Too Late, Julian I’m Marrying Your Billionaire Rival

I never thought the cliché romance trope—the ruthless billionaire falling for his clumsy, fragile assistant—would happen in my life. But I wasn’t the fragile assistant.

And I wasn’t the billionaire. Unfortunately, I was the billionaire’s wife. His childhood sweetheart. For them, it was a passionate, dramatic romance.

For me, it was a trashy family drama of betrayal after ten years of love. It’s not like I didn’t try to save my marriage. But unfortunately, I failed.

Just when I had completely let go and was ready to start a brandnew life. Julian Sterling crashed my wedding like a madman.

He grabbed my hand, his eyes bloodshot, and begged me: "Vivian, please don’t leave me." But what was left to do? I coldly pulled my hand away from his grip. It’s too late, Julian.

Julian and I were known as Manhattan’s golden couple. Married for seven years, together for over ten. Our lives had been intertwined since the day we were born.

Decades of connection made us inseparable. From the moment I opened my eyes to the world, he was my destiny. I honestly thought we would stay this way until the very end.

Finding out about Julian’s affair was a complete accident. I had just returned from an art exhibition in Paris and went shopping with my best friend, Chloe.

We were relaxing at a highend cafe. Suddenly, a girl at the next table jumped up, and her scalding hot coffee splashed directly onto my arm. The burning pain made me gasp sharply.

Immediately, frantic apologies filled my ears. "I’m so sorry! I’m so, so sorry, I didn’t do it on purpose.

I didn’t see anyone behind me." The girl kept her head down, bowing repeatedly. Chloe grabbed my arm, furious. "Are you blind? You poured boiling coffee right on her!

What’s the use of saying sorry?" "If she’s scarred, you can’t even afford her medical bills!" Though I was raised to be polite, the searing pain in my arm made my anger flare up.

Just then, the girl looked up. Her eyes were red as she stared at me. "I really didn’t mean to. I didn’t notice anyone when I stood up. Please, please forgive me. Don’t tell Mr.

Sterling about this. I really need this job." I was shocked to realize this was Julian’s assistant, Daisy Miller. Since she was an acquaintance, I suppressed my anger.

Fortunately, my arm was only slightly red.

But looking at Daisy’s cheap, wornout clothes, I asked curiously, "What are you doing here?" She blushed, pulling two identical hoodies out of her shopping bag. "I just got paid.

I wanted to buy matching couple hoodies for me and my boyfriend." I was surprised that a girl from such a poor background would spend so much money at a luxury mall.

But I didn’t say much. I just wanted to leave. But Daisy seemed excited.

She held my hand and kept talking about how much her boyfriend loved her. "He treats me differently from everyone else.

He knows I come from a poor family, so he always helps me at the office. He bought me dresses for charity galas, and he even chased away some creeps who were harassing me.

No one has ever been this good to me. It feels like a dream." "Mrs. Sterling, do you think he’ll like this hoodie?" I frowned, completely uninterested.

I looked at the green hoodie in her hands. To be honest, it was completely against my aesthetic.

I gave a polite, halfhearted compliment. "If he loves you that much, I’m sure he’ll love it." She smiled shyly, holding the hoodie close.

She gave me a strange, knowing look. "I think so too." Actually, that hoodie was hideous. It looked even more ridiculous when I saw it on Julian.

That was exactly what I thought when I saw Julian and Daisy walking down the street together, wearing those matching green hoodies.

I had refused to believe Julian could ever be involved with someone like Daisy. He had complained to me more than once about how clumsy she was and how much trouble she caused him.

But when I asked him why he didn’t just fire her. Julian had brushed it off casually. "Her father died when she was young. Her mother raised her by selling fish at a local market.

She hasn’t made any major mistakes, so I can’t find a good reason to fire her." I didn’t think much of it back then. She was just an ordinarylooking assistant.

Could Julian really reject a stunning, highsociety heiress like me for a plain girl with an average body? As it turned out, men can be incredibly cheap.

I still couldn’t believe Julian would fall for Daisy. He absolutely hated people who brought him trouble. Ding. My phone buzzed.

I looked at the steam fogging up the bathroom glass, where Julian’s silhouette was barely visible. Driven by some dark instinct, I picked up Julian’s phone.

I saw a pinned chat right below mine. The profile picture was a cute cat. It was Daisy. Most of the messages were boring, just casual work conversations.

But then I saw the heart emojis sent from her account. I scrolled up. Mixed in with the standard work reports were daily "good morning" and "good night" texts.

There were also sweet reminders from Daisy telling Julian to eat his meals on time.

She complained to him about the minor annoyances in her life, and Julian patiently replied to every single one.

The most recent message was an invitation from Daisy to watch a movie tonight. Julian had agreed. On the surface, they were just friendly texts. But I knew Julian.

He had never been the type to care about anyone else’s business.

The shower stopped. Julian walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.

I looked at his bare fingers and asked, "Where’s your ring?" Julian seemed to just realize it was gone. He casually shook the water droplets from his hair.

He walked over, wrapping his arms around me from behind, and chuckled. "I probably left it in the office. I took it off when I was signing some documents today.

It must be on my desk." I looked at his handsome face. His bedroom eyes were incredibly charming, the kind that could easily steal any woman's heart.

He was no longer the bright, golden boy of our college years.

Since taking over the Sterling Group, he had become more mature, powerful, and arrogant. "You used to care about that ring more than anything," I said.

Julian turned me around, pressing his nose affectionately against mine. "Are you mad? I didn’t mean to. I’ll bring it back tomorrow.

Why are you suddenly paying attention to this today?" I dodged his kiss and turned my back to him. "Nothing.

Just noticed it and wanted to ask." Julian used to treat that ring like a sacred relic. Once, when he was swimming, the ring slipped off into the pool.

He jumped in frantically and searched for an entire afternoon, finally dragging himself onto the deck, completely exhausted. I had rushed over, hitting his chest in anger and worry.

What did I say back then? "It’s just a cheap ring. It’s just an object. We can always buy another one." But Julian had looked at me with a bright smile. "No way.

That’s the ring you wore when you first accepted my proposal on that street in Paris. Even if it’s worthless, I’m going to wear it for the rest of my life." Yes.

Back then, Julian didn’t even know if I would say yes. He had bought a cheap souvenir ring from a street vendor and jokingly asked me to marry him.

But I had smiled and nodded immediately. He was stunned for a second, then spun me around in his arms, laughing like a lunatic. Now, looking at his empty finger.

There was a faint white mark where the ring used to sit. Seven years of marriage had left a deep imprint on his skin.

Even if he took it off, it would take a long time for that mark to fade. What I didn’t expect was that Daisy would ask to meet me.

She sat across from me, anxiously twisting her fingers, looking terrified. I sipped my coffee in silence, just staring at her.

After a long pause, she finally gathered her courage and looked up. "Vivian, I know this is wrong. But I truly love Julian. No one has ever treated me the way he does.

It feels like he pulled me out of the mud and placed me on a pedestal.

I never dared to dream of this before." Looking at the girl in front of me with her thickrimmed glasses, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Yes.

When Julian loved someone, he would give them the world. He would treat them like a precious, fragile princess. He once treated me the exact same way.

I watched Daisy’s lips move. "I never wanted to ruin your marriage. I was happy just watching him from afar.

He is so high above me, and I only wanted a little bit of his affection." "I promise I won’t try to take your place as Mrs. Sterling. My baby and I will never threaten your status.

I just want to stay by Julian’s side. Please, try to understand how I feel." "Baby?" My head spun instantly.

I stared at her stomach. "You’re pregnant?" She kept babbling about how much she loved Julian, how she was willing to give up everything and remain in the shadows.

I felt a wave of intense nausea. Did this woman have any sense of decency? Does love justify destroying a family? Does love mean the rules of marriage don’t apply to you?

I stood up, unable to listen to her nonsense anymore. Seeing me leave, Daisy frantically grabbed my arm.

Suddenly, she dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face. "Vivian, Julian and I love each other.

No matter how much you object, you can’t change that fact." "I’m just begging you to spare my baby. I don’t have any family left.

I really want to keep this child." The people around us in the cafe were starting to whisper and stare. I looked down at the sobbing Daisy.

I picked up my cup of scalding hot coffee. And poured it right over her head. The dark liquid dripped down her hair, making her look absolutely pathetic.

I felt a rush of satisfaction. "Don’t you still have your mother?

Didn’t she teach you that being a homewrecker gets you beaten up?" I bent down and slapped her hard across the face. "This slap is to teach you the manners your mother failed to give you." I stood back up. "As for the baby, you should talk to the father, not his wife."