CHAPTER 4

Ruby's POV.

I stood by the window, sipping my coffee and gazing out at the world outside. The frustration was building inside me, especially since Logan hadn’t even checked on me the previous night.

The more I thought about it, the more I felt frustrated by him. Even after our wedding, he hadn’t cared about how I was doing. Instead, he was busy cheating on me with Sophie.

“Oh Ruby, how could you have been so naive in your past life? I need to be smarter this time to avoid falling victim again,” I muttered to myself.

My phone buzzed, pulling me from my thoughts. I picked it up and read the message: “Grandma wants to see you.” The reminder hit me hard; Grandma was still alive now.

I felt a pang of longing for her, remembering how much I missed her after her death; planned by Logan and Sophie.

“Those heartless bastards. I won’t let you hurt her again,” I declared with determination.

I quickly dressed, eager to leave, but as I was heading out, I ran into Logan, who was alone in the living room.

“Where are you off to this early in the morning?” he asked, his tone casual but with an undercurrent of curiosity.

I thought to myself, “How pathetic. You didn’t even come to check on me last night, and now you’re pretending to care about where I’m going?”

Outwardly, I forced a smile and said, “I have to go see Grandma. Don’t bother coming.”

I drove to Grandma’s house with a sense of urgency. When I arrived, I found her sitting in the living room. Without hesitation, I rushed over and enveloped her in a tight hug.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice filled with concern.

I clung to her, unable to let go despite her attempts to pull away. Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to control my emotions.

“You’re acting strange, Ruby,” she said, her voice tinged with worry.

Reluctantly, I released her and wiped my tears, trying to regain composure. I forced a laugh, though my heart was still heavy.

“I’m so happy to see you again,” I said, trying to sound cheerful.

“You saw me just a day before your wedding. What’s going on? Did something happen?” she asked, her eyes searching mine with concern.

“No… everything went well,” I lied, even though my life was far from smooth. I didn’t want to add to her worries.

I sat down beside her, taking her hand in mine with a smile. “Are you okay?” I asked gently.

“Yes, I’m fine. But why are you acting so strange?” she pressed.

She waited for my response, but I only shook my head with a smile, trying to mask my inner rage.

“By the way, when are you planning to give the company to Logan?” Grandma asked, breaking the silence.

I was jolted from my thoughts. “Right, I promised I’d give the company to Logan after our wedding,” I muttered to myself with a scoff.

“I’m never going to give it to him. I’ve changed my mind,” I said firmly.

“What! You were the one who said you’d hand over everything to help the Thompson family gain more. Why the sudden change? Did something happen?” Grandma asked, her voice filled with confusion.

At that moment, I felt the weight of the truth pressing on me. She was waiting for an explanation, and I couldn’t hold it back any longer.

“Sophie and Logan are having an affair,” I admitted reluctantly.

Her eyes widened in shock, unable to process the betrayal. She had never expected Sophie, of all people, to be involved with Logan.

“What! How could they do such a thing?” she exclaimed, her voice rising in disbelief.

“Grandma, please calm down,” I urged, trying to soothe her.

“What do you want me to do? Should I bring down Logan’s company? He shouldn’t get away with this,” she said, her anger palpable.

“No, Granny, don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it myself,” I said, trying to calm her down and take the burden off her shoulders.

We spent some time discussing lighter topics until she began to feel tired. I helped her to her bedroom and told her I was leaving.

As I stepped outside, my mind returned to Hannah and the accident caused by Sophie. 

I pulled out my phone and dialled Julian’s number, determined to put our plan into action.

The revenge had begun.

“Who’s this?” Julian answered bluntly.

“It’s me, Ruby… We need to meet now,” I said urgently.

“You can’t just call and expect me to drop everything without a reason. What’s it about? We can discuss it over the phone,” Julian replied.

“It’s better if we meet in person. I’ll send you the address,” I insisted.

“Fine,” he said before ending the call.

I quickly sent him the address and drove to the location. To my surprise, he arrived before me.

“I thought you were busy. How did you get here so fast?” I asked as I approached him.

“Why did you call me out here?” he asked, looking curious and slightly annoyed.

“Logan is hosting a birthday party for Sophie, and I want to make it a complete disaster,” I said, my tone resolute.

“And how do you plan to do that?” Julian asked, raising an eyebrow.

I took a deep breath, recalling the details from my past life. “The party will be held at Chris Hall, which is owned by Ben Foster. I plan to ruin the event by renting out the place first,” I explained confidently.

“Are you sure this will work?” he questioned, a hint of scepticism in his voice.

“Of course I am. I’d love to see her humiliated on that day. Besides, one thing Sophie hates is being outsmarted,” I said, my voice filled with determination.

“Fine, I can help you get the place rented,” Julian offered, a resolute look on his face.

As he spoke, I could see the strain he was under with his company’s troubles. Renting out a venue like Chris Hall could add more pressure, and I didn’t want to burden him further.

“No. How could you do that? Your family’s in a mess right now. It would be too much for you,” I said, shaking my head in concern.

“Don’t worry about that. I can handle it,” he said, standing up to leave.

I watched him walk away, feeling a pang of regret. In my past life, I would have been in the hospital by now, grappling with the aftermath of my mistakes. 

Now, I was determined to make Sophie experience a piece of that pain.

As I stood up, I walked out and headed back to where I had parked my car. I was deep in thought when I noticed a car speeding toward me. 

My heart raced as I froze in place, paralyzed by fear. The car was charging straight at me, and I had no time to react.

It was more like it was a planned attack? 

Suddenly, someone shoved me from behind, sending me sprawling to the ground. The car didn’t slow down; it crashed into the person who had saved me. 

The car didn’t stop. It reversed quickly and sped away..

I scrambled to my feet, eyes wide with horror. I turned to see the person who had been hit, lying motionless on the pavement.

And just then, I felt an intense pang in my chest.

“Julian!” I screamed, rushing towards him with tears streaming down my face.

The sight was horrific. Julian lay on the ground, his body twisted in an unnatural way. 

Blood pooled around him, and his breathing was shallow and laboured. I knelt beside him, my hands trembling as I tried to assess his condition.

“Julian, stay with me! Please!” I cried out, my voice breaking with desperation. It broke me to see him this way.

“Ruby…”