The Alpha Revenge A pawn in his game

*VALERIE*

Promises were meant to be kept, but the ones made to me were..... mere words. Air.

My vision blurred as I clutched the note with trembling hands.

Each words carved with a hot tong in my memory.

No matter how I reshuffle the words, they still meant the same thing.

Michael. The man I was to marry today left with my sister.

No.

This couldn't be real.

It had to be a cruel joke. A sham.

He promised me. He swore to love me, to fight for me, to stand beside me when the world turned cold.

But the note said something different.

Cara. The little girl that clung to me always.

My sister has betrayed me.

Why didn't I notice?

Why didn't I see the signs?

I felt my knees weaken and I gripped Brenda's arm for support before I crumpled to the ground.

"Valerie... " Brenda, my best friend whispered, her voice trembling as if afraid the truth itself might shatter me further.

But it already did.

My lungs squeezed for more air as I feel my heart breaking apart.

I wanted to scream, tear the paper into shreds and dig my nails deep into my skin to match the pain squashing my insides. But I didn't.

Instead, I clutched my chest painfully, gasping for air.

Murmurs rippled from the back of the hall and slowly escalated into full blown speeches.

Some people in the crowd even brought their phones to film my humiliation.

Just then-

" Get her out of here!"

My father's voice boomed from the back of the hall.

From the corner of my eyes, I noticed my father's bodyguard drawing near.

"If you move an inch closer, I will chop off your balls and feed them to the dogs."

Despite my heart breaking into fragments, my voice came out stronger. Enough to make the bodyguard's eyes widen .

He stopped walking and took a step back.

I heard my father's scoff in disbelief.

He was probably going to fire the guard for defying his order but that was the least of my problems.

His footsteps grew louder as he drew near.

My heart raced with each footstep but I kept my face neutral.

I wasn't ready for the sharp pain that shook my core when his hand connected with my cheek.

Brenda gasped.

"I warned you," he growled, his face twisted in anger and maybe disappointment. "about that lowlife. About not holding onto him. And now look at us. Me, in front of all these people."

"Do you know what would happen if the press get wind of this?" He continued as I rubbed my cheek to soothe the ache.

" The investors would pull out their shares and just like that all my hard work would go down the drain because of you."

I chuckled bitterly.

" You could have fooled me," I said with a scoff. " For a moment, I thought you actually cared."

Tears pooled in my eyes and I blinked them back.

"Y–You didn't ask if I was okay,"

My voice cracked.

"But as always, what you care about is your reputation."

"You ungrateful child!" He snarled, wagging a finger at me.

"After all I have done for you."

My lips trembled violently.

I couldn't take this anymore.

So, I stormed off with Brenda hot on my trail.

My chest felt heavy, each breath dragging against my ribs.

I heard him say something but it went with the wind.

In a daze, I walked with no destination in mind as rain fell in torrents, soaking through my white dress.

"I want to be alone," I whispered softly, turning to Brenda who was trailing me quietly.

"Val, what -

" I said, I want to be alone!"

She gaped at me in shock, a look of hurt flashing across her face as if I'd struck her with my words.

She then reached for me and I drew back.

" P... Please," I croaked out.

She hesitated, her eyes searching mine desperately.

She nodded in understanding, her shoulders dropped in defeat and she walked away.

Her footsteps disappeared with the darkness and I was alone, I finally let the tears fall.

My knees buckled. I sank onto the ground, drenched, bruising my knee against the gravel.

My shoulders shook as sobs racked through me.

My heart felt like it was shredded to pieces and cold seeped through my bones.

A heart wrenching cry tore from my throat .

The two people I hold dear to my heart were the same ones who stepped on it, ripping it out from my chest.

_______

Few days later, I sat in my room, hiding from the world.

The silence was the only thing that dulled the ache in my head. I hadn't left my penthouse since that day. The curtains stayed drawn, the lights dim. I lived in shadows now, where shame couldn't find me so easily.