The Ex's Regret: I Became The Billionaire Hockey King's Doctor

Chloe POV:

"I can't make it tonight, Chloe. Vicky was in a car accident on her way to the gala. I have to be with her at the hospital."

Harrison's voice came through the receiver, rushed and heavy with guilt.

I stood in the dim shadows just off the main stage, the heavy silk of my white couture gown pooling around my feet. A few yards away, hundreds of New York's elite waited for the guests of honor to make their grand entrance.

Vicky. Victoria Vance. Our family's fragile, adored adopted daughter. She always found the most innocent ways to take what was mine.

A perfectly timed accident. A victim needing comfort. A real-life drama of a hero saving the damsel.

A quiet laugh escaped my lips, dripping with sarcasm. "Is that so? Is she badly hurt? Should I call the best surgeon in the country?"

"Or is a little scratch enough to keep her in your arms until our engagement party becomes the joke of the city?"

Silence hung on the other end of the line. Then, Victoria's crying grew louder, distinct and pathetic.

Harrison's voice turned stern. "Chloe, don't be so difficult. Vicky is vulnerable right now. She needs me. This is just a party. We can reschedule."

Before I could answer, my eldest brother, Julian, strode into the alcove. He snatched the phone from my hand, his face flushed with fury, and roared into the receiver.

"Harrison! You bastard! I don't care what you're doing with that woman, you get your ass back here now! Do you have any idea how important tonight is for our families' business?"

The call ended, Julian's jaw clenched. He looked at me, calculating only the cost of a ruined business alliance. "He said he's not coming back. He chose Victoria."

My mother, Caroline Beaumont, rushed toward us, her elegant posture stiff with anxiety. She grabbed my arm, her manicured nails digging sharply into my bare skin.

"Chloe, you better give me an explanation!" she hissed, her voice a low, furious tremor. "Where is Harrison? You're disgracing the Beaumont name!"

"He's staying with Vicky," Julian muttered, adjusting his cuffs as if the matter was already beneath him.

Caroline's eyes darted between us, her panic morphing instantly into vicious anger. She released my arm only to point a trembling finger directly at my face.

"It's all her fault! If she were half as sensible as Vicky, Harrison would never treat her this way!"

She swayed, grabbing Julian's arm for support. "It's over... It's all over..."

Right on cue, the heavy velvet curtains parted.

The blinding glare of the spotlights hit us, exposing our backstage meltdown to the grand ballroom. Below the stage, the most powerful people in the city watched the spectacle with morbid curiosity.

The whispers swelled into a rising tide, a sea of hushed sounds sweeping through the crowd. Camera flashes erupted in rapid succession, capturing every frame of the jilted bride and her furious family.

My second brother, Adrian, stood near the front row, offering apologetic smiles to the agitated guests, his weak stance making the situation even more pathetic.

My youngest brother, Miles, leaned against a pillar surrounded by a flock of models. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, raising his champagne glass in my direction. "This is so fucking embarrassing."

I was surrounded by my family. They stood around me like a tribunal of judges, casting me as the sole sinner. My mother glared at me with pure resentment, blaming me for a betrayal I was the victim of. My brothers offered nothing but cold calculation and open mockery. The public humiliation hung in the air, heavy and suffocating, pressing down on the stage.

Standing in the center of their accusations and the crowd's piercing stares, I felt a profound, absolute clarity. A cold, steady strength settled deep in my bones.

I smoothed the skirt of my gown. The heavy silk felt like armor against my skin. I straightened my back and lifted my chin, rolling my shoulders into a posture of absolute authority.

I reached out and took my phone back from Julian's hand, meeting his stunned expression with a steady gaze.

Leaving my mother's trembling finger and my brothers' pathetic displays behind, I walked directly to the center of the stage, stepping fully into the blinding glare of the spotlights.

The noise in the ballroom died the moment I moved forward. Hundreds of people held their breath, watching me, waiting for the final verdict.

I picked up the microphone from the lectern. The cold metal was a grounding, solid presence in my hand. I looked out at the sea of faces, my gaze steady, sweeping over the crowd with absolute command.

Caroline gasped behind me, a sound of pure horror, sensing she had lost control of the narrative.

I took a deep breath, my voice carrying clear and calm through the speakers, claiming every corner of the grand hall.

"Ladies and gentlemen," I began, letting the silence stretch for a perfectly calculated second. A faint, mocking smile touched my lips.

"Thank you all for gathering here tonight to celebrate what was supposed to be the union of two great families. However, it seems the guest of honor will not be joining us." I tilted my head slightly, my tone dripping with polite disdain. "Due to Mr. Harrison Carlisle's sudden, highly specific... personal priorities, I am officially calling off this engagement."

The crowd erupted into a collective gasp, but I didn't flinch. I leaned closer to the microphone, delivering the final blow.

"I'm sure you will all join me in wishing Harrison the absolute best in tending to his... emergencies."