Chapter 1 - The Heat of Betrayal
The sun beat down on the garden,
and the silence that followed the music's end was deafening.
I stood by the gate,
my silver suitcase a silent witness to the carnage of my marriage.
Spencer looked at me,
his eyes darting between his sweating guests and the dark windows of the mansion.
The crystal chandeliers,
once glittering with promise,
now hung like cold ice from the tent’s ceiling.
"Laura,
turn it back on,"
he hissed,
stepping over a pile of wilted lilies.
"You’re embarrassing me in front of the Senator,
and Penelope’s father is watching."
I leaned against the iron bars,
feeling the heat of the metal against my palm.
"I didn't turn anything off,
Spencer,"
I replied calmly,
watching a bead of sweat roll down his temple.
"I simply stopped paying for a life you can no longer afford."
Evelyn,
my mother-in-law,
pushed through the crowd of confused socialites.
Her burgundy gown was soaked at the armpits,
and her face was a mask of fury.
"You bitter,
barren woman,"
she spat,
her gold bracelets clinking as she shook her fist.
"You think a few utility bills will stop this wedding?"
"This house is ours,
and my son is the CEO of a multi-million dollar empire!"
I smiled,
a cold,
calculated curve of the lips.
"Is he?"
I asked,
tilting my head.
The guests began to murmur,
their voices rising like a swarm of angry bees.
The smell of the seafood platter began to turn,
wafting through the humid Florida air.
Penelope,
the bride,
emerged from the house.
Her expensive silk dress was clinging to her skin,
and her perfect curls were beginning to frizz.
"Spencer,
the toilets won't flush,"
she wailed,
not caring who heard.
"The makeup artist says it’s too hot to finish my face!"
I looked at the woman who was supposed to be a "real woman."
She was young,
yes,
but she looked like a child caught in a storm.
"The backup generator is gone,
Spencer,"
I said,
ignoring her.
"The water rights belong to Apex Holdings."
"The security guards you see leaving are my employees."
"And since you decided to marry a 'real woman' today,"
"you can certainly figure out how to provide her with a 'real' house."
Spencer’s face turned a shade of grey that matched the gravel path.
"What do you mean,
Apex Holdings?"
he whispered,
his voice trembling.
"I mean that every contract you ever signed,"
"every loan you ever took to keep your ego afloat,"
"was approved by me."
I turned away from the gate,
waving to the taxi driver who had waited.
"Enjoy your wedding,
Spencer."
"The champagne should be warm enough to drink by now."
As I got into the car,
I heard the first guest scream that the lobsters were crawling with flies.
The gates remained shut,
but the empire inside was already beginning to burn.
I pulled out my phone,
my thumb hovering over the next phase of the plan.
"Mr. Miller,"
I said into the receiver.
"Start the foreclosure process."
"I want them out by Friday."
The car pulled away,
leaving the sounds of a dying celebration behind.
I didn't look back,
not even once,
to see the man I had loved for eight years.
He was a ghost now,
and I was the one haunting him.
The road ahead was clear,
and for the first time in a decade,
I could breathe.
May you like
The revenge had only just started,
and it felt more refreshing than any ocean breeze.
