He Gave My Wedding Dress Away by Tempest

My life revolved around Ethan, the secret husband I loved fiercely, despite the feud between our families.

Then, Chloe Vance, his ex-girlfriend and now stepmother, cornered me in a powder room with a cruel bet: ten chances to make Ethan publicly claim me, or I'd sign divorce papers and disappear.

Each attempt to win his affection ended in public humiliation.

He remained cold, his attention always on Chloe, who openly delighted in my torment.

He looked at me with disgust when I tried to bridge the distance, abandoned me in a fire, and watched me suffer an acid attack – his only concern for her.

Despite my agony, he later tried to make me take the fall for her sordid scandals.

How could the man I loved treat me with such brutal indifference, repeatedly choosing his ex-girlfriend while I withered?

Was I merely a convenient shield, a secret to be hidden, while his true devotion remained with another woman?

The casual cruelty, the dismissive betrayal, chipped away at everything I believed.

Watching him side with her after that horrific attack, something inside me irrevocably shattered.

My foolish, stubborn love for Ethan Gold finally, completely died.

I decided then that I wouldn't just leave; I would reclaim my life and dignity, severing every last tie to the man who never truly saw me.

And he would finally understand what he had lost.

Chapter 1

Chloe Vance cornered Ava Chen in the powder room of the St. Regis.

Her voice, smooth as poisoned honey, cut through the air.

"Ava, darling. We need to talk about Ethan."

Ava's heart hammered.

Ethan Gold, her husband. A secret husband, thanks to the war between their families, the Chens and the Golds.

And Chloe, Ethan's first love, now his widowed stepmother.

"What about Ethan?" Ava tried to keep her voice steady.

Chloe smiled, a flash of perfect white teeth.

"He's mine, Ava. He always has been. But you're a persistent little thing."

She leaned closer, her expensive perfume cloying.

"So, a wager. Ten chances. Ten public events, or significant private moments. Make Ethan publicly claim you, show real love. Not just a polite arm on your elbow."

Ava felt a chill. "And if I don't?"

"All ten failures?" Chloe's eyes gleamed. "You sign the divorce papers I'll have ready. No fuss, no fight. You just disappear from his life. And mine."

Ava thought of Ethan. His rare smiles, the stolen moments that felt like sunshine.

She loved him. She truly believed she could win his heart, break through his cold exterior.

"I accept," Ava said, her voice barely a whisper, but firm.

Chloe's smile widened. "Excellent. The annual Gold Foundation Gala is next week. Let that be your first test."

Ava's initial confidence was a fragile thing.

At the Gala, she reached for Ethan's hand on the red carpet.

He was a statue, his fingers stiff, pulling away subtly as photographers flashed.

Later, she saw him in a quiet corner, deep in conversation with Chloe, who looked artfully distressed.

Chloe caught Ava's eye and gave a tiny, triumphant smirk.

One down. Nine to go.

The failures piled up. A charity dinner, a weekend at his parents' estate (now Chloe's too, in a way), a business conference. Each time, Ethan was distant, his attention fixed on Chloe's feigned needs, her "fragility."

Desperation gnawed at Ava. This was attempt number four.

They were at the Gold family's desolate Hamptons beach house. Ethan was working, as usual.

Ava had read about aphrodisiacs online. A tasteless powder.

She slipped it into his whiskey, her hands trembling.

She just wanted him to look at her, to touch her with something other than indifference.

He took a sip, then another.

A flush crept up his neck. He looked at her, a strange light in his eyes.

For a moment, Ava's hope surged.

Then, his expression hardened. He stood up, his chair scraping loudly.

"What did you do?" His voice was ice.

Ava stammered, "Nothing, I just..."

"Don't lie to me, Ava." He gripped her arm, his fingers like steel. "You think you can trick me into... this?"

He looked at her with pure disgust.

"Pathetic."

The word struck her harder than a slap.

He released her, turning his back. "I'm going out."

"Ethan, please..."

He didn't look back. He just walked out, leaving her alone in the vast, silent house.

Later that night, Olivia, Ava's sister, sent her a link to a gossip site.

Paparazzi photos. Ethan, looking concerned, "comforting" a tearful Chloe outside an exclusive Hamptons club.

The caption read: "Ethan Gold rushes to stepmother Chloe Vance's side after a trying day."

Ava stared at the screen, the image blurring through her tears.

He left her, alone and humiliated, to rush to Chloe.

The realization was a cold, heavy stone in her stomach. Chloe was his priority. Always.

The next morning, Chloe called. Ava saw her name on the caller ID and almost didn't answer.