A Toast to Betrayal

The invitation to the celebration banquet lay on the vanity, the gold-embossed letters dazzling my eyes until they ached. My name is Julia Bennett, and I am the core planner of the Stellar Journey Project. This project grew from nothing. I spent a full eight months on it, countless nights staying up late revising plans. Finally, tonight, it will bask in its glory. More importantly, Jesse Campbell promised me he would publicly acknowledge our marriage at the celebration banquet, so I would no longer be the nameless woman standing behind him. I adjusted the straps of my evening dress in front of the mirror. The woman reflected back held a spark of expectation in her eyes, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but lift into a smile. "Julia, we need to talk." Jesse Campbell's voice came from behind me, his tone several degrees deeper than usual. I turned around and smiled up at him. "What's going on? Is there something else we need to confirm about the celebration banquet's itinerary?" He avoided my gaze, walked over to the sofa, and sat down, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the armrest. That was his nervous habit. My heart sank unexpectedly. "Jesse, what exactly is going on?" "You should hand over the leadership of the 'Stellar Journey' Project to Alicia George." He finally spoke, his voice barely more than a whisper, but it hit me like a hammer to the heart. I couldn't believe what I heard and froze in place. "What did you say?" "I said, give the leadership to Alicia." Jesse Campbell lifted his head, his eyes filled with a determination I couldn't quite understand. "She has connections that could help my company go public. That's incredibly important for us." Alicia George, the company's new marketing manager, had been there only three months. She was always overly close to Jesse Campbell—I had noticed from the start but stayed silent since their relationship wasn't public yet. "You're going to give her the lead?" I repeated the words, my heart clenched in a tight grip, aching so much I could barely breathe. "Jesse, do you have any idea how much I've sacrificed for this project?" "From the initial creative concept to endless revisions, and then coordinating with the client and overseeing execution—was there ever a part I didn't handle myself?" "I know you've worked hard." He frowned, his voice edged with impatience. "But now isn't the time to argue over personal gains and losses—my company's IPO is the top priority. As long as my company goes public, what is it you want that I can't give you?" "What I want is the promise you made back then!" I raised my voice, my eyes suddenly welling up with tears. "You said you would publicly acknowledge our relationship at the celebration banquet, clear my name, and let everyone know that 'Stellar Journey' was my work!" "Now you want me to hand over the leadership to someone else. What does that make me?" "Promises can wait." Jesse Campbell's tone grew cold. "Julia, can't you think bigger? Don't just focus on this small bit of credit right in front of you. Alicia George's resources can take my company to the next level. In the end, we will all benefit." "Think bigger?" I couldn't help but laugh, the sound filled with bitterness. "Jesse, on what grounds do you accuse me of having a narrow vision? You're the one who broke your promise first!" "Have you even verified whether Alicia George's resources are trustworthy? You're just handing over leadership of a core project so easily — are you out of your mind?"