Victory!
Forewarned, forearmed- to be prepared is half the victory. ~Miguel de Cervantes.
~~
AMANDA
Victory! This one word rang out in my head like a triumphant yell.
I let the adrenaline wash over me like an orgasmic wave as I stared out the car window, watching the buildings flash by.
The cool breeze whipped through my hair, and I could almost taste freedom in the air, but there was also something bittersweet about it, an intangible longing that made my heart ache.
That sense of power-of finally accomplishing what I’d been planning for days, if not months-was gone, replaced by an unsettling sense of regret and…
‘Regret? ‘What in the world was I thinking?’ I pondered sharply, shaking my head slightly and smiling broadly.
I closed my eyes briefly as I let the sense of victory wash over me again, replaying the previous hours’ events in my mind.
Robert and Renee. The paparazzi and commotion I initiated. The press, the cameras, and the gossip.
Damn! I’d done well. And to think I was only getting started.C0pyright © 2024 Nôv)(elDrama.Org.
My grin widened as I remembered how devastated that bitch had been when I’d revealed Robert’s secrets to her.
She’d been stunned and clueless. Her expression showed I’d gotten under her skin, and I reveled in that minor triumph.
And then Robert had done nothing to refute my assertions. He’d just stood there, pale and silent, while I’d practically cackled at his misfortune.
So much for him being the man. So much for trying to save his reputation at such a prestigious event.
He’d been under my spell, and I chuckled as I imagined how much pain and agony he’d be in now. How utterly humiliated he must be feeling, too.
His relationship with that whore was obviously in shambles, if not over, and this knowledge filled me with immense joy and satisfaction.
Robert belonged to me!
Despite our divorce, he will never be free of me. Despite how badly he wanted to get out of my chokehold and how he’d threatened me with indefinite restraining orders. He was still under my thumb, whether he liked it or not. He couldn’t leave me either in this life or the next.
I would always find him no matter where he went or who he met. Always.
When we said our vows on the altar twenty-four years ago, our fate was sealed, and nothing could change that.
Nothing ever would. And indeed, not some sleazy bitch whose name would be plastered all over the news tomorrow.
My lips twisted into a contented grin.
Yes! The media would undoubtedly have a field day once morning came. This scandal would be widely publicized, and the headlines alone would ruin her reputation.
That should teach the bitch a thing or two and if she didn’t heed this lesson, I’d do something far worse.
But, in the meantime, I had to celebrate my minor accomplishment. And what better way to do so than to have a wild night?
I dragged my gaze back into the confines of the vehicle. My son sat quietly beside me, so I focused on him instead.
He hadn’t said anything since we’d left the masked party, and now his silence weighed down the car like a dark cloud.
“Hello, D?” I softly called out, shifting my position to get him to look at me.
He didn’t respond immediately, and instead of turning to face me, he cast a distant glance out the window.
His hand loosely gripped the door handle, and a slight tremor ran through his fingers as he gripped tight.
Something was wrong. Very wrong. My eyes narrowed.
Leaning forward slightly, I asked, “Dylan, what’s wrong?”
“Mother, everything is fucking wrong! Every single thing!”
The words burst from his lips, and I jerked backward instinctively, startled by the harshness of his tone.
“Son-”
“My entire life’s been shattered. To make matters worse, I despise the old man who calls himself my father. What a jerk!” He continued to thunder, this time turning to face me.
“What exactly are you saying? What exactly do you mean?”
“No need to explain. Here, have this.” He passed me a cell phone with trembling hands.
“What should I do with this?”
“Look at it! Look at those pictures.”
His words came out in broken shards, each punctuated with an angry jabbing of his finger on the phone screen, and my chest tightened.
This wasn’t my Dylan-this was someone else entirely, and he appeared agitated and distraught. What could be the problem? I wondered, but then I remembered the device I was holding.
I knew it had all the necessary answers, so I looked down at the lit-up screen.
That’s when I saw it. Images of Dylan and an all-too-familiar strawberry-blonde-haired woman. She stared at him with a broad smile and flirtatious looks, and they were photographed in various intimate poses.
“Oh, my gosh!” My mouth dried up as I exclaimed softly.
My heart plummeted to the floor, and I sucked in a sharp breath as the realization hit me.
Renee and Dylan. They were acquainted. Was she an ex-girlfriend or simply a friend? According to the photos, she was more than just a friend.
Also, I recalled correctly they’d talked back at the party. Amidst the haze and confusion, I saw them together, and he’d confronted her and asked some questions.
I didn’t hear their conversation, however. But I’d seen the look of fury and anger etched across Dylan’s features before she left and ran outside.
Now that I thought about it… I cleared my throat, feigning ignorance, and asked, “What do these photos mean?”
“It’s as obvious as day, Mother. My father is fucking my ex-girlfriend.”
“What?”
“Yes. Remember that girl I told you I broke up with a few months ago?” He asked, and I nodded hesitantly.
“That was Renee. She was my first love. I was with her through college. The woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with before I messed everything up and…”
As my face turned ashen white and my head in sudden disarray I drowned out the rest of his ramblings. I put two and two together, and my mind began to race.
Renee. That motherfucking slut. The whore had mutual affairs with both my son and my ex-husband.
Was this a fluke? What the fuck was going on?
Anger surged through my veins, filling me with a boiling-hot rage, searing through me like acid.
That scumbag! I despised her even more now, and by the time I was done with her, she would regret ever crossing paths with me, my son, or even Robert!
I briefly closed my eyes as I imagined her with Robert, and then Dylan and the scene in my head sent a sharp splitting pain through my skull.
“Fuck!” As I massaged the bridge of my nose, I cursed aloud.
I could only see red, crimson red. A vision of death and annihilation.
“I can’t get my head around it all. I kept telling myself it was all a dream when I saw her tonight at the party in my father’s arms. I tried to persuade myself that she was not his date for the evening and-”
“Can you tell me what happened between you two?” I cut Dylan off in the middle of his speech while clenching my fists.
“It’s a complicated story. One that I don’t want to bring up. But she’s a slut, isn’t she? I despise her so much right now, and I can’t believe she’d spread her legs so wide open for-”
“Goodness!”
“She’s a slut. I believe that now more than ever. Was this something she did on purpose? As retaliation for what happened between us? She had to find and seduce my father. I’m sick to my stomach. And she dared to say she had no idea and would explain later. What did that mean? Damnit!”
His voice was steadily rising until it was a snarl. His shoulders were tense and rigid, and his entire body radiated anger.
An idea struck me as I silently watched him and tried to calm the raging fury within me.
“I believe she did this to get back at you.”
“You think so, too?”
“Yes. This is the perfect payback and revenge plan for any woman. She’s a real whore.” I spat out, my teeth grinding viciously.
“Damn, if she did this on purpose, I’ll find her and make her pay! If she did this to spite me, I’ll kill her. I’m going to rip her to shreds for stooping so low.”
My heart broke for him. I could feel his rage, pain, and anguish. However, a smirk formed on my lips as a sense of pleasure and fulfillment rose within me.
“Son…” I gently called out, grabbing his left wrist and squeezing it.
“Yes, Mother.”
“Are you still interested in her?”
“Interested in who? Renee? That gold digger and slut? Mother, she slept with Father! How could you think I’d ever want her again? All I feel now when I hear her name is shame and fury. I don’t want to think about what our mutual friends will say when they hear about this. Damn, ma, I fucking hate her right now. With every ounce of my soul.”
“Perfect!” I laughed once more before adding, “You know what? I know how we can handle this situation.”
Dylan’s brows rose in question, he looked at me with incredulity, and the smirk on my lips widened even more.
“Do you mean-“He started, but I stopped him. “Yes, I mean whatever you’re thinking. You and I both despise her, so this shouldn’t be hard. We could join forces and end her relationship with your father.”
“Woah!”
“Yes. I’ll need your assistance to pull this off. Her actions sicken me to my core. I despised her solely because she’d slept with your father, and now I find out she’s also slept with my son. Damn! This is so maddening!”
As I finished talking, a heavy silence descended upon us, and Dylan stared blankly at me for a second.
He was probably thinking about what I’d said, so I didn’t bother him any further.
After several seconds of silence and a deep sigh, he finally responded, “Okay, Mother. Let’s do this.”
Smiling broadly, I extended my hand for a handshake and mumbled, “We have a deal, Son, and this is just the beginning for Renee, or whatever her name is.”
“I can only imagine….” He scoffed, a wry smile curling up his thin lips. A rush of adrenaline coursed through me.
“I can’t wait to see what you have in store for her, Mother. Considering how you humiliated her tonight, I can tell you know your ways very well.”
“Oh, you see, Son. Just watch me.” I chuckled, dragging my gaze out the car window once more, a giggle bubbling from deep within my throat.
“How about we get some drinks and celebrate tonight?” He offered, and a wave of deja vu washed over me.
To think I’d wanted us to go out for drinks before this whole Renee conversation.
“Well, that sounds wonderful!”
A grin spread across my face as I relaxed against the plush leather seat of the car, and I felt a weight lift from my shoulders.
I now had an ally in the form of my son, and with his assistance, I would destroy that conniving home wrecker.
I’d get rid of her once and for all, along with everything she cared about.
The coming days would be so much fun, and I couldn’t wait!