be happy."

"Come on, let's toast to Ethan and Naomi!"

I threw my head back and drank the wine, swallowing all my bitterness and pain along with it.

After the gala, I took the initiative to leave early.

Ethan and Naomi caught up to me from behind.

"Chloe."

Ethan called out, but before he could say more, Naomi's phone rang.

She answered it, and her face instantly turned pale.

"Ethan... my mom. She has been rushed to the ER!"

Ethan's expression changed. He immediately held her up.

"Don't panic. I will drive you there right now."

He turned to look at me, hesitating.

Even though this had happened countless times, seeing him hesitate still made my heart ache.

I took a deep breath and pointed to the headlights of an approaching car.

"My Uber is here. You guys should go. Her mom is more important."

Ethan looked relieved. He got into the car with Naomi.

The window rolled down. He leaned out, his brow furrowed as he said,

"The final pitch for the Starlight Initiative is tomorrow. Don't wander off. Wait for me to come back."

I laughed at myself.

Ethan wouldn't come back. And I wouldn't be stupid enough to wait.

I pulled my coat tighter and walked down the street alone.

If every heartbreak is a slow death, then my heart had already died twice because of Ethan.

The first time was on my twentieth birthday, when he announced to everyone that Naomi was his girlfriend.

I deleted every cozy post about him on my Snapchat, and threw away every gift he had ever given me.

But twenty years of connection are carved deep into your bones.

Even now, the model spaceship he built for me sits on my bookshelf. He once told me he would take me to see the universe.

A custom gown he stayed up all night to buy for me still hangs in my closet.

And the Starlight Initiative on my laptop was a dream we had brainstormed since college. It was the career we swore to build together for the rest of our lives.

He once said, "Chloe, my parents passed away early. I have no family left. I want you to fill the rest of my life."

But later, he said, "Naomi is the only one I owe in this world. Chloe, don't cross the line. You are just my sister."

My twentieth birthday was my first attempt to set myself free.

And this time, it was time for a final goodbye.

As long as tomorrow's Starlight pitch went smoothly and we secured the funding, I could disappear from his life forever.

But the next day, when I stood in the conference room, Ethan was missing.

His phone went unanswered.

I called him again and again, moving from anxiety to complete numbness.

Finally, on the dozens of attempts, the call connected.

"Ethan, where are---"

"Oh, Chloe," Naomi's sleepy voice came through the speaker. "Ethan stayed up with me all night. He is too exhausted and is still asleep. Is there something you need?"

My mind went blank.

Through the speaker, I heard Ethan's muffled, groggy voice.

"Who is it? Is that Chloe?"

"No, babe. Just a telemarketer..."

For the next two hours, I felt like a lone soldier, facing the investors' sharp questions and doubts all by myself.

But Starlight was a dream created by both of us. Without his technical presentation, my explanations sounded hollow and powerless.

In the end, the investors politely declined.

I packed up all the project files alone and left the office.

For a whole week, I locked myself in my room.

I frantically called every investor we knew.

But the response was always the same.

"Miss Miller, we are sorry, but we cannot trust a project where the core team shows such a massive lack of commitment."

Until an investor I was close with finally spilled the truth.

"Chloe, stop wasting your breath. Naomi Vance personally explained everything to us. She said you and Ethan have irreconcilable personal conflicts, which led to this disaster. She said for the sake of the project, she will be taking over."

When the call ended, my body went cold.

I walked to the mirror and looked at my pale, exhausted reflection.

Suddenly, it all felt so pointless.

On the eighth day, Ethan finally showed up.

"I am sorry, Chloe. I---"

Before he could finish, I used all my strength to slap him across the face.

"You bastard, Ethan!"

His face turned to the side from the impact.

But he didn't get annoyed like he usually did. He just took it in silence.

Once I stopped breathing heavily, he explained in a low voice.

"Naomi's mother was in critical condition. I couldn't just stand by."

"We can always find another opportunity for the project. But a life can't be replaced."

My hands shook with rage. I pointed at his face, but not a single word could come out.

He apparently thought this explanation wasn't enough.

He grabbed my wrists, forcing me to look into his eyes, and said syllable by syllable:

"You grew up in a happy, loving family, Chloe. You can't understand the terror of losing your only family."

I stared at him in utter disbelief.

He knew. He knew damn well that my parents died in a plane crash during my senior year of college. That was the deepest wound in my heart.

He had held me back then, promising he would be my family and stay with me forever.

At this moment, the last shred of warmth in my heart evaporated.

I suddenly laughed.

I slowly pulled my hands out of his grip and looked at him calmly.

"Yeah, you are right. I don't understand."

"Ethan, so in your heart, even my parents' tragic deaths can't compare to a single whine from Naomi."

The color drained from his face instantly. His lips trembled, as if he wanted to explain.

But I didn't want to hear it.

Like a madwoman, I grabbed everything within reach and hurled it at him, screaming at him to get the hell out.

He just watched me quietly. Once I collapsed to the floor out of exhaustion, he walked over, looked down at me, and sighed.

"Chloe, look at yourself. You are only acting this spoiled because you know how much I pamper you."

"I will find new investors for the Starlight Initiative. But since you are emotionally unstable right now, Naomi will take your place."

After he left, I curled up in the mess of my room and sobbed until I lost my voice.

My phone buzzed. It was a text from Naomi.

"Chloe, I heard your project fell through. What a pity. But don't worry, Ethan and I will bring this project back to life!"

"It is all Ethan's fault. I told him my mom was fine, but he insisted on abandoning your precious pitch just to stay with me."

"But then again, you have been clinging to him for so many years. You brought this on yourself."

I stared at the screen, my mind completely numb. After a long silence, I dialed a number I hadn't called in a very long time.

"The offer you made... I accept."

Suddenly, another notification popped up on WhatsApp.

"Chloe, you need to get to the office right now. Something happened!"

I grabbed my phone and rushed to the company.

I pushed open the conference room door without hesitation. Everyone's eyes immediately locked onto me.

"Chloe, about the Starlight pitch..."

I interrupted the board member directly.

"It was my mistake that caused us to lose the investment."

Ethan snapped his head up to look at me.

"I am deeply sorry for causing such severe consequences. Therefore, starting today, the Starlight Initiative is entirely Ethan's. I am resigning from the company and stepping down from the board."

My words caught everyone off guard.

The shareholders looked at each other, stuttering, "Well... it doesn't have to go that far..."

I just smiled.

"I take full responsibility. I failed to get the funding, and I accept the consequences."

Ethan shot up from his chair, calling out instinctively, "Chloe..."

I barely glanced at him.

"Ethan, I am tired. I am done playing your games."

The news of my departure spread like wildfire through the industry.

After that day, Naomi was promoted to a shareholder and took over the Starlight Initiative, basking in glory.

My bio on the company website was taken down and replaced by her photo and resume.

The comment section was filled with flattery and congratulations, as if I had never existed.

Ethan and Naomi attended various industry galas and forums together. Someone posted their photo in our Snapchat group chat with the caption: "High school sweethearts, meeting at the peak of success."

It got dozens of likes.

As for me, many in the industry started kicking me while I was down.

"Ethan was just too nice, spoiling her for so many years. Now that he has stopped, she has gone into hiding!"

"Pfft, everyone knows the Starlight Initiative was Chloe's masterpiece. Now Ethan put Naomi's name on it."

Through it all, I never showed my face.

Until the day of the Starlight launch event.

I took a cab to the venue, found a staff uniform backstage, and changed into it.

Once I was sure I wouldn't be recognized, I slipped into the main hall.

At that moment, Naomi was on stage as the lead project manager, giving her speech.

She was dressed in a high-end white designer suit, her makeup flawless.

"...To achieve today's success, I want to thank my team, and most importantly, Ethan. It was his unconditional trust and support that gave me the courage to make this dream a reality!"

Thunderous applause erupted. Countless spotlights focused on her.

The host smiled and took over the mic.

"Thank you, Ms. Vance, for that wonderful speech! Next, with our warmest applause, let us welcome the legend of our tech industry, Mr. Ethan Carter, to reveal the official launch name of the product!"

Ethan walked onto the stage, his gaze warmly landing on Naomi as he took the mic.

"Ms. Vance is the most talented and resilient woman I have ever met. This project is like our child, representing the sweat and blood of both of us."

"She deserves this glory entirely!"

The applause grew even louder.

Then, Ethan and Naomi stood side by side, preparing to press the launch button together.

The double doors of the hall pushed open. I looked at the man walking in, stood up, and shouted:

"Wait a minute!"