The Rival I Accidentally Married

CHLOE POV

The crystal chandelier above the grand ballroom of the St. Regis Hotel seemed a little too bright, or maybe it was just the champagne making my head pound.

I smoothed out my emerald midi dress and took a deep breath. Six months. Six months of sleepless nights, endless arguments with vendors over floral arrangements, and surviving on iced coffee and anxiety. Now, everything was finally coming together. The Sterling-Vanguard Summer Gala was the biggest event of the year, and as the senior event coordinator, I was supposed to be celebrating more than just a successful event tonight. My name was meant to be announced as the firm's newest Junior Partner.

"You look stunning, Chloe," a familiar voice whispered near my ear.

I turned, and the tension in my shoulders immediately eased when Ethan, my boyfriend of three years and senior colleague, slipped an arm around my waist. He gave me that crooked smile I had fallen for back in college, the same one that used to make my heart race no matter how many times I'd seen it.

"Be honest with me," I whispered, leaning closer to him. "Is the ice sculpture melting? Because if the caterers messed up the dry ice again, I'm going to lose it."

"Relax, babe. Everything's perfect. Just like you." Ethan kissed my cheek before adding, "Go check on the VIP tables in the back. Mr. Sterling wants to talk to the person behind this whole thing."

His words were enough to push my exhaustion aside. I could barely contain my excitement. This was it. The promotion I had worked so hard for. The recognition I had been waiting for after months of giving everything I had to this company.

"Wish me luck," I said with a smile, giving him a quick kiss before heading toward the grand staircase.

I made my way through the crowd, greeting familiar clients and executives along the way. Everything looked exactly as I'd planned, from the floral arrangements to the table settings. I was already imagining how good it would feel to finally have my hard work pay off when I noticed a group of senior executives gathered near the entrance to the VIP section.

Sarah Sterling was standing among them. As the boss's daughter, she had a reputation for being ambitious, and she usually acted like attending company events was a waste of her time.

"...completely brilliant of Ethan to handle the crisis," Sarah was saying, her voice clear enough to carry over the soft jazz music. "My dad is thrilled. It's about time someone with real vision stepped up."

I stopped in my tracks.

For a second, I wondered if I'd heard her wrong. Then I took a step closer, my stomach tightening.

"Sorry, did you just say... Ethan handled the crisis?"

Everyone turned toward me. The conversation stopped, and the awkward silence that followed told me more than anyone's answer could have.

Mr. Sterling cleared his throat and adjusted his silk tie, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.

"Chloe," he began, forcing a polite smile. "We were just discussing the catering issue. Unfortunately, one of our primary sponsors filed a major complaint about the food delay."

"What catering issue?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice steady. "The food was served ten minutes ahead of schedule! I personally confirmed the timeline with the head chef!"

Ethan stepped out from behind the partition. The warm expression he'd worn just minutes ago was gone. In its place was a cold, unreadable look, and he barely glanced in my direction.

"Chloe, let's not make a scene here," he said, sounding more like a colleague addressing a problem employee than the man I'd been dating for three years. "We both know the logistics fell apart during the afternoon rush. I had to step in, reorganize the layout, and handle the clients myself to keep the company's reputation from taking a hit."

I stared at him, my heart pounding so hard it hurt. "What are you talking about? I planned every single detail of this event! You were working on the quarterly spreadsheets in another building all afternoon!"

"The records say otherwise," Sarah interrupted. She moved closer to Ethan and rested her hand on his arm as if she had every right to be there. "And honestly, Chloe, your performance has been slipping lately. Sterling-Vanguard can't afford to keep coordinators who can't handle pressure. Effective immediately, you're terminated."

For a moment, I couldn't process what she'd just said.

The laughter coming from the ballroom, the clinking of champagne glasses, and the lights shining overhead all seemed to blur together. I could hear everything around me, but none of it felt real.

"Terminated?" I repeated, barely recognizing my own voice. "You're firing me? Tonight? After the biggest project of my career?"

"Consider yourself lucky we're not pursuing damages over the client's complaint," Mr. Sterling said flatly. He then signaled to two security guards standing nearby.

I looked at Mr. Sterling, then Sarah, and finally Ethan.

The man standing in front of me was the same person I'd shared my apartment keys with. The same person I'd supported when he was struggling at work. The same person who had promised we'd build our own event planning firm together someday.

And now, he couldn't even look me in the eye.

He kept his gaze on his polished dress shoes, saying nothing as they took credit for my work and threw away everything I'd spent years building.

"Get your things out of your desk by midnight, Chloe," Ethan said quietly. "It's better this way."

I wanted to ask him how long he'd been planning this. I wanted to demand an explanation, to make him look at me and admit that he'd betrayed me. But the words wouldn't come.

The security guards didn't have to drag me out, but one of them placed a hand on my elbow and escorted me through the side exit. It still felt like a slap in the face.

The heavy oak doors closed behind me, shutting out the music and laughter from the party.

I stood on the damp sidewalk in downtown New York, the cold autumn wind cutting through my emerald dress. My phone buzzed inside my clutch. It was a reminder that my rent was due next week.

I checked my bank account, even though I already knew what I'd find. Almost nothing. Most of my savings had gone toward my dad's physical therapy bills the previous month.

I was twenty-six years old. I had no job, barely any savings, and a reputation that had just been destroyed in the only industry I'd ever known. And the dress I was wearing had cost me half my grocery budget.

A sharp, almost hysterical laugh escaped me before I could stop it. Then a tear slipped down my cheek.

I had spent six months making sure everyone else's night would be perfect, only to have my own life fall apart in a matter of minutes.

This was rock bottom. And for the first time in my life, I had absolutely no idea how I was supposed to get back up.