Chapter 5%
By the time I got home, Aunt Hannah and Alison were laughing it up in the living room, surrounded by gifts and flowers. My cousin was beaming, holding up a mirror and admiring the glittering diamond necklace around her neck.N
The second they saw me, Aunt Hannah toned down her grin a notch.
“Look, I know this is hard for you–Soren choosing Alison over you and all–but think about the upside. Once they’re married, you’ll be invited to all those glamorous parties and charity galas. Who knows? Maybe Soren will introduce you to some of his wealthy friends and one of them might actually like you. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
“Don’t give her false hope, Mom,” Alison cut in with a disgusted sneer. “She’s plain, uptight and has zero charm. No rich guy’s ever gonna go for someone like that.”
Aunt Hannah shot Alison a warning look and pinched her discreetly, then turned to me with a fake sympathetic smile. “Fran, I understand how you feel. It’s perfectly normal to be upset. But love isn’t always fair. There’s no such thing as who met who first. Just because it didn’t work out with Soren doesn’t mean there isn’t someone better waiting for you.“N
She shifted to face towards me and added, “You’ve always been such a bright, capable girl. I raised you for six years and I know you’ll land on your feet. I believe in you.”
Alison opened her mouth to say something snide, but shut it the moment she caught her mother’s sharp glance.
“Thank you, Aunt Hannah,” I said with a calm smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “It must take everything in you to spit out those sweet little lies. But I didn’t come here for your pity.“M
I took a breath, steady and final. “I’m moving out tomorrow. Consider it my way of repaying six years of shelter and secondhand affection. As for Soren? He’s all yours, Alison. A sleazy bastard and a desperate social climber? Sounds like a match made in hell.”
Alison shot up from her chair like she’d been electrocuted, her voice slicing through the room like a banshee’s shriek. “You little bitch- how dare you talk to me like that? You got dumped and now you’re lashing out at me? Pathetic. If I were you, I’d just jump off a damn bridge and save everyone the embarrassment!”
Before she could say another word, Aunt Hannah slapped a hand over her mouth. But when her eyes met mine, the warmth had vanished. They were cold now–calculating, dangerous.
“You really think your debt is paid just by walking out of this house?” Her voice dropped low, deadly. “Raising you wasn’t easy, Fran. “You can leave, Fran, but not before you do one last thing for me. For Alison.”
There it was. The real reason behind her crocodile tears. “I want you to perform the surgery on Alison,” she said, her tone now deceptively gentle. “Make sure she comes out of it as the perfect, untarnished woman.”
I let out a slow, cold laugh. In my last life, Alison had listened to me and skipped the procedure, only to be publicly humiliated by Soren when he broke off the engagement. This time? She wasn’t going to be so lucky.
I thought back to what I’d seen at the hospital. The sight had sparked a dark satisfaction in me.
“Fine,” I said coolly. “But on one condition. Once the surgery’s done, we’re finished. I want my name off your family registry. After this, you and Alison are nothing to me.“}
Aunt Hannah hesitated for a moment–but then she exhaled and gave a small
Alison gave me a mocking little smile, the corners of her mouth twitching with me, but you’re just as stupid as ever. I was going to help you get into high gutter.”
Seal.”
smug contempt. “You always thought you were better than Society after I married Soren. I guess you’d rather stay in the
I smirked. “You keep that fortune all to yourself. But… if you’re really feeling generous, maybe throw your mom a bone too. She’s still got that seductive sparkle–surely some rich old geezer out there’s just dying to be scammed.“}
My jab was meant to sting, but to them, it sounded like praise.
Aunt Hannah actually looked thoughtful, probably imagining herself on the arm of some wealthy retiree. In this new city, her scandalous past was a well–buried secret. If she could land another rich man, she’d be living the dream.
I didn’t bother saying anything else. Let them keep dreaming. I turned and walked back to my room, shutting the door behind me. The first step of my revenge had officially begun.
That night, I sent a string of carefully crafted messages to my ex–boyfriend, Owen. I told him about my heartbreak, about how much I missed our time together.
Predictably, he took the bait.
Owen started texting back, full of tender words and false concern. He had no idea I knew about his little fling with Alison. He even had the audacity to say he’d been waiting for me all this time–that he wanted to get back together.
I played the role of the wounded girl, hesitant and fragile. Said I needed time to think. He took it as hope.N
Soon, he was going out of his way to win me back. He started driving me to and from work every day, sending me flowers on weekends, offering to cook dinner and take care of me. Compared to Soren, his family background wasn’t impressive–but he had that boy–next–door charm the kind of hot that made girls dumb. No wonder Alison had once secretly hooked up with him.
And when she saw him chasing me again, she cracked. She started creeping back into his DMs, dressing up for accidental run–ins, trying to tempt him back. At first, Owen brushed her off, still too busy pretending to win me back. But I didn’t make it easy for him–I dropped little hints, flirted just enough to drive him crazy, then pulled away.
He wasn’t even allowed to hold my hand and after all the kinky stuff he’d done with my cousin? There was no way he could resist the temptation for long. Temptation worked fast.
