Chapter 7: Rachel’s Vow of Vengeance

Seven

"You’re insane!"

He was shocked and furious. Seeing the blood flow, he grabbed his car keys and stormed out without looking back. The slam of the door rattled the picture frames on the wall.

I sat down, poured myself a cup of tea, and drank slowly. The bitter taste settled in my throat, grounding me.

In just three days, my life had become unrecognizable. After leaving the bank, I realized Derek had finally turned his professional skills on me. I was probably more unlucky than most women. Not only had I been betrayed, but my husband was also a professional divorce attorney.

Over the years, he’d developed a cold, ruthless approach that always put interests first. If I kept wallowing in useless pain, I’d be destroyed. I had to fight him using his own methods.

So before coming home, I’d already picked up Caleb from my mother-in-law’s and left him with a trusted chess coach. I needed to make sure our son was out of the blast zone. I drank tea in silence, cup after cup. At some point, the bright moon had climbed quietly into the sky. Somewhere, a distant siren wailed and faded.

After a long while, I went into the bedroom and took out the diagnosis report. As I stared at it, my phone vibrated. Derek had sent a photo.

In the picture, his forehead was already bandaged, and he was lying with his eyes closed on a woman’s lap.

Two hands—one male, one female—were tightly clasped together.

Below was a line of text:

[Since you don’t cherish him, I have no guilt. Thanks to you, I finally decided to accept him.]

This was a notification—and a blatant provocation. I stared at the screen, my hands numb with disbelief.

Someone who’s survived so much hardship has seen the world’s ugliness. How could she really be a flower blooming in the mud?

She’d knocked over the soup on purpose this afternoon.

And when I was about to leave, she apologized and called out to me—also on purpose.

Because she’d already tipped off Derek to come.

Derek could see through interests, but not through people’s hearts.

"Men are really disgusting!"

I muttered, feeding the diagnosis report into the shredder. The machine’s whir sounded like applause.

As the machine whirred, my heart settled.

Yes, what I was up against:

One was the “Most Inspiring Kind Woman.”

One was a renowned professional divorce attorney.

But I was determined to fight this battle to the end.

Divorce was a must.

My son and my money—I would keep them both.

More importantly—

Let them have each other. I’ll make sure their happy ending is anything but. Game on.

"The light boat has passed ten thousand mountains?"

I want you to face mountain after mountain and river after river—each one higher than the last. And I will be the storm on the far shore, waiting.