Fiancé Chooses Another Woman

As I steadied my emotions, a nurse informed me that my mother had woken up. By the time I entered her hospital room, I was composed.

"You're a wonderful daughter," my mother said, her face tired but attempting a smile as she saw me. I leaned in to adjust her blanket, keeping my demeanor light.

"Really, it's nothing. The most important thing is your health and safety."

A faint worry appeared in her eyes. "Where's that Kolton boy?"

My hand hesitated, but I quickly continued with a casual smile. "Oh, he was here earlier. He got called away for an urgent work project. He said he'll be back later to see you."

She studied me closely. "Be honest, how are things between you two…"

I cut in with a smile, "That's the truth, Mom. Kolton's tied up with work, but he feels guilty about not being here."

Feigning busyness, I tidied the room, turning so she wouldn't notice the sadness in my eyes. In reality, Kolton hadn't visited my mother, and certainly not me.

After my mother dozed off, I went back to my office. As CEO, there were always pressing issues needing my attention. While reviewing the financial reports, I discovered Kolton had unilaterally terminated a major project contract.

"Why wasn't I informed about something this significant?"

"Well, isn't your engagement to Mr. Mendez coming up? And didn't you authorize him to make decisions directly?"

My anger momentarily froze. It was true, I had passively allowed him that power. After my father unexpectedly passed, I hadn't yet completed my studies. Kolton had offered to help, citing my inexperience as a reason to get involved in company matters. I thought, since our families were to unite, it would be fine. But I hadn't realized his overreach.

I called him immediately. "What happened with that contract? We've been working on it for ages, nearly finished, and you just decide to call it off?"

Kolton's voice was dismissive on the other end. "Zendaya's getting married soon. We're friends, so consider it a wedding gift."

Barely containing my anger, I replied, "That project is enormous. We’ve invested so much and are nearly finished. You can’t just dismiss the losses with a simple explanation."

"What kind of gift is so special, Kolton, that you—"

"Enough!" Kolton cut me off impatiently. "Angela, when did you become so petty? You even made Zendaya cry today—shouldn’t you apologize and make things right? This conversation is over."

Before I could respond, he hung up.

Silently, I clenched my phone, recalling the text message. Fueled with anger, I drove straight to Kolton's company.