Chapter 2

2

Selena never took my breakup seriously.

She posted an update on social media later that night: "Men shouldn't be spoiled too much. Throwing a tantrum stops being cute after a while."

The next morning, I showed up at the office right on time.

I was the Chief Financial Officer and one of the founding partners who built the company alongside her.

As I walked up to my office door, I noticed it was slightly ajar.

I pushed the door open, and my breath hitched in my throat.

The intern, Leo Finch, was lounging brazenly in my executive chair.

He held my personal bone-china coffee mug―a fifth-anniversary gift Selena had given me.

What made my skin crawl even more was the oversized white shirt he wore.

The sleeves were rolled up, and the collar fell low against his chest.

It was the spare dress shirt I had left in my private office lounge.

"Oh, Director Shaw, you're here."

Leo didn't bother standing up; instead, he flashed me a radiant, mocking grin.

"Ms. Ross mentioned you weren't feeling well, so she asked me to organize your files for you."

As he spoke, he deliberately twirled the mug in his fingers.

"This cup is gorgeous. Ms. Ross said I could have it. You don't mind, do you?"

I glared at him, the claustrophobic pressure of my germaphobia turning my fingertips numb.

"Put it down."

My voice was dead cold.

Acting startled, Leo let his hand tremble on purpose.

The scalding coffee spilled directly over the Series C funding proposal I had printed out the night before.

The dark liquid pooled across the desk, ruining three sleepless nights of meticulous work in an instant.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

He scrambled to his feet, mouth spewing apologies while his eyes gleamed with pure malice.

Colleagues in the hallway poked their heads into the room, whispering amongst themselves.

Few showed sympathy; most were just waiting for a show.

Selena stepped inside right then.

She didn't spare a single glance at the ruined proposal on the floor, rushing straight to grab Leo's hands.

"Did you burn yourself?"

Leo blinked back fake tears and leaned into her side.

"Ms. Ross, it's all my fault. I accidentally ruined Brother Austin's documents."

Selena snapped around, her brows knitting tightly as she barked at me.

"It's just a file! You can reprint it! Why the hell are you yelling at him?"

"Look at you right now. You're acting like a bitter housewife."

I stared at the mess on the floor―my final effort to secure her Series C funding round.

Yet her eyes were only on this fragile boy who knew how to act cute.

Hiding behind her back while she comforted him, Leo mouthed two words at me.

"Old man."

In that single second, something deep inside me shattered completely.

"Selena, get this intern out of my office."

I forced down my fury, keeping my voice eerily calm.

Selena bristled as if I had challenged her pride, desperate to assert her dominance in front of her new boy toy.

"Starting today, Leo is promoted to Executive Assistant. His office will be right next to yours."

"Also, you will personally mentor him and teach him all the core business operations."

She called it mentoring, but she was really trying to hand over my hard-earned authority to an incompetent parasite.

I looked straight at her and asked, "Are you certain about this?"

"Austin, don't you dare talk to me in that tone."

Throwing those words over her shoulder, she escorted Leo out of the room.

When I returned to our villa that evening, the invasion became even worse.

I went into the master bathroom for a shower and saw that my electric toothbrush had been moved.

The brush head was wet, smelling of overly sweet strawberry toothpaste.

I never used that brand.

Entering the master bedroom, the pillows reeked of cheap, musky cologne.

It was the exact scent Leo wore.

My germaphobia snapped past all restraint.

I ripped the sheets, duvet, and pillowcases off the bed and shoved them viciously into the trash can.

Selena pushed the door open just in time to see the bare mattress, exploding in rage.

"Austin Shaw! What kind of crazy fit are you throwing now?"

"I brought Leo home for ten minutes to grab a folder, and he rested here for a second! Is that worth tearing the room apart?"

I looked at her, feeling as though I was staring at a hideous stranger.

"You brought him into our private bedroom?"

"This is my house! I can bring whoever the hell I want!"

Selena slammed the door and stormed off without looking back.

Ten minutes later, her social media feed updated.

The photo showed her mixing drinks for Leo at a dimly lit lounge with intimate lighting.

The caption read: "Youth is so much better. None of those rigid, suffocating rules."

I sat on the living room floor, staring at the bedsheets in the trash.

Every last shred of love I had for her was being stripped away by sheer disgust.

I picked up my phone and dialed the executive headhunter.

"Connect me with that investment bank that's been trying to recruit me. I'm ready to make the jump."

At the same time, I began auditing all our joint assets.

Since she had soiled everything, I was going to burn it all to the ground.