"Therese," she said, her voice soft and careful. "The university leadership is taking this situation very seriously. I'm afraid your 'Outstanding Graduate' title might be revoked."
I felt my fingers tighten around the phone. My throat went dry like I'd swallowed sand.
"Ms. Brooks, I didn't make those purchases."
There was a pause. Then a long, drawn-out sigh.
"I know," Ms. Brooks said quietly. "But public opinion is spiraling, and the school's image is on the line. Plus, there's pressure coming from the board."
And just like that, it all clicked.
Oliver's company was finalizing a partnership with our university's research lab. They were planning to hire directly from our graduating class.
With job placements approaching and every dean scrambling to impress corporate sponsors, the school wasn't about to jeopardize that deal over me.
And so, I quietly accepted it.
Honestly, losing that 'Outstanding Graduate' title didn't bother me much. It was just a line on paper. At least they didn't go totally off the rails and try to revoke my degree.
But Oliver? Oh, he wasn't done with me.
He leveraged all his contacts to ensure I was blacklisted from every major company in Bayport.
All my résumés disappeared into nothingness—no callbacks, no interviews, not even a courteous rejection.
Meanwhile, he made sure everyone saw how smoothly he'd moved on.
He displayed Kiara at every business event, treating her as if she were his latest trophy girl.
Then one night, she posted a picture online. It was a limited-edition Hermès bag sitting pretty on her arm.
The caption?
[Thank you, Boss, for your love!]
The location tag? An invite-only private club.
Oliver didn't waste any time jumping in with a comment of his own:
[You deserve the best.]
And then, right on cue, I got a text from him.
The timing was laughable, really!
[Therese, if you still want to be a CEO's wife, pay back the $500,000, sign a prenup, and promise to give me three kids in five years after marriage. Play by the rules, and I'll give you a life of luxury and status. Refuse, and you can forget ever finding another job.]
I stared at my screen for a long second and was just stunned.
Was this real life?
Did he honestly think he was doing me a favor?
Then I laughed.
The truth is, Oliver had no idea that marrying me was already out of his league.