He Left Me at the Altar for His First Love, I Ruined Him Chapter 07

He Left Me at the Altar for His First Love, I Ruined Him Chapter 07

The doorbell rang early the next morning.

I opened the door to Mrs. Sterling.

Tailored suit. Designer bag. She dressed like every visit was a public appearance.

“Mrs. Sterling.”

I stepped aside to let her in.

Mrs. Sterling’s gaze swept over the apartment. She didn’t bother hiding her distaste.

“Elias mentioned you were hurt. I thought I’d come by.”

She walked to the sofa and sat down.

“Can I get you something to drink, Mrs. Sterling?”

I poured her a glass of water, fumbling with my left hand.

Mrs. Sterling pulled a document from her bag and slid it across the coffee table.

“Clara, you’ve been with Elias for seven years. I’ve always considered you family.”

“But there are a few things we need to set straight before tomorrow.”

I looked at the document and said nothing.

“Elias letting Stella stay at the house is simply him stepping up for a friend in need.”

Mrs. Sterling looked at me.

“Don’t make yourself look petty by making a fuss over it.”

“A man building an empire needs a woman who knows when to stand behind him.”

“I understand.”

I nodded.

Mrs. Sterling’s posture relaxed. She’d expected a fight.

“Good. Then sign this.”

She tapped the document.

I picked it up.

A prenup.

It stripped away any claim I had to his assets, and included a ‘lifestyle clause’ expecting me to quit my job after the wedding and stay home full-time.

Everything Elias owned before the marriage would remain his.

Including the house. The one I’d dumped half my savings into for the down payment. His name. His property.

“This is for your protection too.”

Her voice didn’t change.

“Your mother’s connections did help Elias early on. We’ve never denied that.”

“But gratitude is one thing. Business is something else.”

“You come from a modest background. Elias has done well for himself. People talk.”

“This agreement proves you’re not in it for the money.”

I read through the terms. The nerve of it almost made me laugh.

She used to call me understanding. The easiest girl to handle.

Now she didn’t even bother pretending.

He’d built his company on my mother’s connections, and now his mother was using my background to strip everything away from me.

I didn’t argue.

The harder she pushed, the more obvious it became: the Sterlings had never planned to give me a real seat at the table.

“Excuse me for a moment, Mrs. Sterling.”

I stood up and slipped into the bathroom.

Behind the locked door, where she couldn’t see me, I photographed every page.

Then I walked back, sat down, and picked up the pen.

My left hand butchered the signature, but it was legible enough.

Mrs. Sterling froze.

She’d come armed with arguments.

She hadn’t expected me to sign without a fight.

What she didn’t know was that this agreement meant nothing if there wasn’t a wedding.

“Smart girl.”

She tucked the agreement into her bag.

“Tomorrow, ten o’clock. Elias will pick you up for City Hall.”

“Pull yourself together. And no more scenes.”

“Okay.”

I walked her to the door.

The moment the door closed, I went straight to the sofa and opened my laptop.

Every major contract Elias’s company had landed came through my connections.

I’d always been the silent partner, keeping his company alive from the shadows.

Now it was time to pull the plug.

Elias came back that afternoon.

“My mother’s a lot. Don’t let her get to you.”

He walked over and tried to hold my hand.

“That agreement is just a formality.”

“Once we’re married, what’s mine is yours.”

I dodged his hand.

“Tomorrow. Ten o’clock. City Hall.”

My voice gave away nothing.

For half a second, something like guilt crossed his face.

“Clara, I know this hasn’t been fair to you.”

He sighed.

“After tomorrow, I’ll take you to Palm Shores. Just the two of us.”

“Okay.”

I nodded.

He headed for the shower, looking more relieved than he had in days.

I sat there listening to the water run.

All the evidence I’d gathered.

Attached to a single email.

I set the timer.