No More Secrets: Leaving My Toxic Billionaire Boss

There were only two seats left at the company dinner.

One was in the dark corner, and the other was right next to Ethan Vance, my secret boyfriend of three years.

Just as I took a step forward, Ethan spoke up, his voice cutting through the chatter as he called out my best friend's name. Sienna, why don't you sit here?

Instantly, the surrounding coworkers let out low, teasing cheers.

Our office Snapchat group went absolutely wild. "They look so good together! What a perfect couple."

"Mr. Vance has never invited anyone to sit next to him before."

"I swear he treats Sienna differently. I don't care, this is real."

Throughout the entire dinner, Ethan didn't spare me a single glance, all in the name of "keeping things professional."

Even when a clumsy waiter spilled hot soup and scalded my hand, Ethan was too busy blocking drinks for Sienna to notice.

At that exact moment, a thought suddenly popped into my head.

This hidden relationship. I didn't want to continue it anymore.

While I was in the restroom treating my burn with cold water, I saw a text Sienna had sent me half an hour ago.

"Chloe, don't take what they're saying in the group chat to heart. They're just teasing. Don't worry about it."

I wiped my hands dry and replied, "I know."

A minute ago, Ethan had also sent a message.

"I only did that to keep our distance at work. Don't overthink it."

I stared at the message, a sudden tightness squeezing my chest.

In my three years at this company, I couldn't even count how many times this had happened.

Team-building events, dinners, meetings...

The person next to Ethan was always a department manager, or Sienna, or some other employee. It was never me.

Even on the rare occasions I had a chance to stand next to him,

he would deliberately swap places with someone else. To "avoid gossip," he ignored my eyes, ignored my words.

Because my coworkers saw his coldness toward me, they treated me like an outcast.

I locked my phone and didn't reply.

When I went back, they were still laughing and talking as if nothing had happened.

Only the throbbing blister on my hand reminded me of my decision to walk away.

As the dinner ended, a coworker playfully pushed Sienna toward Ethan.

"Mr. Vance, there's a severe storm warning tonight, and Uber wait times are crazy. It's not safe for Sienna to go home alone. Would you mind driving her?"

Ethan didn't refuse. "Sure. I'm heading toward Bayview. Anyone else on the way?"

He spoke casually, but his eyes were locked straight on me.

My throat tightened.

Three years ago, I was stalked by a stranger on my way home from work, and I had been terrified of walking alone at night ever some.

Ethan knew this. Since then, he had driven me home every single day.

I opened my mouth. "I also..."

"I'll take care of the other guys," another coworker cut me off, stepping right in front of me.

"Mr. Vance, you should just take Sienna home first."

Ethan stared at me for a few more seconds before finally looking away.

He nodded and turned. "Thanks."

Then he drove off.

When I finally told the remaining coworker my address, he looked at me with an annoyed grimace.

"Chloe, why didn't you say earlier that you lived in Bayview?"

"It's already 1 AM. If I drive you back and then go home, it's going to take me forever. Why don't you just call an Uber?"

"The wait times are long, but I'm sure you'll get one eventually."

I silently opened my rideshare app.

Estimated wait time: 53 minutes.

Meanwhile, notifications kept popping up in the office Snapchat group as people safely reached home.

Then, someone started a new thread.

"Did anyone else notice how a certain someone kept trying to squeeze next to Mr. Vance tonight? Does she seriously not realize how much he dislikes her?"

"Right! If Mr. Vance hadn't called Sienna over, she would have sat there!"

"And when Mr. Vance asked if anyone was on the way, it was so obvious he just wanted to be alone with Sienna. He was just being polite. Only a certain someone took it seriously."

Sienna replied vaguely, "Guys, don't talk about her like that. Mr. Vance was just looking out for me because I'm new."

But that only made the coworkers mock me even harder.

"Please! When that certain someone first started and dropped all her files after being chewed out by the manager, Mr. Vance walked right past her without even looking."

"Besides, Mr. Vance didn't deny anything. Actions speak louder than words!"

Staring at the screen, I felt nothing but numbness.

Sienna had joined this company because she heard I was being targeted and wanted to "keep me company."

Now, she was the office darling.

And her comfort to me was always just a few lazy, half-hearted texts telling me not to overthink it because "they didn't mean any harm."

When rumors spread about Sienna and Ethan,

Ethan merely told me to stop wasting my energy on "insignificant matters."

Insignificant.

I guess only those who don't care about you would think your feelings are insignificant.

The night wind felt freezing against my face.

I left the chat group, logged into the company portal, and submitted my resignation.

Since I had decided to end this relationship, there was no need to keep swallowing this humiliation.

It was 2 AM by the time an Uber finally picked me up.

When I walked through the door of our shared apartment, Ethan stood up from the couch.

"Why didn't you tell me you were heading to Bayview earlier? I could have easily brought you back with us."

Hearing his casual tone,

I wanted to ask him: Didn't you see how our coworker cut me off just to set you up with Sienna?

Couldn't you have just insisted on taking me?

But the words died on my tongue.

"I forgot."

I walked closer. That was when I noticed he was wearing matching pajamas.

Before tonight, under the guise of professionalism, Ethan had never agreed to wear anything matching with me, even at home.

I softened slightly.

"I thought you said you hated matching clothes."

Ethan opened his mouth to speak. But before he could, Sienna walked out of our guest bathroom, wearing the matching set.

"I made him wear it," she said with a bright giggle.

"This brand was having a buy-one-get-one-free sale for couples. But I didn't know what size to get for the guy's version, so I wanted Ethan to try it on for me."

My face froze. The tiny spark of joy in my heart vanished instantly.

I had thought Ethan wore them because he saw my resignation draft and wanted to make things up to me by finally going public.

But it was all because of Sienna.

Sienna looked Ethan up and down.

"Actually, I think the men's size is a bit too big for what I wanted."

"Never mind, I won't buy it. I don't have a boyfriend anyway, so it'd just go to waste at home."

Hearing the disappointment in her voice, Ethan spoke naturally.

"Then just take this set with you."

Sienna's eyes lit up. "Seriously?"

Ethan's expression was calm, but a soft smile played on his lips.

"Yeah. Chloe has never worn her set anyway. It's just taking up space in her closet."

I kept my head down, my fists clenching and unclenching.

He was right. It was just taking up space.

What was the point of couple's pajamas if only one person wore them?

So I had left them in the back of the closet to gather dust.

I used to think I could wait until the day Ethan was ready to go public, the day he would wear them with me.

Instead, I waited just to see them gifted to someone else.

"Take them," I said quietly. "I won't be needing them anyway."

Sienna spun around happily. "Chloe, you're the best!"

"Oh, by the way, I'm really scared of storms. Can I stay with you guys for a few days?"

"Just until the weather clears up."

I changed my shoes and headed to the bedroom. "Do whatever you want."

I was leaving soon anyway. It didn't matter how long she stayed.

Once we were in bed, Ethan suddenly spoke into the darkness.

"You're very quiet today."

"Usually, when I give away those couple's items, you get upset."

My body went rigid under the blanket.

When we first got together, I had excitedly bought so many matching things.

Matching mugs, matching slippers, matching umbrellas, matching pens.

I wanted everything around us to show we were a couple.

But the very next day, Ethan had given his matching items away as raffle prizes at an office party.

Some coworkers noticed I had the exact same items and mocked me behind my back for "hopelessly crushing on the boss."

I became the biggest joke in the company.

What hurt me wasn't that he didn't like matching things; it was that he chose the most humiliating way to reject them.

And after that, to "avoid suspicion," he wouldn't even ride in the same elevator as me.

When I gave him the silent treatment back then,

Ethan took me to his private wine cellar, pointed to a wall of priceless red wine, and told me,

"These bottles are priceless vintages from the year you were born. I bought them all. We are only opening them on our wedding day."

I had always believed Ethan's love was silent, that he was just bad at expressing it.

But seeing him try on pajamas with Sienna tonight,

I finally understood. True love doesn't need to be hidden or explained.

And when you have to force yourself to believe someone loves you, it's already a lie.

"Didn't you say those couple's items were useless?" my voice was flat.

"Since they're useless, it doesn't matter who gets them."

Ethan remained silent and didn't say another word.

The next morning, the office pantry was packed with people gossiping around Sienna.

"Sienna! That selfie you posted on Instagram was definitely not at your apartment! Don't tell me..."

"You slept at Mr. Vance's place!"

"And those pajamas look like a couple's set! Oh my god, you guys are moving fast!"

"I knew Mr. Vance liked you! He personally brought you in during hiring. It was basically him marking his territory!"

"And last week when your blood sugar dropped and you almost fainted, the company suddenly added free afternoon snacks the very next day!"

My hand froze on the pantry door handle.

That afternoon, I had skipped lunch to help Sienna fix her data entry errors.

I was the one who actually fainted in the breakroom. Ethan had seen me.

But he had stepped right over me to catch Sienna, who had only stumbled behind me. The panic in his eyes back then was real.

When I got angry about it later, his explanation was:

"You have me, but Sienna is single. If she gets hurt on my watch, it's my responsibility."

"I only look out for her because she's your best friend."

"Are you seriously getting jealous of your own friend?"

I didn't want to hear any more of their giggling. I turned and walked away.

Just then, Mark from HR rushed in, looking ecstatic.

"Guys! I have two massive pieces of news!"

"First, Mr. Vance is getting married! I literally just heard him ordering a custom engagement ring!"

The coworkers squealed even louder around Sienna.

"Oh my god, Sienna! Congrats!"

Mark cleared his throat. "And the second news is..."

"Mr. Vance just approved a promotion list, and it's for our department!"

Everyone cheered. "Who else could it be but Sienna!"

"Let me be the first to call you Mrs. Vance!"

Sienna blushed and played coy. "It might not be me. Chloe has been here much longer."

I didn't stay to hear the rest of their guessing game.

Leila, the HR director, had received my resignation and called me into her office.

"Chloe, your performance reviews, project data, and strategy plans are flawless. Why are you suddenly resigning?"

I kept my eyes down. "Leila, the promotion Mr. Vance just approved... was it mine?"

Leila went silent.

"I've been here for three years," I said quietly. "People who started at the same time as me are already department heads. I'm the only one who hasn't moved an inch."

Every year, HR put my name forward for a promotion.

And every year, Ethan would find some minor, insignificant mistake to reject it.

Leila frowned. "Chloe, did you somehow offend Mr. Vance?"

"Maybe you should go apologize to him?"

I let out a bitter laugh.

I hadn't offended him.

I was just his dirty little secret.

Leila didn't push further. "Since you're a standard employee, your resignation doesn't require executive approval."

"If you've made up your mind, I'll process it."

Right after that, Ethan called an all-hands department meeting.

His face was grim. "The financial reports submitted two days ago had major data errors. The client pointed them out on the spot."

He looked up, cold eyes scanning the room. "Chloe Henderson, your team handled this, right?"

"If you can't handle being the assistant lead, step down. You're losing a month's salary, and Sienna will be taking over your position as team lead."

Several coworkers immediately beamed, shooting smug, congratulatory looks at Sienna.

But I just stared at the data sheet on the screen.

That report was the one Sienna and I had worked on together.

Ethan knew very well that I wasn't the one responsible for the data entry.

I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. My heart went completely cold.

She made the mistake, I took the fall, and he used it as an excuse to strip me of my title and hand it to her.

A self-deprecating smile crept onto my face.

How pathetic.

Ethan noticed my expression and knit his brows slightly.

After the meeting, he called me into his office.

"The data was indeed Sienna's mistake, but as her supervisor, you are responsible for the oversight."

"Do you have an issue with the demotion and pay cut?"

My face remained blank. I replied in a cold, professional tone,

"No."

"I'm sure Mr. Vance has his reasons."

Ethan's frown deepened, but he didn't say anything else. He just waved his hand for me to leave.

As I walked out of his office,

Sienna approached me holding a cup of coffee, looking incredibly apologetic.

"Chloe, do you want some coffee?"

I pushed her hand back. "No, thanks."

Her face instantly crumpled into a victimized pout.

"Chloe, are you mad at me because of the demotion?"

"But promotions and demotions are entirely the boss's decision. I couldn't change his mind even if I tried."

My expression didn't change. "I'm not mad."

"Mr. Vance's decisions have nothing to do with me."

Hearing my cold tone, Sienna's eyes welled with tears.

"How can you say you're not mad?"

"You won't even take my coffee! You're clearly furious at me!"

Seeing Sienna "crying," the surrounding coworkers immediately stepped in to defend her.

"Chloe, are you seriously jealous of Sienna's promotion?"

"Sienna bought coffee for the entire team. She kept this specific one just for you, and you're treating her like trash."

"Sienna, just ignore her. She didn't deserve the position anyway. There's a reason Mr. Vance blocked her promotions for three years!"

"Exactly! And remember three years ago when she acted like a delusional clinger around Mr. Vance? He probably hated her back then, and she just dragged things out for three years."

Their cruel, mocking words washed over me like a tide.

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I didn't take the coffee because I'm allergic to it."

"And from beginning to end, did I say a single word about being unhappy with her promotion?"

Sienna's hand froze, her eyes overflowing with tears.

"I'm so sorry, Chloe... I didn't know you were allergic."

A coworker snapped, "Chloe, what is wrong with your attitude? Can't you just explain your allergy nicely?"

"Besides, who knows if you're actually allergic? You're just jealous that Mr. Vance favors Sienna, and that he's about to propose to her!"

Hearing their ridiculous delusions,

the anger I had suppressed for three years finally erupted. I held up my hand, showing the simple silver band on my ring finger.

"Ethan Vance is my boyfriend. Why on earth would I be jealous of her?"

The entire office fell dead silent.

Then, someone burst out laughing.

"Oh my god, this is hilarious! She really thinks she's Mr. Vance's girlfriend!"

"This is actual harassment at this point, right? She even bought herself a fake ring!"

Furious, I turned around to find Ethan, wanting him to put an end to this.

But I saw him walking out of his office.

I looked straight into his cold eyes. "Ethan, tell them!"

"What exactly is our relationship?"

As he remained silent, knitting his brows, the coworkers began to whisper.

"Mr. Vance isn't denying it... is Chloe actually his girlfriend?"

"Then what was going on with him and Sienna?"

Hearing the whispers, Ethan's expression hardened. He said coldly,

"Our relationship?"

"We are boss and employee."

"Chloe Henderson, for spreading rumors about your superior and insubordination, you are suspended for seven days without pay."

Looking at the absolute ice in his eyes, my heart shattered into pieces.

I let out a soft laugh, slowly slid the ring off my finger, and dropped it onto the floor.

"We're done, Ethan."

His hand twitched, but he forced himself to stay put.

Hearing my words, the coworkers scoffed even louder.

"The boss literally just shut her down, and she's still acting out a breakup drama?"

Several people mocked me.

"A real relationship is what he has with Sienna. The moment Sienna gets upset, Mr. Vance steps in to defend her."

"Chloe, next time you fantasize, pick a normal guy."

The group burst into laughter.

I ignored them completely, silently packing my things into a box.

Ethan, a seven-day suspension is too short.

We are never seeing each other again.

Ethan stood by the window, watching me walk out of the office building.

He drafted an explanatory text, deleted it, drafted it again, and deleted it once more.

By the time the workday ended, he still hadn't sent anything.

When he got back to our apartment and realized I wasn't there, he tried to text me, only to see a red exclamation mark.

I had blocked him.

When Sienna found out, she put on a worried face.

"Is Chloe still mad about today? But you already announced your proposal plans. Why does she have to be so dramatic?"

Ethan frowned, remembering the empty look in my eyes when I walked out of his office.

A sudden wave of panic washed over him, but he forced himself to stay calm.

"She's just throwing a tantrum because of the demotion. I'll just give her the promotion back when she returns."

But seven days later, I still hadn't shown up for work.

Left with no choice, Ethan asked HR to contact me.

"Promote Chloe? But she already resigned," Leila said.