Chapter 9
“I’ll let you have him! I’m leaving now!” Emily’s voice cracked as she yanked off her diamond ring, tossing it to the floor at Ryan’s feet. Her trembling hands gathered the hem of her wedding dress as she attempted to flee.
But Ryan wasn’t about to let her go. His hand shot out, grabbing her arm and pulling her back forcefully.
“Emily!” he shouted, his voice desperate. “What is wrong with you?! Why are you so terrified of her?”
His frustration only grew as Emily tried to shake him off, her fear morphing into
anger.
“Tell me! What is it that she has on you? Whatever it is, I can fix it. I have power, money–whatever you need!”
His voice cracked under the weight of the chaos unraveling around him. “But if you
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leave now, what will happen to me? I’ll be the laughingstock of everyone here!”
Emily finally tore her arm free and spun around, glaring at him with unfiltered rage.
“You already are a joke!” she spat, her voice dripping with disdain.
“You had the daughter of the richest man in the palm of your hand and you let her go for… me? Are you stupid?!”
Her words detonated like a bomb in the room. The stunned silence was deafening.
“What….. what did you just say?” Ryan‘ s voice wavered, disbelief etched into his face as he took a shaky step back.
“You heard me,” Emily hissed, her voice. sharp. “Claire is the daughter of the richest man! And you… you gave her up!”
Ryan staggered, his body visibly shaking as her words sank in.
“That’s impossible!” he stammered, his face pale. “I’ve been with her for seven
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years! I know who she is–she’s nothing but a poor girl! And your father–he‘ s Jacob Hart!”
His voice rose, almost hysterical as he turned toward the crowd, searching for Jacob. But Jacob was nowhere to be found.
Unbeknownst to Ryan, the moment my mother and I entered the hall, Jacob had quietly tried to slip away.
Unfortunately for him, my mother had anticipated his cowardice. Outside the hotel, her bodyguards were already
waiting.
Minutes later, the doors swung open and Jacob was dragged back in by two guards. His once pristine suit was now a disheveled mess. And then she appeared.
My mother walked into the room with the grace and authority of someone who was used to commanding the world. Her icy gaze swept over the chaos, freezing everyone in place.
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Emily’s knees buckled at the sight of her. My mother said nothing as she strode
toward Ryan. The tension in the room was suffocating.
And then-
Slap!
The sound of her palm meeting his cheek echoed through the hall, leaving a stunned silence in its wake.
Before Ryan could recover, another slap landed on the other side of his face.
He stumbled, raising a hand as if to defend himself, but my mother’s bodyguards were faster. They pinned his arms behind his back, holding him still.
Slap after slap followed, each one a sharp reminder of his betrayal and arrogance. My mother‘ s face remained emotionless, her hand relentless, as if delivering justice herself.
By the time she was done, her hand
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trembled slightly from the force of her strikes, but her composure never faltered.
“Go home,” she said coldly, her voice. cutting through the silence.
Without another word, she took my hand
and led me out of the hall.
I didn’t look back.
***
A month later, a story shook the social circles of Brooklyn. Emily had been found. brutally murdered–by none other than
Ryan.
The details painted a picture of two people consumed by greed and deception. Emily had lied to Ryan about her wealthy family, leading him to believe she was his ticket to fortune. At the same time, Ryan had
promised Emily that his company was on the verge of going public, convincing her that she would soon live a life of luxury.
In the end, they had only used each other,
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their lies crumbling under the weight of their desperation.
It was tragic, but not surprising. They were two sides of the same coin, destined to destroy each other.
As for me, the ordeal had been a brutal
awakening. For seven years, I had wasted my life on someone unworthy of my love, someone who had only seen me as a tool. But I wasn’t that naive girl anymore.
I finally understood the lessons my mother
had tried to teach me. Women must be self-
reliant, standing tall on their own two feet. Only then can we truly claim happiness.
And so, I began to rebuild my life—not as someone’s ex–girlfriend, not as a pawn in someone else’s game, but as Claire: a woman who had reclaimed her power and
her future.
(The End)
