She Got the Ring, But I Got the Last Laugh

Vivian's POV

When Zachary’s company teetered on the edge of bankruptcy, I became his girlfriend. For five long years, I silently funneled my family’s resources into his business, watching from the shadows as he went from struggling to thriving. And just when the company was about to go public, Zachary finally got down on one knee, promising me the world. He said he’d make me the happiest woman alive.

But happiness shattered in an instant when I stumbled upon his chat history.

[Zachary: I’m only marrying Vivian to make Yvette jealous.]

[Zachary: Once the IPO hits, I’ll be a billionaire, and Yvette won’t stand idly by while I marry that woman.]

[Zachary: As soon as she comes back from abroad for me, I’ll drop Vivian without a second thought and marry her instead.]

The moment I saw those words, I didn’t hesitate. I called my dad and told him to pull our family’s investments from Zachary’s company. I’d let them be miserable together.

"Dad, you can start pulling our investments from Zachary’s company."

With the IPO on the horizon, my father’s withdrawal would be a fatal blow to everything Zachary built on lies and manipulation.

"Did that bastard hurt you? I’ll make sure he regrets it!" My dad, always protective, was ready to confront Zachary without even needing the details.

I forced a bitter smile, swallowing the pain. "Dad, let me handle this one."

My voice cracked, but I couldn’t let him hear how much I was hurting. I quickly hung up, but my eyes stayed locked on that chat window, the words still burning in my mind. My heart felt like it was shattering into pieces.

Zachary Donovan was my senior in college.

I could still remember during my freshman year, I was cornered by a group of thugs and Zachary stepped in without hesitation, getting into a brutal fight to protect me.

That was when I fell hard for him. He was the first man, besides my dad, to stand up for me so selflessly.

From that moment on, I chased after him for years, through our college days. Yet, he never accepted my feelings.

Back then, I used to think his indifference made him more desirable, as if his coldness was a challenge I was meant to overcome.

But looking back now, I see how naïve I was.

Later, after we graduated, Zachary's company went bankrupt, leaving him millions in debt. It was during this darkest time that I became his shadow, never leaving his side, supporting him when no one else would. And after everything, after all those years, he finally agreed to be my boyfriend.

Desperate to help him rise again, I convinced my father to pour our family's resources into Zachary’s company, rebuilding it from the ashes. For five years, I worked silently in the background, making sure Zachary had everything he needed to succeed. The company thrived, and when it was about to go public, he finally proposed to me. At that time, I thought it was the start of our forever.

Little did I know that I was just part of his plan to make the woman he truly loved jealous, and was nothing more than a pawn in his game.

Tonight, Zachary rushed out for a business dinner, leaving in such a hurry that he forgot to log out of his Instagram on the computer. Despite the heartache from what I had already discovered in his chat history, I couldn’t stop myself from opening his timeline.

I had never bothered looking at his timeline before. After all, he rarely posted, not even about the trips we took together. To my surprise, when I opened it now, I realized he had been posting all along. It was just that he changed its share setting to close friends only, and I was not listed in it.

Scrolling through, I found a photo of a girl. Only her wrist was visible, but the gold bracelet she wore stood out. It was the same one I had recently found in Zachary’s suit pocket. At the time, I thought he’d finally learned how to be romantic and planned to surprise me with it on our wedding day.

But no. He gave it to someone else.

Turned out, Zachary knew how to be romantic—just not with me.

Just then, my phone rang, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts.

"Vivian! Get here fast—Zachary’s gotten into a fight!" My friend’s panicked voice pierced through the chaos in my head.

In the background, I heard Zachary’s furious shout. "You bastards better apologize to my girlfriend!"

My heart clenched hard. I wasn’t with him, so the "girlfriend" he was referring to was clearly not me.

I wanted to know what was going on tonight, so I grabbed a coat and rushed to the shoe cabinet, only to find the scarf I had given him lying quietly on the floor. When I picked it up, I saw that there were clear footprints on it.

I’d spent over ten days knitting that scarf, pricking my fingers more times than I could count. And he’d just tossed it aside.

As such, I clenched it and emotionlessly tossed it into the trash can.

I then called a taxi and headed to the bar where Zachary had gotten into the fight. When I arrived, I saw him holding a woman, who was crying into his chest. On her wrist was that very gold bracelet.

Vivian's POV

“Those guys spilled drinks on Zachary’s friend, so Zachary started a fight with them,” his friend rushed over, his face flushed with panic. “He drank too much tonight—I’m worried he’s going to get into serious trouble.”

Hearing the reason, I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. My mind flashed back to a time when I accompanied Zachary to a business meeting. The client, furious that the deal had fallen through, deliberately spilled wine on me. Yet, Zachary didn’t get mad at all. Instead of defending me, he even blamed me for being immature, for costing him the deal.

Now, I watched Zachary try to fight the man again, when his friend rushed over to stop him.

“Zachary! That’s enough!” his friend yelled, his voice tight with frustration. “You’re about to get married! Don’t cause any trouble!"

Unexpectedly, Zachary shoved him aside, his words slurred and laced with fury. “Who the hell said I’m getting married? This jerk spilled alcohol on my girlfriend! Nobody’s leaving until he apologizes!”

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence as Zachary’s words hung in the air, and all of their eyes were now on me.

Despite that, I only smiled coldly. Then without a word, I stepped forward and slapped the man Zachary had been fighting with.

The room fell silent and the man’s face flushed with anger. “You crazy woman! How dare you hit me!"

He then lunged at me with rage in his eyes, but I simply stood still, waiting to see how Zachary would react. Would he defend me like he had in the past, fighting for me no matter the cost?

However, Zachary shoved my shoulder, yelling angrily, "What are you doing? Haven’t I had enough trouble today without you adding to it? You’re always making things worse!"

His words shattered my heart completely.

Afterward, he turned to the man, dismissing the entire incident with a wave of his hand. "Now we’re even! Get lost!"

The man, fortunately, kept his cool and, after some grumbling, left without further drama.

After they were gone, Zachary collapsed heavily onto the sofa.

“Vivian, don’t take it to heart,” his friend muttered awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Zachary’s had too much to drink, that’s all. This is Yvette Harper, by the way—an old friend from high school. She just got back from abroad.”

I glanced coolly at Yvette, who still had tears clinging to her eyes, looking as if she had suffered some great injustice.

"Yvette, this is Zachary’s fiancée, Vi—"

Before his friend could finish, Zachary interrupted, sitting up with a scowl. “Colleague,” he spat. “She’s just a colleague, not my fiancée.”

His words felt like a dagger, making me tremble uncontrollably and turning the atmosphere unbearably awkward.

After a long silence, Zachary’s friend quickly tried to smooth things over, handing me a glass of wine. “Here, Vivian. Let’s have a drink.”

Just as I was about to take the glass, Zachary’s eyes snapped to his friend. “What are you doing? She’s allergic to alcohol.”

It was true. Zachary knew I was allergic to alcohol. But what happened next surprised me even more.

“Zachary, you’re drunk,” she said sweetly, placing a hand on his arm. “Louie was offering the drink to Vivian, not me.”

Zachary blinked, then shrugged. "Oh, she can drink. She drinks a lot actually. She’s the best drinker in the whole company."

His words shattered the last remnants of my heart. He had forgotten. He had forgotten the night I nearly died. The night I ended up in the hospital because he had forced me to drink for his clients. He had forgotten my allergy entirely.

Or maybe he just never cared enough to remember.

When I came here tonight, I had still held onto a tiny shred of hope. But now, it was completely gone.

Pulling me out of my thought, Yvette suddenly stood up and spoke to me. “Since you’re here, why don’t you take Zachary home?” she suggested, her voice sickly sweet. “I’ve just gotten back, and I can’t look after him tonight. Oh, and when he wakes up tomorrow, make sure to brew him some ginger honey tea. He always has a headache after drinking, and he’ll need it. And don’t forget to cover him with a blanket. He sleeps terribly after a night out.”

Her words sliced through me, each one a reminder of how well she knew him—better than I ever had. She was just passing the mess to me for tonight.

I stared at her innocent expression for a long time, wanting nothing more than to wipe that look off her face. But I held back, my anger simmering just beneath the surface.

I wanted to see how long they could keep up this charade.

Vivian's POV

On the way home, I couldn’t hold back my tears.

I had spent nine long years loving Zachary: five years of dating and four years chasing him.

But what I got in return was nothing but betrayal.

Until now I still couldn’t shake the image of those chat logs from my mind. It seemed to be happening now.

No wonder he rushed out this afternoon—he must have gone to the airport to pick her up.

Just then, Zachary’s phone buzzed beside me, jolting me out of my deep thought. I reached for it and I unlocked it, only to see a message from Yvette. But it wasn’t the message that shattered me—it was her profile picture. They had matching couple avatars.

Staring at the picture, my mind flashed back to last year when I asked a well-known illustrator to create a special avatar for me and Zachary. I was so excited when I asked him to change it.

But he scolded me for being childish and told me to focus on work.

Yet now, he had no problem embracing this childish display with Yvette.

My hands trembling and heart racing, I then reached into his suit pocket, feeling something small and solid. I pulled it out cautiously. But as soon as I saw the logo, I hitched my breath in surprise. My hands trembled violently as I struggled to breathe, feeling dizzy and lightheaded. Still, I mustered the courage to open the box. Inside was a Pandora diamond ring sitting on the expensive cushion with the initials "YH" engraved on the back. Obviously, it was Yvette’s.

I had begged Zachary countless times to buy a Pandora ring for our wedding. After all, a man can only purchase one in his lifetime. But he always brushed me off, claiming it was just a marketing gimmick. Now I knew the truth—he had been saving it for her all along, intending to engrave her name on the most important ring of his life.

I wiped the tears from my eyes, my resolve hardening. With Zachary fast asleep beside me, I used his fingerprint to unlock his phone.

[Yvette: Sweetheart, don’t forget to help me pick out a wedding dress tomorrow.]

My mind went numb. Wedding dress? I had begged him to go with me to choose a dress for our wedding so many times, but he always made excuses—too busy with the company, too stressed about the IPO. But now, he was going with Yvette.

Only then did the realization hit me like a punch to the gut. He never intended to marry me. I was just a placeholder in his heart.

At that moment, I wanted to cry my heart out. But with the driver sitting in front, I could only dig my nails deep into my thigh, desperately holding back my tears. The pain from my nails sinking into my flesh was the only thing distracting me from the pain in my heart. I had clung to this love for nine years, but tonight, it was slipping away—like sand through my fingers.

The next morning, despite everything, I still made Zachary ginger honey tea, just like Yvette had mentioned.

But after one sip, Zachary spat it out, disgust etched across his face. “What is this crap? Ginger? Don’t you know I hate ginger?"

I froze, staring at him. Yvette had said he loved ginger tea. That’s when it hit me—it wasn’t the tea he liked. It was the taste of Yvette. Her preferences, her scent, her presence—that’s what he craved.

After a sleepless night, I had come to terms with many things about our relationship.

So when I saw him act like this, I wasn’t even angry anymore.

Instead, I calmly poured the tea down the sink and washed the cup.

As Zachary put on his shoes, he coldly said, "The company’s about to go public, I’ve got a lot on my plate. Don’t cause me any more trouble."

With that, he turned and slammed the door behind him.

Little did he know, I knew he was off to help Yvette pick out her wedding dress.

Vivian's POV

As such, I quickly had someone find out which bridal shop Yvette was visiting.

In fact, there was no need to investigate—it was obvious that Zachary had chosen the most expensive and high-end bridal shop in the city.

The same shop I had visited four or five times before.

Just three days ago, I had ordered the most expensive dress in the country from that very shop. Today was supposed to be the day it arrived.

However, when I reached the entrance of the shop, I saw Yvette twirling around in front of Zachary, wearing the very dress I had ordered.

Meanwhile, Zachary was speaking with the store manager about something.

"Zachary, I really love this dress. I just have to have it," Yvette said coyly, clinging to his arm and acting sweet.

Zachary nodded, already negotiating with the manager. “Call the woman who ordered this dress. Tell her I’ll pay an extra 100,000, plus another 100,000 as compensation if she gives it up.”

Hearing this, I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly to myself. So, for his "beloved Yvette," he could be this generous.

The store manager was clearly tempted by Zachary’s offer and went to the back to make the call.

I slowly walked up behind Zachary and Yvette spotted me first. Her face turned slightly pale, and she nudged Zachary’s arm, looking pitifully at him.

Zachary turned slowly. The moment his eyes met mine, his expression darkened, as if my presence was an inconvenience. “Why aren’t you at the company, Vivian? There’s so much to handle. What are you doing here?” No shame, no remorse—just immediate accusations, as if I were in the wrong.

I stood there silently, staring at him, not wanting to argue. The tears that might have come last night had already dried up. There was nothing left inside me for him. He wasn’t worth it. Not anymore.

Seeing that I remained silent, Zachary Zachary sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as if I were the source of all his problems. "You see, I love Yvette. Stop making things difficult for us. I’ll give you money, enough for you to leave quietly and with dignity.”

Dignity? The word felt like a slap, but I remained calm, my gaze steady on him. I wasn’t here to fight or plead. There was only one question left in my heart, and I needed to hear the answer from him.

“Zachary,” I began quietly, my voice firm, “I just want to know—after all these years, did you ever truly love me?”

His lips twisted into a cruel smile, one that chilled me to the bone. “Vivian, you’ve loved me, I know. So much that it’s almost obsessive. But let’s be honest, in front of Yvette—I never loved you. I only agreed to be with you because I felt sorry for you, chasing me for so many years."

Even though I had expected the worst, his words cut deeper than I imagined. But that’s fine. If he could be this ruthless, so could I.

Before I could respond, the store manager returned from the back. “Sir, I’m sorry but—” She stopped short, noticing me. Her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, Ma’am Vivian, you’re here! This gentleman was just—”

I cut her off with a raised hand, my voice calm but resolute. “It’s fine. Give the dress to this woman. I hope they enjoy their happiness together.”

Without waiting for their reaction, I turned and walked out of the store, dialing my father’s number.

"Dad, go ahead and announce the withdrawal of our investment on the day of Zachary’s wedding."