The Idol's Proposal, A Broken Heart

Xander and I had been in a secret relationship for years. He promised he would propose to me during his seven-year anniversary concert.

With only fifteen minutes left before the show started, my boyfriend suddenly turned to me with a frown.

Sutton, this tie doesn't look right, he said. Go find one that matches the fan-support color. It needs to be purple.

I rushed to the backstage area and searched through every dressing room before I finally found the right shade.

When I tried to return to the main hall, a group of girls blocked my way.

"Xander is proposing right now," one of them sneered. "What kind of trouble are you trying to cause by barging in?"

I felt like I had been struck by lightning. I was right here, so who exactly was the woman he was proposing to?

I fought my way through the crowd and caught a glimpse of the stage.

My heart shattered. Xander was down on one knee, sliding the diamond ring that was meant for me onto the finger of his first love.

I clutched the tie in my hand, desperately trying to explain myself to the people guarding the door.

"I'm just here to give Xander his tie," I pleaded. "Please, just let me through!"

As I tried to push forward, a security guard shoved me back.

The girl leading the group glared at me. Her name was Jasmine, one of Xander's most obsessive top fans.

"I'm Serena's best friend and a huge fan of Xander," she barked. "No one is going to ruin the happiest moment of their lives."

She looked me up and down with disgust. "Look at you, wearing a white gown like you're trying to steal the spotlight. You think Xander would ever look at someone like you?"

"I'm Xander's girlfriend," I said, my voice trembling but sincere. "Today was supposed to be the day he proposed to me. Can you please just let me in?"

I knew Jasmine was a powerful figure in the fandom. I didn't want to make an enemy of her, so I kept my tone soft.

I expected her to listen to reason. Instead, she grabbed my shoulder and threw me to the ground.

"Every delusional woman thinks she can marry our idol these days," she laughed. "Xander and Serena are the only couple I support. No one comes between them!"

The clock was ticking toward the time we had agreed on. Panic started to set in.

I pulled out my phone and scrolled through the gallery to show her the photos.

"Look, these are private photos of Xander at home," I told her. "I've lived with him for years. I am his girlfriend."

"Xander promised me a surprise today. There is no way he's actually with Serena."

Jasmine snatched the phone from my hand. As she saw the intimate photos of Xander's daily life, her face turned red with rage.

"You shameless stalker!" she screamed. "You've been taking secret photos of Xander this whole time?"

"You're trying to ruin his engagement to Serena. You're disgusting!"

She signaled to the two girls beside her. They pinned me to the floor, and suddenly, a rain of slaps began to fall on my face.

"Sutton, Xander isn't someone you can just have," Jasmine hissed. "He and Serena are the ones truly in love!"

Ignoring the stinging pain, I used every bit of strength I had to push them off and ran toward the double doors.

"It's not possible," I whispered to myself. "He told me this morning that today would be an unforgettable surprise."

I tried to convince myself that Jasmine was just a delusional fan. I refused to believe her words.

But just as I reached for the handle, Jasmine blocked me again.

"Do you have no shame?" she asked. "The proposal is starting. Stop dreaming."

The three of them tackled me again. They began to kick and punch me while I was down.

Within minutes, my body was covered in bruises and my dress was ruined.

"If anyone tries to ruin this for Xander and Serena, I'll make sure they regret it," Jasmine threatened.

She grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the floor until her own arm grew tired.

"Let me in," I choked out. "I need to hear the truth from him!"

Jasmine let out a cold laugh. She gripped my hair and dragged me toward a small crack in the door.

"Fine. See for yourself," she sneered. "They were made for each other."

Inside, the spotlights were centered on the middle of the stage. A woman in a flowing white dress was walking slowly toward Xander.

She wore a delicate veil, hiding her face from the audience.

But I knew that silhouette. It was Serena.

Why was she standing where I was supposed to be?

I tried to lung forward, but Jasmine pulled me back and threw me into the hallway.

"Stop fighting it," she said. "Xander and Serena are soulmates."

She ordered the security guards to keep me out before she and her friends slipped back inside.

I sat on the cold floor, staring blankly at the wall.

Today was supposed to be the dream I had waited for all my life.

A security guard finally took pity on me and called an ambulance.

On the way to the hospital, I kept calling Xander's phone. It was constantly busy.

I even tried calling his assistant, but there was no answer there either.

The paramedic saw me breaking down and offered me his phone to use.

Xander must have blocked my number or set it to ignore my calls.

I dialed his assistant's number from the new phone. The moment she heard my voice, she hung up.

I began flooding Xander's messages on social media, but every text went unread.

The doctor told me that besides the bruises and cuts, I had a minor fracture that needed rest.

But my mind wasn't on my physical pain. It was entirely on Xander.

Later that evening, I saw the truth on Serena's social media page.

Her latest post was a high-quality photo of Xander down on one knee.

They were hugging while the crowd cheered in the background.

The warmth and love in that room was supposed to be mine. Instead, he gave it all to her.

I sent Serena a private message, asking her why she would destroy a relationship and be the other woman.

She replied almost instantly. "Xander and I have always been in love. He only dated you because you pressured him into it."

"Oh, by the way, Sutton. I really love the square-cut diamond you picked out. It fits me perfectly."

Serena told me that Xander only stayed with me for the industry connections and resources I provided.

After ten years of hiding his feelings, he finally decided he wanted a public life with her.

"Sutton, all I wanted was the proposal," she added. "He'll probably still go back to you for work."

I felt like the biggest fool on the planet. I had used all my power to make him a star.

And now that he was at the top, he proposed to his ex and still expected to use me?

"Serena, I built Xander's career, and I can burn it to the ground," I typed back, my hands shaking.

"If you love him so much, you can have him. I'm done."

I was finished with this calculated, hollow version of love.

I blocked Serena's account immediately. I hadn't even had a chance to breathe before Xander finally called me two days later.

Before I could say a word, he whispered a soft "I'm sorry."

"Xander, you changed the leading lady of your own proposal," I said coldly. "A sorry doesn't fix that."

Despite his apology, his tone quickly turned defensive.

"I already said I was sorry. Why are you still holding onto this?"

The sheer audacity of his words made my blood boil. He acted as if I was the one being unreasonable.

"Let's be clear," I said. "You were the one who sent me to get a tie. You were the one who promised me a perfect proposal!"

I reached into my pocket and felt the purple tie I was still carrying. Tears started to blur my vision.

"Sutton, you took way too long," he snapped. "I could wait for you, but do you expect thousands of fans to just sit there and wait?"

"Serena just happened to be at the show. She stepped in to help me finish the ceremony so the fans wouldn't be disappointed."

If Serena hadn't already sent me those mocking messages, I might have actually believed his lies.

"Xander, do you really think I don't know about your history with her?" I asked.

Serena was his college sweetheart. They were the golden couple of the acting department back then.

Xander had joined my agency because of his looks, while Serena tried to make it as an actress.

The agency had strict rules against trainees dating. They told him to break up with her repeatedly, but he refused.

When I moved back to the city, I saw potential in him and promised him the best resources.

My only condition was that he had to handle his personal drama.

Xander told me he was single. He said he wanted to focus entirely on his career.

That was why I fought for him and pushed for his early debut.

Now that his wings were strong enough, the first thing he did was betray me.

He thought I didn't know about his past because I had been away for a few years.

But his story of "eternal love" for Serena was a well-known secret at the office.

I just never imagined he would hide that love while sleeping in my bed for seven years.

"Xander, I'll make it easy for you," I said. "Go public with Serena. Tell the world you're together."

With his current status as a heartthrob, revealing a relationship with someone like Serena would ruin his image.

Xander went quiet for a moment. Then he tried to sound comforting.

"Sutton, don't be like that. You're the only one I'm going to marry. This was just about fulfilling a childhood dream."

"Serena wore a veil. No one even recognized her!"

I almost laughed out loud. I had never heard anything so ridiculous in my twenty-odd years of life.

He proposed to her, but he wanted me to pay for the wedding?

He really thought he was such a prize that I couldn't live without him.

"Sutton, why aren't you at the apartment?" he asked. "I came back and the place was empty."

I had been in the hospital because his fans beat me until I couldn't walk, and he hadn't even checked his messages.

"I'm in the hospital," I said flatly.

There was no concern in his voice. Instead, he just gave me an order.

"Oh. Well, listen, some fans are saying negative things online since the news broke. When you're better, make sure you fix my PR."

He wanted me to clean up the mess from his fake proposal?

He wanted me to wait until the public accepted him, and then he'd probably ditch me for good.

"Xander, don't you want to know why I'm in the hospital?" I asked.

Realizing he sounded too cold, he quickly pivoted to a fake tone of care.

"Right, sorry. What happened? Are you just stressed? You need to rest so you can get back to work soon."

He hung up before I could answer. I finally realized that Xander was nothing more than a selfish egoist.

After resting for a few days, I went back to the apartment we shared.

Even if I wasn't going to help Xander anymore, I still had a career to manage.

The moment I pushed the door open, the air in the room felt heavy and sweet. It smelled like a cheap perfume I didn't own.

I walked into the bathroom and saw a pair of lace stockings in the trash can.

There were stains on the sofa that made my stomach turn.

I wasn't a child. I knew exactly what had happened in this house while I was lying in a hospital bed.

Xander had cheated. He had betrayed me in every possible way.

I packed a small bag of my essentials and walked out without looking back.

I drove aimlessly for an hour, my mind a complete blank.

The last seven years of my life felt like one giant, pathetic joke.

Suddenly, my phone rang. It was my parents.

As soon as I answered, my mother's voice filled the car. "Sutton, honey, if you're not happy out there, just come home. We'll always protect you."

The sound of her voice broke me. I burst into tears right there in the driver's seat.

No matter where I went or how much I messed up, I was still their daughter.

Xander's cheap, conditional love was nothing compared to this.

When I got home, I collapsed into my parents' arms and cried until I was exhausted.

"Don't cry, sweetie," my mom whispered. "That man was never good enough for you. It's better you found out now."

I looked up at them, confused. "How did you know?"

"The moment the concert video went viral, your father and I knew that wasn't you on stage," she explained.

With their comfort, I finally started to feel like myself again.

"Dad, Mom... I'm sorry," I said. "I'm ready to do what you wanted. I'll go through with the arranged marriage."

When I graduated, my father wanted me to marry into another powerful family to help the business.

I had been rebellious. I thought I could find true love on my own. Instead, I just got scarred.

My father beamed and immediately went to make a phone call.

While I was killing time on my phone, I saw a message from a colleague at the agency.

"Xander just asked for a leave of absence to go on a trip? Is he insane?"

"Sutton, you need to get back here. We need to decide how to handle his career."

The rumors about his secret girlfriend were already hurting his brand.

If he didn't fix it now, he was effectively throwing his career away.

When I got to the office, my friend told me she had already fired Stacy, the assistant who betrayed me.

She looked at me with pure pity. "Sutton, you wasted your best years on that snake."

"Don't be too sad. Someone who uses people like that won't get very far in life."

She was right. I was the one who built him. No one knew that better than Xander himself.

While I was lost in thought, a string of messages popped up from him.

"Sutton, the hate comments are getting really bad. Serena is upset, so I'm taking her on a trip to clear her head."

"Do your job and fix my reputation as soon as possible. Otherwise, I won't be able to make any money for the company."

He was actually trying to threaten me with the company's profits? It was laughable.

If they didn't care about their future, then I was more than happy to give them a little push into the abyss.