NINE
QUEEN & GHOST
TAMPA, FLORIDA
BEYONCE TOOK ANOTHER SIP FROM HER wine glass, the photo of her husband open on her phone. It was late in the night and she wasn't able to sleep... not next to him. Shawn had been cheating with another woman after he told her he wouldn't do it again. She felt her heart breaking every few seconds, and she fought the urge to cry once more. She couldn't even breathe properly, she felt like she was about to have a heart attack. She felt her throat tighten and she looked down at her nails. She promised herself she wasn't going to cry and allow him to make her feel like she was worthless.
The office door opened and out walked Shawn who had been working for a while. She placed her glass down and stood up, turning to face him. He smiled, but when she noticed the tear that had fallen down her cheek, he paused. "You okay?"
She ignored him and she couldn't lie she was a little drunk. Whenever she was upset, she would resort to alcohol and it always made her feel horrible after.
"Baby-,"
"You call her that too?" She asked, sending him a nasty glare. His eyebrows furrowed together in confusion and she knew it was all an act: one that she used to fall for. The suite was silent followed by suffocating tension. He suddenly chuckled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What are you talking about? Have you had too much to drink?"
"How long have you been fucking Rita behind my back?"
He stared at her, unable to find the right words to respond. His lips formed a line and he clenched his jaw. She watched as he walked over to the bar, grabbing a glass, and pouring himself some scotch. He took a sip, his eyes returning to her over the brim of the cup. "Rita? Who is Rita?"
Beyonce only scoffed, feeling her blood beginning to boil. Then, she began to laugh... a cold, sinister, and emotionless laugh. It only revealed just how jaded he was from this entire situation, how exhausted she was. Her mother made it a priority to teach her how to be the perfect wife. Ever since she was young, Beyonce knew the importance of obeying her future husband and doing everything she possibly could to make him happy. That's why she stayed with Shawn so long. She put up with his BS to satisfy what her mother preached.
She lifted her phone and walked over to him, showing her the picture. "This Rita. The woman you're laying up in bed after just fucking her. How long?"
He pushed the phone out of his face. "I don't know what you're talking about. That's a fake photo."
Her eyes slowly turned dark and she dug his fingernails into the palms of her hands. She grabbed her wedding ring and threw it down. "When will it be enough, Shawn? When will you stop lying? You lie about everything and you're doing it right now to my face again!"
"Don't raise your voice at me. You know I don't like that."
"Fuck what you want!" She yelled, her chest moving up and down rapidly. "I've been preparing my ass off getting ready for this fucking tour and while you're supposed to be supporting me, you're sticking your dick inside some side chick!"
"Okay. Fine. It was one mistake." He held his hands out to the side, shaking his head. "It didn't mean anything, alright? She came on to me while I was tipsy at the City Music Foundation Gala in London."
Before Beyonce could respond, she received another alert on her phone. Her stalker had sent a second picture of Shawn and Rita but this time in a completely different hotel room. It was a completely different instance which meant he had just lied once again.
