MY EX'S REVENGE FROM JANITOR TO BILLIONAIRE

The church was full of white roses. My white roses. For Claire. Three hundred guests. Cameras flashing. My mother crying in the front row. And at the end of the aisle— Claire. She looked like an angel. White gown. Veil. Holding a bouquet of lilies. The same girl who ate instant noodles with me in college. The same girl who said "yes" to my $20 ring. "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" the priest asked. Her father stood up. "I do." Violin music. She walked toward me. Slow. Smiling. Eyes only for me. Two steps from the altar. My phone vibrated. `FROM: DAD` `If you marry her, your mother dies tonight. If you marry her, I will ruin the Reyes family. Last chance, son. Walk away.` Another buzz. Photo attachment. My mom. In a hospital bed. With two men standing beside her. My chest collapsed. "Alex?" Claire whispered. She was in front of me now. The priest was waiting. "You may now recite your vows." I looked at Claire. Her eyes. Full of love. Full of trust. And I looked at my phone again. I couldn't breathe. "I'm sorry," I said. My voice cracked. The whole church went silent. Claire's smile faltered. "What?" "I can't do this." I dropped the ring. It rolled across the marble floor. The sound echoed. "What are you saying?" Her father stood up. "I have to go." I turned. I didn't look back. Because if I looked back, I would stay. And if I stayed, Claire would die. I ran. Past 300 guests. Past her crying. "ALEX! ALEX, WAIT!" I ran out of the church. Into the rain. And I never stopped running for 5 years. The news was playing on the TV in the janitor's room. * 5 YEARS LATER * `BREAKING: CLAIRE REYES, 27, YOUNGEST BILLIONAIRE CEO IN THE COUNTRY` `Reyes Corporation stock hits all-time high after Ms. Reyes' speech at Davos` On the screen: Claire. In a black power suit. Hair in a bun. No trace of the girl in the wedding gown. Cold. Perfect. Untouchable. "That's her?" Mang Tonyo, the head janitor, pointed at the TV. "Our new CEO. Started last month. Took over from her dead father." He looked at me. "New guy. Alex, right? You look pale." I couldn't speak. The woman I left at the altar was now the most powerful woman in the country. And I was wearing a blue uniform with my name: _ALEX_. "First day today," Mang Tonyo said. "Rule is simple. Don't talk to executives. Don't look at them. Just clean." I nodded. My hands were shaking. *9:00 AM. 50TH FLOOR. EXECUTIVE LOBBY.* The doors opened. And there she was. Claire Reyes. Surrounded by 5 assistants. 3 bodyguards. Clicking heels. Whispering. She walked past me like I was air. But then she stopped. Something in the air changed. The whole floor went quiet. She turned. Slowly. Her eyes landed on me. On my uniform. On my face. For 2 seconds, she didn't blink. Recognition flickered. Then it was gone. Replaced by ice. "Who are you?" she asked. Voice like glass. I bowed my head. "Alex De Guzman, Ma'am. New janitorial staff." "De Guzman." She tested the name. Like poison. "From which agency?" "I... I'm direct hire, Ma'am." One of her assistants leaned in. "Ms. Reyes, we have the board meeting in 5." Claire didn't look away from me. "Clean the 50th floor bathrooms first. Personally." She smiled. But it didn't reach her eyes. "Make sure they're spotless. I have a very low tolerance for dirt." Then she walked away. The smell of her perfume stayed. Chanel No. 5. The same one from 5 years ago. My knees almost gave out. *12:00 PM. MEN'S BATHROOM. 50TH FLOOR.* I was scrubbing the 5th sink when I heard voices. "Did you see her face?" "Who?" "The janitor. The new guy." "Yeah. Ms. Reyes looked at him like she wanted to kill him." My hands tightened on the brush. "Maybe he owed her money." "Or maybe..." a laugh, "maybe he broke her heart." The door opened. Samantha. Samantha Dela Cruz. My wife. For 4 years. The reason I left Claire. She saw me. And her fake smile appeared. "Alex." She said my name like a secret. "What are you doing here?" "Working." I didn't look up. "Working?" She laughed. "From CEO's fiancé to toilet scrubber. How the mighty have fallen." She walked to the mirror. Fixed her lipstick. "You know she's back, right? Claire." "She asks about you sometimes. In meetings. 'Is the new janitor good? Is he working hard?' She's obsessed." "Stop." "Stop what?" She turned. "Oh, poor Alex. Still in love?" She stepped closer. "We had a good thing, you and me. Don't ruin it by chasing ghosts." I stood up. "Get out." Her smile dropped. "You don't get to tell me what to do anymore." She walked to the door. "Oh, and Alex? Be careful. Claire Reyes doesn't forgive. And she doesn't forget." The door closed. I punched the mirror. Blood on my knuckles. Blood on my name. 5 years. I spent 5 years trying to forget her face. And in 5 minutes, she erased all of it. *6:00 PM. PARKING LOT.* I was taking out the trash when a black car stopped. Window rolled down. Claire. Alone this time. No assistants. Sunglasses on. Even at night. "Get in," she said. "Ma'am?" "Get. In." I got in. The car smelled like her. Leather and roses and pain. She drove in silence for 5 minutes. Then: "Why are you here, Alex?" I looked out the window. "I need a job." "Bullshit." She slammed the wheel. "You could work anywhere. You have a degree from Ateneo. Summa c*m laude. So why. My. Company." I was quiet. She pulled over. Empty street. She took off her sunglasses. Her eyes were the same. But harder. Older. "Do you know what I did the night you left me?" she whispered. "I waited. For 3 hours. In that wedding gown. My father had a heart attack that night. He died 2 days later." My chest hurt. "Claire, I--" "Don't." She cut me off. "Don't you dare say my name." Tears fell. But her voice was steel. "You ruined me, Alex. So now I'm going to ruin you. Slowly. Starting tomorrow." She got out. Slammed the door. Left me in the car. With 5 years of guilt. As she walked away, I whispered to no one: "I did it to save you." But she was already gone.