He Chose His Ex So I Chose My Empire Chapter 01
I decided I was done with my husband, Liam.
It happened right after he donated ten million dollars to the foundation.
That money all but handed the project to Serena.
Serena was his ex-girlfriend, and the last person on earth I wanted to lose to.
And I was his wife of three years.
Serena and I had been fighting over the foundation’s Legacy Initiative for months.
With one move, he had erased my last chance.
Serena said to me, “See? In the end, he still chose me.”
I didn’t answer. I just turned and walked away.
Yes, I lost.
I lost the project, and I lost my marriage.
But in that moment, a sudden lightness bloomed in my chest.
It was time to take back what had always been mine.
…
The news that Liam would become the foundation’s newest and largest donor spread through the office like wildfire.
He was my husband.
When I learned he would personally weigh in on the final decision for the Legacy Initiative, I knew the competition between Serena and me was over.
In the foundation’s breakroom, my colleagues kept their voices low, but I heard every word.
“Did you hear? The ten-million-dollar donor is Liam.”
“Of course. Who’d miss that? I bet the Legacy Initiative is going straight to Serena.”
A young intern asked, “Why?”
The project manager beside her lowered his voice.
“You don’t know? Liam and Serena were a famous couple back at Stanford. Everyone says he never really got over her. Now that she’s back in his orbit, of course he’s going to help her.”
My grip tightened on my coffee cup, the hot liquid sloshing dangerously close to the rim.
A painful knot formed in my chest.
When I returned to my desk, COO Arthur Hayes’s assistant was already waiting for me.
“Elara, Serena. Mr. Hayes would like to see you both.”
In Arthur Hayes’s office, he looked pleased.
“Elara, Serena,” he said, “the board and I agree that both of your proposals are strong. We’ve decided to give each of you another month to refine them. The final decision will be made by a vote from the board and the donor representative.”
As he spoke, his gaze rested on Serena, as if congratulating her in advance.
As if he already knew the outcome.
As if he’d already decided who Liam’s money was for.
I stood there, feeling like I’d been forced into a race that was already fixed.
After we left the office, Serena stopped and turned to look at me.
She smiled, beautiful and composed.
“Elara, let’s compete fairly.”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but the meaning in her eyes was clear.
She was already looking at me like I’d lost.
She wasn’t worried at all.
Because she knew that in this foundation, and with Liam, everyone would think of her first.
By evening, the entire department was buzzing over the massive donation.
Everyone knew that if my proposal wasn’t chosen, my team would be disbanded and absorbed into Serena’s.
Before the end of the day, a crowd had formed around Serena’s desk.
Some praised her ideas, some helped her flesh out details, and others were already offering their congratulations.
“Serena, this direction is perfect. Liam will definitely love it.”
“This project feels like it was made for you.”
All the buzz was on her side of the room.
I looked at her through the throng of people.
She stood in the middle of it all, the star of the show.
My desk was an island of silence.
She lifted her coffee cup and tipped it toward me, the smile never leaving her face.
I looked away, grabbed my coat, and left.