The Birthday Announcement

On the seventh year of our relationship, my boyfriend posted a photo of him kissing his secret obsession on Instagram.

My success today would have been impossible without your silent support, his caption read.

I laughed until my eyes stung.

Every single thing he hadDhis career, his fame, his clothesDcame from my family.

If he couldn't live without her support, then it was time for this irrelevant bystander to exit the stage.

My brother immediately called his assistant. "Tell the Sterling Group to terminate every single contract with Xander Huxley."

My mother made a post of her own. "Anyone who works with Xander Huxley is an enemy of the Sterling family."

Even my grandfather chimed in. "Cut off every resource Xander Huxley has. Starting today!"

It was my twenty-second birthday, and it was supposed to be our seventh anniversary.

Instead, Xander chose this exact day to go public with Mila Young, the girl he always told me not to worry about.

Watching their sweet photo, I felt a wave of nausea so strong it turned into a burning rage.

Xander knew more than anyone that Mila Young was the person I loathed the most in this industry.

I was a B-list actress, known for my hard work and actual talent.

Mila, on the other hand, relied on dirty tricks and a face that people called "fragile" but I called "lifeless."

She only had a career because Xander was pulling strings for her behind my back.

Everyone in the industry knew I was the one who built Xander from nothing.

They knew we were together, even if we hadn't made it official to the fans.

No one expected him to choose my birthday to announce his love for another woman.

Was he insane? Or was he just trying to humiliate me at my own party?

My friends in the VIP lounge looked at me with pity, their whispers turning into open disgust for Xander.

Suddenly, the heavy doors of the lounge swung open.

Xander came running in, looking breathless and frantic.

He reached out to pull me into a hug, but I stepped back immediately.

He reeked of Mila's cheap, sickly-sweet perfume. The scent made my head throb.

Then, a delicate figure drifted in behind him.

I stared, my eyes widening in pure disbelief.

Xander actually had the nerve to bring Mila Young to my birthday party.

"Why is she here?" I demanded, my voice cold as ice.

Xander didn't even look guilty. He grabbed a microphone from the side table and addressed the crowd.

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make."

"I know it's Viviette's birthday, but I've kept this inside for too long."

"Mila, come here," he said, reaching out his hand.

Mila walked past me with a shy, triumphant smile and took his hand.

The way they looked at each other was sickeningly sentimental.

They were even wearing matching designer outfits.

I stood there like a ghost at my own feast.

Mila leaned into his arm, looking like the cat that got the cream.

Xander smiled at the room. "Vivi and I have reached an amicable breakup. Mila is the woman I truly love now."

"I hope no one judges us. My feelings for Vivi were never really about love."

"I want our friends and family to witness our happiness."

"Mila has supported me in the shadows for so long. It's time I gave her the status she deserves."

He didn't spare a single thought for how I felt.

I didn't even know we had "broken up," let alone amicably.

Doing this on my birthday wasn't just a slap in the face; it was an attempt to bury me.

I was the one who poured every resource I had into his career.

The people in this room were the elite of the industry.

By tomorrow, I would be the laughingstock of the cityDthe girl who got played.

He said Mila supported him? Did he have a conscience at all?

What about the millions I spent on his branding? What about the roles I secured using my family's name?

If I had spent that money on the lottery, I would have at least seen a return.

Spending it on Xander was like throwing gold into a sewer.

My best friend, Sienna, couldn't take it anymore. She slammed her glass onto the table.

Xander's manager, Brenda, hurried over to try and smooth things over.

"Vivi, honey, don't be mad. Xander is young and impulsive. He's just looking for a bit of excitement!"

"Just let it go for a few days. He'll come back to his senses and realize he needs you."

"Realize he needs her?" Sienna spat, stepping forward.

She didn't give him a chance to speak. She walked right up and delivered a stinging slap to Xander's face.

"Who do you think you are? You drained Vivi's resources for years and you're still barely a B-lister!"

"You two shameless snakes have a lot of nerve showing up here!"

"We are settling this right now."

"Xander, if you don't go to the press and tell the truth, I will ruin you myself!"

Xander winced but didn't dare talk back to Sienna.

In the entertainment world, everyone's background was a secret weapon.

He knew Sienna came from a family he couldn't afford to offend.

Mila, however, spoke up with a trembling lip. "Ms. Sterling, there's no need to be so aggressive."

"Xander and I are truly in love. In a relationship, the one who isn't loved is the real intruder."

"You can still be friends with him. Don't be so petty."

I laughed. It was a sharp, hysterical sound.

"You think you're in a position to negotiate with me?" I asked.

"This is my birthday party. You two come in here like animals in heat, flaunting your affair, and call me petty?"

"Since you claim we're broken up, then we are officially strangers."

"Security! Get these nobodies out of my sight!"

I've never had a good temper, and this was the breaking point.

Brenda, the manager, tried to grab my arm with a fake, pleading smile.

"Vivi, think about the business. You and Xander are still a great team."

"Mila is actually quite sweet once you get to know her. I really like her potential."

"Why don't we just call this a misunderstanding?"

"You can be like a big sister to Xander!"

She was trying to keep me tethered to him so I would keep paying the bills.

"Yeah, Vivi," Xander added, his tone softening. "We can still talk. We're still friends."

"I'm grateful for how you looked after me. You'll always be like family to me."

Mila stepped forward, looking smug despite her act.

"I know being with Xander for so long held back his career, but I'm willing to accept you as a friend."

The sheer audacity of these people was breathtaking.

They wanted me to stay in the wings and keep producing their show while they spat on me.

"Are you two actually brain-dead? Do you think I'm a charity?"

"You really thought you could play me like this and I'd just smile?"

"This isn't over. Not by a long shot."

I turned my gaze to Brenda, the manager I had hired and paid for.

I raised my hand and slapped her across the face even harder than Sienna had slapped Xander.

"You ungrateful leach! You live off my payroll and you have the nerve to lecture me?"

"Consider yourself fired. Effective immediately!"

"I'm coming for all of you. None of you will have a job in this town by next week."

I grabbed a glass of red wine from a passing tray and threw it over Xander and Mila.

Ignoring their gasps of horror, I turned on my heel and walked out.

Rotten people deserve to rot together. Just wait and see.

I fell for Xander seven years ago when I saw him working as an extra.

Back then, he was a hardworking boy with honest eyes.

I always had an eye for talent, and I couldn't deny he was incredibly handsome.

I started looking out for him, making sure he got extra screen time and better lines.

Eventually, we exchanged numbers.

At first, he acted noble and turned down the opportunities I offered.

But once we became a couple, he started taking everything I gave him as if it were his birthright.

Looking back, there was never any heart in it.

It was all a calculated play for power.

Within thirty minutes of the party disaster, my mother and brother were at my penthouse.

The atmosphere was thick with tension.

"I told you years ago that boy was a bottom-feeder," my brother Landon said.

"Are you finally ready to listen, or do you need another slap from reality?"

He gave me a light, frustrated tap on the head.

I winced, unable to argue. "It happened. I was blind. I get it now."

"From now on, he's dead to me."

Landon glared at me. "Dead to you? That's it?"

"You were humiliated in front of the whole city and you just want to walk away?"

"Are you a doormat or a Sterling?"

I looked him in the eye. "I have a plan, Landon."

"Your plans usually involve buying him a new car!" he snapped.

I stayed silent, letting his anger wash over me.

He tapped my head again. "Little brat, are you even listening?"

My mom pushed his hand away and pulled me into a hug.

"Landon, stop it. Can't you see your sister is hurting?"

Landon rolled his eyes. "She's pathetic."

"Enough!" Mom scolded him.

She looked at me gently. "I trust you to handle this, Vivi. We won't interfere unless you ask."

"But if you're suffering, you tell us. Understand?"

I nodded, feeling the weight of her support. "I understand."

After they left, I began documenting every cent and every connection I had ever given Xander and Mila.

I wasn't going to let them breathe.

But they were faster than I expected.

The next morning, I woke up to a social media firestorm.

A twisted version of the previous night's events was trending everywhere.

My phone was blowing up with calls from Sienna.

"You finally picked up! I thought you'd gone into hiding!"

"Have you seen what those two snakes posted? You can't let them win!"

"Don't worry," I said, my voice cold. "I'm already ahead of them."

I logged onto X (formerly Twitter) and saw the headlines.

*SHOCKING: FAMOUS ACTRESS REVEALED AS JEALOUS STALKER.*

The top comment read: "I heard Viviette Sterling threw a fit because her ex moved on. She even hit his manager!"

Another person wrote: "I was at the restaurant. She was screaming like a maniac. Total spoiled brat."

The comments section was a disaster zone.

"I went to school with Vivi. She always stole other people's boyfriends. Once a cheater, always a cheater."

"She actually fired a manager for no reason? That's abuse of power."

Xander's and Mila's fanbases were out for blood.

"Stay away from our king! He deserves a pure girl like Mila!"

"Viviette Sterling is over! Cancel her!"

The situation was getting ugly. My brand deals started calling, asking for explanations.

Most of them wanted to drop me immediately to avoid the scandal.

My vision blurred with rage.

Tabloids were making up stories about me out of thin air.

Then, a "verified insider" posted a long thread.

"The truth is, Viviette tried to buy Xander's love. He wasn't interested, so she used her family's money to trap him."

"Now that he's found true love with Mila, Viviette is trying to destroy his career."

Xander himself liked that post.

His fans began sharing it like it was the gospel truth.

Suddenly, I wasn't the victim. I was the villain who couldn't take no for an answer.

I was the top trending topic in the country, and everyone hated me.