My Fiancé Said I Looked Lonely So He Found Me a ‘Friend’ to Share Him Chapter 10

My Fiancé Said I Looked Lonely So He Found Me a ‘Friend’ to Share Him Chapter 10

## Vivian’s POV

The next morning, the legal team I hired arrived at Sterling Group Holdings.

They brought the canceled wedding contracts.

The documents for my company shares.

The records for every jointly owned asset.

Everything.

My lead attorney placed a detailed list in front of Ethan.

“Ms. Hale’s instructions are clear.”

“She will take everything that legally belongs to her.”

“She won’t touch a single dollar that doesn’t.”

Ethan looked down at the list.

Every share.

Every investment.

Every account.

Every last financial tie between us.

I had calculated all of it down to the smallest detail.

There was no affection left between the numbers.

—

This wasn’t a tantrum.

It wasn’t a threat.

It wasn’t some bullshit game to make him chase me.

I was cutting him out of my life.

Completely.

That was when Ethan finally understood regret.

The woman who had always waited for him had turned around and walked away.

And he might not even deserve the chance to beg.

…

After two weeks at Oceanside Wellness Center, I moved into an apartment at Riverbend Tower.

Julian arranged it for me.

The first night, I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows and looked out at the city lights.

For years, I thought I couldn’t survive without Ethan.

I was wrong.

Without him, my life didn’t end.

I could breathe again.

Once my body recovered, I returned to work.

—

I had spent years helping Ethan build his company.

But I had never lost my own skills.

Or my contacts.

Or my name.

Within a month, I opened my own studio.

We specialized in jewelry design and high-end bespoke pieces.

The day the news went public, offers poured in.

Luxury brands.

Private collectors.

Investors.

High-profile clients.

Everyone in the industry started talking.

Vivian Hale hadn’t fallen apart after leaving Ethan Sterling.

She was shining brighter than ever.

On opening day, flowers filled the lobby.

Camera flashes lit the room.

I stood onstage in a white pantsuit.

Calm.

Sharp.

—

Completely in control.

The host smiled at me.

“Ms. Hale, after everything you’ve been through, what would you most like to say?”

I lifted the microphone and smiled.

“The most important thing for a woman isn’t being loved.”

“It’s knowing she can walk away from anyone.”

“At any time.”

The room erupted in applause.

The press conference streamed live.

Straight into Ethan’s office.

On his screen, I looked nothing like the woman who used to wait for him to come home.

A reporter raised her hand.

“Ms. Hale, is there any chance you and Mr. Sterling will reconcile?”

The room went quiet.

I stayed calm.

“Some things can’t be repaired.”

“And honestly?”

“I’m doing just fine on my own.”

—

That one answer ended every rumor.

…

That night, I came home from a business dinner.

Ethan was waiting outside my apartment building.

His suit was wrinkled.

Stubble shadowed his jaw.

He looked nothing like the untouchable CEO he used to be.

He held a takeout bag.

When I got out of the car, he stepped toward me.

“Vivian.”

I looked at him.

“What do you want?”

He held out the bag.

“You used to have stomach problems.”

“It’s chicken noodle soup from that place you always liked.”

I glanced down.

I didn’t take it.

“Mr. Sterling.”

“You waited outside my building late at night to bring me soup?”

—

His throat moved.

His voice came out rough.

“Vivian, I know saying sorry doesn’t fix anything.”

“I found out what happened to Snowball.”

“Mira and her mother will pay for what they did.”

“And the baby…”

His voice broke.

“I’m sorry.”

I looked at him.

Nothing moved inside me.

Once, that apology would have destroyed every wall I had.

I would have forgiven him.

I would have gone home.

Not anymore.

Some wounds don’t disappear because the person who caused them finally feels guilty.

“Ethan, do you think your regret means I owe you forgiveness?”

His expression stiffened.

“The pain you’re feeling isn’t because you suddenly love me.”

—

“It’s because the woman who loved you without limits finally stopped.”

“The woman who forgave everything.”

“The woman who waited.”

“The woman you thought would always be there.”

I held his gaze.

“You don’t miss me.”

“You miss what I gave you.”

His face slowly lost all color.

“My loyalty.”

“My patience.”

“My blind devotion.”

“But that love?”

“I took it back.”

I walked around him.

Just before I reached the entrance, his voice came from behind me.

It sounded broken.

“What if losing you made me realize I really do love you?”

I stopped.

—

For two seconds.

Then I kept walking.

“It’s too damn late.”

The lobby door closed behind me.

And shut him out of my world for good.