~ Los Angeles ~


    Victoria Long is sitting in the parked car and considering if she should go out of the car and attend the meeting that was set up by a mystery person or drive back home.


    She exhaled in frustration. Victoria and Gabriel are high school sweethearts, they went through many trials together. Victoria patiently waited for him to finish his education at the Te University before he started working by his father in order to officially take over the Long family. They got engaged and the size of the diamond on her engagement ring reflected the magnificent future which was in front of them. Gabriel was destined to take over the Long family, with Victoria by his side. And when they got married, she made a vow to continue supporting him for a lifetime with the knowledge that she will be basking in the power and influence whiches with the position of the main Madam of the Long family.


    The pieces wereing together nicely: Gabriel was working as the patriarch, managing the Long industries, handling all their people… the only thing missing was the official ceremony which Gabriel''s father dyed for some flimsy reason how Gabriel''s position is still shaky. And then Stephen Long showed up.


    Victoria has no idea what happened. It took weeks, months maybe, but for her, it was an endless nightmare. She noticed that some of the madams are giving her condescending looks, and dismissing her presence. She lost the respect and privilege she worked for her whole life. Victoria asked Gabriel what is going on, but he only said how he has issues at work and that she should be patient and have faith in him because he is taking care of it. Victoria decided to obey. After all, she waited for so long, she can do it for a bit more.


    And then it happened… After one meeting between Gabriel and Steve, Gabriel called her to talk…


    "I decided to give up on the position of the family head."


    Victoria was sure that she didn''t hear him right. "What?"


    Gabriel repeated: "I never wanted that position, it was forced on me. Steve is a better choice. He has more stocks than me and a solid backing. He has a good n that will make the whole family prosper…"


    Victoria was convinced that this is a joke. And a bad one. "You are kidding, right? Gabe, what will we do?"


    "I will work by Steve''s side, as his assistant, the second inmand. We will be well taken care of, and the pressure will be off. We can focus on us, travel, expand our family…"


    Victoria shook her head frantically. "Do you think that I married an assistant? Did you think that I''m with you so that I can travel and have babies? What possessed you to give up on the position you worked for your whole life?"


    "Vicky… Since I started working as the head of the family, I barely saw you. I woulde home only to sleep, and sometimes I would even sleep in the office. You know that better than anyone else. Other than my father and a few elders, no one supports me. And those few that support me, don''t help me in day-to-day tasks. Even my father is not opposing Steve stepping in as the head of the family. This is more than just managing thepany and having the highest standing in the family. Every day people want to sabotage me, to see me failing, some of them are after my life. I''m exhausted. And I miss you."


    Victoria scowled. "You are exhausted… Howe Steve can do it?"


    "Steve has help. He has…"


    "THEN HIRE HELP!" Victoria screamed.


    Gabriel''s expression showed that he is in shock. "Vicky? What''s got into you? Why are you so set up on the position of us leading the Long family? That position carries so many responsibilities and not many rewards. We would need to ensure that everyone is taken care of, and to not offend anyone so that we don''t get backstabbed in retaliation, and for what? For a spot at the head of the table? Do you think that those smiles are sincere? They don''t care about us. They care only about their benefits and none of them will hesitate to suck us dry if they could. The only thing we have is us. Don''t you love me?"


    Victoria lost it. "Love you? Who are you? I love Gabriel who is working hard, who is fearless, who aims for the top, and you… who are you? I was never in love with a loser."


    "Giving up the head position does not make me a loser. If you calm down and think rationally, you will see that it''s a good decision. I will still be at the top of thepany, and we can live here. Money and luxury will not becking. With this move, the only thing I''m removing is the edge which caused me stress, insomnia, and high blood pressure, and I''m not even thirty years old…"


    "Gabe…" Victoria squeezed through her teeth. "There is only one winner. The one who is at the top. You didn''te in second, you forfeited and THAT makes you a loser…"


    Victoria stormed out of the room, without giving him a chance to reply. That was the first night she spent in her parent''s home since she married Gabriel Long, the man who was supposed to make all of her dreamse true… The dreams which were almost a reality, until he decided that he can''t take it anymore.


    On several more asions, Victoria talked with Gabriel, with a goal to get him to change his mind, but it was all in vain. Gabriel decided that he will support Steve. Gabriel decided that being in the second ce is enough. Gabriel decided… for both of them. And what about her? She has no right to vote. She is stuck in a position where she still needs to smile and portray an elegant woman, but she has no power. Nothing. Gabriel reduced her to nothing.


    Victoria was forced to attend Long family functions while standing by Gabriel''s side and smiling with the knowledge that none of the eyes are on her. Everyone was looking at Stephen and Bridgette, the two nobodies who didn''t even associate themselves with the Long family until recently.


    She didn''t see theming for the top, many of the people in the family didn''t. While trying to figure out how Steve moved from nothing to a frontrunner, Victoria found out that several elders support him passionately, some elders fear him, and most of them turned how the wind blows.


    Victoria never found out how Steve managed toe in from the backdoor and take over, but there he is, at the top, with Bridgette by his side while she is forced to look at them from below, like othermoners.


    Victoria was drifting between fury and desperation, and then she got an untraceable message: "Do you want your position in the Long family back?"


    Victoria thought that it''s a joke, but the next day another message arrived: "Do you want Steve to lose his support?"


    Victoria told herself not to bother. It''s a trap, anyway.


    Message after message arrived, until one day she received: "This is thest time I''m contacting you. Do you want your husband to regain his position? If yes,e to…"


    That is how Victoria found herself here. The mystery person told her toe to this nightclub, to a VIP room so that she can find out more about how to reim what she lost, and Victoria is hesitating while weighing her options.


    If she goes inside, and it''s a trap, she might lose her position. She might lose her life. Or maybe not. Gabriel would do anything to protect her. Victoria''s second option is to drive back home and to be content with mediocrity. After experiencing the glory of the main Madam of the Long family, how can she ept the second ce? Every time she sees Bridgette, Victoria feels like ripping her head off. And they even have a child! For Victoria, returning to that home is worse than death… She turned off the engine of her car and walked out. She decided.


    ---


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