Chapter 23
The Unraveling
I hit the ground, the impact rattling through me.
Julian stood frozen, still reeling from my divorce announcement—
But Rita’s venomous words?
They made his expression shatter.
“Julian, darling, she’s unclean.”
Rita’s voice dripped with malice, jealousy, and desperation.
“Last night, she slept with eight men.”
“One of them had AIDS.”
“She’s filthy. Rotten. A complete slut.”
Rita’s voice cut through the ballroom like a knife.
She wasn’t just trying to humiliate me.
She was destroying herself.
A crime like that—
A crime that could put her behind bars.
And she didn’t even realize it.
The Room Turns Against Her
The guests were stunned.
Eight men?
One with AIDS?
Even the most scandalous minds in the room hesitated.
But then—
A realization settled over them.
“How does she know?”
Eyes flickered toward Rita.
Toward Seraphine.
Seraphine, who had been holding herself together, suddenly looked ashen.
Her body swayed.
She knew.
She knew the truth.
And now, so did everyone else.
The Reckoning Begins
I got to my feet, dusting off my dress.
Then, I turned to Rita, voice filled with mocking disdain.
“I haven’t even gotten around to settling the score with you…”
I tilted my head, smirking.
“And you’re already exposing yourself?”
I let my eyes drift to Seraphine.
“This is your prized daughter-in-law?”
I took a slow step forward.
“A daughter-in-law who can join you in evil, crime, and prison?”
Seraphine’s breath caught.
She was speechless.
And Julian?
His eyes were dark.
Terrifying.
Julian Snaps
“Why are you looking at me?”
Rita’s voice was shrill, defensive.
“Don’t listen to her! She’s promiscuous!”
“She has AIDS!”
“Stay away from her! You might get infected!”
The next second—
Julian’s hand shot out.
Gripped her throat.
And pulled her close.
His voice was low, shaking with fury.
“What did you do to her?”
His fingers tightened.
Rita gasped for air.
“What did you do?!”
She struggled.
Terror filled her eyes.
Because for the first time—
She realized Julian might actually kill her.
The Crowes Defend the Monster
The Crowe brothers rushed in, tearing Julian away.
Caffrey stepped between them.
“Julian, calm down!”
His younger brother’s voice was colder.
“Even if what she said is true, you can’t accuse Rita without proof.”
He glanced at me.
“What if Olivia went out willingly?”
“What if she got caught and now wants to blame Rita?”
I almost laughed.
Because I knew what was coming next.
Sure enough—
Rita snapped into her usual act.
She collapsed into Caffrey’s arms, eyes brimming with tears.
She was both helpless and innocent.
“Julian, darling,” she whimpered.
“Why would I do something like that?”
She sobbed.
“My best friend saw Olivia at the hotel.”
“She saw several men enter her room.”
“One of them is a notorious womanizer with a disease.”
She shook her head pitifully.
“I wouldn’t have said anything, but she’s so unreasonable.”
Then, she turned to me, her voice dripping with cruelty.
“Love isn’t about who came first.”
“Being married doesn’t mean anything.”
She tilted her chin up.
“We’re the true lovers.”
“You’re the third wheel.”
“You should step aside.”
The room shifted.
The wives in the crowd?
They seethed.
They knew this kind of woman.
And they wanted to spit on her.
But they said nothing.
Not yet.
Because they were waiting.
They wanted to see Rita fall.
The Oath That Sealed Her Fate
Julian’s jaw was tight.
His voice was icy.
“Can you vouch for what you said?”
He meant—
Can you swear you didn’t set her up?
Rita’s eyes flashed with confidence.
“I swear it.”
She lifted her hand.
“I swear on my life.”
“If I’m lying, may I suffer excruciating pain and die a horrible death.”
The room stirred.
Some onlookers hesitated.
Mrs. Crowe?
She launched into a tirade, spitting every foul word she could think of.
Seraphine?
Silent.
Because she knew.
She knew what was coming next.
The Final Blow
I waited.
Let them finish.
Then—
I walked to the center of the ballroom.
Turned to Rita.
And recited, word for word—
“Excruciating pain.”
“A horrible death.”
I tilted my head.
“Not afraid of karma?”
I reached into my purse.
And pulled out my phone.
Then—
Rita’s voice echoed through the ballroom.
“Julian doesn’t want to take your call… Are you enjoying the guys we arranged?…”
“One of them has AIDS… We’ll give you another injection later…”
“Tomorrow, the video of you with eight men will be online… To celebrate, Julian and I will be announcing our engagement…”
“Reporting this won’t help; in Chicago, we can crush you like an ant…”
“I took your man, your job… I’ll still be happy, happily ever after with Julian…”
“As for you, you’ll die in pain. Ha ha ha…”
The ballroom fell silent.
The Aftermath
The Crowes lunged for my phone.
A young man blocked them.
The recording ended.
And the weight of Rita’s evil crashed over the crowd.
Julian’s face twisted.
His eyes—
Murderous.
Rita?
She stumbled back, pale.
She hadn’t expected me to record it.
Now, she couldn’t deny it.
And so, in one last, desperate attempt—
She turned to Seraphine.
Pointed a trembling finger.
And wailed—
“Aunt Seraphine forced me to do this!”
