Beautiful Betrayal

Talent Show

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"That's how hearts get broken, you know. When you believe in promises."
~Kathleen Glasgow
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V I C T O R I A
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"It doesn't matter now," I insisted, trying to deflect his questions.

"How can you say that, Tori? How can you say it doesn't matter?" Dominic demanded with anger and frustration. "Just tell me who's that fucker, tesoro. Just tell me his name."

I smiled softly as I looked at him, noting the fury in his expression. Despite the situation, there was a certain charm in his anger, and I found myself torn between wanting to cry and wanting to laugh at the sight of him gritting his teeth furiously. He looked cute cursing himself.

"How about you, Nic?" I asked, attempting to turn the conversation away from the sensitive topic. Does someone break your heart?" I asked, curious.

His face softened as he looked at me, closing his eyes briefly before responding, "You know who broke my heart, Victoria."

"Oh yes."

"Your high school sweetheart, Elena D'Luca."

"Yeah, Elena D'Luca. I thought she was the love of my life."

"Yeah, I remember that."

"You were devastated when she broke up with you," I remarked sympathetically, recalling the moments.

"Even I had a high fever for three days, he sigh. "But you know what," he added "My mom didn't hide the fact that she was so happy about my breakup."

"I know," I responded. "She never liked her in the first place."

"She even called her a witch," I confirmed with a wry smile.

"Yeah," Dominic agreed. "My mom never liked her, not even a little bit."

"But Nic, I still can't understand one thing," I continued, my curiosity getting the better of me. "Why did she break up with you? What's the reason?"

"I was so curious about his sudden breakup, especially since they both seemed so in love," I thought to myself, still puzzled by the situation.

Curiously, I looked at Dominic, waiting for an explanation. He sighed heavily before meeting my gaze directly.

"She heard my mom's talk about you and me," he confessed.

"Huh? What talk?" I asked, confused by his words.

"Do you remember when I participated in our high school talent show?" Dominic asked, his tone carrying a hint of nostalgia.

"Yeah, so?" I responded, unsure of where he was going with this.

"I practiced my song, and you were my audience," he explained, a small smile playing on his lips. And found myself down in the memory lane.

I vividly recall the year I turned sixteen and he was eighteen.During our summer holidays, an event was scheduled at our fathers' hotel and preparations were in full swing for the Event.

I was lost admiring the grand room's lighting setup, and its allure, when suddenly Dominic led me towards the stage, my confusion grew. And I glanced around, trying to understand what was going on.

"Dominic, what's going on?" I asked, my voice tinged with confusion.

He flashed me a reassuring smile, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "You'll see," he replied cryptically, leading me closer to the stage.