Chapter 8
Maria was left speechless by my confrontation, her face alternating between ashen and flushed.
She took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for something. “Kimberly, I know you resent me.”
“But you can’t deny Scott has always loved me.”
“If you hadn’t interfered, we’d be married by now!”
“Oh?” I lifted a champagne flute, swirling it gently. “Then why did he marry me?”
“That’s because you played dirty!” she lashed out, voice trembling. “You used your injury to guilt–trip him!”
“Dirty?” I laughed, draining the champagne in one gulp.
“Maria, did you think I wouldn’t notice Amanda’s your puppet?”
“You made her mimic you to get close to Scott–testing if he still cared for you.”
“You wanted to see if he’d divorce me for your sake.”
“Well?” I slammed the empty glass down with a sharp clink. “He actually chose to dump me over a cheap imitation.”
“Feeling smug? Thinking he still carries a torch for you?”
Panic flickered across Maria’s face before she regained composure. “So what? It proves he never loved you!”
“True, he doesn’t love me,” I conceded calmly. “But he doesn’t love you either.”
“He’s obsessed with that phantom First Love–the girl who gave him peppermint candy when he hit rock bottom.”
“And you stopped being that girl long ago.”
“You-”
“Miss Moore,” Russell cut in icily, “my sister won’t waste breath on you.”
“If you’re here to beg mercy, save it.”
“Scott and your Moore family will pay for everything.”
Maria’s face went deathly pale. “Russell! What’s my family got to do with this?”
He gave a mirthless laugh, pulling a recorder from his pocket.
The device crackled with Maria’s voice conspiring with Scott’s business rival years prior:
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Chapter 8
“…Once it’s done, that downtown land parcel goes to your Moore family.”
“Relax–that fool Scott eats up my tears. A few sobs and he’ll swallow any lie.”
The recording echoed through the ballroom, drawing stunned gasps.
All color drained from Maria’s face.
“No… It’s fabricated!” she shrieked hysterically.
Russell switched off the recorder, eyes like shards of ice. “We’ll settle authenticity in court.”
“Enjoy your final days of freedom, Miss Moore.”
He turned from the crumbling Maria…
“Kimberly, let’s go.”
I followed Russell through the crowd’s weighted stares, exiting the ballroom.
Outside, the air tasted crisp and clean.
I inhaled deeply, feeling chains shatter.
The three–year nightmare was finally ending.
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Chapter 9
