The Ashes of Seventeen Years

Everyone in our elite circle knew I had taken in a depressed, autistic physics prodigy when he was a boy. I built a research lab for him, paved his path to becoming the darling of the tech startup scene, and poured limitless wealth and devotion into him. Until I overheard him mocking me to his friends in the shadows: "She’s thirty years old, yet she still acts like a twenty-something girl, whining for attention. Isn't that pathetic?" That very night, I burned down our dream villa, turning the entire garden of his beloved camellias into ash. Later, when I cursed him out to defend a younger, prettier boy, He dropped to his knees, his eyes bloodshot with desperate tears: "Vivian, you’re the one who taught me how to love. You can't just throw me away!" I looked down at him with a cold smirk. "I never taught you to betray me, yet you learned that all on your own, didn't you?" My SnapChat conversation with Chase had gone completely cold. It remained stuck on the message I sent him that morning, still without a reply. [Come home early tonight. I have a surprise for you.] I stared at the screen, completely lost in thought. Before I realized it, my finger accidentally tapped the FaceTime button. The call connected almost instantly, but the voice that came through belonged to a girl. "Is this Ms. Vance? Chase just stepped into the shower. He probably can't take your call right now." Her tone was laced with a soft, nasal sweetness, underneath which lay a subtle, venomous smirk. A dry, hollow laugh bubbled up in my throat. I hung up without a word. The clock on the wall struck ten. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass, the night sky erupted into breathtaking fireworks. The bursts were brilliant and loud, shattering into millions of glittering stars before fading into the dark. I swallowed every drop of emotion, shoved my phone into my pocket, and calmly glanced around at the "surprise" I had prepared. The living room floor was blanketed in deep red rose petals. Across the ceiling hung banners scripted in complex Morse code, a private cipher of promises only he and I could read. It felt like an elaborate performance staged by a clown, with no audience left to applaud. I walked out of the villa. With a single spark, I set the house ablaze. I tossed the custom diamond ring into the roaring inferno and watched the entire yard of blooming camellias turn into black ash. Then I got into my car and drove off into the night. At the exclusive downtown club, my best friend was already waiting in a VIP booth. The room was dimly lit. Mia was lounging in the center of the plush leather sofa, a pretty young boy kneeling by her bare feet. I sat down across from her. She took a sip of her cocktail. "I told you years ago. Chase Hayes was never as pure and innocent as he pretended to be." "He found himself a shiny new toy. It's only natural he tossed his old flame aside." There was someone new, sure, but mostly, he was just sick of me. Two weeks ago, Chase had claimed he had to pull an all-nighter at the lab. Instead, I ran into him in the back alley behind this very club. He had been leaning against the brick wall, a cigarette dangling from his lips. Far from the reclusive, insecure boy he used to be, he looked thoroughly confident, lazy, and arrogant. His friend had asked, "Vivian just turned thirty. Aren't you going to propose to her anytime soon?" Chase’s brows had furrowed with blatant annoyance. "I’m sick of her. Like you said, she’s thirty. Why does she still act like a needy little girl, begging for cuddles and sweet talk? It suffocates me. Besides, I’m only twenty-five." His friends had fallen dead silent. Everyone in our social circle knew how we had started and what I had given up for him. "If you really don't love her anymore, you need to break it off clean. Don't waste her life." "She’s more like a sister or an older relative to me now," Chase had exhaled a cloud of smoke. "I'll talk to her one of these days." Over the next two weeks, he never brought it up. Instead, he weaponized stone-cold neglect. A single text took three days to answer. Staying out all night became routine. To him, our home had transformed into a cage that bound his newfound freedom. It made him miserable. I had known all along he wouldn't come back tonight. The setup was simply my way of closing the door on the last seventeen years of my life, even if the ending was a disaster. From this moment on, Chase Hayes was nothing more to me than an asset on a balance sheet. Nothing more, nothing less. Love can be discarded. Profits cannot."Want me to call over a few top-tier guys to keep you company?" Mia asked, raising an eyebrow when she saw me sitting quietly. I gave a scoffing hum, glancing down at the boy by her legs. "You're not checking out mine, are you?" Mia teased, following my gaze. I cleared my throat. Before I could answer, the door of the VIP booth was pushed open. Another young man walked in. He was tall, easily six-foot-two. He wore a black techwear windbreaker zipped all the way up to his throat, completely covered, with a black mask shielding his lower face. Only a pair of stunning, glacier-cold eyes were visible. He set down a tray of drinks and turned on his heel to leave. "What’s the rush?" I called out, stopping him in his tracks. "Care to sit down and have a drink with me?" His back remained toward me, but I could clearly see his broad shoulders stiffen. Seriously? Since when did this high-end lounge hire servers who were terrified of customers? Before I could speak again, he bolted from the booth without looking back. I was left stunned, turning my stiff neck to Mia. "Do I look that terrifying? Can I file a complaint with management?" Mia couldn't hold it in and burst into laughter. "That’s actually the owner’s son, Julian Shaw. He’s not a real server! He was probably just helping out tonight." I stared at the closed door, tapping my chin thoughtfully. "Does he have social anxiety?" Seeing my genuine curiosity, Mia flashed a secretive smirk. "You hit the nail right on the head. But along with his social phobia, he’s widely known as an absolute prodigy in applied mathematics." "A prodigy, huh..." After parting ways with Mia, I pulled out my phone and fired off a Snap to the lounge owner. [Lend me your son for a while. I’ll waive this month's rent for the lounge.] Then, I booked the penthouse suite on the top floor of the hotel right upstairs. When I finished my shower and stepped out wrapped in a silk bathrobe, Julian Shaw was already there. He was sitting neatly in the far corner of the plush sofa. The moment he looked up and caught sight of me, crimson flooded his cheeks, rushing all the way to the tips of his ears. He ducked his head instantly, keeping his long lashes cast downward. A soft chuckle slipped past my lips as I leisurely dried my hair with a towel. "Mia told me you're a genius. Back-to-back gold medals in the International Mathematical Olympiad, and a trail of top collegiate awards." "I'm not a genius. I just... understand a few concepts," he muttered, biting his lower lip. "So humble?" I stepped closer, studying him. He didn't reply. His head stayed lowered, but his entire frame was wound so tight he looked like a drawn bowstring. "Relax. I just want to discuss the deeper intricacies of life with you." "Pursuing your doctorate at NYU right now, age twenty-two?" He gave another quiet nod. "Good." I tossed the towel onto a nearby armchair. Then, I stepped right into his space, gripped the front of his jacket, and hauled him forward onto the edge of the bed. "What... what are you doing?"He looked at me in sheer shock, biting his lip while his long fingers desperately clutched the crisp white sheets. His dark eyes grew watery, the rims flushing a delicate pink, radiating pure, helpless vulnerability. A faint smile touched the corner of my mouth as my fingers drifted down, slowly sliding down the zipper of his windbreaker. Underneath, he wore a simple white tee that hugged a solid chest. "You're brilliant, and you're ridiculously gorgeous. How about coming with me from now on?" He swallowed hard, his voice trembling as he whispered, "No." I froze for a second. I hadn't expected Julian Shaw to reject me. Over the years, the line of researchers trying to get into my elite labs could stretch from this coast to Europe. And the men trying to find their way into my bed formed an even longer line. My gaze darkened as I stared down at him. "Why?" "Do you think I'm not qualified?" "My empire is built on cutting-edge technology. In this entire city, not a single research institute or venture fund has more capital and leverage than Vivian Vance." "Are you completely sure you want to turn me down?" He couldn't hold my gaze. He tilted his face away, trying to hide. I wasn't about to let him off that easily. My fingers closed firmly around his jaw, tilting his face back toward mine. His breath turned ragged and heavy, yet his voice was still impossibly shy. "I’m... too much trouble. I have severe social anxiety, and..." He bit his trembling lip. "And what?" I prompted. "Skin hunger," he whispered. A deep, agonizing shame washed over his handsome face. I paused once again. If there had been a crack in the floor, this boy looked ready to crawl inside it and die. "You're the first person... in close proximity... who doesn't repulse me," he added in an almost imperceptible murmur. I pressed my tongue against the inside of my cheek, utterly amused. "Your condition is selective?" He nodded with complete, wide-eyed sincerity. I narrowed my eyes at him, half-believing, half-skeptical. Why did it feel like he was spinning absolute nonsense? Yet, I couldn't spot a single lie on that flushed face. "None of that is a problem." I braced my hands on the mattress, getting ready to pull back. Suddenly, Julian's large hand shot out, wrapping tightly around my wrist. His palm burned against my skin. Caught off guard by the sudden tug, my balance broke. Both of my hands landed squarely against his hard, broad chest. A low grunt escaped him. The red on his ears was so intense it looked ready to bleed. "Sweetheart, are you making an invitation?" I teased softly. His lashes fluttered downward with bashful hesitation. His voice carried a pitiful, yearning ache. "I just... want to stay like this for a little longer." Right. The skin hunger was acting up. I let him hold my wrist. Tentatively, cautiously, he tested his boundaries—shifting from a loose grip until his long fingers gently slid into the gaps between mine, locking our hands together. Just as I opened my mouth to speak, a sharp ringtone shattered the silence. Chase Hayes. Using my free right hand, I retrieved the phone from under the pillow and slid the green bar across the glass. "What is it?" The line was silent for several long seconds, as if he were carefully weighing every single word. "You called earlier. I was in the shower. My assistant picked it up for me." Chase was fiercely territorial. He despised anyone touching his personal belongings—especially his private phone. Unless, of course, the person was someone he deemed exceedingly special. The explanation only made his guilt shine brighter. I didn't bother calling him out. I simply answered with a flat, "Okay." "The project schedule is insane right now. I might have to sleep at the lab for the next few days." "Understood. File a progress report once the milestones are completed."My voice was devoid of warmth, completely neutral. In seventeen years, I had never spoken to him in such a detached, strictly professional tone. He immediately assumed I was being difficult. "Vivian, please don't throw another tantrum. I'm exhausted." I stared at the ceiling for two seconds, and then a quiet laugh slipped out. He was exhausted? Did he think I wasn't? "Let's break up, Chase." "Do you even hear what you're saying?" "We’ve known each other for seventeen years, and we’ve been together for twelve. The thrill is gone, Chase. Our history has turned into a suffocating burden for you." When the words faded, the line fell dead quiet. He was silent for so long that I pulled the phone away to check if the call had dropped. Just as my brows pulled together, his voice returned. "Why are you doing this so out of the blue?" I couldn't help but smile. "The cold shoulder you gave me for the past two weeks... wasn't that an invitation for me to pull the plug?" "Don't forget, Chase. I raised you from the ground up. I know every single thought in your head." Another heavy silence dragged between us. Suddenly, Julian’s hot fingertips grazed the bare skin along my waist. A soft, involuntary gasp caught in my throat. It wasn't loud, but it was clear enough to travel straight through the microphone. I shot Julian a glare. The boy immediately pulled on an innocent, docile expression, pressing his lips together like a frightened puppy. "Who are you with?" Chase’s voice sharpened instantly. He had always been hyper-sensitive. "At this hour, who else would be in my bed besides a man?" "We haven't broken up yet!" Chase snapped, his tone rising. "Aren't we doing that right now?" I replied coolly. "Are you really that desperate to throw us away?" A sneer formed in my chest. Somehow, this had become my fault. Before I could answer, his sharp voice cut back in. "Fine! Have it your way!" Though his tone brimmed with anger, I could clearly hear the massive sigh of relief underneath. He probably felt relieved that I was the one who had strayed first. That way, his precious conscience wouldn't have to bear the weight of betrayal. He could even proudly tell the world that I had been the heartless one who abandoned him. Seventeen years. Dismantled in two short weeks. I ended the call, tossing the phone aside onto the sheets. My eyes shifted down to Julian Shaw. I reached out with one hand and casually wrapped my fingers around his warm throat. "Why do I get the feeling you had an agenda just now?" He looked up at me with wide, guileless eyes, his tone deadly serious and desperately earnest. "I didn't. You can't misunderstand me like that." I let out a low, amused scoff.Three days later. When I brought Julian to the main research institute, Chase was in the middle of discussing project data with his assistant, looking entirely in his element. I recognized the girl. It was the same intern who had picked up his phone the other night. Chloe Vance—no relation to me, just an intern. She was petite, wide-eyed, and practically designed to trigger a man's protective instincts. I had no idea when they had crossed the line. Maybe around the time Chase started freezing me out. Maybe much earlier than that. Seeing me enter, Chase walked over. Out of sheer habit, his hand reached out to grasp mine. Then, reality seemed to hit him. We were over. His fingers curled back awkwardly, his voice stiff. "What brings you here today?" "Giving someone a tour. I plan to put him in charge of an upcoming core initiative," I replied casually. After all, Chase was still the Chief Research Officer on paper. At that, Chase’s sharp gaze snapped to the boy standing just behind my shoulder. Julian was still zipped up in his dark techwear windbreaker, mask firmly on, shielded from the world. Chase’s brow furrowed deep. "I don't think he's a good fit." I arched a brow. "In what way?" "He doesn't look like he fits in with the team." The sheer absurdity made me laugh out loud. Chase had clearly erased his own past from memory. He had been the solitary, awkward, gloomy boy who couldn't utter a full sentence without panicking. It took seventeen years of my patience and resources to mold him into the confident tech star standing here today. And now he was using those very labels to dismiss someone else. "Fit in? With whom? And why should he care? Chase, he doesn't need to fit in." "In the world of ugly ducklings, a swan is always guilty of standing out. All he needs to do is be brilliant." Chase stared at me, his gaze swirling with a chaotic mess of emotions. "Just like I used to be, right?" I met his eyes, cool and detached. "You two are entirely different." A long moment passed. Chase forced out a bitter smirk. "Fine. If you want him here, he can stay." "I just can't promise he'll survive in this environment." "His results will speak for him," I smiled faintly. Behind me, Julian went completely still. In the blind spot beyond my view, his lowered gaze fixed upon me, the subtle corner of his mouth curving into a tiny, hidden smirk. "I hope your judgment hasn't gone completely blind," Chase sneered. I pursed my lips. His words were certainly rich, coming from him. Once Julian’s workspace and clearance were settled, I offered a few parting instructions and turned to leave. Suddenly, a hand caught my wrist, pulling me effortlessly into the blind spot of the security cameras in the corridor. Julian looked down at me, his eyes brimming with quiet grievance. "Are you planning to raise me the exact same way you raised Chase?" "One failed, so you're just starting fresh with another...?"