Adrian Donovan Clara Miller NovelMy Fiancé’s Public Betrayal Became the Start of My Revenge

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The night Adrian Donovan demanded to know why I didnt bring him a birthday giftwhile Sierras lipstick was still smudged on his mouth.
Everyone expected me to swallow my pride and beg him not to replace me.
But I knew I was done.
Instead, I emptied my investments from his company, and packed for a new life he couldnt reach.
He thought Id break. But he forgot one thingwhen I finally leave, I never look back.

At a company dinner, my fiancs junior assistant, Sierra Stone, shamelessly placed a carrot stick shed already taken a bite from onto his plate, right in front of everyone.

Without a second thought, Adrian Donovan picked it up and ate it.

That same day, I told my parents I wanted to change my fianc.

They were surprised, but they respected my choice.

After that, Adrian and I entered our usual silent treatment phase.

He deleted and blocked me everywheremy phone number, all my social media, even our game accounts. It was his go-to move every time we fought.

He was confident I couldnt bear to lose him, that Id humble myself and try to win him back.

But this time, I stared at that 'add friend' button and didn't press it, not like all the times before.

A week later, a notice popped up in the company group chat:

Its Mr. Donovans birthday today! Hes treating, and everyone must attend. No exceptions.

I didnt want to make a scene, so I went.

As I entered the private room, I immediately saw Adrian at the head of the table, with Sierra seated right next to him.

Sierras lips were pressed close to Adrian's ear, as if sharing some secret.

It was like they had an invisible bubble around them, a world no one else could enter.

A moment later, they burst into laughter, so close they almost kissed.

I couldnt bear to watch anymore and found a quiet corner to sit in.

Everyone started giving Adrian gifts, but I paid them no mind.

I was quietly sipping my drink when suddenly, a shadow fell over me.

I looked up to see Adrian's overly handsome face, but his expression was the same familiar annoyance.

Clara Miller, why didn't you get me a gift?

In the past, for a day as important as Adrians birthday, I would have started planning ages ago.

One year, I spent over six months building a perfectly scaled replica of the flying house from his favorite movie, *Up*.

The moment the balloons lifted it into the sky, he told me wed grow old together, just like the characters in the film.

I believed him then, never imagining his promise wouldnt even last three years.

Facing his persistent questions, I simply replied, I forgot.

My attitude clearly infuriated Adrian. He completely lost his patience.

Clara Miller, have you made enough of a scene?

Is this tiny thing really worth a week of drama?

I looked at the smudge of Sierras lipstick on his lips, and my stomach churned.

Im not making a scene. And Im serious about calling off the engagement.

Hearing that, Adrians expression stiffened for a second, but it quickly recovered when Sierra gently squeezed his hand.

Clara, please don't misunderstand. I just didn't want to waste food, that's why I gave it to Adrian. If you hate me so much, then next time we have a dinner, I just wont sit at the table. I'll just wait and eat whatever scraps are left over.

Sierras words instantly tugged at Adrians heart.

Sierra, don't talk like that! You deserve the best things in the world. Clara Miller is the one who shouldn't be here. Who does she think she is? Does the world revolve around her tastes?

Adrian, you really shouldnt say things like that. Clara might be a bit dramatic, but she's still your fiance. You should try to make her happy. I really dont want you two fighting because of me.

Make her happy? Who does she think she is? If my parents hadn't begged me to go through with this family arrangement, I'd never be with her. She gets upset over every little thing; its so annoying.

Sierra walked over to me, patted my back, and said in a heartfelt tone,

Clara, honestly, from a woman's perspective, you really were a bit childish this time. Adrian hasnt been able to sleep these past few nights because of you. While I also feel your personalities don't quite match, you two are still engaged. You should both take a step back.

I slapped her hand away and sneered.

Sierra Stone, do you know what I admire most about you?

It's your blatant lies, and how you say such disgusting things while stealing someone else's boyfriend without a shred of shame.

Sierra's triumphant expression instantly froze.

Adrian completely lost it.

Clara Miller, who gave you permission to slander Sierra like that?

Slander? Then tell me, why does she have one of everything you buy for me? And why does she flaunt it in front of me at the office? Why does she intentionally spread rumors in the company break room every time we argue? And how does she know about that birthmark in such a private place?

Enough!

Smack. Adrian slapped me across the face in front of everyone.

My ears rang, and the world spun into a chaotic blur.

Yet, my eyes clearly saw the pity, sympathy, mockery, and disgust on the faces of everyone in the room.

2.

When my hearing finally cleared, I heard Adrians loud declaration:

From today on, feel free to like my and Sierras photos! If we hit a thousand likes, Im dumping Clara Miller and marrying Sierra.

With that, he pulled Sierra and walked out without looking back.
Before they left the room, Sierra gave me a smug, defiant look.

After they left, people in the room started leaving one by one.

Someone gloated, She doesnt even have the leverage to cause trouble, and now shes gone too far, hasnt she? Regrets now, doesnt she?

Others kindly advised me, Forget your pride; just swallow it and apologize. Otherwise, Mr. Donovan really will marry Sierra.

I knew this was Adrians way of forcing me to apologize.

But this time, I refused to back down. Not even if it killed me.

The once bustling room quickly emptied until only I remained.

I picked up the remaining strong liquor and drained it.

The fiery alcohol burned its way down my throat and into my stomach.

It made my eyes sting. A connection spanning almost our entire lives, really ending, felt surprisingly hollow.

An arranged marriage thousands of miles away in Veridiahe surely wouldnt bother me there, right?

But why were my cheeks wet again? I couldn't tell.

I went home and immediately started packing my things, ready to leave.

Adrian and I grew up together; we spent more than half of our short lives side by side.

The depth of our relationship meant I had too many things to sort through.

This gold star sticker was the first reward Adrian received in kindergarten.
Hed toddled over to me on his short legs and handed it to me.

I vaguely remembered him saying then, I want to give all the best things to my little Clara.

This photo was one hed secretly taken of my flushed face the first time I got my period.

Id zoned out during biology class, so I thought I had a terminal illness.

I ran to him, telling him to take good care of himself for the rest of his life, and that he could find a girlfriend, but she couldnt be prettier than me.

He listened, completely bewildered. After he pressed for details, he realized Id just started my period.

He rushed to the drugstore to buy me some pads and even searched online with me for how to use them.

He laughed at me for not paying attention in class, and I flushed crimson, biting his arm hard.

Later, he told me that bite hadnt hurt at all, but it was the first time hed felt something different for me.

Eventually, we got together, but going to different colleges forced us into a long-distance relationship.

Our memories became a stack of train tickets.

For four whole years, 193,700 kilometers was the distance we traveled to be with each other.

Back then, his eyes were only for me. No matter how long the journey, he never complained.

My fingers brushed a small, hard box containing the matching rings we designed together.

For him, I moved back to this city after college.

The day I returned, he dragged me to get these rings custom-made.

I still remember him slipping the ring onto my finger and saying,

Clara, with this ring, you're stuck with me for life. Youll never be able to leave me.

Neither of us ever imagined that, in the end, it wouldn't be me who let go, but him.

3.

The day Sierra came in for her company interview, she performed terribly. Adrian was openly dismissive of her.

I didn't pay much attention to this underqualified and underperforming candidate either.

But for some reason, she was eventually hired anyway, against all odds.

She even slowly transformed from an insignificant nobody into Adrian's personal assistant.

I only truly started to notice something was wrong when our matching rings, the ones only Adrian and I shared, appeared on Sierras hand.

At first, when I confronted him, Adrian would patiently explain things and try to appease me.

But over time, he just grew impatient.

My repeated reluctance, tolerance, and efforts to please him only made his favoritism toward Sierra more blatant.

At company dinners, he'd only order Sierras favorite dishes.

Sierra only worked half a day a week; the rest of her time was spent playing around with Adrian.

And all of Sierras actual assistant work? Adrian pushed it onto me.

Adrian mentioned her more and more in front of me.

At first, it was unconscious praise and admiration.

Later, hed compare me to her, complaining I wasn't as understanding or considerate as she was.

It came to a head during a company afternoon tea. Adrian said his coffee tasted good.

Sierra said she wanted to try it, and without a word, Adrian handed his coffee to her.

Sierra took a big sip from the straw Adrian had used, without him even bothering to change it.

He even took the coffee back and continued to drink from it, right where her lipstick print was.

In that moment, my heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, a raw, aching pain.

From then on, his so-called 'best girl friend' Sierra crossed more and more lines.

Afraid Adrian would get sunburned, shed brazenly rub sunscreen all over his body.

Id make him packed lunches, and shed make them too.

Shed always eat my packed lunches, under the pretense that my cooking was just "too good" to resist, and then make Adrian eat hers.

Even my birthday celebration, which Adrian had promised, was canceled because Sierra claimed she had a cold.

But every time I expressed my unhappiness about these things,

Adrian would impatiently say,

Clara Miller, your mind is just so dirty, everything looks dirty to you. Sierra and I are just friends; dont taint it with your twisted mind.

But as time went on, he said it with less and less conviction, his voice wavering.

The most disheartening moment was a major industry event.

The organizers required attendees to bring a partner, but Adrian didnt tell me at all. He just took Sierra.

I only found out afterward, when several people repeatedly asked if Adrian and I had broken up.

When I confronted him, Adrian was even angrier than I was.

I was just helping Sierra expand her network, and training talent for the company. Why are you so petty?

That time, we gave each other the silent treatment for a long time.

So long that I truly thought we would part ways then.

Until he sent me a text late one night:

Babe, my stomach hurts so much.

All my carefully constructed indifference crumbled in an instant.

And so, the terrible cycle started all over again: Id question him, hed get angry, Id apologize, hed "forgive" me.

I closed the ring box and tossed it into the trash.

Deep in my drawer, there was still a letter of apology Adrian had written me when he was eighteen, because hed forgotten to reply to one of my messages.

He really cared about me back then.

But now, he only cared about Sierra.

I took out the apology letter, tore it into pieces, and threw it in the trash.

After decades of memories were completely cleared out, the house felt much emptier.

My heart felt empty along with it.

The company group chat was still flooded with photos of Sierra celebrating Adrians birthday and making him laugh.

Knowing Adrians blatant favoritism towards Sierra, colleagues eagerly chimed in with compliments.

Oh my god, Mr. Donovan and Sierra are so perfect together!

You should find a girlfriend like Sierra, not a petty, moody one like Clara Miller.

Clara Miller only gets by because of her family. Unlike our Sierra, who got to this position all on her own. Theres no comparison between the two.

Too disgusted to look anymore, I called my lawyer and instructed him to withdraw all my investments from Donovan Corp.

4.

The next day, I went to the company to clear out my things.

But in my private office, I saw Sierra, wearing a skimpy nightgown, with her feet propped up on my desk.

Her things filled my office, and all of mine had been tossed outside the door.

This was my private office, custom-built for me by Adrian.

Everyone in the company knew it, and no one dared to step foot in this room.

Sierra was openly trampling all over me, completely disrespecting my boundaries.

Too fed up to argue with her, I called the police immediately.

In the police stations interview room, Sierra panicked.

I was just helping Adrian get some documents. Did you really have to call the police?

Thats my private space. Did I give you permission to enter without asking?

Taking something without permission? Isn't that called theft?

Sierra didn't retort after my words; she suddenly started crying. That's when I sensed something was wrong.

Sure enough, when I turned around, who else but Adrian, looking utterly furious, was standing right behind me.

Adrian!

The moment she saw Adrian, Sierra directly threw herself into his arms.

I really just wanted to help you get the documents, but Clara seems to dislike me. She insists I stole something. I have so many gifts from you, my huge mansion can barely fit them all. Why would I want her cheap, tacky things?

This small office was a "gift" from Adrian to me.

It was his reciprocal gift for the small wooden cabin I built for him.

We had so many sweet memories in this room.

I always thought at least this sanctuary wouldn't be defiled, that it was the last shred of dignity left for our love.

But Adrian had to personally tear apart my last bit of illusion.

Adrian comforted Sierra while explaining to the police officer,

This is all a misunderstanding. We all know each other. Sorry for the trouble.

Then he turned to me, his voice dripping with disgust.

Clara Miller, what have you become? You act like a lunatic all the time. Do you get some kind of sick satisfaction from using your power to hurt an innocent subordinate like Sierra? Youve truly disappointed me.

His harsh words rained down on me, and before I could retort, Sierra started her act again.

Adrian, dont blame Clara. Its my fault for being so careless.

At worst, Ill spend a few days in jail. Its fine if people laugh at me. Don't let this cause trouble between you and Clara.

Adrian held Sierras hand, his face filled with concern.

Sierra, you're just too kind-hearted, thats why everyone takes advantage of you.

Clara Miller, Im telling you, this isnt going to blow over easily. You need to apologize to Sierra right now.

Adrian Donovan, she entered my private space without my permission. Youre telling me to apologize to her? Do you still think shes the victim?

As soon as I spoke, Sierra started whimpering again, sniffling pathetically.

Adrian scoffed.

Your private space? That office belongs to Donovan Corp. Dont forget, the entire Donovan Corp. is under my name. You only ever had temporary permission to use that office. If you maintain this attitude, I won't hesitate to have you arrested for making a false report.

With that, he pulled Sierra away to settle the matter.

His words pierced my heart like a sharp spike.

My heart, which I thought had long gone numb, began to ache faintly again.

For so many years, I poured all my efforts into supporting Donovan Corp. I thought I was fighting for our shared future.

It turned out, all I got in return was: "You only ever had temporary usage rights."

Before Adrian left the interview room with Sierra, he gave me a warning.

Just a friendly heads-up: the likes have already reached 990. If you keep this attitude, I really am going to marry Sierra.

I looked at Sierras contemptuous gaze behind him, and suddenly realized how pathetic I was.

Sierras tricks were always clumsy; a smart man like Adrian couldnt possibly have missed them.

He simply chose to ignore them. The scales of his affection had long since tipped.

All of this was just a pathetic way to get rid of a fool like me, and I was still foolishly trying to make up with him again and again.

After figuring that out, the last bit of love I had for Adrian completely died.

In the days leading up to my move to Veridia, annoying colleagues kept messaging me privately, giving me updates on the like count.

The likes are at 994! If you dont humble yourself, your mans going to be snatched away!

Tsk, tsk, tsk, 997 likes already. Looks like youre destined to be an old maid.

Oh, youre holding out for a long time this time, huh? Could it be you think youre not as good as Sierra, so you wet your pants and ran away? Hahahaha.

I blocked and deleted all of them, ignoring them entirely.

When the likes reached 999, and I still hadnt caved, the tension around Adrian was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

No one else in the company dared to press that final 'like' button.

Just as Adrian was considering how to issue another warning,

Suddenly, someone burst into Adrians office, shouting,

Mr. Donovan, the 1000th like has been reached!

5.

Hearing that, Adrians face instantly darkened. He demanded angrily,

Who pressed the 1000th like?

The person looked stunned and explained fearfully,