Stench of Betrayal: 99 Warnings Before I Walked Away

Tags: Sensory Sensitivity, Provocation, Home Invasion, Broken Engagement, Sweet Revenge
I have had severe sensory hypersensitivity to pungent odors since I was born.
Yet, for the ninety-ninth time, my fiancé, Justin Hayes, brought Chloe, the imposter Vance heiress, straight into my brand-new townhouse.
The moment the nauseating stench of extra-stinky fermented noodle soup hit my nostrils, my temper flared.
Before I could speak, Justin rushed to shield Chloe, cutting me off:
"Evelyn, I know you can’t stand strong smells, but I was just craving this so badly. This is the last time, I swear! Next time, I’ll eat out!"
Chloe put on her best innocent, guilty face:
"Evelyn, it’s all my fault. I begged Justin to eat with me. It’s just a quick bite, surely you wouldn't starve your own fiancé, right?"
I reached for the window to air out the room, but Chloe grabbed my arm to stop me.
"If you open the window, the broth will get cold! And since the smell is already everywhere... Justin, why don’t you share some durian with me too?"
Justin actually nodded, glancing back at me:
"Why don’t you step outside for a bit? Come back once Chloe and I finish eating."
I opened my mouth to protest, but the stench slammed into my sinuses. Gagging, I slapped a hand over my mouth and bolted for the bathroom.
Behind me, I could faintly hear Justin grumbling:
"Let’s just keep eating. She’s always like this. One whiff and she freaks out. Way too dramatic!"
When I finally walked out, a container of stinky fermented tofu was sitting right next to the open durian.
Justin frowned as his eyes swept over me:
"Could you just leave already? We’re trying to enjoy a meal, and you’re over here throwing up. You completely ruined my appetite."
I didn’t say a single word. I opened the front door and walked out.
It wasn't until late into the night that Justin finally bothered to call.
"Alright, you can come back now."
I gave a dry laugh.
"I won't be coming back. I’m at your parents' estate right now, calling off the engagement."
There was dead silence on the line before Justin finally registered what I had just said.
"Calling off the engagement? Over a bowl of fermented noodles?!"
"All you had to do was open a damn window! Do you always have to make such a dramatic scene? Get your ass back here right now!"
I took a slow, deep breath.
"I am not coming back. If you want to talk, come to the Hayes estate."
"We will settle this in front of your parents."
Justin didn't say another word. He hung up immediately.
It didn't take long before footsteps echoed in the foyer of the Hayes mansion. Justin marched toward me, holding two luxury shopping bags.
He reached out, trying to ruffle my hair.
"Evelyn, I honestly had no idea you’d make such a huge fuss."
"Fine, fine. I promise I’ll never bring that stinky stuff into our place again. Here, I got you a gift. Stop pouting."
Chloe trailed behind him, smiling sweetly as she tugged on my sleeve:
"Evelyn, let it go. It’s just food. Did you really have to drag Justin’s parents into this?"
The heavy, rancid grease of those noodles still clung to both of their clothes. Even the gift bags reeked of it.
I felt sick just looking at them.
The moment I raised my hand to push the bag away, Justin struck my wrist.
He didn't hold back at all. The slap left a bright red welt across the back of my hand. Only then did he realize what he'd done, quickly pulling his hand back.
He forced an awkward laugh:
"Sorry, I was just messing around."
"You grabbed the wrong one anyway. The front bag is for Chloe. The one in the back is yours."
I looked down.
The front bag held a limited-edition handbag worth two hundred thousand dollars. The bag in the back held a complimentary keychain charm.
"I don't want it. Take it back."
The moment the words left my lips, Chloe snatched both bags with lightning speed.
Then, she put on that sickeningly sweet act:
"Evelyn, don't be like that."
"No matter how much it costs, it’s the thought that counts! Justin went out of his way to get it for you. Why do you have to be so materialistic?"
I scoffed, reached out, and ripped the designer handbag straight out of her hands.
"Since you're so noble," I sneered, "I’ll take the bag, and you can keep the charm."
Chloe instantly shut her mouth. Her preachiness vanished.
Her eyes welled with tears as she turned pleadingly to Justin.
Justin let out an exasperated sigh. Without hesitation, he yanked the bag out of my arms and shoved it back toward Chloe.
"She’s practically your sister! Can’t you just let her have it?"
"You’re the legitimate Vance heiress. The entire Vance Corporation and all its assets will be yours one day. Why the hell do you care about one stupid bag?"
This was never about a damn bag.
Disgust choked me. I didn't want to waste another breath on him. I stood up, turned to his parents, and gave a crisp nod.
"Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, since our decision is final, I won’t take up any more of your time."
"Goodnight."
With that, I picked up my purse to leave.
Out of nowhere, Chloe burst into dramatic sobs behind me.
"Evelyn, why do you have to ruin everything?!"
"When our parents find out you called off the wedding over this, they're going to blame me! How am I supposed to live with that? It was just a bowl of noodles! Are you trying to drive me to suicide?!"
Crying hysterically into her hands, she bolted past me and out the door.
Justin didn't even hesitate. He took off after her, his shoulder slamming violently into mine.
I was wearing heels. The sudden impact threw me off balance, and my knees crashed hard against the cold marble floor.
A sharp groan slipped from my lips.
Justin only gave me a fleeting glance over his shoulder before chasing after Chloe, tossing a cold line behind him:
"Deal with your own mess."

Justin’s parents gasped in horror, rushing over to help me up.
I raised a hand to stop them, pulled myself up from the floor, and limped out the door.
Later that night, I was sitting on my sofa reading when Chloe’s call suddenly flashed across my screen.
The second I picked up, her voice came through in a shrill, hysterical shriek:
"Evelyn! I’m at your new townhouse!"
"I'm in danger! Help me! Call the police, please, save me!"
My stomach dropped.
Even though it felt off, panic overrode my suspicion, and I rushed over.
On the way, I called the police.
The officers and I arrived almost at the exact same second. When we pushed the front door open, the living room was dead silent.
The older officer pointed down the hall and called out:
"There's noise in the master bedroom!"
BAM!
The bedroom door was kicked wide open!
Immediately, a woman’s bloodcurdling scream shattered the air as she desperately scrambled with the duvet:
"Get out! Everyone get out!"
"Why are there so many men in here?! I'm completely naked! Get the hell out!"
Hearing the chaos, Justin burst out of the en-suite bathroom, totally bare-chested. He threw his arms around the trembling Chloe, glaring at me with raw venom:
"Evelyn, are you completely out of your mind?! Why did you bring cops barging into our bedroom?!"
"Chloe isn't wearing a stitch of clothing! She was just stripped bare in front of a bunch of men! Are you a psycho?!"
I stood there, completely stunned.
Looking at Chloe right now, there wasn't a single shred of danger like she had claimed on the phone.
"Wait, she called me," I said, trying to steady my voice. "She told me she was in danger in this apartment. That’s why I came, and that’s why I called the police."
Chloe buried her face into Justin’s bare chest, her shoulders shaking violently with sobs.
She peeked up at me with tear-drenched, accusing eyes:
"Evelyn, what kind of sick lie is that?!"
"I called to apologize to you! I barely got two words out before you hung up on me. And then you brought a squad of men kicking down the door! I... I've been completely violated! How am I supposed to show my face again?!"
She buried her head back down, wailing.
Justin patted her back, his eyes narrowing into cold slits as he glared at me:
"Chloe called you for help out of nowhere? Do you have a recording of that call? Are you saying she’s crazy enough to invite a bunch of strange men into her room to see her naked?!"
"Evelyn, use your damn brain before you pull cheap lies out of your ass!"
I had no defense.
Looking at his half-naked torso and the messy sheets, I fired back:
"And what about you two?"
"In my master bedroom, half-dressed. If I hadn't walked in on this tonight, how much longer were you planning on sneaking around behind my back?!"
My words only pushed him over the edge.
Justin lunged forward and shoved me hard.
"You have the nerve to ask?!" he roared. "This is all your fault! You threw a hysterical tantrum over food, so Chloe went to a bar to drink her misery away! Someone spilled a drink all over her clothes, and she was too terrified to go home looking like that. I had no choice but to bring her here!"
"And what did you do? You brought a bunch of cops to stare at her naked body!"
Justin stared me down, his disgust palpable:
"Evelyn, I never realized how scheming and vile you actually were."
"You are pure poison."
I opened my mouth to speak, but the officers stepped between us.
The lead officer looked at me with clear disapproval:
"Ma’am, next time you dial emergency dispatch, make sure there’s an actual crime taking place. Our units are stretched thin as it is."
"If there's nothing else, we're clearing out."
Flushed with humiliation, I apologized and walked them out.
When I turned back around, Justin was furiously tearing through my purse.
When he couldn't find what he wanted, he dumped the entire contents onto the floor with a loud clatter.
I lunged forward to stop him, gasping:
"Justin, what the hell are you doing?!"
"The jade bracelet you gave me is in there! You're going to break it!"
It was too late.
The green bracelet slipped out of its half-open velvet box.
*Clink!*
The bracelet hit the hardwood, bounced twice, and rolled across the floor—completely intact.
Natural emerald jade is notoriously fragile. It would have shattered on impact.
There was only one explanation.
The bracelet was a cheap fake.

Justin didn't even bother to glance at it.
He kicked the bracelet aside, using the toe of his shoe to rummage through the scattered items on the floor.
When his eyes landed on a key, he leaned down and snatched it up.
"Looking for this. Just so you can’t bring another squad of cops kicking down my door!"
"Here, take your damn bag!"
He hurled my empty purse right at my chest.
The heavy leather struck me, but I didn't flinch. I bent down, picked up the counterfeit bracelet, and looked straight into his eyes.
"You bought this jade bracelet at an auction. You said it was our engagement gift."
"Justin, why is it fake?"
His eyes flickered with guilt. To cover it up, he barked at me:
"Evelyn, look at the time! Your sister was humiliated because of you, you haven't said a single word of apology, and you're still obsessing over a stupid piece of jewelry?!"
I pressed my lips together, refusing to look away.
"It wasn't a stupid piece of jewelry. It was supposed to be our engagement token."
"Justin. Tell me. Why is it fake?"
Under my piercing gaze, Justin finally caved.
He averted his eyes, muttering defensively:
"Chloe loved it, so I gave it to her. I didn't want you throwing a fit, so I had a replica made for you."
"Big deal! I’ll just... I’ll buy you a better one in a couple of days!"
He reached out, grabbing my wrist again.
"Enough about the stupid bracelet. Get up and come apologize to Chloe!"
"She's still crying in the bedroom! Can't you hear her?!"
I ripped my hand out of his grip.
Without another word, I knelt down and gathered my belongings off the floor, slipping them back into my bag.
Justin’s voice continued to drill into my ears from above:
"Evelyn, apologize."
"You screwed up, so you need to apologize! Get up and say you're sorry!"
I finished packing, zipped my bag shut, and stood up to face him.
"I did nothing wrong. The ones who owe an apology are you and Chloe."
Right in front of his face, I tossed the fake jade bracelet into the trash can, turned around, and walked toward the door.
Justin was seething. He bellowed after me:
"Evelyn Vance, get back here right now!"
"Apologize!"
I didn't slow down for a second. I left without looking back.
Over the next few days, I ignored every single one of his calls.
So, he bombarded my phone with text messages:
[Apologize!]
[Get over to the townhouse and apologize to Chloe right now!]
[Evelyn, say you're sorry! Because of you, she's too traumatized to even go home!]
Go home?
Chloe was nothing more than an imposter who had clawed her way into my family's orbit. What home did she even have to go to?
Out of respect for Justin’s parents, I ignored the texts and focused on booking a private coastal resort to clear my head.
When he realized I wasn't responding, he showed up directly outside my office tower.
I tried to walk around him, but he blocked my path.
"Have dinner with me."
"My parents will be there too. Just do it out of respect for them."
Reluctantly, I agreed and followed him to the rooftop restaurant.
The moment the private dining room door opened, a rancid stench hit me like a wall.
Fermented stinky noodles, durian, stinky tofu, canned herring, blue cheese... the entire table was piled high with the foulest-smelling food on earth.
My stomach heaved instantly.
Sitting at the table wasn't Justin’s parents.
It was Chloe.
She gave me a triumphant smirk, then looked at Justin:
"Justin, you really got Evelyn here to apologize to me?"
I froze, turning my head toward Justin.
He gave an awkward, placating smile and shoved me down into a chair by my shoulders.
"Since you're here, just apologize to Chloe."
"She ordered all of this especially for you. She said once you get used to the smell, you won't throw up anymore."

A wave of nausea rose in my throat, choking off my words. I couldn't bear to sit there for another second.
Without a word, I stood up to leave.
Before I could take three steps, Justin’s voice thundered through the room:
"Evelyn, what the hell did you do?!"
I turned around.
An iPad came flying through the air, striking me squarely on the temple.
Warm blood immediately trickled down my forehead, blinding one of my eyes.
The tablet clattered to the floor, its shattered screen displaying viral entertainment headlines:
[SHOCKING! Vance Real Heiress Catches Fiancé Red-Handed: Hayes Group Heir and Imposter Socialite Stripped Bare in Bed!]
[LEAKED! Explicit Photos of Chloe Exposed! Vance Heiress Unleashes Brutal Revenge!]
[How to Destroy the Other Woman: Real Heiress Leaks Nude Photos of Fake Sister!]
Beneath the headlines were several crude, low-resolution composites—humiliating, explicit, and utterly vile.
Holding my bleeding forehead, I looked up.
Chloe had thrown herself back into hysterics, but behind her tears, her eyes flashed with pure spite and triumph.
She exaggeratedly mouthed the words to me:
*I’m going to ruin you.*
The second Justin turned back toward her, she shrank into her chair, the picture of a helpless, shattered victim.
She was sobbing her heart out.
I turned my cold gaze back to Justin.
"Send your people to investigate."
"It wasn't me."
Justin didn't believe a single syllable. His face was twisted with fury:
"If not you, then who?!"
"Only a handful of people were in that room that night! Your name is in every single headline! The proof is right there, and you still have the nerve to lie?!"
The reek of rotting food in the room was suffocating.
I ran out of patience to explain anything to him.
"I'll say this for the last time. I did nothing wrong. The only ones who need to apologize are Chloe and you."
Justin lost his mind. He roared at the top of his lungs:
"And I will say this one last time!"
"Apologize to Chloe right now, and take down those damn articles!"
I didn't spare him another glance. I turned and walked straight out.
Justin instinctively moved to chase me, but Chloe clamped onto his sleeve, weeping:
"Justin, what do I do?! Everyone thinks I'm your mistress now, and those pictures... I... I really don't want to live anymore..."
Justin froze. He pulled her into his arms, whispering comforts, while shouting threats at my retreating back:
"Evelyn Vance!"
"You walk out that door today, and we are completely through!"
I didn't turn around. I simply picked up my pace.
Justin was furious.
He gave me the silent treatment for an entire month before sending an arrogant text:
[Have you learned your lesson yet?]
The moment the text was sent, an automated alert popped up: *Message failed to deliver.*
I had blocked his number.
Justin sat bolt upright on his sofa. Enraged, he dialed my number directly.
The phone rang for a long time.
Usually, I’d just reject the call, but today, someone actually picked up.
"Hello?"
Hearing a man's voice on the other end, Justin pulled the phone away in shock to check the screen.
It was definitely my number.
"Who the hell are you? Why do you have Evelyn’s phone?!"
A low, amused chuckle came through the speaker.
"I'm her husband. Is there an issue with me answering my wife’s phone?"
Justin’s blood boiled instantly.
He screamed into the receiver:
"Bullshit! Evelyn is MY fiancé!"
The man on the other end didn't get angry at all. Instead, his voice dripped with mocking amusement:
"Mr. Hayes, perhaps you should check the latest press release from the Vance Corporation."
"Too bad—your woman threw you in the trash."
Justin rapidly switched to his news app.
[Public Notice of Broken Engagement: Due to irreconcilable differences, Evelyn Vance, CEO of Vance Corporation, has terminated her engagement to Justin Hayes, Vice President of Hayes Group.]
[Effective immediately.]