, well-tailored charcoal suit. He adjusted his tie, feeling a s

ely six o'clock, there

it to fi

s that shimmered subtly, her hair styled perfectly, her mak

s. She clearly hadn't been entirely sure he'd comply. "The guest

her fingers adorned with

d into his suit pocket and pulled out a small, folded tissue.

, his voice polite, detached. "Don't want t

a second. "Presentation? Ethan, what are

. Sorry, Vicky, I have a prior commitment. A rather important

is briefcase, which w

, then narrowing in anger. "You're choosing a work

was never 'our' wedding, was it? It was 'your' wedding. Your plan. Your at

phone buzzed insist

t it, her fro

answered. "Dylan? What is it?

shifted from an

d's? Appendix? Ruptured? Oh my god,

r phone shut,

her voice tight with worry. "He thi

ne who relied on him, in her eyes. "Ethan, I... I don

xcept a distant pity for her predicament. Thi

e clearly needs you. Don't worry about the guests. I'm sure they'll understand

other hand, have a presentation to ge

ions of his words, his calm demeanor, his complete indiffe

hispered, her voice trembling slightly. "You

lanned to honor my professional commitments? Yes, I did. As for

t her, out int

e said over his shoul

alked to the elevator, pressed t

icky's phone ringing again, followed by her f

g breath. It was

from an unknown number,

old me. 😉 Looks like your wedding is officially off, old m

t replying. Dylan's childish tau

pex Dynamics, f

nd approval from the executive team and key stakeholders. His new colleagues con

enuine professional satisfaction, that

elebrating with his new team at

as V

r, but then, with a si

o, Vi

?! Do you have any idea the humiliation I've been through today? The guests! The

s for 'our' wedding, I believe that was your unilateral decision,

years, after everything we built together, after I planned our entire wedding

"Vicky, darling, don't upset yourself. He's not worth it. He's j

"Dylan is far more suited to you, Vicky. You two deserve each other.

he could reply, the

ining his colleagues, a g

usiness gossip columns and

CEO Jilted a

g Drama: Gro

victim, Ethan Miller as the heartless

It was noise, irrele

ver, did no

from unknown numbers, from her friends, even from her parents, all berating him, demand

icious message from Vicky,

lt you! Innovatech was our dream, but I made it a reality! You were just a coder! I will make yo

mpetent intern over him, over the company's well-being, now accused him of betrayal. She,

ch new number

, struggling tech company he'd interviewed with years ago, b

they'd never actually made, citing "concerns about professional c

good on her threats, tryi

rmly ensconced at Apex Dynamics, a com

ugh the lobby of the Apex Dynamics headqu

he elevator, he he

nergy demo, Vicky. I've added some truly groun

is voice oozing

nothing less, Dylan. This pitch to Peterson Capital is

s opened, and Eth

ere closing, Vicky

short when

in surprise, then nar

m up and down with a

t the cat dragged in. Ethan Miller. Don't tell me you're here begging f

for entry-level positions now? I suppose even Apex might have something in custodial serv

. "Good morning, Victoria, D

arily taken aback b

. It would be a significant pay cut from your old salary, of course, and you'd be reporting to... well, to a much younger team

e and a willingness to learn from his mistakes, I might consider overlooking his... previous

g on his lips. "Thank you for the generous offe

ely around the l

is that? Still mooching off your parents? Or did

's a shame, Ethan. You had potential once. But you let your

d onto the executive flo

Ethan said,

Harrison, a man renowned throughout the

r our strategy session with the Peterson Capital team? They're waiting in the main conference r

heir jaws practically on

hem, then back at Ethan.

Hayes and Dylan Vance, from Innovatech Solutions. I b

it was shaky. "Mr. Harrison...

itect, Victoria. One of the brightest minds in the field. We're incredi

is running a little late for your meeting. He got tied up reviewing our proposal. Perhaps y

cky and Dylan standing there, their faces a m

's pale face and Dylan's slack-jawed

r. Harrison. "

show Peterson Capital what rea

than presented his vision for Apex's new platform, fielding complex technical questions with e

ly tough but fair investo

exchanged, and there was a definite sense

Harrison's executive assistant hurried

nnovatech. Her office is in a panic. Something about a catastrophic system

his expression

t. The one Ethan was suppos

their pitch day? That's unfortunate timing." H

lking towards the CTO's office, they saw Vicky and Dyl

ce ashen. Dylan was wringing

working perfectly this morning! It must be a hardware issue! Or... or

"This is your fault, Miller! You must have done some

team, looked up. Her initial shock at the system failure was no

ce dangerously quiet. "Wha

you that Mr. Miller has been with me, in high-level strategic meetings, all

Dylan insisted, his voice cracking. "He must have planted a logic bomb bef

yes filled with a mixture of

s any way to fix this... Innovatech is

y, despite the sheer absurdity of Dylan's accusations, Vicky still seemed to cling to the idea th

ave no knowledge of what caused your current issues. My only advice, the same advice I gave you weeks ago, is to th

to trust him over sound engineering p

you! Ms. Hayes, he's admi

r of doubt, perhaps, but it was quickly extinguished by her in

e us fail. Fine. Innovatech will survive this. And when we do, I will pers

back to the office. We'll sort this out." She still s

e. "You'll pay for this, Miller! Vicky

lready on the phone, barking orders, Dylan

settling over him. He had tried to warn her. He had

ces. Now, she would h

to learn the hard way, Ethan. Come on, let's go get some lunch. I

away, Ethan d

ch's Synergy project disa

The catastrophic failure during a crucial investor

hdrew their interest immediately. Oth

nd untested, unstable code. The "race condition" Ethan had warned about in that very first meeting regardi

athes of Innovatech's client data, leading to immediate

legal repercussion

r company, finally, belatedl

Vicky, her composure utterly shattered, had screamed at Dylan for hours, accu

the building, his box of personal effects (which mostly consisted

onsequences of his actions for the first time, reporte

te in his office at Apex, reviewing ar

esitant knock

rised. It was well

od in the

air was disheveled, her eyes were red-rimmed and bloodshot, and she wore

hoarse, barely a whisper. "

ir, his expression unreadabl

e, clutching her purse to

The clients are leaving in droves. The lawyers are circling. We're facing bankrupt

only one who can fix this. You know the systems better than anyone.

ge their past relationship, her voice laced with a feig

d silently, h

f, her eyes pleading, he sp

Vic

se! I'm begging you! For old ti

ou made that abundantly clear. You chose Dylan. You chose his father's money.

to stand by the window, looking out

my expertise, that trusts my judgment. I'm not going back to clean

ression shifting from desperation

h everything we built together burn to the ground? After all I did for you? I supporte

for 'us.' But somewhere along the way, Vicky, you changed. Your ambition, your hunger for investment at any cost, it cloud

feline! I had to keep him happy! It wasn't about Dylan, not really! It was about the co

decision rather than a personal failing or, worse, a romantic entanglement, wer

rove away your most loyal and capable engineer, alienated your team, and entrusted your company's future to an incom

etting his w

me? The promises of partnership, of marriage, of a future? You dangled them like carrots, always just out of reach,

ed as if he'

than," she whispered, tears streaming down her

an echoed. "Yes, I

step towards him, h

ry again. Us. I mean it this time. We can get married. Right away. No more de

r, using the dream she knew he once cherished as a ba

ration in her eyes, at the wrecka

nger, no pity, just a pr

ce quiet but unyielding.

Etha

I will call Apex security and have you escorted from the premises as an unauthorized tr

ld and legal,

ng. The Ethan standing before her was a stranger, someone she no l

ut of her. She visibly defl

e tear tracing a path thro

ked out of his office, a broken figure d

window, to the future that lay before him, a f

vatech Solutions was

ravel, one system after another failed. Client data

mployees staged protests outsid

ther), who had lost millions, publicly excoriated

ted rising star of the Austin

astered across business news sites detailin

y ignored. Mr. Vance, in particular, was brutal, accusing her of seducing his son and th

ath, Vicky be

y loft apartment,

elentlessly p

voicemails on his work phone (he'd

logetic, sometimes accusatory, begging him to m

mics building, trying to get past security,

ny her access and to log every

Vicky waiting for him in the parking garage, lo

n, just talk to me! I've lost everything! I have nowhe

expression impassive. "Vicky, I told you

m. "I always loved you! I was a fool! Please, give m

mly removed her h

Vic

suddenly stumbled, crying o

. I think I twisted it!

in what looked like pain, but her eyes we

nsparent attempt to ma

d, looking

s a ghost of the man he used to be, th

t man w

d out a hundred-dollar bill, and

taxi. To go to the emergency room, if you think it's ser

leaving her sitting on the cold concrete of the parking g

back in his r

p to a barrage of social media

sperate act of retali

latforms, accusing Ethan Miller of being a corp

y while he worked there, then deliberately sabotaged the Synergy project t

s taken out of context, distorted timelines, and outrigh

ew position at Apex was a rewa

atic performance and the public's

and #EthanMillerSp

y a compelling victim narrative

outrage, condemning him, calling for Ape

life and her com

o investigate

k hi

This was character assass

an unknown number, but he had a

nswe

triumphant, came through the line. "Have you seen the news tod

d, trying to keep his voice steady

now, they believe me. They believe I'm the victim, and you're the vi

letting her

nto a parody of reasonableness. "I can make all of this go away. One word

ky?" Ethan asked, alre

was solely responsible for the Synergy failure, that I was an innocent victim of his incompetence and your... emotion

, more desperate, more d

a surge of

will not be blackmailed. I will not lie for you.

re choosing to go down in flames rather than admit you were

Ethan said. "Something you seem t

age, intellectual property theft, and defamation by the end of the day. Let's see how Apex Dynamics feels about emp

hung

a moment, the threat

p his phone and c

engeance. "Jilted CEO Sues Ex-Lover for

do, hounded him at work. Apex Dynamics, while publicly stating they had full confidence

y court hearin

ce's arm. Dylan, ever the opportunist, had apparently slithered back in

intiff's table, a united fro

thief. Dylan was even called to give a tearful (and clearly coached) testimony about

ression calm, as they

r. Miller categorically denied all allegations and loo

date for a full

courtroom, Vicky paused,

t loud enough for him to hear. "Drop your countersu

eah, Miller. Don't be a fool

m, a flicker of somethin

th the court, and perhaps with the press, regarding Innovatech's actual

smiled. "In

Ethan's legal team

ls, server logs, and sworn affidavits from former Innovatech employees

ce's gross incompetence and his deployment of untested, fundamentally flawed code, despite

they produced

uring critical meetings, a practice he'd started after noticing Vicky's

ed out the flaw in Dylan's plan. It captured Dylan's stammering incomp

e conversation between Vicky and Dylan, apparently acci

nnovatech's mounting technical problems if things went south, even joking about planting false evidence on his old work computer. Dylan bragged about how easy it was to foo

nned into silence as

en. Dylan looked like

e woman, looked at Vicky and D

y against Ethan, swung violen

, even more so than Vicky

kyAndDylanExposed became

publicly humiliated, transformed

fied Ethan, now lauded him for

r file it again. She also strongly suggested that the District Attorney's office might w

t only financial ruin but al

e of reporters shouting questions, Vicky saw Ethan standing

eyes

ated, her face a mask of

a scared child, compl

d, then turned and walked away, the weight o

ures circling and her reputation in tatte

ll number (probably from a sympathetic, o

You have to help me. They're talking about jail time. Dylan... Dylan is useless,

was almost

that I used him," she sobbed. "Can you believe the n

ened, sayi

g. Tell them I was under pressure, that I made mistakes, but I'm

to downplay her own calcul

," Ethan said,

"Don't you want to see me suff

ne. To live my life, build my career, and be happy. You made th

ust going to let him get away with his part in this? He's just as guilty! He's worse! He's...

g him back into her drama by defiantly declaring Dylan as

, Dylan, and the justice system, Vicky

then blocked

e led his team to develop groundbreaking new technologies, earning accolades within the company

tines of his new life. He started hiking again, exploring the gre

hs p

d a small article in

bankruptcy proceedings, had been acquired by a sh

blic disgrace and pending legal issues (which seemed to be mysteriously de

ech blog, talking about "second chances" and "learning from past

ut "synergistic paradigm shifts" and "next-gen disruptive innovation." He looked

competent. Vicky was a walking PR disaster. How c

nature was pulling the strings. Dylan's father, perhaps? Or some other enti

ng. It felt

ngering sense of un

rted d

his network, Ethan began to investigate the "miraculous recover

of offshore accounts, falsified financial s

ophisticated pump-and-dump scheme, designed to lure in unsuspecting new investors based on

prising degree of cunning, was Dylan Vance, likely with

n incompetent charmer; he was a

oking at the evide

uld expose them, again. He could brin

he though

espite every warning, every betrayal. If she was foolish enough to get involve

, in a way, by exposing the truth during t

sed th

would let them face the inevitable fallout of

He wouldn't let them drag him back

stry awards gala. Apex Dynamics was nominated for several awar

h colleagues, when he saw the

es and Dy

, Vicky looking strained but trying to project an air of success. Their "revitalized" Innovatech, through some slick

n't seen

weary resignation. It seemed he

lan spot

a slow, arrogant smirk

ky, pointing

r a moment when she saw him, then ha

wards him, a predator

heads. "Fancy meeting you here. Still clinging to Apex's coattails, I see?

Ethan, seeing Innovatech thriving again after you tried so hard to destroy us. But we'r

senior engineer, perhaps feeling bitter a

cky. Dylan. Congratulati

. "Innovatech is back, bigger and better than ever. We're

said, her eyes scanning Ethan's perfectly tailored, expensive suit wit

ala, a well-known tech journ

is my distinct honor to present t

roll p

rly expecting the focus to remain

rprise architecture and spearheaded a new generation of secure, scalable platforms. His work at Apex Dynamics ha

han. The ballroom

an stared, his face a co

Vicky and Dylan, and then walked to

whisper, her voice choked with shock, "

mistake! It has to be rigged

ch thanking his team at Apex and dedicating the award

use was d

saw Vicky and Dylan being quietly escorted out of a side exit by gala security. Their

, their earlier arrog

ent bank, one that had recently pulled its funding from the "revitaliz

tulations on your a

ou," Eth

atech earlier... my team has been looking into their financials. Something isn't right. We

y. "I'm not surpri

at him shrewdly. "Y

elieve in due diligence, and I have a

Refreshing. Perhaps we could discuss some..

that," E

later, the

plodes Amidst Mass

d, charged with multiple counts of securiti

nt bank's findings and Ethan's anonymously leaked (t

ated in the scheme, al

overy" was exposed

g prison sentence,

from jail, using

s up! You planted that evidence! You have to help me! Tell them it

on, for blaming everyone but

to choose a different path. You made your choices. Now, you have to liv

shrieked. "Doesn't th

his voice for the woman she could have been, for the lov

hun

state's evidence, implicating Vicky and his own father in

le counts and sentenced to a significa

s iterations, was fina

ynamics. He found not only professional su

, browsing the organic produce. His mother, who had recently mov

! Over

ide her stood a young woman with warm, intelligent eyes and a friendly smile. She had a k

via is the Program Director for that wonderful environmental non-profit I've sta

nally meet you, Ethan. Your mother talks abou

was firm, her

, Olivia. And Mom, you've been holding out on me. You didn't t

playfully. Olivia laughed,

k protecting local parks and wildlife habitats, about Ethan's

and refreshingly down-to-earth. There was a calmness about

t to part ways, O

e of our volunteers. We have a rescue operation for some injured duc

expression concerned. "Okay,

tered. "I'm so sorry, I have to ru

er asked, her eyes lighting up wi

ds, Olivia? I'm not exactly a wildlife rescue expert, but

tefully. "Really? That would be amazing,

ent and something as messy and unglamorous as rescuing ducklings, she would have manuf

er hand, didn't he

an said. "Le

med at him. "T

lings whose mother had been killed by a dog. Olivia was gentle and efficient, clearly experienced. Ethan

e end of the day, all the ducklings were safely

turned to Ethan, a smudge of mu

on't know how I would have managed wi

good to do something tangible, something that made a difference

passion. Trying to make our little

moment, a comfortable

m rescuing waterfowl, maybe we could try our hand a

ned. "I'd like that

changed

felt a lightness, a sense of hopeful

ip with Olivia

n mutual respect, shared interests, a

passionate, selfless, honest, and completely

m touches that made it feel more like a home. She admired his inte

passionate about her work, a

mself falling

ogether in his kitchen, laughing as the

having its annual fundraising gala next month. It's our biggest ev

, a hopeful expre

the endless networking, the pressure to

p, about finally going "public" at the Innovatech anniv

was open, honest, a simple desire to

ing her hand. "I would be

ed her, a kiss full o

rought Olivia to his mothe

chatted animatedly about gardening, loca

than felt a profound sens

sive of his family or had tried to subtly impress them with her career achievements and connections. His mother

ent. There was an easy war

ping his mother clear the table, his mom p

secretary desk and took out

voice soft. "There's something

d of faded satin, was a beautiful, antique

ther said, her eyes glistening. "She wanted the woman you ch

livia, my dear, I know it's perhaps a bit premature, but... I've nev

her eyes wide. Ethan fe

thing else, the doorbell ra

on earth could that be? I

to answer

ard a familiar voice, s

han. It's urgent.

ck

o the living room, her eyes fixing on Ethan, then on

ttles and public disgrace (she was out on bail, awaiting

ed, her voice rising. "What

ng. "Victoria, this is a private family moment. And th

going anywhere. Ethan is mine! We built a life together!

rds the ring bo

front of Olivia

his voice firm. "It's ove

! He's just confused! This... this no

ked, stood her ground, her

r, however, h

ouse. You have caused Ethan nothing but pain and humiliation. You are not welcome here. If you do not leave i

s mother, momentarily

back to Ethan, her ey

ell them you still love me. Te

He felt a flicker of pity, but it was overshadowed by a profound sen

he said, his voi

oment, her face crumbling. The f

ed out of the house, a single, choked sob es

lence fill

y touched Ethan's

oncerned face, and a wave of lov

he said, tak

That was... dramatic. Now, where were we?" She looked at the r

. Olivia looked back a

certainty, that this wa

a beautiful bluff overlooking Lake Travis, the Texas

y a small group of clo

ritten themselves, promises of

r's sapphire ring onto Olivi

ir guests cheered, Ethan saw a lone figure standing

as V

p, but there was a strange calmness about her

x expression on her face – regret, sadn

rceptible nod, turned, and walked a

soul, that this was the last he would ever see of he

livia, his wife, hi

iled back, her eyes f

together was

and Olivia built a happy

g CTO. Olivia's non-profit flourished under her leadership, m

d curious and full of life. Their home was filled

d a small, obscure

cooperation, had been released. He had reportedly tried to restart

ap motel room, an apparent victim of a drug overdose. It was a s

entence. He rarely thought of her anymore. When he did, it was with a distant,

ow passing over him, quickly replaced

ivia playing with their children in the backyard,

out stronger, a man who had lost everything

had found love. He ha

, was the greates

e