Episode 3

CHAPTER 2.

I left the police station with shame covering me like a cursed coat. The scandal had grown rapidly like wildfire: the yellow newspapers filled their covers with phrases like "The jealous wife who tried to get rid of her pregnant rival" or "Lamentable outcome of jealousy: businesswoman arrested." My name, which previously evoked admiration in social and business groups, was now a cause for mockery and disdain.

The journey to the mansion felt endless. My parents, next to me, maintained a heavy, almost unbearable silence. I could feel their disappointment piercing my chest as if they were invisible knives. I wanted to shout that I was innocent, that everything had been a misunderstanding… but I couldn't. The words were stuck in my throat, choked by shame and suffering.

Upon arriving, a sense of unease ran through me like a chill. Something in the mansion had changed. It felt... strange. The garden, which used to be my refuge, seemed to be in decline. The door was wide open, the lights on, and the staff avoided making eye contact with me. Everything indicated that I no longer had a place there.

I entered with my head held high, striving not to crumble. I only longed to collect my things and leave before losing the little pride I had left, but Dreiner would not allow it.

He was waiting for me in the main room, sitting in his favorite armchair like a cruel king on his throne. Next to him, Paloma, pale and fragile, wrapped in bandages and with an arm in a cast, occupied a wheelchair. A private doctor and two lawyers accompanied them, like vultures ready to devour what was left of me.

"You're late," said Dreiner, with that cold voice he used to close shady deals. "Your things are already packed. I don't want scandals or unnecessary problems."

My parents tensed, but I advanced, not letting them break me.

"Is this how you will end our marriage? With deceit and betrayal?" My voice resonated louder than they expected.

Dreiner stood up and approached. In his eyes there was no longer love... only contempt.

"That was your choice, Antonella. When you pushed Paloma, you sealed your fate."

"It was an accident and you know it!" I shouted, feeling the tears trying to come out.

Paloma moaned exaggeratedly from her chair, bringing her hands to her abdomen as if remembering the impact. But her eyes… shone with mockery.

"Antonella…" she whispered in a barely audible voice, as if she were the ideal victim. "I never wanted to take anything from you. I only longed for love…"

"Liar!" I shouted, and rage emerged from me like lava.

Dreiner's lawyer coughed with false courtesy.

"Mrs. Bernal, we advise you to accept the agreement we are proposing. If you don't, you could face a civil lawsuit for damages, in addition to the criminal charges."

He gave me a thick envelope.

With trembling hands, I took it. Upon opening it, I felt the contents like a bucket of cold water:

I completely renounce my participation in the construction company, my rights to the mansion, and I accept a quick divorce without economic benefits. In exchange, the charges for attempted murder will be dropped.

A humiliating deal: my dignity in exchange for my freedom.

My parents watched me in silence, awaiting my response. Everything I had built, everything I had once longed for... reduced to a damn paper.

"Take your time," said Dreiner, with that arrogant smile that already seemed unbearable. "But don't delay. Tomorrow I won't be so understanding."

It was at that moment that something broke inside me forever.

I was no longer the woman who asked for love. I was not the submissive wife who waited in silence. I was Antonella Bernal. And no one, absolutely no one, would take everything from me without facing the consequences.

I tore the document into a thousand pieces and threw them on the floor.

"I'm not going to sign anything. Prepare yourself, Dreiner. If you're looking for war... you'll have it."

I turned around, ignoring the shouts of anger, the pleas from my parents to calm down. That place was no longer my home... now it was the battlefield where I was going to be reborn.

As I walked away, with my makeup smeared by tears and my heart broken, I felt for the first time in a long time a spark ignite inside me:

The revenge had only just begun.

***This work has been signed with NovelToon, and piracy such as reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited.***

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***