DUMPED BY MY GIRLFRIEND, CHOSEN BY A SUPERSTAR

Chapter 3

The hallway leading to the university cafeteria was bright and sunny, and Ethan felt a nervous excitement as he walked down it. He had spent three years in a long-distance relationship, managing everything over video calls. During all that time, he had intentionally kept his massive wealth and his global business empire a secret. He wanted to be completely sure that Chloe loved him for who he was, not for his money. Today was the day he finally planned to tell her the truth.

As he got closer to the entrance, he noticed a young man leaning against the wall. The guy was wearing expensive designer clothes from a brand Ethan’s company actually handled, and he had a very arrogant, wealthy look about him. Ethan didn't think much of it and kept looking down the path for Chloe.

A moment later, he saw her. She was walking toward the glass doors, smiling and looking happier than he had seen her in a long time.

"Chloe!" Ethan called out, smiling widely as he stepped forward to surprise her. He quickly took his backpack off his shoulder to get her gifts out. He pulled out a box of imported chocolates, a bunch of red roses, and held the small velvet watch box tightly in his hand. He stepped toward her, excited to finally see the look on her face when he handed them to her.

But before he could even say another word, Chloe threw her arms around the wealthy guy leaning against the wall. Right there in front of Ethan, she hugged him tightly and gave him a long, passionate kiss.

Ethan froze. It felt like everything around him had suddenly stopped. The gifts in his hands suddenly felt heavy, and he could hear his own heartbeat echoing in his ears.

"Chloe...?" Ethan whispered. His voice shook, and the gift slipped from his hand, hitting the concrete floor with a loud thud.

Chloe slowly pulled away from the guy, but she kept her arm resting casually over his shoulder. When she heard Ethan’s voice, she turned her head. Her happy expression instantly changed into a look of total shock and annoyance.

"Ethan?" she said, looking down at his plain, oversized gray t-shirt and regular trousers with clear disgust. "What are you doing here? Why are you in Aethelgard?"

Ethan stared at her, a sharp pain tightening in his chest. "I should be asking you what you're doing here. What is going on, Chloe? I traveled all this way to surprise you. What are you doing with him?"

Chloe laughed, a cold, mocking sound. She leaned back against the guy she had just been kissing. "What do you mean you came here for me? Are you trying to tell me you actually moved here?"

"I transferred to Aethelgard University," Ethan said, trying to keep his voice steady despite the betrayal. "I did it because I couldn't handle being apart anymore, Chloe. I wanted us to finally live in the same city. I came here to be with my girlfriend."

Chloe laughed even louder this time, and there was no warmth left in her voice at all. "Are you serious, Ethan? Look at yourself, and look at reality. You can't honestly expect a girl like me, who belongs in high society, to stay tied down to a guy like you. Let's be real. You were just a hometown summer boyfriend. It was just a fun way to pass the time when I was stuck in the town during the breaks. We were never a serious, long-term thing. Did you actually think I would date a regular, poor guy like you in the real world? Don't be ridiculous."

Ethan felt a burn in his chest. "A summer boyfriend? For three years, Chloe, we were together every single summer and we tried to keep communicating when we weren't together. You told me you loved me."

"Because it was easy to say when you were thousands of miles away!" Chloe snapped angrily. "But look around you. This is Aethelgard. The people here have real family names, big businesses, and actual futures. You're still stuck in that small-town mindset, wearing clothes that look like they came from a discount rack. I am trying to build a high-class life for myself, and you're just holding me back."

The young man Chloe was holding onto laughed softly. He looked down at Ethan like he was looking at an insect. "Wow, Chloe. So this is that pathetic town charity case you told me about? The one from your hometown? You really lowered your standards over the summers, didn't you? I thought you had better taste than this."

Chloe giggled, slapping the guy playfully on his arm. "Oh, stop it, Julian! Don't make fun of me. I told you, I just needed someone to keep me company during those boring, quiet summers back home."

Ethan clenched his fists tightly at his sides. "Who the hell is this, Chloe?"

The guy, Julian, stepped away from the wall with an arrogant smirk. He adjusted the heavy gold watch on his left wrist to make sure Ethan saw it. To a regular person, the watch looked incredibly expensive, but Ethan noticed right away that it was just a mid-tier luxury model. In fact, Ethan’s own parent company owned the brand that made it. It wasn't even close to the quality of the watch Ethan had bought.

"I'm Julian Stone," the guy said, stepping right into Ethan's personal space. "My family owns most of the commercial buildings in this area. I'm a very important person around here, and more importantly, I am Chloe's actual boyfriend. The kind of boyfriend who can actually give her a wealthy lifestyle."

As Julian finished speaking, his eyes dropped to the floor where Ethan’s gifts had fallen. Among the crushed flowers and ruined chocolates, the velvet watch box had popped open, and the watch inside was catching the bright sunlight.

Julian smirked and bent down to pick it up. He turned it over in his hands, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at the design and the small diamonds on the face. For a fraction of a second, he looked surprised, but he quickly laughed it off and shook his head.

"Wait a minute... is this supposed to be the new HVXL Starlight Limited Edition?" Julian asked, holding it up.

Julian burst into a loud, mocking laugh and showed the watch to Chloe. "Look at this, babe. This guy actually tried to buy you a fake watch! This is a complete knockoff of a multi-million-dollar piece. The real version of this watch hasn't even been released to regular buyers yet."

He turned back to Ethan, sneering at his plain clothes. "Did you save up your lunch money from whatever low-paying job you have? Do you flip burgers or work in some cheap restaurant? Did you really think a piece of fake glass would make you look like a wealthy man? There is no way in hell someone like you could ever afford a real watch like this."

Julian scoffed and carelessly tossed the multi-million-dollar watch back onto the dirty ground. "He actually tried to give you a counterfeit just to act tough and pretend he has money."

Chloe looked down at the watch in the dirt, looking completely embarrassed and angry. "Are you seriously trying to give me fake jewelry, Ethan? Just to make yourself feel big? This is so embarrassing. You are literally making a fool of yourself in front of people with real money."

Julian wrapped his arm around Chloe’s waist, giving Ethan a smug, victorious smile. "Don't even waste your time talking to him, babe. Like I was saying before this idiot walked up, my family is hosting the official welcome party for Cynthia Rose at our estate tonight. And I already made sure your name is at the top of the VIP guest list."