Rebecca’s POV
Just as Natasha turned the laptop screen toward me, I stared at Gabriel’s bank information. Everything inside me screamed to make him learn this lesson—instantly.
“Find an orphanage, empty the bank account, and let’s move on to the next one,” I said to Natasha, my voice calm but laced with resolve. She nodded without hesitation, her fingers poised over the keyboard.
Emptying Gabriel’s bank account was, of course, one of the easiest things for Natasha to do. With just a hit of a button, his account would be wiped clean, and the transfer history would vanish as if it never existed.
He’d go crazy—furious—at the realization that, suddenly, his millions were gone.
I smirked at the thought, my pulse quickening with satisfaction. Finally, I gave the second order to Natasha. “Do it now.”
However, Natasha hesitated. “Uh... Rebecca, I think Gabriel is calling me, but the call isn’t connecting. I blocked him, remember?”
She held up her phone, showing me the screen. There it was, a missed call notification at the top. Gabriel’s name flashing—trying to reach out, but blocked. He was trying. Desperately.
I couldn’t stop the small smile from creeping onto my face. Unless I was a fool, I knew why Gabriel was calling Natasha. He had no other way to reach me.
I had changed my number, making myself utterly inaccessible. I’d deactivated my F******k and I*******m, and though it would take seven days to permanently delete the accounts, he could no longer send me messages or stalk my social media.
Gabriel knew Natasha was my friend, the only person who might have access to me. Of course, he saw the news. He had to know I was now the president of Valentine Conglomerate. And now, like clockwork, he wanted me back.
“Unblock him, Natasha. Let’s hear what the cheating dog has to say,” I ordered, my voice cool, detached.
Natasha pressed a few buttons on her phone, and as if Gabriel had been waiting the whole time, his call came through instantly.
“Hello, Natasha.” His voice—deep, familiar, once so intoxicating—filled the room. I felt a flicker of something, but it vanished just as quickly. There was a time when his voice would make my heart race, when I would’ve melted at just the sound of it. But now? Now, I hated it. I hated the forced accent, the false charm. I saw through him, through every word he spoke.
“What?” Natasha answered coldly, her tone conveying just how little time she had for him. It was clear she found his call an annoyance, something to get through as quickly as possible.
I imagined the effect it would have on Gabriel. And I wasn’t wrong. He rushed his words, the desperation in his voice seeping through.
“I know I messed up, Natasha. Really, I do. I’m sorry. I’ve been thinking about it nonstop. I just want to make things right with Rebecca. Please, just... just connect me with her. I’m begging you.”
Gabriel sounded so sincere. If I didn’t know better, I might have believed him. But I knew exactly what this was—an opportunist's plea. He wasn’t sorry for what he did. He wasn’t sorry for breaking me, for shattering our marriage. He was only sorry because now, I was someone. I had power. I was the one holding the cards, and he couldn’t stand being on the outside.
How could anyone who had cheated on me in my face, divorced me the same day, and tried to kill me afterward be genuine? The thought of it made my skin crawl. He was as fake as the world he lived in. I could smell his desperation through the phone.
But teaching him an instant lesson would be too easy. No, Gabriel needed to suffer—slowly. He needed to learn the hard way that I was beyond him now, and he would never have me again. I wanted to crush him to the bone marrow until he regretted every second he had ever known me.
I smirked again, this time with satisfaction. Then I leaned toward Natasha, motioning for her to block the phone’s mouthpiece so Gabriel couldn’t hear us.
“I have another idea. Tell him you’ll text him a location. He should meet me there at 7 p.m. tomorrow.”
Natasha blinked, clearly confused. “Are you serious? We should be draining his bank accounts, not setting up meetings with him!”
I understood her concern. She thought I was wavering, that maybe Gabriel’s polished apology had gotten under my skin. But I had no intention of letting Gabriel back into my life.
“Relax, Natasha. There’s a new plan. We’ll make him pay slowly while he thinks he’s winning me back,” I replied, a slow smile creeping onto my face.
Natasha’s confusion morphed into understanding, and she mirrored my smirk. She was sharp; it didn’t take long for her to catch on.
"Listen, i’ll text you a location. You should be there at 7 p.m. tomorrow." Natasha said back to Gabriel on the phone and hence we both heard as the son of a bitch appreciated.
"Thank you so much Natasha. I promise, you won't regret this. I swear on my life. I will be there by..." Natasha did not allow him to finish talking before hanging up the call on him.
Without another word, Natasha opened a new window on her browser and began searching for the perfect restaurant for the meeting. Somewhere fancy, somewhere where I could show him how far I’d risen above him.
One thing was certain—I was going to show off in front of that bastard. He would know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I was out of his league now. He’d crave my acceptance, my forgiveness, but I’d keep him dangling, desperate, hoping.
And when he thought he had me? When he thought he could have his old life back?
That’s when I’d destroy him.
I’d toss him aside like the rag he once discarded me as. He wouldn’t see it coming, and it would hurt him even more than anything I could do to his money.
Gabriel’s POVI was already dressed for this meetup, but the anticipation gnawed at me. Ever since I received Natasha's text with the location, I couldn’t rest my mind.Indeed, I wronged Rebecca, but I had learned my lesson: not all that glitters is gold, and not all stones are worthless. Emmanuella was the gem I thought worth pursuing, but she turned out to be an empty barrel, unable to give anything of value. The only thing she knew how to do best was to demand for money and to sleep with me like a prostitute.If I could turn back the hands of time, I wouldn’t have betrayed Rebecca like that. It’s not too late to win her back, right?I wore a suit perfectly fitted for this day. My tie was one of the colors I knew Rebecca loved most—a perfect shade of blue. My Italian shoes were sharp and black, gleaming like coal.Checking myself out in the mirror, I knew I looked handsome. So handsome that I was confident if Rebecca set her eyes on me, she’d easily fall back for me. This was my chan
Rebecca’s POVAs I walked into the restaurant, I saw the way he looked at me, like he had seen his queen approaching. His eyes lit up, and I could feel his gaze linger, drinking in every detail as though I were something precious he’d lost and just found again. I could tell he loved what he saw. But if he thought I liked what I saw, he deceived himself.The man sitting across from me was nothing more than a shell of who I once knew. A man who killed my mother would never look good in my eyes, no matter how sharp his suit or how well he cleaned up.After taking my seat, I ordered wine, ignoring his lingering gaze. “You look beautiful, Rebecca,” he exclaimed, his voice hopeful, almost eager. He waited for a reaction, for any sign of warmth from me. But did I care? No. His words slid right off me like water off a stone. I remained cold, unfazed.“Have your seat, Mr. Moretti,” I said, gesturing for him to sit. His face betrayed a moment of shock. He expected me to melt at his compliment,
Emmanuella’s POVThere was always this saying, “A man whom you can steal can also be stolen from you.”I kept that saying in the back of my mind, knowing someday I’d have to tighten my heels and fight to keep my husband from being stolen the same way I stole him from his ex-wife.Gabriel was someone I loved since the very first day I set my eyes on him. The way he spoke, the way he dressed, how cute he looked—everything about him, down to his handsome pockets, made me fall for him. But there was one problem—he was married.How could I stand by and watch the only man I’d ever loved be with another woman?I've heard stories of some women who stole another woman's husband and they lived happily ever after. And I knew If I did this as well, definitely mine was not going to be any different. That’s why I decided to take what was mine by force. I applied for a job at his company as a secretary, and thankfully, I got hired.Once I started working there, I began wearing revealing clothes th
Rebecca’s POV“Rebecca, his wife is outside. She is staring at you now,” Natasha said through the earbud in my ear, prompting me to smile again. Though the smile appeared cute and harmless to Gabriel, it was, in fact, a smirk. It was the perfect moment to inflict pain on the woman who had taken my place, and I wanted her to feel three times the anguish I experienced when Gabriel betrayed me.Just then, I heard Natasha again. “One of his connections is just leaving a short distance away. We’ll talk more about that when you get here.” I waited to respond, ensuring Gabriel wouldn’t suspect anything. I coughed once to signal that I had heard her.Gabriel rushed to grab a bottle of water, believing my cough was genuine and that I needed it to calm myself. How foolish of him! But it was anyway an unplanned move to make his little wife even more jealous. I accepted the glass of water from him, smiling sweetly.As I took the glass, I brushed my fingers lightly against his, ensuring it was at a
Gabriel’s POV As Rebecca left, I couldn't believe my eyes at who entered the restaurant. "How did she know I was here?" I asked myself, my thoughts spinning, but before I could process any answers, she was already in my face, her eyes flashing with betrayal."How could you?" Emmanuella scowled, her voice trembling with anger and hurt."Emmanuella, what are you doing—" I started, trying to make sense of the situation, but she cut me off before I could even finish the sentence.She grabbed the glass of wine Rebecca had left behind and threw it right in my face, the cold liquid stinging my eyes. The shock hit me like a brick wall. But before I could react, Emmanuella picked up the bottle of water I’d given to Rebecca and dumped it over my head, drenching me completely.My breath hitched as the icy water trickled down my face, soaking my suit and turning heads all around the restaurant. Everyone – doormen, waiters, even the kitchen staff peeking out – watched in stunned silence as Emmanue
Emmanuella’s POVMany would call me mad. But I was not mad; I was just a woman ready to keep her man by any means necessary. The moment we left the restaurant and I chased after him home, I felt there was no longer any reason to create a scene. I mean, we were now home, and there was no Rebecca anywhere, right?I began to keep malice with him immediately. I needed him to come to me, to come on his knees, to beg me for forgiveness and promise me he wouldn’t be with her for any reason again.And just at that moment when he would do that, I’d take his phone from him, remove his SIM card—it wouldn’t even matter how many business contacts he had. I would be ready to break his SIM card into two halves and step on it while I personally got him a new line, ensuring he stayed away from that bitch called Rebecca.But he didn’t come to me. He didn’t say a word after I started keeping malice with him instantly.I went to our room, but he went to the visitor’s room instead. Is he mad?Not a trace
Gabriel’s POVI was still on the phone call with my lawyer when I heard Emmanuella tiptoeing quickly toward me. Instinctively, I knew this was going to be ugly, so I had already hung up the call with my lawyer. But I pretended to still be on the line, changing the words coming out of my mouth to something generic, anything to keep her from discovering what I was really talking about and to whom.Suddenly, she snatched the phone from my ear and smashed it to the ground. Her eyes darted dangerously at me, filled with a rage I had never seen before. It was as if she could hold a knife and wouldn’t hesitate to stab it right into my stomach.I had never seen this side of Emmanuella. I never even knew it existed. She was like a rabid dog, aggressive, disoriented, and with a brain tumor that made her no longer recognize her owner. Her fury was palpable, a living thing that filled the space between us.“Try me again, and it won’t be your phone I smash to the ground; it will be your face,” she
Rebecca’s POVPeople who bring unhappiness often don’t realize the depth of hurt they cause. Only the person suffering truly knows. And for me, the grief of my mother’s loss has yet to release its grip on my heart.It should have been a clear, blue-sky morning—a refreshing one, filled with a solemn breeze and all. But it wasn’t. My emotions, my heart, and my soul were drowning in grief.The night before, I dreamt about my mother. She appeared in my dream, smiling with her big heart and loving expression. She was a good mother. Even after all my disobedience and poor choices, she was there for me when I was at my lowest.I wish I had listened to her warnings. If only I hadn’t disobeyed and married that son of a bitch. Perhaps she would still be alive, and we’d be living peacefully and in good health. But he killed her, indirectly yet absolutely. And he thinks I could forgive him so easily?Last night, he sent me a text, and I could almost taste his desperation. For someone who tried to
Rebecca’s POVCassian was a man I met back in college. He was the top boy whom all the ladies on campus wanted back then—except me, because, of course, I was with Gabriel. He was fucking handsome, and girls flocked around him every now and then, wanting to be his girl. But how ironic—he didn’t want any of them. He only wanted me.We weren’t in the same department back then, but that didn’t stop him. He would come from his department, which was the Department of Project Management, just to watch us and stare at me from a distance. It was something I noticed often, but I never truly acknowledged it until he finally expressed his feelings for me.Back then, I loved Gabriel too much to even consider anyone else. When Cassian confessed, I told him I was with someone else and that it couldn’t work between us. And being a man who valued his self-respect, he backed off. He stopped talking to me ever since, merely waving from afar anytime we crossed paths.At first, I felt offended by his sudd
Rebecca’s POVIt’s been three months since Micah’s sentencing, yet the pain still feels fresh, as if the verdict was just announced yesterday. The weight of his absence lingers in my mind, a constant reminder of the ordeal.Michel has also been struggling with PTSD. Anytime she is in the kitchen and hears one of the male employees enter—whether to pick something up or deliver a message—she immediately tenses. Her first reaction is always to grab a knife, pointing it instinctively at whoever stands before her.No one blames her. We all understand that healing takes time. According to the doctor, this is the moment when she needs the most support, and I’m determined to be there for her every step of the way.Despite everything, life moves forward. This morning, I decided to arrive at my first lecture early, feeling a sense of renewal as I embarked on this next chapter.A month ago, I applied to further my studies. I realized that returning to school would not only help me heal but also
Micah’s POVWhen Attorney Langford was asked if he had evidence to support his claims, my heart raced even further.Attorney Langford was actually making a lot of sense, enough to prompt the judge into giving me a lesser punishment. But now that she had asked for evidence? I knew Attorney Langford was all mouth and no proof, yet he should have known that words alone wouldn’t work in court—especially not in the Supreme Court of Mandena.I turned to look at Attorney Langford. At the mention of providing evidence, sweat broke out on his forehead. He was clearly trapped. Across from him, Attorney David smirked, and when I passed my gaze toward Rebecca, she smirked too. But she wasn’t even looking at me.It was evident that Attorney Langford had walked straight into a dead end on this case.“Huh… humm…” he stammered, attempting to form a response regarding the evidence.Right there, I dropped my gaze to the floor inside the dock. My hands were trembling now. I could practically see myself
Judge Hilar’s POV“Who is representing the defendant?” Judge Lisa asked as she took her seat. Just then, the courtroom door barged open, and Attorney Victor Langford stepped in.Every attorney in the city knew who Langford was. He was an opportunist attorney, the kind who seized cases others wouldn’t touch. No one hired him because they believed he was too young and inexperienced to handle or win any case. So, he made himself available for any defendant who had no legal representation.If he won, he would demand his payment later. But unfortunately, he was a lawyer who kept proving the public right. He had never won a case since he was called to the bar.My heart froze the moment I saw him enter the courtroom. If by “defendant” attorney, it meant he was the one who would represent me too, then Micah and I were doomed. My pulse quickened at the thought.“My name is Victor Langford, representing the defendant.” I watched as Langford rose to his feet and bowed to the judge, introducing
**Micah’s POV** It didn’t matter how long I waited for the head of the community service to arrive so that I could complete my service for the day and ensure I wouldn’t land in trouble with the government—he never came. Hours passed, yet there was no sign of him. Frustration gnawed at me, but knowing full well that I couldn’t leave the house, I stayed put and waited until the next morning, hoping for clarity. Morning arrived faster than I had anticipated, the sun barely peeking over the horizon when a sudden, resounding knock echoed through my home. My heart froze. The forceful banging sent a chill down my spine, instantly reminding me of the letter I had received the day before. Yesterday had been the 18th. Today was the 19th—the day I was supposed to appear before the Supreme Court of Manderin. My pulse quickened as my mind scrambled for a solution. **"How do I..."****BAM! BAM! BAM!** Another heavy knock jolted me out of my thoughts. Without wasting another second, I rushed to
Micah’s POVThe moment I stepped out of the office, the court officials grabbed me immediately, escorting me straight to the van before tossing me inside.Just as they were about to close the door, I caught sight of Judge Hilar stepping out of his office. He stood by the entrance, his gaze locked onto mine. His eyes were red and swollen as if he had been crying before coming outside.Even as the police vehicle took off, my eyes remained fixed on him until his figure faded into the distance.His words still haunted me, echoing in my mind as if he were standing right next to me, speaking them all over again.Two hours later, we arrived at my home—the same home I had abandoned when I left to be with Rebecca. The officers dragged me out of the van and led me inside. Without hesitation, they fastened a device to my leg, and the moment it snapped into place, a sharp beeping sound filled the air.I knew exactly what this device was. I had seen it in movies countless times—a tracking monitor
Rebecca’s POVWhen you are in a tight situation, never show it with the expression on your face. Never reveal it through the words from your mouth. You are noble, and you must remain calm and collected because when you take a step back and analyze the situation, the perfect solution will present itself. These were the words I repeated in my mind as I sat in that courtroom, steadying myself against the unexpected turn of events.The judgment of Judge Hilar shocked me to my very core. No one had seen this coming—not after Attorney David had meticulously laid out every single argument that should have guaranteed Micah a life sentence.“What?” I screamed in my heart, but I refused to let it escape my lips.I remained poised, my leg crossed over the other, my fingers gently rubbing against each other in a steady rhythm. With my free hand, I slid on my sunglasses, masking my emotions. The judgment had been passed, and we had lost. But this was not the end. It was merely the beginning of a n
Micah’s POVThe judge’s judgment was so shocking. I had not seen it coming.When he was pronouncing the judgment, he looked at me like he knew me. Like he was feeling my fright, and he decided to spare me when, ordinarily, he should have sentenced me to life imprisonment.The judgment didn’t sit right with a lot of people in this court. There was an uproar, and I saw how Judge Hilar ran inside his office at the back of the court. Even Attorney Deborah looked shocked.She thought I was going to end up in prison, but to see that I was only given a punishment of community service and therapy?She rose to her feet and walked toward me in the dock. “I don’t know what happened, but you sure are really lucky, Mr. Micah,” she said to me.Just as she said this, I didn’t take more time to look at her face.In the same manner, the court official brought me out of the court, and before they took me away, I looked at Rebecca, still at the last seat in the court.She was talking with Attorney David
Judge Hilar’s POVI sighed as I listened to Attorney David’s arguments. He had hit the nail on the head, leaving no room for a contrary opinion. Mr. Micah, without a doubt, should be sentenced to life in prison with every fiber of strength the law permits.However, as a judge, I could not allow emotions to dictate my judgment. The law was not based on sentiment but on logic and fairness. Even when all fingers pointed at Mr. Micah, my duty was to ensure that those fingers were justified before delivering a verdict. A mistake in judgment could cost an innocent person their future, and I could not allow that to happen under my watch.With this thought in mind, I looked up at the courtroom. "Thank you, Attorney David," I said first, acknowledging his argument.Then, I shifted my attention to the documents spread before me. These were files submitted to my desk by Attorney David and Attorney Deborah at the beginning of this argument via the bailiff. Each document contained crucial informat