CHAPTER 004: Hell Hath No Fury

I push past her and run into the crowd, my pulse racing. The farther I go, the clearer the voices become. The crowd is shouting, "Say yes! Say yes!"

And there he is, on his knees in the middle of the dance floor, holding out a ring to Mabel. My heart sinks.

“No. No. No,” I whisper, my voice lost in the deafening music. I scream, “That’s mine!” but the words are swallowed by the roar of the crowd.

Jessica grabs my arm, trying to hold me back.

I watch in horror as Mabel dances around after accepting Mike’s proposal. She twirls, her face glowing with joy, then throws herself into Mike’s arms. They hug and kiss, oblivious to the world around them.

My vision blurs with tears as I stand frozen, unable to look away. Each kiss feels like a dagger to my heart. The crowd’s cheers feel like a cruel mockery of my shattered world.

When I look around, I see familiar faces—William, people from Mike’s job, people from his gym. All smiling, cameras flashing. The same people who celebrated with me at Mike’s birthday party. I feel like I’m going to collapse.

Jessica tightens her grip on my arm. "Dee, please. You can’t do this to yourself."

But I can’t move. I can’t breathe. Mabel’s triumphant smile, Mike’s look of pure adoration—it’s all too much.

He’s parading her around like a trophy, twisting the knife deeper. It’s like he wants to ensure I feel every ounce of pain. As if breaking my heart wasn’t enough, he wants to humiliate me too.

I glance over at Jessica. “Can you believe this?”

“He’s an asshole,” she says flatly. “Just ignore them, Dee. Don’t give them the satisfaction.”

Ignoring them is easier said than done. Everywhere I turn, they’re there—dancing, drinking, laughing. I can’t escape them. Mike knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s flaunting their relationship, making sure I see every moment.

At one point, I catch Mabel’s eye. She smirks, her lips curling into a smug, satisfied smile. She’s enjoying this, basking in her newfound status as Mike’s fiancée. It’s like she’s reveling in my misery.

I want to scream, to throw something, to wipe that smug look off her face.

Instead, I grip my tray tighter, my knuckles turning white. “How could he do this?” I whisper to Jessica. “How could he be so cruel?”

“Because he’s a coward,” Jessica replies. “And he knows he messed up. He’s trying to convince himself and everyone else that he’s happy, that he made the right choice. But deep down, he knows he’s a piece of shit.”

Her words offer some comfort, but the hurt and anger are still bubbling just beneath the surface. I steal glances at them. I see Mike whisper something in Mabel’s ear, making her giggle, and it takes all my strength not to throw my tray across the room.

My legs give out. I lean against the wall, trying to calm my racing heart and steady my breathing.

Jessica joins me a moment later, her expression concerned. “You okay?”

I shake my head, tears welling up in my eyes. “No. I’m not okay. Why is he doing this?”

She wraps her arms around me, pulling me into a comforting hug. “I don’t know, Dee. But you’re stronger than this. Don’t let him break you. He’s not worth it.”

I nod, clinging to her words, trying to find some strength. But deep down, the pain and betrayal are still raw. I know it will take more than a few comforting words to heal the wounds Mike has left behind.

As I stand there, the club lights blinking in my eyes, I make a silent promise to myself. This is the last time Mike will see me broken. He can flaunt his new relationship all he wants, but I won’t let him destroy me. I’ll rebuild my life, stronger and better than before. And someday, when he sees me happy without him, he’ll realize what he lost.

Jessica wraps her arm around me, her voice gentle but firm. “We’re going home, Dee. You’re going to be okay.”

I nod numbly, letting Jessica help me to my feet. As we push through the crowd, the cheers and laughter follow us like a cruel echo. Each step feels heavier than the last, and I feel like I’m drowning in my own misery.

One last time, I glance back, hoping for a final glimpse of Mike, a parting shot at the man who shattered my world.

But then my gaze lands on someone else.

A man in the crowd, an older man whose features seem strangely familiar. He’s mingling with Mike’s crowd, sipping wine from a glass, and exuding an air of calm sophistication that starkly contrasts with the surrounding chaos.

There’s something about him that pulls me in—his strong jawline, the distinctive shape of his face, and his commanding presence. Despite my heartache and turmoil, I can’t tear my eyes away from him.

And he’s looking directly at me.

Our eyes meet, and my breath catches. The noise of the party fades into the background, and the chaos of the evening seems to melt away. It’s as if we’re the only two people in the room.

Jessica tugs at my arm. “Come on, Dee. We need to go.”

I barely register her words. My focus remains on the older man. There’s something about him that pulls me out of my misery, if only momentarily. Why is he looking at me like that? What is it about him that grabs my attention so intensely?

The more I look, the more familiar his face becomes.

Then it hits me. That’s Mike’s father.

I’ve only seen him in pictures, but there’s no mistaking it now. His strong jawline, slightly graying hair, and commanding presence are unmistakable. Mike often spoke of him with admiration, sharing stories of how he hoped to follow in his footsteps and eventually take over the family company. I had tried several times to meet him. Each time, Mike would say his father was too busy with work and couldn’t make time.

Hearing so much about Mike's father made me feel like I knew him, even though we had never met.

I just wanted to see what kind of person Mike would grow into. I wanted to understand the influence his father had on him and get a glimpse of the man Mike looked up to so much. But every time I asked, Mike’s excuses kept me from meeting him, leaving me only with his stories and my imagination.

Now, seeing him here in person, so calm and composed, distracts me from my heartbreak, if only for a moment. There’s an undeniable pull I feel, a strange sense of connection.

I keep looking at him. I can’t stop.

His eyes are locked on mine too.

As we study each other, a devious idea starts to take shape in my mind.

Mike’s father. His single father. The only person Mike seems to care about other than himself.

I feel a wicked sense of satisfaction bubbling up inside me.

Mike stole my heart and betrayed me with my own cousin. They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and right now, I can feel that fury igniting within me.

The injustice of it all fuels a dark, thrilling resolve. If Mike and Mabel think they’ve won, they’re mistaken. I’m about to turn this betrayal into something far more interesting.

Mike took what mattered to me, and now, I’m going to take something equally valuable to him. This is more than just revenge; it’s a chance to reclaim my power, to prove that I’m not to be trifled with.

I’ll steal his father’s heart. And I’m going to ruin Mike.

The question now is how. How do I make this happen? How do I turn this plan into reality? I’m not sure yet, but I’m determined to figure it out. The more I think about it, the more the idea excites me.

Let the game begin.