My Boyfriend Left Me to Be Assaulted

Ethan Vance was a control freak.

After we started dating, he banned me from talking to other guys.

He wouldn't let me wear revealing clothes.

Bars and clubs were strictly off-limits.

For a long time, I thought it was just because he loved me too much.

Until one night, I accompanied my best friend, Sienna, to a business gala.

Two male clients tried to force drinks down our throats.

Ethan suddenly burst in. With bloodshot eyes, he swept Sienna away, even though she hadn't touched a single drop of alcohol.

"Sienna, didn't I tell you you're too innocent for these kinds of events? Why do you always make me worry!"

Then, he turned to me. His eyes were cold, filled with disgust.

"I set so many rules for you, yet you're still this wild. I knew you were the one who corrupted Sienna."

With that, he carried Sienna out of the VIP lounge.

But I was the one who had been blocking the drinks for Sienna.

Left behind in that room, I was brutally assaulted all night.

When I finally dragged my broken body back home from the police station, Ethan was carefully tending to a perfectly unharmed Sienna.

He didn't even look up. "You're back? I was just about to pick you up."

My entire body shook.

The sheer humiliation ripped through my chest, making it hard to breathe.

Using every last bit of my strength, I managed to speak:

"Ethan, let's break up."

Ethan froze for two seconds, then let out a sharp, angry laugh.

"Chloe, haven't you had enough? You know Sienna gets scared easily, yet you still took her to a place like that."

"I'm just cleaning up your mess. Shouldn't I take care of her?"

I tightly clutched the police report receipt in my hand.

Under my fingernails was the dried skin of the man I had scraped while fighting back.

"Ethan, I was the one who was forced to drink. But you only took her away. Is Sienna your girlfriend, or am I?"

"I know your tolerance. A few drinks wouldn't get you drunk. But Sienna is different. She's never had alcohol."

Ethan cut me off with a wave of his hand.

"Besides, Sienna worked on this project for three months. If you walked out, what was the client supposed to do?"

Hearing those words made my ears ring.

Ethan and I had been together for six years.

He used to hold me close, promising to protect me for the rest of my life.

He used to treat me like his whole world, getting jealous for a whole day if another guy even looked at me.

But now, for my best friend, he had abandoned me in a room full of monsters, letting them trample over me.

I clenched my fists to keep myself from completely breaking down.

"I called the police."

The living room fell dead silent.

Ethan let out another sarcastic laugh.

But he didn't care why I called them. Instead, he tucked Sienna in gently, stood up, and marched over to confront me.

"Just because you're jealous, you're going to ruin Sienna's project with this drama? Chloe, when did you become so malicious?"

"No, they... they assaulted me..."

My swollen lips and bruised throat made it hurt to even speak. The words choked in my mouth.

Ethan frowned, rubbing his temples with his long fingers.

"Can you think about the consequences before you act?"

Without letting me finish, he pulled out his phone, calling his connections to clean up the mess for Sienna's project.

Once he hung up, he threw me a cold look.

"Drop the charges. Don't make things difficult for Sienna at the company."

Then, seeing my bloodshot eyes and tightly clenched jaw, he paused for a fraction of a second.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he muttered,

"Next time, listen to me. Don't go to those places."

"I'll go grab you some food. Wait for me at home."

I stood there frozen for a few seconds before walking toward the guest bedroom.

Sienna was lying on the bed in her pristine white dress, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.

I walked over to the bedside, my voice raw and hoarse.

"I know you're awake. You knew that client had bad intentions from the start, didn't you?"

"I just don't get it. We grew up together. Why do you hate me so much?"

Realizing she couldn't pretend anymore, Sienna opened her eyes and sat up.

Seeing my disheveled, bruised state, a smug, triumphant smile flashed in her eyes.

For a moment, I was dazed.

Sienna was orphaned at six, and my parents had practically raised her. We were neighbors.

Whenever she got bullied at school, I was always the one standing in front of her.

We had twenty years of shared memories. Whether her innocence was real or fake, I could see right through it.

I couldn't reconcile the malicious woman in front of me with the little girl who used to look up to me with adoration.

"Chloe, I'm sorry. But Ethan chose to save me. That's not my fault."

"No matter what happens, you always do things perfectly. Maybe he just feels that, compared to you, an orphan like me needs more protection..."

Sienna lowered her eyes, looking completely helpless and harmless.

Looking at her face, I let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Twenty years of kindness, and I had raised a snake.

Neither of them deserved to be in my life anymore.

"Sienna, this is the last time I will ever tolerate you. We are no longer friends."

I turned around and began packing my bags.

Sienna's lips trembled. She watched me, but not once did she apologize.

Just as I was about to walk out the door with my suitcase, she suddenly leaned in and whispered in my ear:

"Chloe, since you've decided to leave anyway, why don't you help me one last time?"

I ignored her and opened the door, only to see Ethan standing there, about to walk in.

"Ah!"

The next second, a sharp scream echoed behind me.

Sensing something was wrong, I spun around.

Sienna's hand had somehow wound up right under the wheel of my suitcase.

Ethan shoved me aside and rushed over to scoop her up. When he looked back at me, his eyes were filled with fury and disappointment.

"Chloe! What is wrong with you?!"

His brow furrowed. Seeing my packed suitcase, he slammed the takeout bag onto the table.

"You ruined Sienna's deal, and now throwing a tantrum and running away isn't enoughyou have to hurt her too?"

Sienna sobbed, shrinking into his chest, while Ethan gently blew on her reddened hand.

Looking at the two of them, I felt nothing but intense disgust.

"Ethan, we are completely over."

With that, I turned and stepped into the elevator.

Even as the doors closed, I could hear him softly cooing to comfort Sienna.

I went straight to a pharmacy to buy PEP, then checked into a hotel near the police station.

During this time, Ethan only sent one message on Snapchat:

[When you've thrown your tantrum, come home. I'll pick you up.]

I didn't reply.

To preserve the physical evidence of the assault, I didn't even dare to shower. I just sat on the bed, staring blankly until dawn.

Just as I was about to head to the police station to follow up, I received a video from Sienna.

Intimate, blurry photos flooded my screen.

A woman with a flushed, hazy face, her slender fingers digging into a man's muscular back.

The timestamp of the video was right after he had sent me the text saying he would pick me up.

So, his compromise was nothing but guilt after cheating.

A sharp, crushing pain hit my chest. I gasped for air, struggling to breathe.

[Chloe, I don't want to hide it from you anymore. Ethan and I have loved each other for a long time. We only held back because of you.]

[All these years he controlled you because he didn't want your wild behavior to corrupt my innocence.]

[Last night, we finally took the final step. He was so much more passionate with me than he ever was with you. You never really had his heart or his body.]

[Ethan loves things clean. You're dirty now, Chloe. You don't deserve him. Since you broke up, be a good ex and stay out of our lives.]

A wave of intense nausea hit me.

Holding onto a tree by the curb, I threw up violently.

I clutched my phone, my resolve hardening as I walked into the police station.

But as soon as I entered, I saw Sienna.

She pointed at me, handing a file to the detective.

"I was there that night. I can testify that Chloe went willingly. She agreed to drink with Mr. Callahan and slept with him voluntarily."

My footsteps froze. A female officer walked over, handing me a few photos.

"Miss Miller claims to be an eyewitness. She provided some photos showing that you were... highly cooperative and went willingly..."

Willingly.

I stared at those photos, feeling as if a bucket of filth had been dumped over my head.

I couldn't hold back anymore. I raised my hand and slapped Sienna hard across the face.

At that moment, Ethan burst through the entrance.

Seeing me, he froze.

The question "Where have you been?" was still caught in his throat when he saw Sienna sobbing, clutching her red cheek.

In an instant, his expression changed to pure, protective agony.

He turned his dark, cold eyes toward me.

"You hit her?"

I said nothing, nor did I deny it.

Sienna spoke up, her voice fragile and trembling.

"Ethan, I only came here to apologize to Mr. Callahan and clean up Chloe's mess. But she thinks I did it just to steal her client. She's still mad that you took me away yesterday..."

Ethan wrapped his arm around Sienna protectively, glaring at me.

"Chloe, you're getting more and more ridiculous!"

"Sienna has been your friend for twenty years. Yet you ruined her career out of jealousy, and now you're physically assaulting her? You've lost your mind."

"Yes, leaving you behind yesterday was my fault. But aren't you perfectly fine? I don't understand what you're throwing a fit about!"

The detective was about to speak up to defend me, but Sienna's knees buckled, and she collapsed.

Ethan quickly caught her. By the time he looked up to find me, I was already gone.

I sat on the carpet of my hotel room, my mind completely blank.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was a text from the detective.

[Miss Sterling, we have a new lead. Mr. Callahan and Miss Miller have a very close personal relationship. This might not be a simple assault case. We are gathering more evidence. Please hang tight.]

My fingers trembled.

My gut had been right.

Sienna and that man weren't just business partners.

The doorbell rang. I dragged myself up to open it.

Ethan stood there. Without a word, he pushed past me and walked in.

Seeing my messy, open suitcase in the corner, he knelt down to pack my things.

"Stop acting out. Let's go home."

"We broke up. Please leave."

Ethan stopped and looked up at me.

I didn't say another word, pointing directly at the door.

"Get out."

He sighed, his eyes softening slightly, but then his gaze froze on the prescription bottle on the table.

"PEP?"

He stared at me in disbelief, his voice tight. "Why are you taking this?"

"None of your business."

I reached out to grab the bottle, but he snatched my wrist. The grip was so tight I winced in pain.

He immediately let go, but his tone became accusing and harsh.

"We only broke up yesterday, and today you're already sleeping around? And now you have to take emergency STD prevention pills? Chloe, how could you be so cheap!"

I clutched the pill bottle to my chest, my voice dead calm.

"Ethan, we are over. What I do has nothing to do with you. I told you to get out. Do you not understand?"

He stared at me, a storm of emotions brewing in his eyes.

Then, he pulled a velvet box from his pocket.

He opened it to reveal a diamond ring.

"I was going to propose to you. Last night, I was waiting for you to finish your meeting so I could ask you..."

Looking at the ring, I suddenly burst into laughter.

Its design was the exact one Sienna had pointed out when the three of us went shopping years ago.

This ring was probably just a toy he used to play with Sienna in bed last night.

I laughed so hard my knees gave out, and I sank to the floor, burying my face in my hands as tears streamed down.

Ethan knelt beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I know you did this because you were angry. People make mistakes, Chloe. As long as you change, I won't care that you're dirty now. I'll still marry you."

Dirty...

As if triggered, I violently slapped his hand away. Unable to take it anymore, I shoved my phone screen in his face.

"People make mistakes, right? Does that include you?"

On the screen, the explicit video of him and Sienna was playing.

Ethan's face drained of all color. Panic flashed across his eyes as he tried to grab the phone, but I pushed him away.

"That time you went on a business trip and I was sick... Sienna came over to take care of me. I was burning up with a fever, and I mistook her for you..."

"So you slept with her before yesterday, too?"

I tossed the phone onto the bed.

"Don't bother explaining. It doesn't matter anymore. We're going our separate ways."

"Separate ways?"

He stood up, his chest heaving. "I made a mistake, but are you completely innocent?"

"You suddenly demanded a breakup. Was it really because I left you behind, or because you were already cheating on me?"

My eyes widened in utter disbelief.

"If not, why did you pack your bags? If you didn't sleep around, why are you taking PEP?"

"Chloe, since we've both cheated, let's just put this behind us. We'll get married and live a good life. Neither of us will ever bring it up again, okay?"

"I am not marrying a piece of trash who abandoned me!"

I shoved him toward the door.

Ethan stumbled, his shoulder hitting the wall.

Seeing my stubbornness, his temper flared, and his voice rose.

"If you won't marry me, I'll marry Sienna!"

"At least she's pure and clean, unlike you, sleeping around. She's much more fit to be a wife!"

I stopped shoving him and let go.

Ethan didn't leave. He just stood there, watching me silently.

I looked up, a cold smirk playing on my lips, though my eyes remained dead.

"You're right. Compared to me, she suits you perfectly."

For the next few days, Ethan didn't show up.

Once I felt slightly better, I returned to the office.

As soon as I walked in, my colleague, Maya, smiled and grabbed my arm.

"Chloe! The company is hosting a Valentine's Day party. Since you're back, let's go check it out."

"I don't really want to..."

Before I could finish, Maya was already pulling me toward the main event hall.

"I know you hate these things, but you can at least help me pick out a guy."

The next second, my heart dropped. Ethan, dressed in a sharp suit, walked in.

Behind him was Sienna, wearing a sweet, triumphant smile.

Seeing me, Ethan froze.

Sienna let go of his arm and strolled over to me.

"Chloe, you just broke up with Ethan. Why are you already at a matchmaking party?"

The room went quiet. Whispers started, and eyes poked at me like needles.

Behind her, Ethan's jaw tightened, his eyes icy.

Sienna smiled, deliberately flaunting the diamond ring on her ring finger.

I set down my plate of cake and looked her dead in the eye.

"You care so much about my life? I guess it makes sense, since you love picking up my trash."

Sienna's smile stiffened, her expression turning ugly.

"You know exactly who was dumped here."

"You spent the whole night drinking with Mr. Callahan and couldn't even close the deal. Then you filed a fake police report out of spite. I wonder if the boss knows about this?"

Our boss cleared his throat, his gaze shifting toward me with suspicion.

"Chloe, what is she talking about?"

Before I could speak, Sienna pulled out her phone.

On the projector screen, a zoomed-in photo of me, flushed and being forced to drink by Callahan in the VIP room, flashed for everyone to see.

"Chloe has always been wild and open. She'll drink with any man."

The murmurs in the room grew louder.

Ethan's jaw clenched so hard the bone showed. He stared at me, then slapped Sienna's hand down.

"Are you really that desperate?"

His voice was low, laced with suppressed fury.

"We just broke up, and you're already looking for a new man?"

Sienna watched Ethan's reaction, and her smug look faltered.

She raised her voice, looking around the room. "I told you, Chloe can't stand being single for even a day."

She stepped over to the computer and cast her phone to the screen.

Photos of me in bikinis and hot tubs during our past vacations started sliding across the screen one by one.

"Chloe knows exactly what men want to see. She uses her body to her full advantageunlike me, I'm way too conservative and shy."

My hands began to shake violently. My vision blurred.

The horrific memories of that night rushed back like a tidal wave, suffocating me.

Seeing my pale face, Ethan reached out to support me, but then pulled his hand back.

"Chloe, this is the price for not listening to me and leaving."

"Don't worry. Once this blows over, if you swallow your pride, I'll still marry you."

The mockery and whispers behind me escalated into a roar.

I fled the office, pulled out my phone, sent my resignation email, and booked a flight.

Only one thought echoed in my mind:

Go somewhere where nobody knows me.

At the airport, my phone buzzed constantly.

Ethan called more than twenty times, but I ignored every single one.

After my plane took off, the police finally uncovered new evidence. Unable to reach me, they called Ethan.

"Mr. Vance, we have made a breakthrough in Miss Sterling's sexual assault case. Please have her come to the station immediately."

Ethan's pupils contracted in sheer horror.

"What did you say? Assault?"