As I was listening to company executives report on their work, I noticed that the high school group chat—silent for years—had suddenly exploded with notifications mentioning me.
Ethan, didn’t you see Logan’s status update? You’re not attending his wedding today?”
The class president, Logan Steele, was getting married and all our old classmates were there.
“I’m sorry, my company’s been busy lately. I don’t have the time,” I replied, attempting a polite explanation, but was met with a barrage of criticism.
“Busy with what? You barely post on social media—you’re clearly not doing well.”
“If you’re worried about looking bad, just say so. Who are you trying to impress?”
Even Logan joined in. “Remember that bet? I told you the woman I’d marry would outshine yours any day.”
I replied honestly, “No, I don’t remember.”
The mocking started pouring in:
“Logan’s wife is a CEO and her dowry is in the hundreds of millions!”
“What’s wrong, Ethan? Too embarrassed to show up?”
“Don’t tell me you’re too broke to cover your share of the gift. Should we start a crowdfunding page for you?”
Finally, Logan messaged me directly “Come to my wedding. Witness my big moment!”
“For old times’ sake, I’ll even have my wife find you a security job when it’s over,” he added, before posting a photo of himself and the bride.
The bride, to my shock, was my wife, Lily Harper.
I replied, “Alright, I’ll come to witness your happy day.”
Just then, I received a message from Lily herself:
[Hubby, I’m heading back to my hometown to see my parents. I’ve left food for you in the fridge. Heat it up when you’re ready.]
[Love you, baby.] she added.
For the past three years of our marriage, Lily had been attentive, always leaving my meals prepared and seeing to my needs, even while spending money lavishly. In the past, I would have felt grateful for her thoughtful gestures. Today, I only felt insulted.
Ending the meeting early, I drove straight to the wedding venue in Logan’s hometown. From a distance, I saw the banner over the hotel entrance, “Congratulations to Ms. Lily, CEO of Besla Business Group, on her wedding!”
There, beneath the banner, stood Logan in an expensive suit, awaiting his bride. A group of our old high school classmates surrounded him.
“Logan, we had no idea! You’ve been dating the CEO of Besla Business Group?”
“Yeah, the famous entrepreneur Ms. Lily! You’re really something, marrying such a wealthy and influential woman.”
Even our old homeroom teacher chimed in, flattering Logan, “Logan, I always knew you’d be successful! That’s why I made you class president, grades aside. You were destined for greatness.”
Logan stood, basking in the admiration, as proud as a rooster.
After we married, Lily always talked about building her own career. I’d funded her ventures—luxury boutiques, beauty salons, yoga studios—none of which succeeded. Despite every failure, she grew more determined, telling me she’d be a CEO one day. I’d handed over Besla Business Group, a small subsidiary, for her to manage. I hadn’t realized that she would use it to flaunt her “success” beside Logan.
Seeing me, the classmates who had been fawning over Logan suddenly looked at me with scorn. One of Logan’s friends approached, eyeing the car I arrived in.
“Ethan, you actually rented a Rolls Royce just to show off?”
The others scoffed. “So this is why you bothered to come—to pose in a luxury car?”
“What a joke! That rental must’ve cost you half a year’s salary. Do you really think you can compete with Logan’s wife?”
As they ridiculed me, I calmly replied, “This is my car.”
Logan strode up to me, his face twisted in anger. Without warning, he punched me.
“This car? It’s my wife’s! You’re the guy she’s been secretly seeing behind my back, aren’t you?”
“You leech, driving my wife’s car to my wedding? How shameless can you be?”
The sudden punch knocked me off my feet and my old classmates stared in disbelief.
“Logan, is this really your wife’s car?” someone asked.
Logan smirked with pride. “Why would I lie?”
He pulled out his phone and showed off a few photos of him and Lily. They were intimately posed together, some taken inside the car and others on the hood, with the license plate clearly visible.
The crowd immediately gasped. “So it’s true! That means Ethan is definitely mooching off someone else’s wife!”
Logan glared at me coldly. “No wonder you’ve been so quiet on social media all these years. Turns out you’re nothing but a leech.”
The others quickly chimed in.
“Wow, Ethan! You always looked so put together. Never thought you’d stoop to this.”
“I used to think he was the high-school heartthrob, but now? Total scumbag.”
“It’s pathetic, really. Acting all aloof when you’re just mooching off a rich woman.”
Even our homeroom teacher looked disgusted. “Ethan, don’t ever tell anyone I taught you. I don’t associate with people who lack morals.”
The murmurs and criticisms from the crowd attracted more onlookers, many snapping pictures and recording videos.
I took off my designer jacket, worth millions and tossed it in the trash. Facing Logan, I kept my voice steady. “You punched me without knowing the full story. Pretty lawless of you.”
Logan sneered. “What are you gonna do about it? You came here in my wife’s car, practically begging to get hit!”
He turned toward the Rolls Royce behind me, his face contorted with anger. “There’s nothing worse than a man who lives off women” He pulled out his keys and scratched “Mistress Deserves Death” onto the car door.
I glanced at the words and said, “Soon, you’ll realize how ironic that phrase is.”
Logan laughed bitterly. “You’re still running your mouth? You shameless loser!” He picked up a brick and smashed it against the car—first the windows, then the hood, leaving dents and shattered glass.
“Logan is the future heir of Besla Business Group! We can’t let him be bullied by someone like Ethan!” someone shouted and suddenly, my old classmates joined in, smashing and vandalizing the car without hesitation. Soon, the Rolls Royce was reduced to wreckage.
I watched them in icy silence. “I hope you’ll feel as satisfied when you have to pay for all this damage.”
No one heeded my words, treating me as if I were invisible. Then, one of Logan’s followers opened the trunk and called out, “Look at all the fancy stuff he’s got in here!”
Logan pulled out a painting and sneered. “You’re living off women and you dare collect art?”
“These items are worth much more than this car,” I warned. “Especially that painting. I’d advise you to leave it alone.”
These were collectibles I’d acquired at auction and hadn’t had time to secure yet, but Logan’s fury only grew. “A lowlife like you doesn’t deserve art.” He tore the painting in half and stomped on it.
Someone recognized the torn artwork and gasped. “That looked like an original from ancient roman! Wasn’t its auction starting price $300 million?”
Logan scoffed. “So what if it’s worth $300 million? My wife’s money is my money. I can do what I want with it.”
I clenched my fists, speechless with anger. Even if I’d given Besla Business Group to Lily to manage, she had no business losing half its value. But to my classmates, she was a “brilliant CEO,” someone to admire.
Encouraged by Logan’s lead, the others took turns destroying the remaining items in my trunk.
I silently took out my phone and spoke into it. “Locate my position and send backup immediately.”
Before I could finish, one of Logan’s lackeys snatched the phone from my hand and smashed it to the ground. “Still trying to call for help? What, are you going to summon some wealthy sugar mama to bail you out?” He laughed derisively.
The rest of them joined in, mocking me with exaggerated laughter.
I glanced at the broken phone and said calmly, “We’ll see who’s laughing soon enough.”
Logan grabbed me by the collar. “You think you can threaten us?” His eyes landed on the jade pendant around my neck and he ripped it off, grinning. “I bet this was bought with my wife’s money, too.”
I felt a surge of panic. “Give me back the necklace!”
Logan noticed how much I cared about the necklace and sneered. “What’s got you so anxious? Is this necklace really worth that much?”
I tried to stay calm, but my voice betrayed me. “It’s not valuable, but it’s very important to me. Give it back!”
I reached out, desperate to snatch it. This jade pendant was more than jewelry, it was an amulet my mother had sacrificed her health to get for me.
I’d been weak and sickly as a child, once even hospitalized in a coma. Doctors had told my parents to prepare for the worst, but my mother refused to accept it. She climbed the temple mountain in blistering 40-degree heat, taking each step on her knees to show her sincerity. By the time she reached the top, her knees were raw and bleeding, her head bruised and she was barely conscious. But she’d prayed for this jade pendant and it seemed the heavens had listened. I woke from my coma shortly after, but my mother became gravely ill.
Before she passed away, she placed the pendant in my hands and made me promise to keep it safe. I’d worn it ever since, treasuring it as if it held her very spirit. I would never let anyone destroy it.
“The more you care, the more I want to destroy it!” Logan taunted.
Before I could grab it, he slammed the necklace to the ground. The jade shattered, scattering pieces across the pavement.
“No!” I felt like my heart was being torn apart. This pendant, my mother’s last gift, was destroyed before my eyes.
“You bastard!” I couldn’t hold back. My fist swung at Logan’s face, landing with all the rage I had. The punch sent him reeling backward, but before I could follow up, another classmate kicked me and soon the others joined in, raining punches and kicks on me.
“How dare you hit Logan? He’s the husband of the president of Besla Business Group now!”
“It was just a necklace anyway, something you probably got from serving some rich woman. Why so dramatic?”
“Shameless trash, seducing other men’s wives for money and you dare to hit Logan? You think your old classmates are here to be pushed around?”
Even the class teacher joined in, kicking me twice when no one was watching. Beaten and bruised on the ground, I trembled with anger. “You’re all going to regret this!” I spat through gritted teeth.
The group laughed, finding my threat ridiculous.
“Regret? You think you’re still some high school genius?”
“What’s the use of being a top student? Look at you now, scrounging off others. Pathetic!”
“A man living off women should know his place and take his beatings quietly.”
“You’re digging up old friends just to beg? If I were you, I’d be too ashamed to show my face.”
They held me down, sneering and humiliating me as onlookers gawked and spat. Logan, surrounded by his supporters, stepped on my face, grinning. “Regret? Sure, I’ll wait and see how you make me regret anything!”
Just then, a line of luxury cars roared up and stopped in front of the crowd. A man in a suit stepped out, moving with calm authority…
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