Too Late for Regret

Betrayed

Chapter 1

Analise’s POV

The text I received from Holden was as unexpected as it was unwelcome. I felt a tremor of fear at receiving it. I had a gut feeling that whatever was on the video he just sent was not something I wanted to see.

[Unknown number- Hey, it's Holden. I know you probably don’t want to hear from me, Ana, as I see that I'm still blocked. But you really need to see this. Your fiancé was only too happy to publicly humiliate you. So, I felt I had to warn you. You don’t deserve to be treated like this. I didn’t want you to be caught by surprise.]

I know he won’t be surprised that I left him on read. I didn’t feel the need to reply to him. The problem is that Holden never exaggerates. He is always direct and painfully honest. I knew that firsthand. We had been friends since we were young. He is still my brother’s best friend, but I’m no longer friends with him. I had a crush on him back when I was a teen, until he crushed my heart into a million pieces. So, I knew it was going to be bad before I even hit play. I just didn’t know it was going to be this bad.

The video started, and I saw that Roger was at our favorite Italian restaurant, Benvenuto. It’s where we had our first date. It’s where he proposed to me. It was a special place for us, or so I thought. I saw Roger sitting there facing the camera, with Sasha almost on his lap. Why is she so close to him? Wait, why is she even there?

My stomach turns at the sight of them there together. It’s Saturday night, and he knows that I’m always wiped by Saturday night. He usually goes out with his male friends to have a few drinks and relax. Well, at least that’s what he's always told me each week. I didn’t think Sasha was bold enough to interrupt them on their guy’s night out. I forgot she has no shame when it comes to Roger.

“Congratulations to you both,” Dixon Chandler raised his glass to them. It was clear they hadn’t just arrived there. The plates on the table were empty. The men were all intoxicated and enjoying their night. “It’s about time you made an honest woman out of Sasha.”

I paused the video and tried to calm myself down. What the hell was that supposed to mean? I knew she was someone he had dated in high school, but she had left him years ago. He was broke back then, and she didn’t want to be with him because of that. She never saw his value, but I did. I knew he was hungry to be a success. I saw the fire, the desire to be successful shining in his eyes. I thought that helping him achieve his goals would lead him to realize that I loved him. That I loved him for who he was, and not what he had.

His family had an economy hotel chain, but they were not well received in high society. They hadn’t earned a spot at the table, but they wanted one. They refused to give Roger money to fund his dreams, so I did. I knew that one day he would come to love and appreciate me for making his dream a reality. But it’s been five years now, and his mother still talks down to me. Like I am dirt under her shoes. His father has always been pleasant, but his two younger siblings have shown me nothing but contempt.

I looked at her ring finger and saw that she is wearing not just an engagement ring, but also a wedding band. I can barely catch my breath; he didn’t. He wouldn’t. We were to be married in three weeks. But somehow I already know he did. I didn’t even know that she had returned, but this explains why he has been so busy that I've barely seen him for weeks. I pressed play again and braced for the worst.

Sasha blushed and continued her innocent act. She has had them wrapped around her finger for years. She always plays the victim, and somehow, I’m always the villain. They would be shocked to see her real face, as they have fallen for this act since high school. “Thank you, Dixon. You’ve always been one of our biggest supporters.”

Now that stings. He works at the company Roger and I created. I provided three million dollars to get it off the ground. I brought the investors in to get it to where it is today. Roger always downplayed what I had done to get his company afloat to his friends and family. They all think that I’m just a clingy designer, but I’m actually the co-owner of the company. Dixon is our CFO, but he’s never given me the respect I deserve. I watched as he continued to kiss up.

“You know I’m on your side, Sasha. That stuck-up b***h doesn’t have anything on you. I don’t know why Roger even agreed to marry her. In my opinion, Elizabeth is as unwanted as a boil. But she refuses to let Roger go. He doesn’t even want to be with her; she forced him into proposing. I don’t know what she’s holding over your head, Roger, but you need to shake her loose as soon as you can,” Dixon replied.

I gasped in shock at his words. He’s talking about me like I have no business being with Roger. My middle name is Elizabeth, and that is what I’ve used to conceal my identity. My full name is Analise Elizabeth (Wade) Caldwell. I took my mother’s maiden name, Wade, to use for school. My family is one of the most elite in the city. The Caldwell name holds a lot of weight around here. There aren’t many of us, so it would be a red flag for me to have used Caldwell. I decided to go to school using Elizabeth Wade to protect myself. The schools I’ve attended were informed of who I was, so added security could be put in place for me. Always discreet, hovering in the background.

All my diplomas held my given name on them. I did as my mother had done, and followed in her footsteps. She had hidden who she was until after she married my father. She hid her wealth to ensure that my father loved her for who she was, not for what she had. It was my grandparents' idea. It helps cut out the ones who were just here looking to gain a wealthy wife. I was going to tell Roger who I was once we were married. I'm praying that he defends me, but I somehow doubt that will happen.

My parents were always very careful of me. I had almost been abducted at ten, and after that, I went nowhere without protection. I have always dreamed of marrying someone who loves me, not my wealth. I’ve learned the lesson that I wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, the hard way. When I met Roger, I allowed myself to believe I could finally be loved. He accepted me, or so I thought. Clearly, I was wrong.

Dixon is Roger’s best friend. They have been best friends since grade school. If anyone knew Roger well, it would be Dixon. How could Roger have lied to me like this? I believed him when he told me he loved me. He said he owed me for helping him bring his dream to life. I didn’t want him to be forced into marrying me. I suggested it, back when he asked me what I wanted in return. I didn’t need the money back; I had plenty of money. I had fallen in love with him the first time I met him. I have dreamed of Roger getting down on one knee and proposing for years. He could have told me no, instead of sneaking off and secretly marrying Sasha.

“Guys, go easy on Elizebeth. I already feel bad enough taking Roger away from her. She won’t be happy once she finds out. At the very least, you could refrain from talking about her. She is a gifted designer. Speaking of, Roger, are you sure Elizabeth will allow me to use her designs after I take over as the Director of Design? I want the staff to have faith in me. So I think it would be best for me to show up with some great designs in order for them to accept me,” Sasha said coquettishly.

“Leave it to me, love. The day I introduce you as the new head of design, I will also announce my engagement to Elizabeth. She should be happy enough with that. She won’t need to work anymore, and you can take over for her. She can stay home, while I get things shifted around so I don’t lose out when she finds out what I’ve done. It gives you the opportunity to demonstrate that you've contributed to the company's success. Elizabeth will be able to get by on her company shares. But I’ll need time to get everything in order, at least a year, so you need to be patient,” Roger replied, tapping the end of Sasha's nose.

“As long as you don’t sleep with her, I can be patient for two years, Roger. As long as she can’t stop us from being together,” Sasha said with a pout.

“Please, how could he ever desire her, Sasha? Have you seen her? She is not elegant or refined like you. She would only embarrass him. She bullied her way into getting Roger to propose. I don’t know how she couldn’t tell that he was embarrassed by her. He wouldn’t stand next to her and never smiled for any of the pictures at their engagement party. She's completely delusional. But I don’t know how you're going to be able to be married to two women at the same time, Roger. It’s against the law. Elizabeth won't agree to it. She isn’t going to fall for it,” Conner Hazell replied. He was Roger’s other friend at the table.

“I’ve already figured it out, Connor,” Roger stated coldly. “She doesn’t need to know our marriage isn’t real. Elizabeth shouldn’t have forced my hand by insisting I marry her. She gets what she deserves for forcing me into it. Sasha is my true love, my first love, my first everything. She’s the one I want. I acknowledge that Elizabeth helped me get my company up and running. I appreciate her faith in me and all her support. For that, I’m willing to let her be Mrs. Roger Cook to the public. Sasha doesn’t want the bells and whistles. She just wants me. Now that she's carrying my child, I need to make her position solid. Elizabeth could have asked for anything, except my love. She knew that; she brought this on herself,” Roger replied.

Wait, Sasha is pregnant with his child? How long has he been lying to me? How far along is she? The fury that I feel towards Roger and Sasha is something I haven’t felt for a long time. I need to calm down so I can start making plans. I need to power through this video and finish it. Only then will I know what I need to do. The betrayal stings, but thankfully, my parents taught me well.

“Roger’s taking me to Paris for our honeymoon this week. So you can’t spoil the surprise for Elizabeth,” Sasha said with a smile before the video ended.

And just like that, I received my timeline. Time to get to work.