CATHERINE'S POV
At ten years old, my world fell apart. My parents's divorce was the first crack in a fragile life, and the court decided I would live with my mother. I had no say in the matter. From that day on, we became strangers to stability. We moved constantly, fleeing from one place to the next, never finding a home. Some nights, we went to bed hungry, but the hunger was never the worst part. It was the overwhelming sense of powerlessness that came with the constant struggle. No matter how hard my mother tried to keep us afloat, the weight of our circumstances always seemed to pull us under.
By sixteen, my mother remarried. Uncle William. He wasn't perfect, but he was a reprieve from the chaos. We moved to a small, quiet town far from the city, away from the noise and tension that had plagued us for so long. It felt like a chance to start over. And I did. I started fresh. But the echoes of the past still clung to me, hidden beneath the surface of every new beginning.
That's when I met him. Liam Claude. He was nothing like anyone I had ever known before. He was older, charismatic, full of ambition that burned brighter than any star. I was captivated by his passion, by the way his music seemed to speak to something deep within me. He told me his dream—to be a famous singer—and for the first time in my life, I thought maybe there was something bigger waiting for me. Something beyond the small, forgotten town we now called home.
He made me believe in that dream. And I, foolishly, believed I was a part of it.
I fought with my mother about leaving. I told her I was going to help Liam. I was going to make his dream come true, and in return, I'd have my own. I was going to build a life with him. A life that meant something.
I didn't hesitate. I packed up and left. I became his manager, his support system, navigating the tumultuous world of music and fame. I worked tirelessly, believing that everything I did was for us, for the future we were supposed to have together. I made sacrifices, gave up my own dreams, and put every ounce of myself into helping him rise.
For ten years, I gave him everything—my love, my loyalty, my soul—and I never once doubted that he loved me back. I thought we were partners in every sense of the word. He was my dream, and I was his.
But I was wrong.
Liam Claude betrayed me.
It happened slowly, then all at once. He cheated. With her. Annie. The woman I had brushed off as just a passing acquaintance. She was nothing to me. A neighbor. A model. But to him, she was someone else. Someone he'd always kept in his heart, someone I couldn't compete with. I never saw it coming. I never expected that the man I had loved for so long would throw everything away for someone like her.
The worst part? I had to watch it unfold before me. In front of thousands.

***
"Liam Claude, I love you madly!" The crowd's cheers were deafening, a roar of adoration that seemed to lift Liam higher than any of the lights around him.
He was perfect up there, under the shimmering lights, alive with the energy of his latest song. His tour, stretching across the United States, had stopped in this tiny town, and I was standing at the edge of the stage, watching as he performed like the star he had always wanted to be. I could hear the music, feel the energy, but everything felt like a distant memory.
And then, at the peak of his performance, Annie appeared.
She walked toward him with a smile, and I watched as Liam's eyes locked onto hers, his face softening. He reached out, cupping her face gently, and before the crowd could even catch their breath, he kissed her.
In front of everyone.
The stadium erupted into cheers. The very audience that had adored him for years now worshipped their love. I stood frozen, my heart hammering in my chest. The music, the lights, the cheers—they all faded. All that mattered was the image before me: the man I loved, the man I had helped build, kissing another woman.
It felt like my soul was being ripped apart. I wanted to scream, to fight, but my voice was gone. My legs didn't move. My body didn't obey. I could only watch as he kissed her, in front of me, in front of all of them.
The love I had been holding onto for so long, shattered.
I stumbled backstage, my vision blurry, my heart pounding in my ears. I leaned against the makeup table in the dressing room, trying to steady myself. My breath was shallow, my chest tight with pain.
And then, I saw him.
Liam stood in the doorway, his eyes filled with guilt. He opened his mouth but didn't speak at first. He wasn't sure where to begin.
"Catherine," he said softly, stepping toward me. "I never meant to hurt you."
I looked at him, my heart aching as I tried to keep my voice steady. "But your feelings, Liam," I said, barely above a whisper. "The way you kissed her... that wasn't part of the show, was it?"
He looked down, unable to meet my gaze. "No," he admitted. "But you know how it is. I still love you. You're still the one in my heart. But Annie—she's part of the show, part of the image."
I shook my head, feeling the anger and betrayal rise up inside me. "Claude, I'm not blind. I gave up my own dreams for you. I spent years supporting you, but this? This is beyond anything I can ignore. What do I get in return for all that I've sacrificed?"
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "I've loved you for ten years. But I'm not stupid. I can see when I've been betrayed."
Liam just stared at me, unable to speak. I reached into my purse and pulled out the photos. He didn't even try to stop me as I threw them in front of him.
"When did it start, Liam?" I asked, my voice cold. "How long have you been seeing her?"
Liam grabbed the photos, tearing them apart in desperation. His voice cracked as he asked, "Catherine, how did you find out?"
"I've known for a while," I said, my tone icy. "I knew from the beginning. But I loved you so much that I ignored all the signs."
And just like that, the man I had spent my entire life building dreams with became a stranger. A liar.
I collapsed to the floor, my heart in pieces. Was it my fault? Was I not enough? How had I let myself believe in him for so long, only to be left with nothing?
A few moments later, Liam returned, holding a bank card. His expression was flat, unemotional. "Take whatever you need," he said.
I looked up at him, rage flooding my chest. Without thinking, I slapped him hard across the face. "You think money can fix this?" I yelled, my voice thick with fury. "Will it buy back the years I gave you? The sacrifices I made for you?"
Liam looked at me, his face pale and stunned.
"I've supported you for so long," I spat. "But no more. You've forgotten everything. Your success today, all of it, is because of me. Without me, you wouldn't even be a star."
I turned away, no longer caring about the life we'd built. The love that once seemed eternal was now just a bitter memory.
***