The betrayal

June Williams stared at her husband, her mind unable to reconcile the cruel, callous man standing in front of her with the loving, ambitious man she had fallen for all those years ago. His words echoed in her head like a haunting refrain: "I love Lena, and I’m going to marry her. There’s nothing you can do about it."

Her body shook as she sat on the edge of the couch, tears streaming down her face. “Larry, how can you say these things to me? After everything we’ve been through together? After all we’ve built?”

Larry scoffed, running a hand through his neatly styled hair as if her heartbreak was nothing more than an inconvenience. “Everything we’ve been through?” he mocked, emphasizing the word. “Don’t kid yourself, June. This company, this life—I made it all happen. You were just there for the ride.”

June felt her breath hitch. “You can’t mean that. Larry, I left everything for you! My family, my inheritance, my entire life everything I’ve done was to help you succeed. I believed in you when no one else did. You can’t just erase that.”

Larry laughed bitterly, his eyes narrowing as he towered over her. “Erase it? June, you didn’t do anything that I couldn’t have done on my own. Sure, you played the supportive wife role, but let’s not pretend you’re some kind of genius or savior. I built this empire. Me.”

June’s heart felt like it was being ripped apart, piece by piece. “Larry,” she whispered, her voice breaking, “we were a team. You said we were in this together…”

He rolled his eyes, his tone dripping with disdain. “That was back when I didn’t know any better. I’ve grown, June. I’ve changed. And honestly? You haven’t. You’re still the same small-minded, old-fashioned girl who’s stuck in the past. Lena understands me she has class, sophistication. She comes from a family that actually matters.”

“Class? Sophistication?” June repeated, her voice rising with disbelief. “Is that what you think I lack? Larry, I’ve run the operations of this company from the start. I’ve negotiated deals, built partnerships, and kept everything together while you chased your dreams. And now you’re telling me I’m not good enough?”

“You’re not,” he said bluntly, crossing his arms. “I need someone who matches my status, someone who can help me climb even higher. Lena’s family is the key to the biggest deal this company has ever seen. She’s what I need now—not some washed-up woman who’s clinging to a life that’s outgrown her.”

June’s knees buckled, and she sank to the floor, sobbing into her hands. “Please, Larry… don’t do this to me. You’re all I have. I’ve given you everything—my love, my life, my future. Don’t throw it all away. Don’t throw me away.”

But her tears only seemed to irritate him further. “I’m done with this conversation,” he snapped. “I’ve already made my decision. You’ll sign the divorce papers, and you’ll leave. Quietly. No one even needs to know we were married in the first place.”

June’s head shot up, her face streaked with tears. “Divorce papers?” she whispered in horror.

Larry turned on his heel, retrieving a folder from his briefcase and slamming it down on the coffee table in front of her. “Right here. All you have to do is sign, and this can be over.”

Her hands shook as she stared at the crisp stack of papers, her name and his glaring up at her in black ink. “Larry, I can’t…”

“You can, and you will,” he said, his voice growing colder by the second. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, June. Sign the damn papers.”

“Larry, please…” she begged, crawling toward him on her knees. “We’ve come so far together. Don’t end it like this. I’ll stay out of your way. I won’t interfere with you and Lena. Just let me stay. Please…”

His face twisted with disgust as he stepped back, avoiding her touch. “You’re pathetic,” he spat. “Do you think I care about your feelings? Lena is moving in soon, and I don’t want you anywhere near her. Pack your things and get out of my house.”

When she hesitated, his patience snapped. He lunged forward, grabbing a fistful of her hair and dragging her to the table. June screamed in pain, her hands clawing at his grip, but he didn’t let go until he had forced her into the chair.

“Sign the papers,” he ordered, shoving the pen into her trembling hand.

“Larry… please…” she sobbed, her tears falling onto the pages.

“Sign them!” he bellowed, slamming his fist on the table so hard that the sound echoed through the room.

With no strength left to fight, June’s hands moved shakily as she scrawled her name on the dotted lines. Each letter felt like a death sentence, sealing the end of the life she had built with him.

When she finished, Larry snatched the papers away and looked them over, a satisfied smirk spreading across his face. “Good. Now pack your filthy things and leave.”

“Larry, don’t do this,” she pleaded, clutching the edge of the table as if it could anchor her to the life she was about to lose. “Just let me stay. I’ll stay in the guest room. I’ll—”

“No.” His voice was firm, unyielding. “Lena doesn’t want you here, and neither do I. Leave, June.”

When she didn’t move fast enough for his liking, Larry stormed into the bedroom. Moments later, he returned with her clothes and personal belongings, throwing them onto the floor in front of her.

“There. Take your crap and get out.”

Larry didn’t even glance back as he slammed the door shut, his cold dismissal echoing in June’s ears. She remained crumpled on the hard concrete outside the gate, unable to move, tears streaming down her face. The sting of humiliation burned deeper than any physical wound. Her body throbbed with pain from the brutal fall, but what hurt more was the realization that the man she had given everything to was capable of such cruelty.

Her chest heaved as she struggled to catch her breath, her hands clutching her stomach. Blood pooled beneath her, soaking the hem of her blouse. The world around her blurred, and the sharp pain in her abdomen intensified. She tried to cry out, but her voice came out as a weak gasp.

Dad was right after all never trust the loyalty of a greedy man

The last thing she remembered before losing consciousness was the distant sound of footsteps and the faint hum of an approaching car.