He Chose Her Joke, I Chose His Ruin Chapter 14

He Chose Her Joke, I Chose His Ruin Chapter 14

I looked down at his hand.

Adrian flinched back like he’d been burned. “I’m sorry.”

I said, “Adrian, don’t make me take back even the last shred of dignity I’ve left you with.”

He was silent for a long time, voice raw. “If I’d gone up and opened that door that night… would you still have

married me?”

I thought about it. “Maybe.”

Hope flickered in his eyes.

I continued, “But you didn’t.”

“Knowing what’s right never grants a life do-over”

All light faded from his eyes,

I didn’t stay.

Outside the hospital, the sun was bright. A rare clear day in December. The wind brushed my face-cool, but

not biting.

Ava was waiting by the car. “Elena, back to the office?”

I checked my schedule. “First, the industrial park.”

After Starlight Capital’s restructuring of Vale Group’s New Energy division, there was still plenty to handle.

I had more important people and priorities now.

No time to dwell on a dead relationship

Three months later, Vale Group’s New Energy Park relaunched.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony drew heavy media coverage.

Someone asked, “Elena, the outside world says this restructuring is your ultimate revenge against Mr. Adrian

Vale.”

I looked into the lens. “No.”

“The cruelest revenge is never ruin.It is taking his irreplaceable asset and letting it flourish without him.”

The room fell silent for a beat.

Then applause broke out.

In its first full quarter post-restructuring, the park returned to profitability.

Suppliers shortchanged by Adrian received overdue payments.

The engineering team stabilized.

As for Adrian-he was completely removed from Vale Group’s core leadership.

Rumor spread he tried launching his own venture.

No team trusted him.

No capital would back him.

Because everyone knew: he’d diverted project funds for personal gain, and abandoned his most crucial

partner when crisis hit.

In business, skills can be rebuilt.

Trust, once shattered, is nearly impossible to piece back together.

Celeste Shaw fared worse.

After Shaw family shipped her overseas, she couldn’t stay out of trouble.

She caused another scene at a foreign gala; the video made its way back home.

Chairman Shaw was hospitalized in rage. Shaw Group, already teetering, spiraled further.

Eventually, Shaw family publicly disowned her, announcing Celeste would no longer involve herself in any

company affairs.

The Shaw heiress title she’d prized became an empty shell.

As for the guests who’d jeered and filmed that night-

Some were fired. Some saw family businesses suffer. Some ran between police stations and courtrooms.

They finally understood: cheering from the crowd doesn’t mean you bear no responsibility.

I didn’t follow their fates closely.

My life returned to its proper course.

Only sometimes, when it rained, I still couldn’t sleep.

Psychological wounds don’t vanish just because you win a battle.

But I started treatment. I began learning to sleep through the patter of rain.

Ava said I’d changed.

Once, I was like a perpetually taut bowstring.

I remain sharp, yet no longer push myself to the breaking point.

I laughed and said she was exaggerating.

She said seriously, “Elena, you used to feel you had to prove you deserved everything.”

“Now you finally know-you always did.”

I was stunned for a long moment.

Yes.

I always did deserve it.

Deserving of standing at the top. Deserving of respect. Deserving of love that didn’t demand I compromise

myself.

Deserving of striking back without apology when hurt-

Not because of where I came from, not because of my past, not because of who I once loved-

But simply because I am worthy.