Chapter 4

"Matilda is a young girl who kindly took care of him, and instead of being grateful, you turn on her. Didn't anyone teach you how to be grateful?" Lisa snapped.

"Being grateful doesn't mean I'll let my husband spend our wedding anniversary night at another woman's place," I replied.

I made sure every word was crystal clear.

"And I sure as hell won't let that woman use the coat I bought to cover him up, then send me a photo to rub it in," I added.

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line.

Then, Lisa's tone shifted from angry to suddenly defending Rhett as if nothing was wrong.

She shouted, "So what? Boys will be boys. It's a fling. Did you have to blow this up and let the whole world know? Can't you swallow it for Rhett's career and for the family?"

"Swallow it?" I scoffed, like I'd heard the biggest joke. "Lisa, do you have any idea what you're talking about? It's the 21st century now."

"You! What kind of attitude is that?" Lisa was thrown off by my words. "Monica, let me make this clear.

"The Shelton family will never accept someone with a messy reputation into our family.

"Go to the office right now, post in the group chat, and explain to everyone that it was a joke.

"Then apologize to Matilda, and this whole thing will be over."

"Apologize?" I sneered, my smile turning colder. "Is she worth my apology?"

"You ungrateful woman! Don't think Rhett can't live without you. I'm telling you, plenty of women out there want to marry him. They are younger, prettier, and more mature than you," Lisa snapped.

"That's great," I replied lightly. "Let him find someone else. I won't hold him back for a second."

"Just you wait! I'll have Rhett divorce you right away. A woman like you deserves to walk away with nothing," Lisa shouted.

"Fine," I replied. "I'll be waiting for the court summons."

I hung up right away.

Then, I blocked her.

I had it all done in one swift motion.

Lisa always covered things up, twisted facts, and stood by her darling son no matter what.

That was classic Lisa.

I'd seen it all before.

My phone buzzed again. This time, it was my best friend calling.

I picked up.

"Monica, you finally turned your phone back on. Are you alright?" Rachel Sparks's anxious voice came through the line.

Rachel was my college buddy, my ride-or-die, and she was a big shot at a headhunting firm.

"I'm fine," I said, feeling a bit of the tension in my shoulders ease up at the sound of her voice.

"Thank God. You scared the hell out of me. That move was savage, blowing up the group chat like that. Now everyone in our circle is talking about it," Rachel said.

"Rhett's office must be a total circus today," she added, enjoying the drama.

"I wanted to stir things up," I said.

"Damn, that was awesome," Rachel said, backing me up. "You gotta show no mercy to cheaters and homewreckers.

"But what's your next move? I heard that the secretary, Matilda, is no pushover.

"She's been crying all over the office, telling everyone she's innocent and you misunderstood her, making you look like some psycho villain."

"Yeah, I saw her dramatic post in the group chat," I replied.

"So what are you gonna do? Let her twist the story like that?" Rachel sounded worried.

I grabbed my glass of milk and took a slow sip. The warmth settled in my stomach, and I felt a wave of comfort wash over me.

"Don't rush," I said. "Let her run wild for a bit.

"The bullet's out. Now we wait and let the drama unfold."

In a battle of public opinion, the worst mistake was letting the other side control the narrative.

If Matilda wanted to play the victim and fish for sympathy, I'd let her keep acting.

The more she put on a show, the harder she cried, the harsher the blowback would be when the truth finally hit.

I wasn't just looking to win some petty argument.

I wanted to make her a permanent disgrace, ruined so badly that she'd never crawl out from under the shame.

"So what about you? What's your plan for today? Chill at home?" Rachel asked.

I gazed out at the bright sunlight streaming through the window and spoke slowly. "No. I'm heading to the office.

"There are some things I need to take back myself.

"And while I'm at it, I should go meet the stars of the show face to face."

"Hell yeah," Rachel was all fired up. "Want me to come with you? I can back you up. I'm free today. Say the word, and I'm there."

"Thanks, but I got this," I replied, turning down her offer. "This is my battlefield. I'll handle it myself."

After hanging up, I walked into the bedroom and opened the closet.

Inside were my new clothes, still with the tags on.

I picked out a bright red dress.