However, she had no problem slapping Zera, the woman who ruined Aella’s marriage.
Late at night, a silver sports car rolled to a stop in a street-side parking space.
As casual as ever, Brad stepped out, only to find Raine blocking his path. “Take me to Zera,” Raine demanded.
Brad widened his narrow eyes in disbelief. “Are you kidding me? How am I supposed to know where that woman lives?”
Raine didn’t buy it.
Tyrone she couldn’t touch, but Brad? She could handle him. She marched into the middle of the street.
“If a car hits me,” she shouted, “I’ll tell my parents you pushed me!”
Brad dropped to his knees dramatically, grabbing her legs. “Fine! I’ll take you.”
Meanwhile, at Zera’s place, she had her maid call Tyrone several times. He never came.
Just as she was about to text him, the doorbell rang.
A smile spread across Zera’s face. She asked the maid to go back to her room and stay put.
After fixing her makeup in the mirror, she went to open the door.
She froze when she saw Raine and Brad standing there.
Zera caught the fury in Raine’s eyes, and her smile disappeared.
After a moment of hesitation, she politely stepped aside. “Ms. Winter, what brings you here?”
Raine bent down and picked up a pair of men’s slippers by the entryway.
She glanced at the size. They were Tyrone’s.
The anger she had been holding back flared again.
She tossed the slippers to the floor with a sharp thud. “So this is the golden cage Tyrone built for you?” she sneered.
Zera quickly shook her head. “Ms. Winter, you’ve got it wrong. Tyrone and I are over.”
Raine’s heels clicked against the floor as she closed the distance. Without warning, she yanked one of Zera’s earrings off.
Zera gasped in pain, covering her ear as she stumbled back.
Raine pointed at the earrings. “Those are the new collection of Dior-worth tens of thousands. Ms. Caldwell, did you buy them with your money, or did Tyrone buy them for you?”
Zera told the truth. “Tyrone gave them to me.”
Raine grabbed Zera by the hair and dragged her close. “And that’s your ‘past’ with him?”
Zera scrambled to explain, “Ms. Winter, it’s not what you think. You’ve got the wrong idea.”
Raine’s face was full of disgust. “Zera, don’t you know Tyrone is married? He has a wife. You keep calling and texting him at midnight-what are you trying to do?”
Zera’s eyes flicked away. She hurried on, “Ms. Winter, men and women can be friends. Please don’t assume the worst.”
Raine ground her teeth. “Friends don’t text a married man all night. If you’re short on men, just say so. I could find you a few in a minute.”
She shoved Brad in front of Zera.
Brad raised his hands. “Hey!”
Raine sneered, “One of the high society in Vleka, Brad is rich, good-looking, and ripped. If one man can’t satisfy you, I can hire a group of gigolos to keep you happy. I’ll make sure you thoroughly have your fun.”
Brad said, “I don’t want a divorcee.”
Zera’s face went pale, and she felt wronged. Tears pooled at the corners of her eyes.
She forcibly explained herself, “Ms. Winter, I don’t know what I did to offend you. Please be merciful. There’s really nothing between Tyrone and me.”
Brad pulled Raine back a few steps. “Raine, she’ll cast a spell on Tyrone-watch out,” he warned.
Raine shoved him off and pointed at Zera. “Don’t flatter yourself, bitch! Tyrone is realistic-he won’t lower his standards. You don’t come from a good family and lack any real skills. With just your looks, nobody in Tyrone’s circle is willing to pay to sleep with you.”
Zera bit her lip, her face pallid.
She hadn’t expected that it wouldn’t be the wife that confronted her, but Tyrone’s sister.
Regardless, she couldn’t fight back.
Raine stepped closer and spoke each word slowly. “If you plan to sleep your way up and use your body to climb the social ladder, find some other man. My brother is off-limits.”
She added, “You couldn’t marry my brother six years ago. Come back with a child now, and it still wouldn’t make a difference.”
The startled housemaid, who wasn’t aware of the whole situation, stepped forward to shield Zera. “Why would you speak so harshly? Mr. Winter cares about Ms. Caldwell. If Mr. Winter finds out, he will kick you two out of the Vleka.”
Brad rubbed his forehead.
“Unbelievable. Witch! You’re actually more arrogant than me!”
Raine lifted her hand and slapped Zera. Not once, but twice.
The middle-aged maid hurried over, holding Zera as she stumbled backward.
Raine scanned the living room, her eyes landing back on Zera. “Since you’re spending Tyrone’s money. That means half of everything here belongs to my sister-in-law. If I help her take back her share, that’s only fair.”
Zera pressed a hand to her burning cheek and backed against the wall. “Ms. Winter, do whatever you want.”
Raine started smashing things. Anything in sight, she destroyed without hesitation.
Brad noticed Zera trying to record with her phone and stepped in. “Ms. Caldwell, sneaking around and stabbed someone in the back isn’t right.”
Zera quickly shut it off. “Mr. Keller, I was just scared. I didn’t mean anything by recording that video.”
When Raine turned toward Zera’s bedroom, Zera rushed to block her.
Raine shoved her aside and hurled a heavy metal hourglass straight at the crystal chandelier.
Glass shattered with a sharp crash.
Brad pulled Raine out of the way. Zera screamed, cut by flying shards, and collapsed onto the floor.
The maid screamed in panic and grabbed her phone to call the police.
Brad realized how serious things had become. He quickly sent a message to Tyrone.
After a moment of hesitation, he also sent one to Aella.
…
Late that night, Aella couldn’t hold herself together anymore.
The man she had loved since childhood-the husband she had chased for so many years-had looked her in the eye when she was ready to end her life. He told her calmly that if she died, it wouldn’t affect him at all.
She lay on the bed, lifeless, for what felt like forever.
Then she thought about her parents. Her younger brother.
Shaking, she pushed herself up and swallowed more than ten milligrams of melatonin.
She turned off her phone, crawled back into bed, and wished for a good sleep.
Aella wanted to block out the storm of feelings that was eating her alive. She just wanted one night of peace.
When her family was in her prime, she saw only Tyrone.
When they lost everything, she still saw only Tyrone.
Now, she was broken into pieces; all she could think about was still him.
She hated herself for it.
And she was exhausted.
The next morning, her body clock woke her on time. Aella washed her face, brushed her teeth, and put on light makeup. She dressed neatly, looking as if nothing had happened.
She didn’t have the luxury to nurse her wounds. Even if she could barely stand, she had to stand tall.
Aella was no longer 17. Not the same little girl that would follow Tyrone around, begging him to buy her a hair tie.
She was no longer that girl who wore her heart on her sleeve, waiting by the door every night for him to come home.
From now on, she was herself.
Yesterday, Samuel told her a special patient would arrive today. Aella needed to be at her very best.
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