The Queen He Betrayed

Anita’s POV The clock struck 2 a.m., and I was still awake. The candles on the dinner table had burned halfway down, making a soft glow over the meal I spent hours cooking. His favorite pasta. His favorite wine. Everything perfect, just like I’d imagined when I thought love was enough to fix us. The door finally creaked open. “Where are you coming from this late at night?” My voice came out low, tired, but it carried all the worry I’d been choking down. Alex stepped in, smelling of alcohol and smoke. His black jacket hung carelessly from one shoulder, and his face changed into irritation the moment he saw me. “Please, don’t start,” he said. “This is exactly why I came home late. It’s always one argument after another.” “I just wanted to celebrate with you,” I said softly. “Your song hit number one today. I made dinner, opened the wine you love,” He cut me off with a dry laugh. “You think I don’t know? Every music site in the country is talking about me. My song is everywhere. I don’t need a home party to remind me of that.” My chest tightened. “I was only trying to show how proud I am of you.” “Proud?” He scoffed. “You act like you made me who I am. News flash, Anita—I did this myself.” His words hit me like a slap. I stared at the man I once called the love of my life—the same man who had begged for help two years ago when no label would sign him. The same man I had believed in when everyone else turned their backs. “You weren’t complaining when I got you into Toptunes Records,” I whispered. “Or when I used my savings to promote your first single. Remember I was the only one who believed in you when everyone didn’t, Alex.” “Yeah, and I’m grateful. But don’t act like I owe you my soul. Things have changed. I’ve changed.” His tone sharpened. “You’re still stuck in the past.” Something inside me cracked, but I swallowed the pain. “All I ever wanted was to see you happy.” “Well, I am happy,” he said, his grin bitter. “Happier when you’re not nagging me. So please, can we skip the drama tonight?” He brushed past me and dropped onto the couch. I stood there, numb, watching the man I once adored turn into someone I barely recognized. For months, he had been slipping away, coming home late, avoiding conversations, treating me like a burden. I’d told myself it was the stress of success. I was wrong. “Do you want to at least eat?” I asked quietly. He turned his head and said. “Eat your food? What if you poisoned it? You’ve been acting crazy lately.” My throat tightened. “You think I’d hurt you?” “Who knows,” he said, shrugging. “Women get desperate when they feel their man slipping away.” That was when I knew something deeper was wrong. He wasn’t just cold, he was done. He sighed, leaning back. “Actually, there’s something I need to tell you.” My heart skipped. It had been weeks since he’d spoken to me without yelling. “Okay,” I said, forcing a smile. “I’m listening.” He looked straight into my eyes, voice flat. “I can’t do this anymore, Anita. We need to go our separate ways.” My fingers went cold. “What?” “I’m calling off the wedding.” The words echoed in my head, heavy and unreal. “You can’t be serious. The wedding is in three weeks, Alex. Everything’s ready, our families, our friends, the venue.” “That’s your problem, not mine.” He stood up and grabbed a glass of water, completely unfazed. “I should’ve done this sooner.” I shook my head, disbelief coursing through me. “Why? What did I do to deserve this?” “You’re asking the wrong question,” he said, his tone dripping with arrogance. “You should be asking how I even stayed this long.” Tears blurred my vision. “I gave you everything, Alex. My time, my money, my heart. How can you do this to me?” He laughed under his breath. “You really thought we’d last? Come on. You’re a nice girl, but look at me now. I’m a star. I can’t be tied down to someone like you.” Someone like me. He meant it. Every word. My stomach twisted. “So does it mean all this time, you were just using me?” He smirked. “You said it, not me. But hey, don’t feel bad. You got me this far, and I’ll always remember that.” I wanted to scream, but no sound came out. My world was collapsing, and he was smiling like it was nothing. “You’ll regret this,” I said quietly. “You’ll regret everything.” He chuckled. “Regret? Don’t make me laugh. Do you even realize how many women would kill to be with me now? You think you’re the only one who believed in me?” A chill ran through me. “What are you talking about?” He shrugged, that smug smile still painted on his face. “You’ll find out soon enough. You’re not the one for me, Anita. Someone else is.” My heart thudded. “Someone else?” He didn’t answer, but the glint in his eyes said it all. The silence between us grew thick until we heard a sharp knock on the door. Alex smirked. “Speak of the devil.” I turned toward the entrance, my legs trembling. When I opened the door, my heart stopped. Sonia. She stood there, wearing a tight red dress that left little to imagination. Her lipstick matched the color of the wine bottle in her hand. “Hey, babe,” she said to Alex, walking past me like I was invisible. Babe? My pulse spiked. “Sonia?” My voice cracked. “You’re his manager.” “Manager,” she said, smirking. “And a little more than that.” Alex grinned and wrapped his arm around her waist. “No point hiding it now.” For a second, I couldn’t breathe. Every piece of my heart shattered all at once. “How long?” I managed to whisper. “Does it matter?” Alex said, glancing at Sonia with a smirk. “Let’s just say you were never really my type. Sonia gets me—she knows what a real celebrity needs.” Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Not in front of them. Not after everything. “So that’s it?” I asked quietly. “You throw me away like trash after everything I’ve done for you?” He shrugged, his eyes cold. “That’s life. People move on.” Sonia leaned closer to him, whispering something that made him laugh. I stared at the two of them, my chest tightening with a mix of pain and rage. He thought he’d broken me. But what he didn’t know was that I wasn’t just some desperate woman clinging to his fame. He didn’t know who I really was. He didn’t know I was the granddaughter of Mr. Joe, the man who built Toptunes Records from the ground up, the same label that made Alex famous. I’d hidden that truth for years—using my mother’s maiden name, working quietly under the radar, earning every bit of respect on my own. I never wanted to be known for my bloodline. I wanted to earn everything through my own sweat. But tonight changed everything. Alex didn’t just betray me. He humiliated me. And I wouldn’t forgive that. I watched them clink their glasses and laugh like villains in a cheap movie. Every sound, every smile fueled the fire burning inside me. He thought he won. But what he didn’t realize was that I could destroy his entire world with a single phone call. Not yet, I told myself. Not tonight. Revenge tastes better when it’s cold. I turned away, my tears finally breaking free. But beneath that pain, a quiet, dangerous promise was forming in my heart. He took my love and turned it into a joke. Now, I’ll take everything he built and make it crumble in front of him. As I closed my eyes, I could still hear their laughter echoing through the night. It would be the last time Alex ever laughed at me.