The Woman In Her Empire

Chapter One : The Betrayal

Maya’s POV

The house was quiet. Too quiet.

I stood in the middle of the living room, holding the red file close to my chest. My hands were shaking, not from fear, but from everything I was about to give away.

This was the moment I had been waiting for.

I had spent years hiding who I was. I had told myself I wanted a simple life, that I wanted someone to love me—not my money, not my position, not my name. Just me.

And I thought I had found that man in Bryan.

I met him in a small café when I had just come back from school abroad. He was kind, humble, and full of dreams. He told me he wanted to become someone big, someone who could provide for the woman he loved. I smiled at that time and told him I believed in him.

I never told him I was the real owner of Denim Group—the company that his friends talked about all the time.

I didn’t want to scare him. I didn’t want him to think I was trying to control him.

So, I let my best friend, Tasha, take my place. She stood in front of the cameras. She signed the papers. She was the face of the company. But every decision, every move, came from me.

I built everything my father left behind. I worked day and night to make sure his dream didn’t die. And yet… I never told Bryan any of that.

Instead, I acted like I was just a stylist. I watched him work hard, complain about life, and feel proud when Tasha offered him the manager position.

He didn’t know that I was the one who asked her to do it. That I was the one who picked his name. That the cars, the apartment, and even the vacation bonuses he received from the company… were all approved by me.

Not because he earned them.

But because I loved him.

I never wanted him to feel small. I wanted him to grow. I wanted him to stand tall beside me.

And today, I was ready to give him everything.

I looked down at the red file again. Inside were the documents that would make him the acting director of the company. I had signed everything. I had already discussed it with Tasha. We both agreed it was time.

He had worked for three years, and in the eyes of the world, he had proved himself. He was hardworking, passionate, and smart.

He was everything a woman could ask for.

At least, that’s what I believed.

I placed the file gently on the table and took a deep breath. My heart was pounding. I had imagined this day so many times. He would walk in, tired from work, and I would give him a glass of water. We would sit together on the couch, and I would tell him the truth. That all this time, I had been watching him from the shadows. That I had trusted him more than anyone else.

That I wanted him to take charge, not just as a husband, but as a partner in everything.

And maybe… just maybe… we would laugh about it. Maybe he would be surprised. Maybe he would hug me. Maybe he would say he loved me even more for trusting him this much.

But life had other plans.

The front door opened.

I quickly wiped my sweaty palms on my dress and turned toward the entrance with a smile, but it froze on my lips when I saw who walked in.

It wasn’t just Bryan.

There was a woman beside him. And a small boy, maybe five or six years old, holding her hand.

My heart sank.

I looked at Bryan, waiting for him to speak. Waiting for him to tell me this was a joke. A mistake. Anything.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he reached into his briefcase and pulled out a white envelope.

“Sign this,” he said flatly, dropping it on the coffee table beside the red file I had placed moments ago.

I stared at it. Then at him. Then at the woman, who refused to meet my eyes.

“Bryan…” I whispered, my voice barely coming out. “Who is she?”

He didn’t answer.

The boy let go of the woman’s hand and walked toward Bryan. “Daddy,” he said softly, tugging on his pants.

I felt something sharp twist in my stomach.

Daddy?

Bryan bent down, picked him up, and smiled—a smile I hadn’t seen in weeks.

“Her name is Lila,” he finally said. “And this is my son. His name is Jayden.”

I took a step back. “Your… son?”

He nodded, like it was nothing.

“We’ve been together for a while ,” he continued. “I didn’t know how to tell you. But now I think it’s time.”

“Time?” I whispered. My legs were shaking.

He nodded towards the white envelope again.

"Sign the divorce papers, Maya. I want to be with them."

My eyes filled with tears. I shook my head. "You're my husband…"

He sighed like I was making this difficult. "Look, I know you got me a job due to your friend, alright? I appreciate that. But I've earned everything that I have. I became a manager because of myself. Your friend saw my potential. Even if we didn't work out, I'm not going to lose my job. The company relies on me."

My fists were clenched.

He still had no clue.

He had no idea that I was the owner. That I was the reason he had any of those things.

I opened my mouth to speak. I wanted to scream the truth in his face. To tell him he was standing in a home I paid for, in clothes my business bought him, holding another woman's child in front of a wife who gave up everything for him.

But then… I didn't.

I looked at him.

Really looked at him.

And just like that, I didn't want to tell him anymore.

Let him believe he earned it.

Let him believe he fooled me.

Let him leave here believing he won.

Because when the truth is revealed—and it will—he will regret it all.

And I want him to.

So I smiled amidst my tears and picked up the pen. My hand trembled as I signed the documents.

"You're right," I whispered. "You've earned everything."

You

He looked taken aback but pleased. He took the envelope and was turning to go, his new family following him like shadows.

I stood there, watching the door close behind him.

The red file was still on the table—unopened. Still brimming with hope and trust that was broken in seconds.

I wiped at my tears and reached for it slowly.

I went into my room and closed the door.

I sat on the floor and cried.