The Day I was Released From Prison, I Got Married

I sped down the highway in the Lamborghini Maxwell had gifted me, easily shaking off Vivienne’s spies. Don’t get it wrong, I might be an amateur, but I’m a top-tier amateur racer—those pathetic tracking skills don’t even come close to catching me. Vivienne clearly underestimated me if she thought her lackeys could keep up.

After completely losing Vivienne’s tails, I headed straight to Beth’s studio. Since her release from prison, the corporate world had blacklisted her, unwilling to take back someone with a criminal record, even though she was innocent. Instead of trying to regain her old status, Beth went in the opposite direction, setting up her own business—a studio specializing in online work where she didn’t have to show her face.

When I arrived, Beth was in the middle of a meeting, coaching a group of live-streamers on how to boost their sales. As soon as she spotted me, she broke away from the session and took me into her private office. I quickly gave her a rundown of my progress, sharing a copy of the recording I’d made of my conversation with Vivienne.

Beth didn’t hide her admiration for me, grabbing my hand with excitement. “I knew I wasn’t wrong about you! You’re smarter than most people I’ve ever met!”

I smiled, accepting Beth’s compliment with ease.

“Same to you,” I replied, giving her the recognition she deserved. She nodded with a grin, graciously accepting the return praise.

Then, I borrowed Beth’s computer and created an account on the studio’s author platform. I began posting my story—everything from my first meeting with the Ashford Family to how they framed me and how I ended up marrying Maxwell—disguising it as a novel. It was risky, but I knew that this would be the first step in my long game.

Beth worked quickly, leveraging her influence in the online world to ensure all the top recommendations and promotions were in place. It didn’t take long for my story to start gaining traction, its real-life inspiration resonating with readers who had no idea it was more than fiction.

As I was leaving, Beth couldn’t resist commenting, “I’ve seen ruthless people, but I’ve never seen someone ruthless enough to lay bare their own bloody wounds for the public to see.”

I understood the deeper meaning behind her words. This wasn’t just about revenge—it was about exposing myself, becoming vulnerable, in order to trap the Ashfords in their own web. The Ashford Family is a top player in the business world, with deep connections in both political and financial circles. Even with all the evidence I had, taking them to court would be a losing battle. They could use their influence to crush me long before I ever saw justice.

But this is the age of the internet. No individual or organization can withstand the relentless pressure of public opinion. With enough voices, even a giant like the Ashford Family could be toppled. So I crafted a persona that appeared greedy and power-hungry, deliberately putting myself out there, exposing myself to the enemy, making them think I was reckless and vulnerable.

I had to keep blackmailing and extorting the Ashfords, pushing them into making mistake after mistake, until the weight of public opinion crushes them and the truth finally comes to light, proving my innocence.

That’s how I’d win, fair and square.

***

Vivienne, with her vast experience in the business world, managed to accomplish in a single day what I had anticipated would take three. I stared at Vivienne’s post on social media, my expression one of disdain and disbelief. The post was dripping with mockery and it was clear that her PR team had executed their strategy flawlessly. With just a few carefully chosen words, they had managed to redirect the public’s focus squarely onto me.

Before long, the hashtag “Nichole Brennan, the Ashford’s criminal daughter-in-law” was trending and every detail of my past was being dragged into the spotlight and scrutinized relentlessly. It was evident that this hot search wasn’t going to fade away any time soon, especially with Vivienne working tirelessly behind the scenes to stoke the flames.

However, I wasn’t particularly concerned. I had financial resources, shares in the company and a growing fame that would help me weather this temporary storm of public scrutiny. In fact, Vivienne’s calculated move ended up backfiring in an unexpected way. Thanks to her maneuver, my novel, which had been languishing in obscurity, suddenly found itself thrust into the spotlight and climbed onto the trending charts.

A segment of readers began to emerge, vocally supporting me and asserting that I had been wronged. Although the support was not overwhelming, it was sufficient for the time being. By this stage, Maxwell and Lydia had probably commenced their so-called "training" at the lower echelons of the company, a consequence of their earlier actions. As a shareholder in the group, I felt it was only fitting to make a visit to my dear husband and my sister-in-law, if only to observe their progress and perhaps offer a bit of my own brand of encouragement.