After He Betrayed Me, I Disgraced Him

On the fifth anniversary of our relationship, my boyfriend betrayed me.

That day, he publicly kissed a famous singer at an awards ceremony, a moment that was instantly captured by the media. The scene quickly made headlines, spreading like wildfire across social media as netizens buzzed with excitement.

As I sat alone, picking at my meal, one of his friends approached me and asked what I was doing. When I told him that it was supposed to be our anniversary dinner, he replied, “I thought he is at that award show tonight, didn’t you see the video?”

I replied casually, "Well, I guess he forgot to mention that. Thanks for the heads-up, or I’d still be sitting here waiting,"

The video went viral, with the comment section overflowing with praise for how perfect they looked together. As I watched my boyfriend gaze lovingly at his first love, the sight of the untouched feast in front of me made my heart sink.

***

"Niall, are you on your way?" I asked, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice as he finally picked up after I called him several times.

"Emilie, I might be a little late. Something came up," he said, sounding distracted.

I sighed, already feeling the frustration bubbling up. I had reminded him about this dinner for weeks, but I didn’t want to argue, especially not tonight. "Alright, just don’t take too long. I’ll be waiting."

It was supposed to be special day—our anniversary. I had booked a table at one of the city’s most expensive restaurants a month ago. We had both been swamped with work lately, so I made sure he cleared his schedule, hoping we could reconnect over a nice meal.

After hanging up, I went home, took a quick shower and slipped into the red dress he bought me for my last birthday—it was his favorite. Normally, I’m more of a natural look kind of girl, but tonight I took extra care, applying makeup and styling my hair just the way he liked. I wanted everything to be perfect.

At the restaurant, a polite waiter guided me to our table by the fountain. The ambiance was elegant, with soft lighting and the gentle sound of water creating the perfect setting for a romantic evening. I ordered a glass of wine while waiting, watching couples around me enjoying their meals and each other’s company.

As the minutes ticked by, I checked my phone repeatedly, expecting a message from Niall. But as the hour passed and my glass was empty, there was still no sign of him. My texts went unanswered and my calls went straight to voicemail. Worry began to creep in, but as the minutes turned into an hour, worry gave way to irritation.

"Could I have another glass of wine, please?" I asked the waiter, trying to mask my frustration.

"Of course, ma’am. Would you like to order now, or wait a bit longer?" he asked, probably noticing the empty seat across from me.

"Bring out the food now," I said, trying not to sound too annoyed. I had carefully chosen dishes I knew Niall would love and I wasn’t going to let them go to waste.

The waiter nodded and quickly returned with two beautifully presented plates. The food looked exquisite, though I barely knew the names of the dishes. I poked at the food, my appetite waning as I wondered where the hell Niall could be.

Just as I was about to give up on the evening altogether, I noticed someone approaching my table. "Emilie, right?"

I looked up to see Isaac Bischof, one of Niall’s friends from college. We had worked on a few projects together, so I forced a smile despite feeling utterly embarrassed. "Hey, Isaac. What are you doing here?"

"I just had dinner with my wife. And you...?" he asked, his expression puzzled as he glanced at the empty seat.

"Well, Niall and I were supposed to have an anniversary dinner," I said, trying to sound casual, though my voice wavered slightly.

"Really? I thought he is at that award show tonight, didn’t you see the video?" he said, frowning in confusion.

"Award show? What award show?" I asked, my stomach sinking with dread.

"His company’s sponsoring it. I also saw his story on Instagram a couple of hours ago," he explained, pulling up a photo of Niall on the red carpet, looking sharp and smiling alongside a famous singer.

I felt my heart drop. "Well, I guess he forgot to mention that. Thanks for the heads-up, or I’d still be sitting here waiting," I said, struggling to keep my voice steady.

Isaac looked awkward, clearly regretting his words. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to... there’s probably a mix-up. You should talk to him."

"Don’t worry about it. If anything, I should thank you," I said, forcing a smile, though inside, I was fuming.

After Isaac left, I sat there, staring at the untouched food. Niall had never stood me up like this before. We had been together for five years and I had even thought about marrying him someday. But tonight, his actions spoke louder than any words could. He could have at least told me if he wasn’t going to make it.

Trying to calm down, I paid the bill and left the restaurant, my earlier excitement replaced with a bitter sense of disappointment. When I got home, I changed into pajamas, wiped off my makeup and collapsed onto the couch. All that effort, all that hope, wasted. I grabbed my phone, scrolling mindlessly through social media, trying to distract myself.

But then, a video caught my eye—one that several of my friends had shared. My heart sank further as I clicked on it. There was Niall, arm in arm with a beautiful lady, laughing and looking far too comfortable with her. The caption read, [Award Show Chemistry: Pamella Blackwell and a Mysterious Businessman Steal the Spotlight!]

I stared at the screen, disbelief, anger and sadness washing over me as they kissed in the final moments. This was our anniversary and he had chosen to spend it with someone else.