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Chapter 3 - I must have my Revenge

I was finally pushed out of the hospital room. The doctor said my father needed to rest. I was extremely tired too. Lisa, my trusty assistant was waiting for me outside the hospital room. She looked at me solemnly before she approached.

"Miss Cleo, please permit me to read out your schedule for today. I know you wanted me to cancel everything, but I don’t want you to miss out on anything."

I gave her a nod.

I listened, realizing events were unfolding exactly as they had back then.

I had a board meeting in the morning which I had to attend in place of my father, a dress fitting in the afternoon, and dinner with one of the most sought-after bakers in the country.

I remembered vividly doing all these things a little over three months ago. I remembered every one of them.

Then, the strange realization hit me—I was reliving the day. Memories of my fiancé and his alleged stepsister's betrayal flooded back.

How they had been sleeping together at his beach house, how he had put a gun to my head and threatened to kill me. How they had laid their plans out for me and how they callously watched me struggle.

A determination sparked within me. "Lisa, change of plans. Cancel my dress fitting."

"Tell them to postpone the board meeting, I will not be in attendance."

She nodded, a hint of concern in her eyes. "Are you sure, Miss Cleo?"

I smiled a steely resolve in my gaze. "Yes. I have somewhere to be this morning. Also, cancel the meeting with the baker. I don't want to see him anymore."

"Miss Cleo you've been asking for an appointment with him for weeks now! It was very hard to get him to meet with you..."

She started and I shrugged.

"I don't care."

I said as I finally turned to look at her. Lisa looked very confused. Her small face crumpled, she looked concerned too.

"This is unlike you, Miss Cleo. Are you sure that everything is alright with you?”

I could see the concern etched in Lisa's features. She genuinely cared about me; she was genuinely bothered about me.

But I had nothing to tell her.

The Cleo she was looking at was not the same as before.

The woman she was looking at had changed. That soft and warm woman that used to radiate so much light and happiness was gone, was replaced by a wraith.

My fiancé had tried to kill me. I didn't think I loved someone as much as I loved Michael and he had betrayed me.

That happy girl was gone.

I turned to Lisa; my face emotionless.

“Also, put a call through to Michael Pritchett. Tell him I'd like to see him this morning."

"Your fiancé?"

"Yes."

.........

Barely an hour later, I had dressed and composed myself when a staff informed me that Michael had arrived and was waiting for me downstairs. I couldn't help but replay his betrayal in my head. Everything was still fresh in my head. How would I confront him?

He had connived to kill me. He had connived to take away everything I had. I wondered why he wanted to do that. If he had asked me for everything I had I would have given it all to him on a platter of gold. I was ready to give him all of me, why was the company an exception?

If he had simply asked, I would have given it to him.

I wanted to surrender everything I owned to him.

Michael was on a call, his back to me as I approached. He looked just as I remembered him: tall, dark blond with deep blue eyes and a slim build. He was a handsome man from a respectable family, but unfortunately, they had lost their fortune early on. The Prichetts, once old money, had slowly gone bankrupt after rumors spread that their former CEO had mismanaged the funds. Now, all they had left was their name.

I had met Michael at a party two years prior. I had thought he was handsome and hadn't expected him to approach me, but he did. I was different from the other girls; I was bigger than most, while they were slim and beautiful, fortunate enough to fit into a size six dress, I was lucky to find high-end dresses in a size sixteen. I had buried myself in baggy clothes and long frocks. I wasn't the typical supermodel type he had dated in the past, but he had confessed his love for me on the spot.

Reflecting on it now, things had moved quickly, but I had thought it was because he was in love with me and couldn't wait to marry me. My father had warned me countless times to be careful with him. My father really didn't like him, and even though he had given him a job at the company at my insistence, he had never agreed to my suggestions of giving Michael a more managerial position.

After my father's death, I considered nominating Michael as the new CEO of the company since the tenure of the former CEO was nearing its end. I hadn't heeded any of my father's warnings. I had thought Michael was the best candidate for the job.

Blinded by love, I hadn't even entertained the possibility that he might have been using me for my wealth.

I must have been so naive and foolish.

I was an easy catch for him. Desperate for love, I would have done anything for this man. I gave him everything he wanted, even put him on an allowance, paying him out of my own funds.

The suit he was wearing was one I had given him, part of the items I had bought to upgrade his wardrobe.

The Rolex on his wrist was my engagement gift to him.

And I had been foolish enough to also pay for half of my engagement ring when he suggested it.

I was planning to nominate him as CEO. It was going to be my wedding gift to him, a sign that I trusted him enough to run my family's company.

God, I had been so foolish.

Michael turned to me, and the smile on his face felt like a stab to my heart.

It was difficult to look at him, recalling all that had happened. Remembering that in a few months, he would be in bed with Selena, and she would be moaning his name.

Selena had mentioned they had been together for six years, which meant he had never really left her; he had pursued me while she remained hidden in the background. All the while, I had believed he was as virtuous as I was, but in reality, he had been with her, spending his nights with her.

"Baby! What's up?" he greeted, moving forward to give me a peck on the lips.

I slowly pulled away.

"I thought we had agreed not to see each other before the wedding," I said, my tone even.

He glanced at his phone, looking distracted as usual.

"I'm heading to the beach house to take a little break before the wedding, just to clear my head," he murmured.

"Is it important? I have to leave soon," he added.

The beach house.

Yes, that was where I had caught him with Selena, the beach house that I had bought for him with my own money.

Damn it!

He knew I was uncomfortable around the ocean, so it had been the perfect hideout. The ideal place for him to retreat with Selena and have all the fun in the world.

I rarely visited the beach house. On the few occasions I did, I always called or informed him beforehand. That time had been different; I had been so excited to tell him about the CEO position that I couldn't wait until our wedding day. So I had rushed off to tell him without calling.

"And where will Selena be?" I asked, deliberately ignoring his question. He looked up, confusion etched across his features.

He shrugged.

"I don't know. Do you want to see her?"

"No, I'm just asking. Haven't seen her in a while."

"Is everything okay with you?" Michael asked, finally looking at me properly, and I shrugged.

"Just tired. I'll be home resting," I said as I turned to leave.

"Okay then. Well, I have to go now," he pressed. I nodded and began to walk away.

"Won't you give me a kiss before I leave?" he asked, and I turned around, managing a smile.

"I'm too tired. I need to rest."

He ignored my words and came over, planting a kiss on my lips. I remained frozen in place until he left.

He didn't suspect a thing was wrong.

He didn't seem to care.

Gods.

As he departed, I called for Lisa, who was waiting in the other room for my instructions.

"Follow him," I instructed.

Lisa's eyes widened in shock.

"What?!"

"Follow him discreetly. If he finds out you're following him, you're fired. Follow him and send me pictures of whoever he's with," I commanded.

Lisa nodded, a meek affirmation.

"Yes, ma'am."

.........

An hour later, Lisa called me.

"Yes?" I answered.

"Miss Cleo, you told me to watch your fiancé," Lisa said, out of breath.

"I did. What did you find?" I pressed.

Lisa mumbled incoherently into the phone.

"Lisa, talk to me," I demanded, and she finally let out a sigh.

"I saw Mr. Michael with his stepsister, Selena."

"And?" I prodded.

"I'm sending you the photos I took now," Lisa said with another sigh.

I heard the beep of my phone and checked it. Lisa had sent over some photos.

They were taken right in front of the beach house. Selena and Michael had not even bothered to be discreet.

They were kissing in front of the beach house. My heart shattered all over again.

And then, the memory of their betrayal engulfed me once more.

Revenge.

That was the only thing on my mind.

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