If it hadn't been for love.

The story of Miss Alexandra Queen's Empire

The young reporter walked in she couldn't have been no more than 24, 26 at the most. She was a fresh one just out of school still starry eyed and hopeful. She probably knew about love but did she really know what it could turn into. How love could really carry a person to places they never thought possible. She knew what this young lady had come to her for to ask for her life story. How she had created her empire and amassed such a fortune. She wanted to know what drove her along this path. Well she was going to get her story the only person who would ever get her secret to success. But the question was would she understand the secret.. Miss Queen watched the young reporter sit down across the table from her. She took out a pen and paper and a tape recorder. The young lady was thorough she wanted to make sure she didn't miss a thing not one little detail of the story she was about to get. Well hopefully she is ready to listen.

“Miss Alexandra Queen, I must thank you for allowing me to interview you. This is a real opportunity since you never let anyone interview you.” the reporter said.

“no problem at all deary as you can tell I don't have much time left on this earth and I thought why not give my story to someone cause when I die all that is up here is all gone” Miss Queen said placing a finger to her temple.

The reporter nodded in agreement her eyes shone with interest. as she readied her pen and turned on her tape recorder.

“i guess the best place to begin is back in my beginnings of college when I was only 18 at the time” Miss queen said looking out the window as she thought back to her childhood.

At that age I thought I knew what love was. I thought I knew everything much like every kid did around my age. Nobody could tell me anything or pull one over on me I knew the tricks and I knew everything. I was stupid. Plain and simple. It was a guy I got to know through a long distance relationship. I didn't care about what others said I was in love or at least what I thought was love. It could have been but I’m not sure. We would talk every night and he could be so sweet. We decided that I would move to the small town where he came from. I was excited to go and leave what I knew behind me. I made my plans to go during the summer since I didn't plan on attending the summer semester I knew I could enroll at a school there. Honestly that was my only bright idea. Cause no matter what I knew I couldn't get anywhere without school.

So the spring semester came to a close I said my goodbyes and took one last look around the town I grew up in. then I left to start somewhere new. I rode that greyhound and it was all romanticized it was the chariot that was carrying me to the grand ball that when I arrived I would meet my prince charming and we would live that fairy tale life. Well I got there and we met I had seen his picture many times but now he was right in front of me close enough to touch and feel. We held each other for the first time I could feel the passion and I was happy. This wasn't my first relationship but this one didn't seem like my previous ones this one I felt a stronger connection than I did to the other ones. I got to meet his family they were a nice enough bunch. And soon it began to get real. It had to have been a at least 5-6 months before it got to lowest point. I wouldn't tell him how I felt cause I felt he didn't care. But who could blame me when he never was around that much. He liked to hang out with his friends I could be there too but I might as well have been alone with the way I felt. My fairy tale was shattering before my eyes. Soon after that it shattered and we broke up. At first I was depressed and didn't think straight I wanted him back for the longest time. I thought about ways I could get him to care about me again. I did some crazy things but soon I realized that I couldn't have him back. That’s when I got mad. Mad at him for how he played with my feelings. Mad at myself for being so stupid and coming all this way. I can't say I went to the best place I felt useless and incapable of being loved. But I never would let anyone see that. I was at least smart enough to hide my tears.

All anyone saw was confidence and and anger until that one night where I made my second mistake. A friend of my now ex and talked we had gotten to know each other a bit meaning I blew him a couple of times. Well he called one day and my ex answered I loved the look on his face when his friend wanted to talk to me and not to him. I picked up the phone and said hello I can still remember the conversation.

“Hey Alex wanna go out to eat just me and you?” he asked

“sure why not it's not like there’s much reason for me to be here” I said.

It was just that simple I did some dishes like I had promised to do for one of the others that lived in the house. I prettied myself up my nice black jeans that accentuated my shape a slightly tight shirt that showed my cleavage just enough. He came over and we walked up to the restaurant the same restaurant me and my ex had previously gone to. We had a nice time we talked laugh and ate. He soon revealed the real reason he asked me out. He wanted to know if I was okay. He wanted to see how I was holding up. I felt like he genuinely cared which of course led me to my next mistake that mistake I made behind the restaurant I let him inside me that night.

After that we walked back I felt a bit better about myself I felt pretty and loved. We got back and there was alcohol which always leads to a mistake and for a surprise it actually helped this time. We drank and I got happier so I drank more. It was a fun time I laughed and had fun with my ex's family. It soon got to the point where I was drunk enough to know I am drunk. Me and my ex's friend went off alone for a bit he gave me his jacket and I gave him a blow job. We walked back inside but now this alcohol made me realize I was just used for rebound sex. Which instantly brought me down and led to feel so alone that I waited till he had gone to sleep and burst into tears. And who of course comes to check on me the person who broke my heart previously. I cried harder now this person who I never wanted to see how much had hurt me could see me sobbing on the floor completely smashed and at my lowest point. Then I made my next mistake. My ex got a blow job. That was the last thing I remember. When I woke up that morning I couldn't look him in the eye I was relieved that he was gracious enough to just leave that in the past.

It soon came to 7 months there and my way out was there. I boarded my chariot to leave like I was Cinderella leaving the ball before midnight before she turned back into a pumpkin. Except I had turned back into a pumpkin a long time ago and there was no prince coming after me in the morning. I did however keep the jacket as a reminder of my mistakes. If it hadn't been for love I wouldn't have gone that far for someone. I wouldn't have the scars on my heart. Soon I returned to my city. I walked around and notified all that I knew that I was back. I figured I knew what love was now. And resigned myself to never make that mistake again. I got back to my normal life as normal as it could be now that I knew something knew. If it hadn't been for love I would never knew what heartbreak was. I wouldn't know what loneliness was and I wouldn't know how big a hole someone can rip into your heart.

My life went on I was depressed and mopey all the time I cried a lot only when I was alone any one else would have assumed that I was over him and never gave him a second thought. I got back into school. And decided that I would throw myself into school. With new vigor I breezed through my classes passing them like they were nothing I let my loneliness be a driving force. Getting A's and being recognized as smart would fill that hole that love left. I continued that all the way through my education never needing anyone but my textbooks my friends. Men became nothing more to me than a way to release frustration when I wanted sex other than that some were friends but I didn't need them I had my high G.P.A that was a love that could only go down if I let it.

Soon I realized I had gotten a bachelors 4 years of school no dates, no men unless I wanted sex. It all came to me out of my loneliness. If it hadn't been for love I wouldn't have had the drive to excel the way I did. I would have let other guys distract me from what was really important. My life continued on I had a small job that I worked at through college. I was taking them over little by little buying up their stock by time they realized what I did it was too late I was in charge. I was now the owner of a business and under my rule I would make my name known.

My business sprang up and grew and then one day I met him. He was a fast talker and he was slick. But I though I was slicker. We dated off and on. He acted as if I was in control of the relationship but I was just playing into his plan. We soon dated seriously and it soon led to marriage. Again I thought I knew everything now at my 28 years of life again I was wrong. I new a lot but there were things I didn't know still. The marriage lasted awhile I was in love again. Now I knew this was love but what I didn't know was that he was siphoning money. I always kept a close look at my books preferring to do my accounting on my own with someone to check my work. Well one day I noticed a portion gone and apparently this portion had been gone each month. I had my people check it out for me and I was informed of the source. Needless to say how I reacted to the news. I felt betrayed and used but most of all so very pissed. How dare he I thought to myself over and over again. I thought to myself about how to fix this I could just divorce him but he would get half my shit. So I decided I was gonna make sure I was the only one collecting. I acted like I still didn't know and it was surprisingly easy to act as if I was still oblivious to what he was doing. I hired a private eye to see if he was doing anything else I wasn't surprised to find he was cheating on me as well.

50 years together and this man had been stealing a small amount that could easily be over looked or just not paid attention too. He was a slick one all right but I would need to be slicker. I found the girl he was cheating with and hired her as my secretary. I loved the look on his face when she strutted into the house to drop off some papers and I gave him that I know what you been doing look. He stuck around still acting as if he didn't know what was going on. How much I loved to watch him squirm. It soon got to December. I sent all the staff home for the holidays it was just me and him. It was a stormy night he was sitting in his chair watching his game he never saw me coming he never heard it. All he heard was me say was I got something for you and when he turned around, I pulled the trigger. It was all done he slumped over he was only going to be collecting what awaited him in heaven or hell. I went to the front door and shot the lock from the outside. Leaving the door ajar I tossed the gun into the lake behind my estate. And went to the upstairs room and called the police.

I put on my best tearful performance of someone had come in and murdered my husband. Thinking it was me. Luckily there had been other companies in competition with me who had tried to have me meet with some unfortunate accident. The police were well aware of this fact so suspicion would well be thrown off of me. He had his own insurance policy that he had taken out on himself long before we met. When the cops came they checked my house all over and the whole story was put into the news I played my part till the end being the grieving widow and the queen of the business world my sales had skyrocketed even more with this. The case soon went cold and they left it as unsolved I was 82 when they closed it. I had already collected back all that he stole from me giving his life insurance to his family. Since I didn't need it at all. I was already rich and would be fine for the rest of my life. But I at least know now If it hadn't been for love I never would have loaded up a .44 and gotten rid of him. There were a lot of things I have done in my life and all those things came up as a result of love. In the end my secret was love. If it hadn't been for love I wouldn't have gotten to where I am now.

Miss Queen looked at the young reporter who had a look of shock on her face. She could never believe what she had just heard. This would make for a great story and she knew running this would skyrocket her to the top and give her fame cause she would have also gotten the story of someone who had gotten away with murder.

“Now young lady go ahead and run your story without any worries I plan on turning myself in anyways. I've led a good life now it's time to pay for what I did all those years ago.” she said standing up slowly and crossing the room to the phone.

Miss Queen dialed the police and told them who killed the late James Woods and where she could be found. It wasn't soon long after that the police showed up and took Miss Queen away in handcuffs. That was the last anyone heard of her until her last day on earth when she gave her final statement.

“ If it hadn't been for love I wouldn't have gotten where I am now. I wouldn't have been so determined to succeed in this cruel world. I would never have pulled the trigger. But at least I know he's lying still and in these four cold walls lord have mercy on my soul. Love took me to some great place and the results of love took me even further. If it hadn't been for love none of this would have ever been possible.”

That was the last thing Miss Queen ever said. She was now gone but never forgotten the legacy she had built as the Queen of business and the Queen of hearts. Her valentines card company continued to thrive headed by the board of directors they kept all her business practices having only women at the top branches and each year sending 100 young girls to school for business. She would forever be remembered as the woman who could have ruled the world if it hadn't been for love.