He Chose His Assistant, So I Married His Billionaire Rival

On my fianc's birthday, he let his assistant make his wish for him.

She's good luck, he said. I wanted to soak up some of her good luck.

He made her sit right next to him, showering her with undivided attention.

She's never been to a high-end restaurant like this. Just let her have her way.

He even gave her the antique heirloom pen my mother had just gifted him.

And the garlic butter shrimp, my absolute favorite dish, was replaced on his orders with mango pudding because she preferred it.

He remembered she hated the smell of seafood, but completely forgot I was deathly allergic to mangoes.

Later, he showed up outside my apartment with roses and an engagement ring, crying that he was wrong and could change.

I just pulled up the new appointment at City Hall on my phone and showed it to him.

The groom's name on the marriage license was no longer his.

It was Julian's twenty-sixth birthday.

We grew up together in the same elite neighborhood. The plan was to sign our marriage license at City Hall right after this family dinner.

But he was forty minutes late.

I felt a tight knot in my chest, but I kept my mouth shut.

I had planned this dinner. Both of our parents were sitting at the table.

I personally curated the menu, and I even begged my dad to open a bottle of the vintage wine he'd been aging for ten years.

When Julian finally walked in, a girl in a simple white sundress was trailing behind him.

She kept her head down, looking nervous and out of place, like she'd never stepped foot into a five-star venue before.

It was Daisy Miller.

She was the college student Julian had sponsored through his charity program. After graduating, she insisted on working for him and was now his personal assistant.

Julian looked down at her, his eyes soft.

"She's good luck, so I brought her along to bring us some good vibes."

I froze in my seat.

The polite smile on my mom's face didn't fade, but she shot me a sharp look.

My dad remained expressionless, but he didn't say a word.

"Since it's my birthday, I thought it'd be nice to have her join the celebration," Julian continued. "She doesn't really have any friends in the city."

Julian pulled out the chair right next to him and turned to the girl.

"Daisy, sit here. Close to the birthday boy."

The seat closest to him, the seat that had always belonged to me, was now occupied.

Daisy slid into the chair, giving me a timid, fleeting look before whispering, "Julian, I don't think it's appropriate for me to sit here."

"It's fine."

Julian leaned over and poured her a glass of warm water.

"We're all going to be family anyway."

The table fell dead silent.

Julian glanced at the dishes on the table and frowned.

"Waitress, take this garlic butter shrimp away."

"Daisy can't stand the smell of seafood."

"She grew up in a small mountain town. She's not used to high-end seafood."

My dad's brows furrowed, and his eyes drifted to me.

That was my favorite dish. My dad had personally called the head chef to make sure they used the freshest catch for me.

Daisy sat in my spot and whispered, "It's really fine, Julian. Don't worry about me. I just want everyone to have a good time."

But Julian was already looking at the dessert menu.

"Replace it with mango pudding. Daisy loves that."

I almost wanted to laugh.

I am deathly allergic to mangoes.

When I was seven, I took one bite of a mango parfait and broke out in hives, burning with a hundred-and-two-degree fever.

Julian had rushed into my hospital room, crying by my bedside.

"Don't cry, Audrey. I'm going to ban mangoes from the entire world for you."

He kept that promise for sixteen years. I hadn't seen a single mango around him since.

Until today.

I watched the waitress carry away the shrimp and return with a gold-rimmed bowl of mango pudding, placing it right in front of Daisy.

Julian even reached over and plucked the mint leaf off the top.

"Daisy hates mint. She says the taste is too sharp."

My dad's hand rested on his wine glass, but he didn't raise it.

Daisy seemed to finally sense the suffocating tension in the room. She stood up in a panic.

"Julian, maybe I should sit at the bar. Everyone here is family, and I'm just..."

"Sit down."

Julian gently pressed her back into the chair, his voice incredibly soft.

"It's just a family dinner. Don't be nervous."

"Our latest venture succeeded all thanks to the good luck you brought us. Don't you think you deserve this?"

He was looking at Daisy when he said this, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

I had seen that smile a thousand times.

He smiled like that when he promised to ban mangoes for me at age seven.

He smiled like that at fifteen, riding me on the back of his bicycle through the autumn leaves.

He smiled like that at twenty-two, kneeling by the riverbank to slip a promise ring onto my finger.

But right now, he was giving that smile to someone else.

Julian's mother, Rachel, tried to smooth things over.

"Oh, young people and their superstitions! It's just for good luck, totally normal."

She shot a quick, guilty glance at me, trying to gauge my reaction.

Under the tablecloth, my mom took my hand and squeezed it tight.

I knew what my mom meant. If I was uncomfortable, I needed to decide right now how I wanted to handle this.

I lowered my head and took a sip of water.

The waitress brought out the cake.

It was a beautiful six-tier cake, frosted in elegant pastel pink and white, topped with candles shaped like the number "26".

I had pre-ordered it a week ago. He loved this specific bakery, and I'd ordered from them every single year.

Since we were seven, the honor of making the wish on Julian's birthday had always belonged to me.

He would always push the cake in front of me and say, "Audrey, you make the wish. My only wish is for you to be happy."

But today, Daisy sat beside him, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the dancing flames.

"Daisy, go ahead and make a wish."

For the first time in his life, Julian didn't look at me. He gently pushed the cake toward her.

"You're young. There must be so many things you want to achieve, right?"

I froze.

This was the very first time he had given this privilege to someone else.

Daisy's face lit up with shy excitement. "But... it's your birthday, Julian."

"It's my birthday, but if you make the wish, it'll still come true."

He chuckled.

"You're my lucky charm, remember? I'm just basking in your good fortune."

Julian's parents laughed along, trying to keep the mood light.

No one noticed me, except for my parents, whose expressions were growing darker by the second.

I sat stiffly in my chair, watching the candlelight cast flickering shadows over Daisy's face.

She closed her eyes, looking as if she were genuinely praying to the heavens.

My dad set his wine glass down with a heavy clink. He looked at me, and then at Julian.

I looked at Julian, too.

I guess the promises made in childhood really didn't mean anything.

The boy who swore to protect me would have never guessed that, years later, he would personally hand a mango dessert to another girl while I sat right beside them, watching the entire show.

The cake was sliced.

The waitress served the plates, and Julian naturally handed the very first slice to Daisy.

It was so instinctive, as if he'd done it a hundred times.

In the past, Julian would hand it to me and whisper, "The first bite always goes to the most important person in my life."

I guess the most important person had changed.

My mom didn't say a word, but she patted the back of my hand under the table.

She was telling me: Mom is here. You don't have to worry about anything.

Next was the gift exchange.

Rachel handed him a velvet box first, claiming it was a late graduation gift.

Julian opened it. It was a limited-edition luxury watch.

Then, my mom stood up.

She pulled a beautifully crafted case from her designer handbag.

"This is the pen I used when I signed my very first multi-million dollar corporate contract."

Inside lay a stunning, emerald-green enamel fountain pen encrusted with subtle gems.

She looked at Julian.

"I hope this pen brings you boundless success in your future endeavors, Julian."

Julian recognized the pen instantly.

He had practically grown up in our house. He had heard my mother tell the story of this pen countless times.

It was a family heirloom, passed down through generations of the Summer family.

Giving it to him was my mother's official stamp of approval, welcoming him as a future member of our family and our business empire.

Julian's parents' eyes lit up. They knew exactly what this pen represented.

"Thank you, Helen."

Julian's voice carried genuine respect. He accepted it like a sacred vow.

Suddenly, Daisy leaned closer, her eyes wide with admiration.

"Wow, this pen is so beautiful."

She stared at the sapphire embedded in the cap.

"I didn't even know pens like this existed."

"I've only ever used cheap dollar-store ballpoints my entire life. My fingers used to get calluses from writing so much."

She held out her right hand, showing us the slight callus on her middle finger.

It was indeed a small, faint mark.

Just like her, it looked fragile, begging for pity.

Julian stared at her hand.

Then, without a second thought, he snapped the box shut and pressed it into Daisy's palm.

"It's yours."

The entire table went dead silent.

He gave it away as casually as he had given away his birthday wish.

"You always say you feel insecure when signing major proposals," Julian said softly. "Use this pen. Let it be the confidence I give you."

Daisy gasped.

She looked at the pen, then at Julian, and then at my mother. Her face flushed bright red.

"No, no, I can't accept this!"

"Keep it."

Julian placed his hand over hers.

"Mrs. Summer won't mind."

He looked up at my mom, offering a polite, easy smile.

"Right, Helen? Daisy works incredibly hard. The pen will be put to much better use in her hands."

My mom's smile remained perfectly intact, but she looked at me with eyes that said everything.

"Of course. It doesn't matter who uses it."

Only I could hear the underlying meaning in her voice. She had completely given up on Julian.

Rachel quickly chimed in to break the tension.

"Oh, Julian has always been like this! He's so generous to his employees."

"Daisy runs around doing so much for him. She deserves a little reward."

She patted Daisy's shoulder warmly, like she was her own daughter.

"And this girl is so talented. Ever since she joined, Julian's projects have been running so smoothly. She's like a little angel."

The word "angel" seemed to wipe away all the awkwardness in the air.

Rachel smiled warmly at me. "Audrey, darling, don't think too much of it. Helen and Daisy just get along so well. It's like having another daughter around."

I shook my head slightly.

"Of course not."

Then, I turned my gaze to Julian.

"Today she makes your wishes. Tomorrow she signs your contracts."

"She really is a great help to you."

Julian's smile froze. He stared at me, his brows pulling together.

He knew I was angry.

But Daisy's eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes welled with tears.

"Julian... is Audrey mad at me?" she whimpered, her voice trembling.

"Maybe I shouldn't have come."

"I'll give the pen back. I don't want it anymore."

She tried to push the box back into Julian's hands, her fingers shaking.

The slight hesitation in Julian's eyes vanished instantly.

"No one is blaming you," he comforted her softly.

"Just sit down and eat. Don't overthink."

Only after he finished soothing her did he look up at me.

His eyes held a flash of annoyance, harboring a silent accusation: Why are you making a scene again?

I looked down and let out a soft laugh.

At that moment, my dad quietly withdrew the gift he had prepared to present after my mom's pen.

It was a sleek leather folder, bearing the embossed seal of the Summer Group.

Inside was a contract transferring thirty percent of our subsidiary's shares to Julian.

Julian saw it. His eyes locked onto the folder in shock.