Revenge of the Once Timid Heiress

When I opened my eyes, I saw myself in a pristine white room.

“Am I in heaven?” I wondered. The door opened and an old man in a lab coat entered.

“Thank God! You're awake!” He exclaimed, writing something in a chart. That was when I realized I was in a hospital. I had somehow survived what had happened to me. I suddenly remembered Damian and the hatred on his face as he had pushed me out the window, and I started crying. The machines close to me began to beep, and the doctor tutted, “Dear, stop thinking about whatever it is your thinking about. We don't want your heart rate rising, or you'll have a cardiac arrest!”

I forced myself to calm down, and tried to wipe my tears. That was when I noticed both my arms and my legs were in a cast.

“Where am I?”

“You're in a private clinic in the Hamptons.” The doctor answered.

“Who brought me here?”

“I did.” The door opened, and a young man walked in. He was blond, with beautiful hazel eyes, and a bone structure to die for. He looked familiar but I couldn't remember where I'd met him.

“Thank you for saving me.” I tried to smile, but my face felt numb.

“It's no problem.” He answered, settling in one of the chairs in the room. In sweats, he looked nice but I forced myself to remember there were more important things to do.

“How did you find me?”

“I'm a fan of sailing,” He explained succinctly, “Last night, I rented a boat to sail the quiet waters and I heard a scream followed by a thud, then I found you and brought you here.”

He smiled pityingly, and once again I was struck by how familiar he looked.

“Excuse me, do I know you from somewhere?”

He chuckled, “I'm hurt you don't remember me. I'm Ethan. Ethan Hale, your husband's stepbrother.”

Shivers of fear worked up my spine. Yes, Ethan was Damien's stepbrother from his late father's mistress. I'd seen him around a few times when I'd followed Damian to his family house for dinner. Ethan was usually quiet and mostly kept to himself, but he was still related to Damian. If Damian knew I was still alive, it was only a matter of time before he tried to kill me again.

“Please, please, don't tell Damian I'm here.” I begged.

Ethan looked uncomfortable, “Don't worry, he doesn't know. Nobody knows.”

I was stunned. Why would Ethan rescue me and keep it a secret?

“Oh, don't look so surprised, I know my elder brother wanted to kill you.”

My eyes bugged, “What? How did you know?”

“When you fell, Damian and some woman came to check if you were really dead. When they saw you weren't moving, they were happy.” Ethan answered, his face devoid of expression.

As much as I knew it, it still broke my heart to hear Ethan say Tiffany and Damian had tried to kill me. It was unfair really. I had made many sacrifices for them, and in return they'd treated me worse than dirt.

“So, why did Damian try to kill you?”

I spat angrily, “I caught him cheating on me with my bestfriend, and I told him I was going to divorce him.”

Ethan's jaw bulged, “I'm not surprised. Damian has a knack for eliminating anybody who stands in his way.”

From the way Ethan's body tightened, I could tell he had his own greviances against Damian. The man who had decieved me, who had taken my heart and crushed it without regard.

The doctor cleared his throat, “Uhm, there's something you two need to see.”

He picked up a remote and turned on the flatscreen TV in the room. The face and voice of a newscaster filled the room, “Breaking News: The Hale and Caldwell families have announced the death of Sophia Caldwell Hale, heiress to the internationally renowned Caldwell Hotel and Suites, and wife to Damian Hale, heir to Hale Oil and Gas, in an accident. It is reported that Sophia fell from the window of a mansion in the Hamptons and although her body has not yet been found, it is believed she is dead because nobody could survive such a huge fall.”

“Surprise, surprise.” I muttered beneath my breath.

Suddenly, the camera cut from the newscaster, and showed Damian addressing a horde of reporters. His eyes were red-rimmed, his hair was dishevelled and his clothes were rumpled. He was unlike himself. The Damian I knew would never let the press catch him looking haggard.

He looked into the camera and his eyes filled with tears, “My heart is shattered. I don't know what I did to deserve this. My wife of only a few hours fell to her death, and I'm so devastated. I loved Sophia with all my heart, and I don't know if I will ever love again. Please, be kind to me and Sophia's people as we navigate these trying times, thank you.”

My heart began to pound with rage, “Liar!”

The machines hooked to me began to beep again, and the doctor came to soothe me, “Stop it, Miss Caldwell!”

“Calm down, Sophia.” Ethan laid a hand on my cast. For some reason, some of my anger ebbed at his touch, but not all.

“I can't calm down,” I growled, “Didn't you see him lying about me? He's going to get the merger with my family, and he's going to keep having an affair with my bestfriend! I can't let that happen! I have to destroy Damian Hale and everything he stands for, and I have to do it now!”

Ethan sighed, “Sophia, you're not in any state to do that.”

“Why?”

The doctor chimed in, “Dear, you have thirteen fractures in your limbs, and thirteen stitches in your abdomen. Your ribs are broken, and your face ...”

“What about my face?” Fear gripped me by the neck.

The doctor sighed and held a mirror out to my face. What had been a beautiful feminine face was now a foreign landscape mutilated with huge cuts and bruises, most of which had been sutured and patched.

“Arrrrgh!” I screamed in abject horror.