At the Company IPO, My Boyfriend's Assistant Took My Place. Chapter 1

After fighting tooth and nail to get the company public, Julian, my CEO boyfriend, finally decided it was time to reveal our relationship.

But his assistant, Chloe, beat me to the punch.

She stepped onto the stage first, clinging to his arm, letting everyone assume they were the couple.

Julian didn't even bother to explain.

Instead, he handed her a share transfer agreement, publicly announcing her as a new shareholder.

The entire hall erupted in a buzz of whispers and cheers.

Chloe seized the moment to mock me.

Julian not only didn't stop her, but his voice was chillingly dismissive: "Skylar, you did a lot for the company, but Chloe has exceptional talent. Only she can take us further."

Instead of getting mad, I just nodded in agreement, generously handing all my shares over to Chloe.

I was genuinely curious to see.

How they planned to grow the company without its biggest investor — me.

* * *

When Julian publicly announced Chloe as the new shareholder, the hall exploded with applause. I stood there, stunned, my brain foggy from days of endless overtime. For a moment, I actually thought I'd misheard.

"You guys, look at Skylar's face! It's priceless."

"She's been with the CEO for so long and only got two percent. Chloe's barely been working here and she's already got twenty percent!"

"Skylar always used to nitpick Chloe's work. Now she looks like the joke."

My coworkers deliberately spoke loudly, making sure I overheard. I knew they were doing it on purpose, trying to curry favor with Chloe by putting me down. And Julian wouldn't stop them anyway.

Chloe shot me a smug little smirk, then feigned a hurt tone:

"Skylar, why aren't you applauding? Do you have a problem with me owning company shares?"

"I mean, based on seniority, perhaps they should have gone to you."

As she spoke, she slowly extended the contract towards me. Julian, as if afraid I'd actually take it, snatched the contract back, shoving it gently into her hands. He looked at her, a mix of helplessness and adoration.

"Chloe, you're too kind, but the company values capability, not seniority."

Then he shot me a cold glare. "And you, stop making a scene. Your mistake last time cost the company millions. Not firing you was already lenient enough. What right do you have to shares?"

Watching them, a perfectly synchronized duo, I just found it pathetic. That mistake? Chloe caused it. But she was scared of being held accountable, so she pushed the blame on me. I'd shown Julian the evidence. He still didn't believe me.

But I was used to it. For years, Chloe's work performance was mediocre, but she poured all her energy into messing with me. She was fresh out of college, a real sweet-talker. She'd managed to win over a lot of people, and even Julian thought she was innocent. So every time we clashed, Julian always sided with her and blamed me. It's why my coworkers increasingly disrespected me.

Chloe's voice softened to a whisper: "But I'm worried Skylar might be upset…"

She leaned into Julian, her face almost resting on his shoulder, an intimate pose. Julian didn't flinch. He just glared at me, his face grim:

"Skylar, who are you giving that look to?!"

"This share transfer was my carefully considered decision. Don't ruin the mood, don't be a party pooper."

"Can't stand it? Then leave!"

Everyone immediately chimed in, agreeing with him. I knew Julian was just saying it out of anger, but I couldn't help but laugh. I hustled, practically drank myself sick to get those clients. I pulled all-nighters to finalize those proposals. The company getting listed? That was all me. Now he wanted to kick me to the curb, tossing aside all my hard work with just a few words?

I grabbed my bag and walked up to him. Chloe, thinking I was about to hit her, flinched and hid behind Julian. He stepped in front of her, glaring at me defensively. "Skylar, what do you want?"

I pulled the stock ownership documents from my bag and handed them to him.

"I just thought, she works so hard, the shares you're giving her are too little."

"Here, give her mine too. Hope she keeps up the good work."

Chloe's eyes lit up as she stared at the documents. Julian, though, looked at me suspiciously, remaining silent. A ripple of gasps spread through the crowd. They all knew how much I'd done for the company over the years, from its chaotic startup days through its toughest times. I'd handled the workload of several people, managed everything from fundraising to office errands. Now that the company was public and its stock soaring, my two percent was worth millions. Everyone had speculated how I'd fight for more, nobody expected me to just give it up.

But what they didn't know was that I was Julian's fiancée. Julian had always hidden our relationship, worried about office gossip. But when Chloe appeared, I started to get uneasy and pressed him to make it public. After I kept pressing him, he finally agreed to announce it the day the company listed. Last night, I was so excited I couldn't sleep.

Who knew Chloe would just waltz onto the stage first, linking her arm with his? He didn't even try to pull away. The entire room mistakenly thought they were a couple, and he just stood there, looking completely unfazed. It hit me then. He didn't want to hide a relationship; he just didn't want to publicize our relationship.

He stayed silent. I didn't push it. I turned to leave. After two steps, a hand grabbed my wrist. I looked back. It was Julian. I was surprised. He usually just let me go. He knew I loved him, I'd always come back to apologize. But then I instantly realized why he stopped me. He pressed his lips together.

"Skylar, you're too impulsive. You're not as steady and composed as Chloe."

"I didn't want to touch your shares, but your behavior today disappointed me. These shares have to go to Chloe."

I just laughed. He was deliberately putting me down, just so he could justify giving the shares to Chloe. Back then, I would have argued, but now, I felt absolutely nothing. I just gave a bland, "Oh." Julian, expecting me to explode, froze. He was about to speak when someone from the crowd yelled for a champagne toast. Julian glanced at me, grabbed the contract, and turned away. I watched his back, then averted my gaze and walked straight out of the banquet hall.

Once outside, I pulled out my phone.

"Dad, I've decided. I'm coming home to take over the family business."