Chapter 1

The day before our company’s NASDAQ IPO bell-ringing ceremony, I was demoted.

I was with Ethan Vance from the very beginning. I wrote the first line of code in our dusty garage, all the way until the company reached a multi-billion dollar valuation.

Everyone assumed that the position of co-founder and future wife was rightfully mine, Aria Thorne.

But in the end, the woman standing next to Ethan for the press interview was Chloe Sterling—a well-connected airhead who couldn't even read a single line of code.

And I was dismissed with a casual, cold "reassignment notice."

Ethan even humiliated me in front of all the executives, warning me that my ambition was too big and that I didn’t know how to play the submissive woman behind a successful man.

"Aria, you’re too aggressive. The company only needs me. A woman should behave like a woman."

"Once you learn how to be soft and stop talking about stupid things like 'having both a career and love,' I’ll consider making our relationship public."

It turned out that in his heart, I was never a partner who fought alongside him. I was just a pet waiting to be tamed.

Fine. Since that's how you feel, I'm leaving. Just don't regret it.