Revenge of the Once Timid Heiress

“I can't believe Damian did this to me,” I sobbed loudly, “He ruined my face!”

Ethan placed a reassuring hand on my cast, “Remember, you mustn't let your emotions run extreme. Your heart is very fragile at the moment.”

How could I not? I remembered my parents. I was their only child. I wondered how they felt thinking I was dead.

“Damian Hale has to suffer for everything he has done to me!” I ground out, my voice an unstable mixture of anger, sadness, and frustration.

Ethan put his hand beneath my chin and brought my eyes to his, “I agree. He has perpetuated evil for so long. But how do we go about it?”

“A man like Damian has secrets that will destroy him. I will expose all his secrets and make sure he suffers the consequences of his actions.” I promised.

“Sir,” The doctor interrupted, “I don't think the lady is in any state for that. It will take at least six months with intense physiotherapy for her fractures to heal, and because of the trauma she has experienced and the drugs we had to give her for her condition, she has a fifty-five percent chance of having a heart attack.”

Ethan looked like he was considering the doctor's words so I immediately called his name, “Ethan! Look at me. I don't know what Damian has done to you, but I know you want to bring him down almost as much as I do. I'm going to push myself past my limits so I can recover quickly. Please, I'm going to need you to repair, no, reconstruct my face. When I finally get better, I'm going to infiltrate Damian's life, find out the skeletons in his closet and have my revenge.”

Ethan looked up to the ceiling and sighed, “Fine. I'll help you but you must promise not to risk yourself stupidly, and not to do anything to impede your recovery.”

A heavy weight was lifted from my heart, “Yes, I agree.”

Ethan turned to the unhappy doctor, “Dr Rand, I need you to refer us to the best cosmetic surgeon you know. Money is not a problem.”

*

Seven months later, I was walking on my own and I could move my arms freely. I felt a little pain but it was nothing I couldn't handle. I'd wasted enough time, and I wanted to get my revenge on Damian immediately.

I was holed up in one of Ethan's numerous apartments in Paris, far away from the prying eyes of his family as well as mine.

The events of the last few months played in a non-ending loop in my head. My parents had put out many search teams to retrieve my missing body, but they'd all come up empty, so they'd had to bury an empty casket in my name. At my burial, Damian and Tiffany had shed crocodile tears, making the whole world believe they were actually grieving.

After that, Damian had tried to convince my parents to agree to the merger deal with my family's company, telling them it was what I would have wanted. At the moment though, my parents had not given him an answer.

I heard the front door unlock, and Ethan entered, wearing a well-tailored suit and holding a paper bag in his hand.

“I brought you croissants, I know how much you like them.” Ethan smiled.

“Thank you,” I tore open the bag and brought out the pastry, munching on it.

Ethan watched me guardedly, and my hackles rose.

“What is it? Is something wrong?”

“I have some news for you but you have to promise me you won't freak out.” Ethan warned.

Eager to hear the news, I nodded.

“Your parents are going to sign the merger deal.”

I dropped the croissant on the floor, “No! No! No! They can't do that! If they do, Damian wins! How did you know? I haven't heard anything on the news!”

After I'd been discharged from the hospital, I'd spent my days soaking up every tidbit of news, facts, and rumours I could find on Damian. If the merger deal was going to happen, I'd have known.

Ethan ran his fingers through his hair, “It's not official yet, but you know Damian. He called me to brag about it. He said the deal will be signed in about three months' time.”

“Shit! That gives me three months to get my revenge!” I'd drawn up an elaborate plan that would take my a year at least, but now I was forced to dump that.

I quickly rushed to my bathroom and went to the mirror. Immediately I saw my face, I stilled. Three months had passed after the extensive reconstructive facial surgery and I still had not gotten used to my new face. It was the antithesis of my old face, angular, slim, with a less pronounced nose and wider lips. While before I'd looked like a choir girl, now I had the aura of a movie star.

I took a pair of scissors from a drawer, and began to snip at my hair. A knock sounded on my bathroom door, and a moment later, Ethan walked in, his hands in his pockets. When he saw my hair on the counter, his eyes widened.

“What are you doing?”

“Cutting off my hair.” My hair had been back-length because that was what Damian liked, but I no longer had to please him. With each lock of hair I cut, I felt like a heavy weight was being lifted off me.

When I'd cut my hair to a chin-length bob, I looked at Ethan through the mirror and asked, “How do I look?”

Without hesitating, Ethan swallowed, “Beautiful as always.”

“Which do you prefer? My old look or this?”

“It doesn't matter. I still know it's you. You're beautiful either ways.”

I nodded, satisfied, “Good to know. Ethan, I'm ready to have my revenge.”

“Sophia, you haven't received a clean bill of health yet.” Ethan complained, “I don't want anything to go

wrong.”

I gripped the edge of the counter, “Ethan! We're running out of time. Either you help me with this, or I sneak out and do it on my own.”