Marry My Ex-husband's Rival

I stared at Leo's hand, still warm against my cheek. Revenge. The word echoed in my mind, stirring something dark and unfamiliar in my chest. The image of my father's smile flashed again - not the weak one from his final days, but the bright, proud grin he'd worn at my college graduation. The thought of Nathaniel plotting, scheming, while Dad trusted him...

My hands clenched into fists. But could I really do it? Become someone who sought revenge? Dad had always taught me to take the high road, to be better than those who wronged us.

"I... I don't know." My voice cracked. "Part of me wants to make him pay for what he did to my father. For making me complicit in his schemes. But another part..." I shook my head.

"Take your time." Leo's hand dropped to my shoulder, squeezing gently. "This isn't a decision you need to make right now."

I looked up at him, studying the planes of his face. "Why are you helping me? Who are you really, Leo? Because you're not just a tech CEO."

Leo's expression shifted, something ancient and weary crossing his features. He sat beside me on the bed, the mattress dipping under his weight. His shoulders tensed as he drew in a breath.

The shrill ring of my phone cut through the silence. My heart stopped as Nathaniel's name flashed across the screen.

Leo and I stared at the glowing screen, my phone vibrating against the bedside table. The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken words.

"You should answer it," Leo said, his voice low. "He's probably back home, found you missing." He stood, straightening his jacket. "Remember, Victoria - you don't have to be scared of him. Not anymore." His dark eyes held mine. "Be strong."

I watched him slip out the door before turning back to the still-ringing phone. My thumb hovered over the screen for a moment before I swiped to answer.

"Where the fuck are you?" Nathaniel's voice boomed through the speaker. "I've been worried sick."

A small chuckle escaped my lips before I could stop it. Worried? The same man who'd orchestrated my father's death, who'd played me like a puppet - worried about me? The absurdity of it struck me to my core.

"Is something funny?" His tone shifted, sharp edges creeping in.

"Victoria." Nathaniel's voice hardened. "Where are you?"

"You don't have to know that." My fingers gripped the phone tighter. The fear that had ruled me for so long transformed into something else - determination, rage, strength.

"What are you talking about? Just tell me-"

"I want a divorce."

The words hung in the air between us, clear and sharp as broken glass. The silence stretched for three heartbeats.

"What?" His voice dropped an octave.

"I know now. Everything." My hand stopped shaking. "I heard you tonight, in your office. About what you did to my father."

The line went dead quiet. I could picture him in our house - his perfect mask cracking, those cold eyes narrowing. Then he laughed. Not the warm chuckle he used at charity galas or the polite laugh he gave business partners. This was different - dark, aggressive, almost animal.

"Oh, Victoria." The words dripped with venom. "My sweet, naive Victoria."

"You have no idea what you're dealing with." Nathaniel's voice turned to ice. "Do you really think you can just walk away? That you understand anything about how this world works?"

My throat tightened as he continued. "Everything you are - your charity work, your social status, that designer wardrobe you love so much - it's all because of me. I made you relevant."

"You killed my father." The words burned coming out.

"Your father was weak." He spat the words like poison. "He had all that property, all that potential, and what did he do with it? Built community centers and low-income housing. Pathetic." A sharp sound - probably his fist hitting his desk. "I gave him chances to do things my way. He chose wrong."

The casual cruelty in his voice made my stomach turn. This was the real Nathaniel - not the charming man who'd courted me, not the successful businessman who donated to children's hospitals. This was the monster beneath the mask.

"You know what's funny?" His tone shifted, almost conversational. "The night before your father died, he actually tried to warn you about me. Called your phone three times. But you were too busy planning for our anniversary to answer, weren't you? Too caught up in your perfect little fairy tale."

My legs gave out and I sank to the floor. Dad had tried to reach me. Had tried to save me. And I'd been too blind to see it.

"So here's what's going to happen," Nathaniel continued. "You're going to come home. We'll discuss this like adults. And then you'll remember your place - by my side, smiling pretty for the cameras, being the perfect wife I created you to be." His voice dropped lower. "Or I'll destroy everything and everyone you care about."