Revenge of the Once Timid Heiress

My breath hitched, I wanted to scream, “Yes you do! I'm your wife whom you tried to kill!”

But at the same time, I knew I couldn't. So instead, I forced a little smile, “No, we haven't met before. My name is Elena Montgomery.”

Damian held out his hand for a shake, and I took it, squeezing it hard.

Damian grinned, “Quite the grip you have there.”

I immediately released his hand and the three of us went to the large dining room.

I heard Damian whisper to Ethan, “She's feisty, just my type.”

I almost snorted. Damian had told me he loved quiet and demure women, and whenever I'd tried to be fun and lively, he'd frowned at that.

“From that attitude,” Damian continued, “I know she's a wildcat in bed.”

Ethan shoved Damian, “Stop talking about my girlfriend that way.”

“Ethan, stop shoving your brother.” Denise Hale warned. Denise was Damian's mother and Ethan's stepmother. An old woman with exquisite fashion taste and a face that had received more botox injections than I cared to know, she was shrewd and ruthless, and thought Damian could do no wrong.

When she saw me, she eyed me suspiciously, “Ethan, who is your guest?”

“Elena Montgomery,” Ethan introduced as he pulled out a seat for me at the dining table, “She's my girlfriend. Elena, this is Denise, my stepmother.”

Denise assessed me, her eyes noting the necklace around my neck, “Pleased to meet you, dear. If you don't

mind my asking, what do you do for a living?”

I lied smoothly, “Nothing much. You see, my family owns three thriving diamond mines. So, I just keep myself busy investing my money in profitable businesses.”

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Damian's eyes light up. I knew he was searching for investors for a new secret subsidiary of his, and I needed to get more information on that. Who knew, maybe that was what held the key to destroying him.

Damian opened his mouth to ask me a question when a woman rushed into the room.

“OMG! Everyone, I'm sorry I'm late. Traffic was a bitch.” It was Tiffany, my ex-bestfriend. She was dressed in a short gown and high heels.

Denise eyed her disapprovingly, “Watch your language, young woman.”

“Oops,” Tiffany feigned remorse and dropped a bottle of wine on the table. Then, she leaned in and kissed Damian thoroughly on the lips.

I watched them smooch and anger rose in my stomach. I held my knife tightly, a part of me wanting to stab the treacherous couple.

Ethan shot me a pitying glance and gently tugged the knife away from me.

“Cut it out.” Denise snapped at them, and Damian pulled away from Tiffany.

“Sorry for that,” Tiffany laughed, her cheeks red, “Damian and I love each other so much, sometimes we forget we're not alone in the room.”

“Yes,” Damian took Tiffany's hand and kissed it.

This was the same Damian who had scolded me when I'd tried to display my affections in public. It seemed he no longer minded kissing in public, the hypocrite.

Tiffany looked around the table for the first time and saw me, “Oh, hello. You're new.”

“Hi, I'm Elena, Ethan's girlfriend.” I choked out.

“Oh, Ethan. You finally found a girlfriend, good for you.” Tiffany congratulated him.

Then to me, she said, “I'm Tiffany, Damian's fiancée.”

The whole table went silent. Wheels turned in my head. Just seven months after my 'death', and Damian was already planning to marry Tiffany? The horror of it all.

Denise cleared her throat, “Damian, is this true?”

Damian nodded happily, “Yes, mum. I love Tiffany, and I'm tired of hiding our relationship. I proposed to her this morning, and I'm going to have my secretary release an announcement to the general public.”

Denise hissed, “Is that really smart? We're yet to sign the merger with your dead wife's parents. Don't you

think they'll feel betrayed when they hear you're marrying their daughter's best friend? Moreover, I'm quite shocked you didn't ask for my permission on this. There are more suitable women out t—”

“That's enough, Mummy!” Damian hit his fist on the table, “You don't have to worry about Sophia's parents. All I have to do is shed a few tears and tell them how much I loved their daughter, and I'll have them stupidly earing from the palm of my hand.”

It enraged me that Damian thought my parents were stupid. Back then, he was always respectful and polite towards them, winning their hearts with gifts and thoughtful gestures. To think all that had been one big fat lie.

“As for Tiffany, she may not be from a rich family but I still love her. Without her, I wouldn't have achieved half of what I have today.” Damian finished and kissed Tiffany once more.

Bile churned in my stomach and I abruptly stood up, “Excuse me, I'd like to use the bathroom.”

Ethan stood, “Honey, is something wrong? Do you want me to come with you?”

“Not really, I just have to ... powder my nose.” I answered.

“Okay, hurry back.” Ethan gave me directions to the bathroom and surprised me with a quick peck on my lips.

I stumbled away from the table and into the bathroom stall. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and willed myself to not get mad.

“You can do this,” I mused, “Remember what's at stake here. Don't let your emotions run amock.”

I was encouraging myself when the bathroom door opened and Tiffany walked in.

She went straight to the mirror and began to reapply her lipstick, “Are you scared of Denise? You shouldn't be, she's all bark and no bite.”

I frowned, “Isn't that something rude to say about your future mother-in-law?”

Tiffany guffawed, “Please, she's said worse things about me. She doesn't think I'm good enough for her son.”

I shrugged. Denise had felt the sake way about me too.

“But she's wrong,” Tiffany smacked her lips, “I'm the best fucking thing to happen to her son.”

Tiffany felt so confident, so I decided to shake her up a little bit, “Back at the table, I got a little confused. You said Damian's first wife died, and you're her bestfriend. Don't you feel like you're betraying her by dating her man?”