The Fortune She Threw Away

After my girlfriend secured her place at an elite university, she made it official online. In the photo, she was holding another man’s hand and flashing a peace sign in front of her acceptance email. “I did it!” The first comment was from her father: “That’s my girl. You make me proud.” I quietly liked the post and said nothing. Earlier, when my girlfriend received her university recommendation letter, the first thing her father had done was tell her to break up with me. “Dump him. I’ve already found you someone with a much brighter future!” “A broke kid who does nothing but coast through school isn’t good enough for you anymore! God knows what you ever saw in him.” I laughed. They still didn’t know that when her family’s company ran out of cash and nearly went bankrupt last year, I had anonymously bought up all its debt and covered five million dollars for them. I had also written a recommendation letter to the university, securing her admission. That coveted university spot of hers existed because of my recommendation. I just wondered whether they would still be so confident when I took it all back. I closed my phone without leaving a like or a comment. In the kitchen, a pot of porridge bubbled on the stove. I was making it for Olivia Bennett. After we got together, we moved out of student housing and into this little rental. Ever since then, I had taken care of her daily needs. Her appetite had been poor lately, so I’d made her favorite savory rice porridge with pork and eggs. A key turned in the front door. Olivia was home. She took off her coat and gave me a flat “Hey.” My hand paused around the bowl. Suddenly, I couldn’t remember when silence had become all we had left. She used to come home, peek into the pot, and chatter about her day. “I made a few snacks, too. Have some porridge first. It’ll settle your stomach.” I filled a bowl and brought it over. She glanced at it and frowned. “Porridge again? I told you I don’t like this stuff anymore. It’s so bland.” My hand froze in midair, steam still rising from the bowl. This used to be her favorite. She would cling to my arm and beg me to make it. “Then don’t eat it.” Suddenly, the whole thing felt pointless. I turned to go to the bedroom. She stopped me. “Ethan, we need to talk.” I turned back and waited. “I don’t think we can keep going like this.” She avoided my eyes. “My guaranteed admission came through. The people I meet and the opportunities I get are going to be completely different now.” “And you… you’re still just wasting your days at school.” “My dad’s company is back on track, too. It’s doing even better than before.” I already knew where this was going. I didn’t interrupt. She seemed to finally gather her courage and looked up. “Ethan, let’s spend some time apart. Give each other a chance to think.” Time apart? I looked at her determined face and suddenly smiled. “Okay.” One word, and the whole speech she’d prepared died in her throat. She froze, apparently surprised I had agreed so easily. I got up and cleared the dishes, just as I always did. “Olivia.” My back was to her, my voice calm. “If that’s your decision, don’t regret it later.”The next day, I went to campus as usual. Actually, I rarely attended classes. Once my competition results secured my guaranteed admission, there wasn’t much left to compete for. The university had given me special permission to use a private lab to work on my competition projects. But I hadn’t made my admission public, so most people didn’t know. At lunch, a classmate sighed and complained about how much tougher graduate admissions had become. “You’ve got it easy, Ethan. None of this seems to bother you.” He patted my shoulder. “The rest of us work our asses off and still get nowhere. The pressure’s insane.” “Plus, your girlfriend’s already got a place at a top school. We can’t compete with that.” Another classmate quickly nudged him. He seemed to realize something and fell quiet. I smiled without answering. In their eyes, I was Ethan Reed, a guy from an ordinary family who spent his days skipping class and slacking off. I had a pretty girlfriend, but her family had nearly gone bankrupt recently. I was just the dependable fool left holding the bag. Now that her university place was secured, she would probably think even less of me. My phone vibrated. A message from Olivia. “Dinner at my dad’s Saturday night.” A command, delivered in cold text. I replied, “Okay.” I knew dinner wouldn’t be pleasant, but I wasn’t going to run from it. On Saturday, I carried two cases of wine through the Bennetts’ front door. The house that had once felt so desolate had been renovated and was bustling again. Richard Bennett stood in a new suit, his face glowing as he held court with several business associates. His smile faded when he saw me. Contempt filled his eyes. “You’re here. Find yourself a seat.” He pointed to the most isolated corner. A young man I didn’t recognize occupied the best seat in the living room. He wore designer clothes, and his watch gleamed under the lights. Olivia sat beside him, smiling brightly as they chatted. I hadn’t seen her smile like that in a long time. But I didn’t make a scene. I simply walked to the corner. “Ethan,” Olivia’s mother said, handing me a glass of water, her voice distant. “This is Mason Carter. His father owns Carter Group. Mason’s the heir. He just returned from studying abroad. Such an accomplished young man.” I nodded and looked at Mason. He was studying me, too, as though I were something cheap on a clearance rack. “Oh, so you’re Olivia’s boyfriend? Ethan… what was your last name again?” Mason drew out the words, a faint smirk on his lips. “I hear your grades aren’t even good enough to qualify for graduate school applications. Sounds like you need to… work a little harder.” His words were polite. The contempt in his eyes wasn’t. Carter Group? Wasn’t that the company begging my family for a partnership just recently? So this was Olivia’s better option. I said nothing and looked at her. She looked uncomfortable, but she didn’t say a word in my defense. I only gave an easy smile. “Thanks for the encouragement. I’ll work on that.” Dinner was served, every dish more extravagant than the last. Richard took the head of the table and raised his glass with a flourish. “To all my friends who stood by me during the hardest time of my life!” He drained his glass, then changed tack, his gaze landing on me. “And, of course, to certain people who also ‘stood by’ Olivia when she was struggling.” He emphasized those words, drawing a wave of knowing laughter around the table. Mason didn’t even bother being subtle. “Richard, that’s generous of you. Some people just have no ability or ambition. All they can do is cling to their girlfriends. “Olivia’s different. She’s secured her place at a top university. She’s going places. She can’t let dead weight hold her back.” They played off each other as if they’d rehearsed it. I stayed quiet and continued eating politely. To them, my silence meant weakness. It meant I was useless. In reality, I just didn’t want to waste energy arguing with people who would soon have nothing to do with me. Finally, Richard put down his fork and got to the point. “Ethan.” He looked down his nose at me. “You can see things have changed for our family. Olivia deserves better than a life with you.” He took a bank card from his pocket and pushed it toward me. “There’s two hundred thousand dollars on that. End things with Olivia, and don’t bother her again.”Two hundred thousand dollars. To buy out our three-year relationship. Never mind the five million I’d spent saving his company. Over those three years, I had paid more than that for Olivia’s rent, fresh food every day, jewelry, and clothes. I had kept the prices to myself because I didn’t want to make her feel inadequate. Apparently, she really believed I was some broke kid. And now he wanted to get rid of me for two hundred thousand. What a joke. Everyone’s eyes fixed on me, eager to see whether I would lash out or grovel. Mason looked especially pleased with himself, ready to enjoy the show. As if he had already ended my relationship and taken my place. I didn’t look at Richard. I turned to Olivia. I needed one final answer. She had kept her head lowered the entire time, acting as though none of this concerned her. “Olivia,” I said. “Is this what you want, too?” She stiffened, her shoulders trembling slightly. A few seconds of silence stretched into an eternity. Finally, without lifting her head, she forced out one word. “Yes.” That word shattered what was left of me. I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. The sound shook my chest. “Good. Very good.” I stood and looked around the room. Richard frowned, clearly unhappy with my reaction. “What are you laughing at? Two hundred thousand isn’t enough? Don’t get greedy, Ethan!” “No, it’s plenty.” I shook my head, my smile turning colder. “For someone who’s about to lose everything again, two hundred thousand is a lot of money.” Richard’s expression changed. “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you wishing ruin on me?” “Dad, stop wasting your breath!” Olivia finally spoke, her voice sharp with irritation. “Ethan, what do you want? Do you have to make this so ugly?” “Ugly?” I looked at her. “Olivia, it became ugly the moment you let him sit here and humiliate me.” I pointed at Mason. “I’ll agree to the breakup.” My smile disappeared, my expression going cold. “But not right now.” Everyone froze. Mason scoffed. “What? Trying to drag this out? Let me make one thing clear. Olivia’s going to be mine. Stalling won’t change that.” “I just think…” I slowly straightened my cuff. “Olivia getting guaranteed admission is a big deal. And with your company back on track, Richard, you’ve got two reasons to celebrate. Why not throw a proper party? Invite everyone who should be there.” “We can announce our breakup at the party. End things on good terms and give this relationship a little closure.” My proposal left Richard and Mason staring. They couldn’t figure out what I was planning. As far as they were concerned, I was volunteering for a public execution. Letting them strip away the last of my dignity and grind it underfoot. But Mason wasn’t about to pass up another chance to humiliate me. “I think that’s perfect. With so many witnesses, he won’t be able to back out.” A calculating gleam appeared in Richard’s eyes. He liked the idea, too. For him, it was an enormous opportunity. He had been looking for a chance to announce his family’s comeback and show off his wealthy future son-in-law. If I wanted to build him a stage, why wouldn’t he perform? “Good! That takes character!” Richard slapped his thigh and beamed. “Ethan, I didn’t know you had it in you! It’s settled. I’ll arrange the party. We’ll make it a night to remember!” Mason smiled, too, looking at me with contempt and pity. “Try not to cry when the time comes. Need me to buy you something decent to wear?” I ignored him and gave Olivia one last look. She seemed confused, uncertain, and perhaps just a little guilty. She looked as though she wanted to say something. In the end, she said nothing. But what did it matter? She had chosen her own path. And she would have to take center stage for this grand finale.Over the next few days, Richard poured all his energy into preparing the celebration. He booked the top-floor ballroom at the most luxurious hotel in the city and sent invitations to every business contact, academic acquaintance, friend, and relative he could think of. Soon, everyone in their circle knew: the Bennetts were throwing a lavish party to celebrate their daughter’s university admission, their company’s return from the brink, and, as a bonus, to “resolve” her unsuitable relationship. I had become a complete joke. Olivia called me once, sounding hesitant. “Ethan, do we really have to do this? I think… it’s too much.” “And things between us aren’t that bad yet.” “Isn’t this what you wanted?” I asked. Silence filled the other end. “Olivia, there’s no taking it back now.” I hung up. When my best friend, Chloe Parker, heard about it, she nearly exploded. She tore into me over the phone. “Ethan Reed, have you lost your mind? You’re really going to hand them a stage for this? What the hell are you thinking?” “I want a clean break. And it’s time we settled a few things from the past,” I said evenly. “You…” Chloe was too angry to finish. “Fine. Great. I can’t wait to see how you get yourself out of this!” On the day of the party, I walked into the glittering ballroom in an ordinary casual suit. Richard and his wife wore expensive formalwear and greeted their guests with radiant smiles. Olivia wore a costly custom evening gown. Her arm was linked through Mason’s as they accepted everyone’s congratulations and admiring looks. Richard’s smile vanished the instant he saw me. He hurried over, lowering his voice, disgust and warning in every word. “You actually had the nerve to come!” “You invited me. Of course I came.” I met him calmly. “Remember, you do exactly as I say tonight. No tricks!” He shot me a vicious glare. Mason came over, too. He looked me up and down and sneered. “Ethan, are you here to wait tables?” “Consider this a warning. Some very important people are here tonight. Stay in your corner and don’t embarrass the Bennetts.” I said nothing. I just smiled. I had a feeling I wouldn’t be the one embarrassed tonight. Olivia’s eyes briefly met mine. She quickly turned away, her expression complicated. I found an unobtrusive corner and sat down to watch the farce unfold. I watched Richard work the crowd, boasting about how he had saved his company. I watched Mason act like a conquering hero as he described his grand plans for the future. I watched Olivia, the woman I had loved for three years and once imagined spending my life with, smiling among the rich and influential as she drifted farther and farther away from me. Halfway through the evening, the host invited Richard onto the stage. Under the spotlight, Richard gripped the microphone, brimming with confidence. “Ladies and gentlemen, my friends, good evening!” “Today is a wonderful day for me! First, Bennett Industries has secured new financing and is stronger than ever! And I have all of you to thank for your support.” Thunderous applause filled the ballroom. He basked in it, then moved on. “Second, my daughter, Olivia, has secured guaranteed university admission. A brand-new life awaits her!” He beckoned Olivia and Mason forward. “And third, I am delighted to announce my daughter Olivia’s engagement to Mason Carter.” They walked onto the stage together and stood beside Richard. “Mason has just returned from studying overseas. He and Olivia are perfectly positioned to support each other.” Richard’s gaze landed on me, cold and pointed. “I know some people might try to cling to her because of a past relationship. But not just anyone can attach themselves to the Bennett family.” Every head in the room turned toward me. Some faces held sympathy or pity. More were filled with amusement. To them, I was the unwanted extra who didn’t know his place. Olivia lowered her head, refusing to look at me. Mason slipped an arm around her waist and silently flaunted his victory. Richard cleared his throat and was about to continue. I stood and walked slowly toward the stage. Everyone froze. Even the music stopped. Richard’s face darkened. He growled into the microphone, “Ethan! What do you think you’re doing? Get off this stage!” I ignored him, walked straight to center stage, and took a second microphone from the host. The lights fell on me. I could see every stunned face in the crowd. “Not so fast, Richard.” I smiled, my voice carrying through the entire ballroom. “Aren’t you going to thank the man who paid for everything you’re celebrating tonight?”