My CEO Fiancé Let His Assistant Wear My Wedding Dress

I'd been with my CEO boyfriend, Stefan Walsh, for seven years, and we'd finally set a wedding date. But whenever it mattered, he was never there—and somehow, he always had a good excuse. On the day of our civil ceremony, his intern assistant, Caroline Doyle, messed up a contract, so Stefan rushed off to deal with it, leaving me alone at the courthouse all day. On the day of our engagement photo shoot, I'd barely started on my makeup when he took off. Apparently someone at a partner company was giving Caroline a hard time. After that, it didn't matter if we were booking the venue or shopping for the wedding. All she had to do was ask for help. One word from her and he'd walk away. Every single time. Then I saw it with my own eyes: he was trying on his wedding suit beside another woman wearing my dress. "How do I look?" Caroline did a little spin. "Do I look better than Nina?" "Of course. It looks like it was made for you." Stefan clapped, beaming. That was when it finally hit me. I'm done. The wedding's off. Chapter 1 Stefan and Caroline stood at the far end of the bridal shop. He was wearing the custom suit made for our wedding day. She was wearing my custom wedding dress. Side by side in front of the huge full-length mirror, they looked like a real bride and groom. Caroline twirled, all smiles. "Stefan, it's so gorgeous!" Stefan gazed at her so tenderly. He used to look at me like that. "I'll make you the happiest woman in the world, my princess," he'd told me once. He hadn't made a big show of it, but back then, I thought it was the most beautiful declaration of love in the world. I'd thought that look was only ever meant for me. But now his heart clearly belonged to someone else. Maybe he sensed me watching, because suddenly he looked up and saw me. Panic, guilt and nervousness flashed across his face. "Nina, what are you still doing here?" I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. He hurried over and lowered his voice. "Caroline said she's never worn a wedding dress before. She just wanted to try one on. Don't read too much into it. "Next time, I'll be there for your fitting. I mean it." I looked at him. At the suit he was wearing, the one made to match my dress. At Caroline behind him and the smug little smile she couldn't quite hide. "No need," I said. That caught him off guard. "I'll take you to dinner tonight. French food, your favorite." In that moment, the whole thing felt like a sick joke. When we first started dating, he swore he'd remember everything I liked. But now he only remembered what Caroline liked. I turned and pushed through the bridal shop's glass door. Outside, it was drizzling, and the October cold in Minnesota cut right through me. "Nina!" He ran out after me, grabbed my wrist and pulled me under his umbrella. "It's raining out here!" I stopped. "Just listen to me. Caroline's uncle, Martin Hale, is a manager at Orbis. Orbis is the client our company wants most. Every nice thing I do for her, I do for the company." He was talking faster now. "We're about to get married. Can't you try to understand, just this once?" I turned to look at him. "Just because her uncle is a manager at Orbis?" "Yes. So I—" "It's fine. Go back in." I slipped out of his arms. "Don't keep Caroline waiting." I even managed a smile. The rain soaked my hair. He froze, like he wanted to say something. But in the end, he still looked back at the bridal shop, where Caroline was watching us through the glass. "Sorry, Nina. Why don't you grab a cab home? The rain's picking up." Before I could say a word, he shoved the umbrella into my hand and hurried back inside. I watched him walk away and let out a cold laugh. I had finally run out of patience with this man. I took out my phone and called Mom. "Mom." "Nina? What's wrong? You sound..." "Cancel the flights. You don't need to come out here anymore." The line went quiet for three seconds. "The wedding's off." Mom didn't push. "Okay." Her voice was warm. "Come home. Come back to New Jersey. Come back to us. "We've always kept a place for you at the company." The rain blurred my vision. Orbis Medical Technologies was the biggest medical technology company in the world. My parents founded it. Seven years ago, I graduated from a top university. Taking over the company was the obvious next step, but then I met Stefan. I followed him to Minnesota and kept my identity a secret. I started out as an ordinary product manager and worked my way up to head of North American operations. He worked his way up too, from an entry-level job all the way to CEO. I didn't want to hurt his pride. I never dared to breathe a word about my family. Then he told me Martin was a manager at Orbis, and that he needed Caroline to get his foot in the door there. So I told him who I really was. But all he did was scoff. "Nina, when did you become just like everyone else? Vain and shallow." So I stopped trying to explain. I figured the truth would come out after we were married. He'd be in for such a surprise. Except there wasn't going to be an after. "Okay," I said into the phone. "As soon as they announce the promotion, I'll come home." Chapter 2 Back at the house, I started packing. I came across the first roses Stefan had ever given me. I'd dried them and kept them all this time. Now they crumbled to dust at the slightest touch. Then there were the matching mugs we'd made together, with the little symbol he'd carved into the bottoms just for us. The symbol had faded too. And a neat stack of train tickets. I remembered how, every time I was away on a long business trip, Stefan would take an overnight train on the weekend to come see me. All because I'd texted, "I miss you." When the project ended, I had to stay home to recover. I'd worked myself sick. If I missed a call or didn't answer a text, he'd get up and rush home, even in the middle of a meeting, just to make sure nothing had happened to me. Just then, my phone lit up with a text from Stefan. "Sorry, Nina. Caroline has a fever and a headache, so I have to take her to the hospital. I probably won't make it home tonight. Don't wait up. Get some sleep." I tore every one of the train tickets to pieces. Now the only person he'd show up for was Caroline. I threw all our memories in the trash. Tomorrow, the company would announce who was getting the promotion to Director of International Operations. I'd spent two whole years preparing for that job. This year alone, I'd led my team through three of the company's most critical projects, and we'd been the company's top-performing team for four years running. Everyone said the job was mine. I figured I'd at least wait for tomorrow's decision before I left. That way, I wouldn't be throwing away all the work I'd put in over the years. Early the next morning, I went back to the office and headed straight to see Simon Clarke, the VP. "Simon, have they made a decision on the promotion?" Simon looked up at me in surprise. "Nina? Your fiancé didn't tell you?" My chest tightened. "Tell me what?" Before I could finish, Stefan pushed the door open and walked in. He had a stack of papers in his hand. When he saw me, he stopped short. "I'm here to submit Caroline's application for the promotion." For a moment, the room went silent. He acted like this was perfectly normal. Suddenly, the whole thing seemed absurd. "An intern working as an assistant is up for Director of International Operations?" Simon glanced from me to Stefan. He could tell things were about to blow up. "I'll let you two talk." He got up, slipped out of the office and shut the door behind him. The thud of the door hit me like a hammer blow. "Still mad about yesterday? I already explained. Caroline had a fever. I couldn't just leave her alone." He came closer. His expensive cologne mingled with the heavy scent of roses. I knew exactly whose perfume that was. Then I noticed the red marks all over his neck. It wasn't hard to guess how wild their night must have been. My stomach turned. He caught me looking and was quick to explain. "It's an allergic reaction. Don't be so sensitive." I looked down. I almost laughed out loud. Such a lame excuse. And I used to actually believe him. "I'm not mad. I just want to know... "Seven years of project experience. My team ranked first four years in a row." I looked up and met Stefan's eyes. "How is an intern who's been here three months supposed to compete with that?" "Nina." Stefan set the papers on the desk and spoke to me like he was explaining something to a child. "Caroline's getting the position. It's already been decided." "Already decided?" "The company really needs Orbis's investment right now." I was stunned for a second. Then I let out a sarcastic laugh. "So connections trump everything?" "No. It's because of us. Everyone at the company knows we're about to get married, and that's exactly why this has to be fair." Fair. He actually said fair. "The selection committee would favor you, at least a little, just because of me," he went on. "That's not fair." I stared at him. I'd loved this man for seven years, and it was like I'd never really known him. "Stefan, it's been seven years. I've never once used you to get ahead. Everything I've achieved, I earned on my own. You know that better than anyone." He lowered his eyes. "Nina, I'm really sorry. But the company's future is on the line. There's nothing I can do this time." He stepped closer and reached for me, trying to calm me down. I stepped back, out of his reach. "If I'd lost because she was better than me, I'd honestly be happy for her." My voice started to shake, but I fought to keep it steady. "But the real reason I lost is you. "What I can't stand is that you, of all people, know how hard I've worked for seven years. And with one decision, you made all of it mean nothing." "Nina, it's not like that. There'll be a next time. Trust me!" Next time. Always next time. I let out a quiet laugh. "If you're really that upset, I'll take you on vacation when this is over to make it up to you," he went on. Just then, the door flew open. Caroline barged in, acting like she hadn't noticed the tension between Stefan and me. She was holding a stack of files and smiling brightly. "Sorry, Nina. Mind if I borrow your fiancé for a minute?" I saw the smugness behind her smile, then turned and left. "Nina!" Stefan called after me. "When I get back, we'll go on that vacation." I didn't look back. Chapter 3 The second I got back to my desk, Tracy Nolan leaned over. "So? What happened?" "They already decided. Caroline's getting it." Tracy's eyes went wide. "That bitch?! Isn't it enough that she's all over Stefan every single day? Now they're making her a director too? I swear, I'm going to rip her face off." She shot to her feet. I pressed firmly on her hand to stop her and shook my head. "You're just letting it go? What did Stefan say?" "Stefan's the one who turned in her application." "Oh my God, what a pair of scumbags! You're just going to let them get away with it?" Right then, Stefan and Caroline finally emerged from Simon's office. Caroline had her arm hooked through his. They leaned in close, whispering to each other and trading lovestruck glances as if no one else existed. Stefan pulled a box out of his pocket and proudly held it out to Caroline. Inside was an antique sapphire necklace. If I remembered right, it was a family heirloom. The same one he'd once said would go to his future wife. He gently fastened it around Caroline's neck. Caroline was so excited she was close to tears. She covered her mouth and couldn't hold back a gasp. I remembered when he'd done the same thing for me. He'd pulled out a diamond ring and slipped it onto my finger. "My princess, I'll love you forever. I'll never betray you." But now, Caroline was in my place. The whole office went silent. Every eye in the room turned toward us. Everyone knew Stefan and I were about to get married. The pity on their faces hit me like a slap. The two of them seemed to snap out of it. Caroline caught my eye and hurried to explain, making sure the whole room could hear. "Nina, don't get the wrong idea! Stefan only lent me the necklace for tomorrow's work event. That's all. There's nothing between us!" Stefan hurried over too and took my hand. "I'm just letting her borrow it. The necklace will be yours after the wedding. I know where my priorities lie." I pulled my hand free and stepped back. "The necklace looks good on Caroline." Caroline fidgeted with her fingers, looking taken aback. "Maybe I should just take it off..." "No!" Stefan immediately stepped between us, shielding Caroline. "Nina, stop making a scene. You're only embarrassing yourself by acting this desperate." Ha. I laughed, mostly at myself. "Desperate? Please. I don't even want it." I looked at Stefan. "Go ahead and keep the necklace for Caroline." "I said I was keeping it for you." Stefan frowned. "Don't bother." I didn't want it anymore. "You're really just letting it go?" Tracy squeezed my hand tight. I squeezed back. "I'm leaving anyway." I yanked the ring off my finger and threw it in my bag. That afternoon, I put my resignation letter on Simon's desk. He sighed. "This company's about to lose a lot more than a director." I just smiled and didn't say anything. When I walked out of Simon's office, I saw that Stefan's door was shut. Caroline's desk was empty too. Tracy caught up with me at the elevators. Her eyes were red. "If those two ever dare..." "No one's going to push me around anymore," I said. "I'm the one who's done with this." I walked out of the building, pulling my suitcase behind me, and headed for the airport. On the way, Stefan kept texting me. "Nina, I'm sorry. What happened today was my fault. Don't be mad." "I'm not mad." I knew he'd never really been sorry. "When you're back from your trip, I'll be there for your fitting." Sitting at the gate, I sent him one last reply. "Don't bother. Go with Caroline. We're done." I turned off my phone and closed my eyes. The plane was about to take off, and I never wanted to see that man again.