Ruin His Empire

ROSALIE'S POV~

I stared up at the stark, white ceiling, the tears from my eyes rolling silently down my cheeks. The room swam in a haze of white lights and sterile smells, my body shivering from the cold of the metal table beneath me.

I refused the anesthesia the doctor offered, preferring the pain to the numbness. I wanted to feel everything—every needle prick, every tug of the sutures, every throbbing ache—to remind me that this was real. That this pain was mine.

The doctor finished his work, pulling the last stitch through my skin with clinical efficiency. He set the needle down and turned to face me, his lips pulling into a thin line.

 I closed my eyes, letting the tears fall freely. They ran in rivers down the side of my face, pooling in the hollow of my ear. I wanted to scream, to rage against the injustice of it all, but I couldn't. There was nothing left but this empty, hollow pain.

“You're done?" My voice was hoarse and gruffy. I snapped my eyes open. 

“These people are monsters. They almost got your womb damaged.” The doctor commented with a shake of his head and my expression hardened, my heart breaking. I hated the pity in his tone, I hated the way he stared at me like I was some helpless child. 

Yes, I had been helpless in the past but no more. I knew what to do now.

I swung my arm, my strength fueled by desperation. The needle tore from my skin, releasing a small river of crimson blood that spilled onto the table and dripped onto the floor. A raw, guttural groan tore from my throat as I fought to sit up, the pain slicing through my abdomen.

“Madam," the doctor's voice was frantic, his hands fluttering uselessly at my shoulders as he tried to keep me still. "You have to lie back. You'll reopen the wound. You have to heal, for months."

"You don't understand," I snapped, my voice rough. "I can't stay here. I need to go. I can't...I won't...this can't be real."

The doctor sighed. "I've been your doctor for years, Miss. I know you. This is real, and you need to accept it. There's nothing you can do right now. Nothing but rest."

My eyes met his, my heart turning extremely cold before I looked away and then slowly crept to the mirror in front of the little room.

My fingers trembled as I peeled up my gown. What lay beneath was something I could never have imagined—a hideous tapestry of scars and dried blood where my flawless abdomen once was.

I recoiled at the sight, my stomach lurching at the grotesque sight before me. My skin, once smooth and pale, was now marred by the violent incision. Several ugly knife marks. And as I stared, it was as if I was looking at a stranger. A monster.

Tears welled in my eyes, spilling over and streaming down my cheeks.

My hair fell in disheveled strands, tangling around my shoulders as I stared in horror at the wreckage of my body. I could hardly breathe, could hardly think.

Shaking, I turned to retrieve my purse from the stool beside me, my movements robotic, my mind still reeling. 

“Your work is done here. I'll send you the money, thank you." I said emotionlessly, walking out of the room as I slammed the door shut. 

~                        ~                    ~

The taxi came to a halt outside Montgomery's Corporation. The buildings were extremely large and tall and I stared at it for some seconds before I reached for the door handle, my fingers trembling as I pulled the door open.

I stepped out of the taxi, my feet feeling heavy and numb, and as I closed the door, I caught my reflection in the window. The face staring back at me was that of a ghost—my eyes red and swollen, my face gaunt and pale, and my hair a disheveled mess.

With shaking hands, I paid the driver, his eyes filled with concern and curiosity, before turning away and trudging towards the glass doors of the building. 

My shawl covered my entire face as I walked toward the desk of the receptionist, bypassing a lot of people who seemed to have been waiting for their turns.

“Please wait for your turn, ma'am." She said the moment I approached and my lips curled slightly. 

“Please do tell Mr. Ezra Montgomery that Damien Wyatt's wife is here." The moment I leaned in to whisper, the lady's eyes widened and I saw her hurrying away to convey my message.

I rushed after the receptionist, refusing to be left behind in the waiting room. My heart pounded as I walked determinedly, watching her turn back to face me with a shocked expression. "Ma'am, please stay back there. I'm on my way to convey your message, you don't have to follow me." She waved her arms frantically, desperate to halt my advance, but I couldn't stop now.

As my mouth opened to speak, the elevator dinged, and I caught sight of a tall, imposing figure emerging from the elevator.

My words vanished as I took in the sight of him. He was massive, his eyes like those of a hawk, piercing and intense. His suit was immaculate, fitting him perfectly as if it was a second skin. My breath hitched in my throat as I gazed at him in awe.

"Mr. Montgomery!" I yelled, drawing the receptionist's widened eyes. Ezra stopped abruptly, his expression darkening as he turned towards us.

"I'll call you right back." He muttered to his phone, his voice deep and commanding.

I felt a jolt of adrenaline surge through me as I stepped forward, pushing past the receptionist and standing face to face with Ezra Montgomery.

"My name is Rosaline, Damien Wyatt's ex-wife. I have some documents that can help you bring down your opponent," I declared, and opened my bag, flashing the files in his direction.

Ezra's eyes narrowed, assessing me with a shrewd gaze. "I'll handle this," he said, waving the receptionist away.

The receptionist disappeared, and Ezra turned towards the elevator. I hurried after him. 

This was it. There was no turning back now. 

~                        ~                             ~

EZRA'S POV~

The shock and disbelief I felt at seeing the familiar, yet unrecognizable face in front of me nearly knocked the wind out of me. 

Damien Wyatt’s wife, Rosaline, stood in my office, her every move calculated as she pulled the shawl away and lowered her sunglasses to reveal her face. I knew she was on a mission.

Without a word, she proceeded to scatter the contents of her bag onto my desk, sending files of incriminating evidence scattering across the surface. My eyes darted from file to file as she gathered them together and pushed them towards me.

Rosaline’s cool exterior remained intact as she spoke, her voice betraying no emotion. “These files contain a detailed record of every illegal and unscrupulous deal that my ex-husband has orchestrated. Every misappropriated fund, every bribe, every cover-up—all documented and ready to be exposed. With this information, you can not only protect yourself from his schemes, but also use it to your advantage. With a few well-placed words to the right authorities, his empire will come crashing down, and you’ll rise to the top.”

The sheer audacity of her proposition stunned me. A woman offering to turn on her husband, her partner in life, in exchange for me, a stranger to defeat him—it was something I’d never experienced before. I took a moment to process the information, considering every angle, every possible outcome. My hands began to flip through the pages of the files .

As I read, I found myself mesmerized by the contents of the files. Every detail seemed to confirm my suspicions about Damien, revealing him to be even more unscrupulous than I’d thought. 

I finally lifted my gaze from the files, locking eyes with Rosaline. She met my gaze with an expressionless stare. 

My mind raced.

“Rosaline...” I murmured, her name barely audible, trying to memorize the name that had granted me such favor. “Why? What do you want?” was all I could muster.

"Why?" Rosaline repeated, her voice vibrating with venom. "Because they took everything from me—the one thing I loved more than life itself. They destroyed my life, my reputation, my happiness, all to serve their own selfish agendas. Him and his mistress. I've been maltreated and betrayed severally, countlessly! But no more. It's my turn to take what I deserve: their pain, their humiliation, their downfall."

She paused, her face hardening into an expression of pure, vengeful rage. "And I will make them suffer for it."

A deep, dark chuckle left me as I reclined on the swivel chair. This… was the most interesting thing I've ever heard in a long time. 

“Wonderful." I mused and then slowly, I rose to my feet and watched her beautiful hazel eyes follow me. I stretched forth my hand for a handshake. “It would be a pleasure working with you, miss Rosaline.” 

She stood as well, and her hands took mine. “Cheers to our fulfilled mission, Mr. Montgomery.”