My Ex Fled, My Boss Married Me

Elowen’s POV

I’m Elowen, a Fae heiress. I snuck into the human world for a little fun and somehow ended up working as the personal bodyguard of Manhattan billionaire Grayson Whitmore.

To keep my real face from attracting trouble, I had one of my people cast a glamour on me, giving me a face full of freckles and a homely appearance.

Grayson criticized everything I did, yet every time I tried to quit, he refused to let me go.

His best friend, Preston Hale, was different. After I saved his life, he held my hand and made me a promise.

“Ellie, I don’t care what you look like. I want to give you a home.”

I was curious what it would be like to marry a human, so I said yes.

But at our engagement party, Brielle Vaughn, Preston’s first love who had spent years in Europe, burst through the doors with tears in her eyes.

Preston immediately yanked his hand away from mine.

“I’m sorry. She’s the one I love.”

Then he handed me a five-million-dollar check, put his arm around her, and left without looking back.

The guests laughed at me for ever thinking I belonged in Preston’s world.

All I could think was how ridiculous the whole thing was.

I turned and opened the door to the private lounge. The man who had watched the entire spectacle was sitting in the shadows.

I grabbed his tie and smiled.

“Grayson, don’t you need a wife to keep your family off your back? Why don’t you marry me?”

“What is Preston thinking? He could have his pick of New York society, and he chose some country girl who works as a bodyguard?”

“I heard she saved his life. She probably used that debt to pressure him into marrying her. Typical gold digger.”

“Just looking at her face makes me lose my appetite. Preston is making one hell of a sacrifice.”

Their whispers carried straight to my ears. Fae hearing was far too sharp for me to miss a single word.

I held my glass of juice without so much as raising an eyebrow.

My white dress didn’t fit properly. Brown freckles covered my face, and a pair of thick black-framed glasses sat on my nose. Surrounded by glamorous socialites dripping in diamonds, I looked like an ugly duckling that had wandered into a flock of swans.

Their insults bothered me less than the buzz of a few insects.

The toast was about to begin when Preston walked over in a custom tuxedo and took my hand.

“Ellie, after tonight, you’ll officially be my fiancée. No more fighting or putting yourself in danger. From now on, I want you to stay home and stop putting yourself in danger.”

I was about to answer when the heavy doors to the country club ballroom flew open.

A woman in a white dress stood in the doorway, her eyes red from crying. Her gaze passed over the crowd and locked on Preston.

“Preston... I’m back.”

Preston’s hand stiffened around mine.

A second later, Preston let me go and rushed toward her without even looking at me.

“Brielle? I thought you were in Paris.” He couldn’t hide the joy in his voice.

Brielle threw herself into his arms as tears spilled down her cheeks.

“Preston, I was wrong. I never should’ve left you to chase my dreams. When I heard you were getting engaged, I felt like my whole world had ended.”

“Don’t cry. I’m here.”

Preston held her tightly, as if he had gotten back someone he thought he had lost forever.

I never thought I would experience a scene straight out of a soap opera. Standing alone beneath the spotlight, I almost laughed.

Mrs. Hale glanced at me.

“Preston, now that Brielle is back, call off the engagement. The Hale family will not be humiliated like this.”

Only then did Preston turn to me. Guilt flashed across his face.

“Ellie, I’m sorry. I thought I could get over Brielle, but I can’t lie to myself anymore. You’re a good woman, but she’s the one I love. The engagement is over.”

Brielle leaned against his chest and said softly, “Preston, this is so cruel to Miss Hart.”

Then she looked at me, her eyes filled with triumph.

“Miss Hart, blame me if you need to. I’ll make this up to you.”

Laughter broke out around us.

“Look at her. She really thought she was Cinderella.”

“As if Preston would ever want someone that ugly.”

I simply removed my glasses, took a moist hand towel from a passing server’s tray, and wiped my hands.

“Preston, are you sure you want to walk out that door? Once you do, there’s no coming back.”

He frowned, clearly surprised by how calm I was.

“Ellie, don’t make this harder than it has to be. I’ll write you a check for five million dollars. That’s more than enough for you to go home and live comfortably.”

With that, he took Brielle’s hand and walked away with the other guests trailing behind them. He never looked back.

The guests eventually left, abandoning the wreckage of the party behind them.

I tossed the towel into the trash.

Human love really was fragile.

I turned and entered the private lounge. The overhead lights were off, leaving only the dim golden glow of a floor lamp.

A man sat on the leather couch with his tie loosened and an unlit cigar between his fingers. His sharp, handsome face was half hidden in shadow.

Grayson Whitmore, the young head of one of Manhattan’s most powerful old-money families and CEO of the Whitmore Group.

He was also my former employer, the man I had protected for the past three months.

He looked up, a mocking smile touching his lips.

“So, how does it feel to have someone toss you aside like garbage in front of everyone?”