Who would work-hours bear,
To grunt and sweat under a startup life,
But that the dread of something after now,
The undiscovered country to whose bourn
No traveler arrives puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus time does cause operations in us all,
And thus the native hue of indecision
Is painted o'er with the pale cast of change,
And edifices of great inertia
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And gain the name of action.
I was once told of this expression: It doesn't matter whether the rock hits the egg or the egg his the rock. The egg will break.
If you are the egg, either get out or prepare to suffer (#4). It looks like in this case the CTO feels he/she is the egg and a wrong choice has been made.
If "it is definitely happening" then I would suggest #3, find another job and be merry :)
#1 Change you (accept what you are unable to change)
#2 Change the other (convince them to follow your vision)
#3 Fly (divorce, quit)
#4 Stay and suffer (include drinking, doing drugs, whining)
It is amazing how many people chose number 4.