The Night His Company Went Public Chapter 1

The night Liam’s company went public, he vanished.

I called him all night, but couldn't reach him.

The next morning, news of the hotshot CEO spending the night at a hotel with a mystery woman was plastered everywhere.

I didn't cry. I didn't make a scene. I packed my bags and left New York.

Two months later, he finally called me.

"Aria," he said, his voice thick, "my head is splitting. I want that hangover tea you make."

Instead, a cold, unfamiliar male voice answered from my end of the line:

"Mr. Sullivan, please don't wake my wife. If you need hangover tea, call your secretary."

* * *

At the IPO celebration party, a group of executives' wives surrounded me, practically dripping with flattery.

"Aria, you really played the long game. You locked down a blue-chip stock like Liam Sullivan back in high school!"

"Everyone in our circle knows Mr. Sullivan only has eyes for you. You’re about to officially become Mrs. Sullivan!"

"But Aria, you should really secure some shares while he's still madly in love with you. Otherwise, if you end up with nothing, you’ll be the one crying."

The moment those last words left her mouth, the circle went dead silent. No one dared to speak.

I tightened my grip on my clutch and looked at the woman who had spoken—Mrs. Hayes.

Everyone in our circle knew her story. She and her husband, Robert Hayes, were childhood sweethearts. They got married right after college. Less than six months later, Robert’s affairs were common knowledge.

Their "fairytale romance" became a running joke. She cried, she fought. At first, Robert dialed it back a little. But eventually, he got annoyed, got bored, and stopped giving her even a shred of respect in public.

Mrs. Hayes’s cynical gaze drifted to a spot across the room. I followed her eyes.

Liam stood tall and striking amidst the crowd, a champagne flute in his hand, quietly listening to the woman beside him.

I couldn't hear what she said, but Liam smiled silently, his eyes softening instantly.

I knew that woman better than anyone. It was Chloe, his secretary for the past three years.

She wore a simple, elegant white evening gown, standing gracefully by Liam's side. They weren't doing anything overtly physical, but they looked like a couple deeply in love, enclosed in a bubble no one else could pop.

If I wasn't Liam's girlfriend, I would have looked at them and thought they were the picture-perfect couple.

Chloe caught me staring. Her eyes flashed with contempt, and a mocking smirk played on her lips.

She turned her back to me to say something to Liam. Liam looked over her shoulder, his gaze meeting mine. His eyes were completely blank, as if I were just an irrelevant stranger.

It was that single look that made me finally realize: Liam didn't love me anymore.