PROLOGUE

"GOOD evening, ma'am! Welcome back!"

A woman in her early forties stepped out of a luxury car and smiled at the elderly man who greeted her. She took a deep breath and looked around the mansion in front of her. It was grand and screamed wealth and elegance. It looked like a royal palace that could capture anyone's attention—intimidating yet astonishing. It was larger than life but definitely appropriate for a woman like her. It was exactly the kind of place where she could show everyone her power and dominance.

I'm fuckin' back.

She had been planning her return for several years. She had been working and planning tirelessly and patiently to ensure that her plans would run smoothly. She was meticulous about every detail and made certain that nothing was overlooked. After all the struggles that she'd been through, she couldn't afford to fail. There was no room for mistakes and she wouldn't settle for anything less than perfection. Her vengeance schemes had to materialize and she would make sure to succeed.

Now that everything was in place, it was time to start the show. It was time for her to take a step back and let things play out. She will watch all of them get confused, suffer and question their sanity.

It was time for retaliation.

Everyone will have to pay.

"Did you put together my request?" she asked.

"Everything is in order, ma'am," the old man politely replied.

"Good."

She walked into the mansion and smiled at everyone who greeted her. She gazed at the huge chandelier, sighed deeply and closed her eyes. She was transported back to the time when she thought there was no hope for her. There was a time in her life when she thought that the world was too cruel to her and she didn't deserve to live a happy life. She was too miserable and she could no longer see any reason to live. Who would've thought that she would reach this point? The once scorned woman was back with an undeniable strength that they wouldn't be able to handle. She felt like a queen on a mission to rule the world. She could already sense her success even before the show she has prepared begins.

"We're so glad to finally see you in the flesh, ma'am. We hope you'll stay with us for a long time," one of the house maids approached her with a brilliant smile.

"Me too," she replied and smiled back at her. "And yes, I'm staying here for a long time." Because she had no plans of leaving until she gets what she wanted.

She will put justice in her own hands and she will make sure that it will be served in a bloody gold platter. Each one of them will be reminded of the wrong deeds that they have done to her. They will realize and regret their mistakes and suffer the consequences of their evil deeds.

Few seconds later, she climbed to the second floor of the mansion and entered the study. The light was dim as she approached the mahogany table and took the picture frame that was on display. It was the image of the man who had played a significant role in her life. She carresses the photo and smiled slightly, remembering what he had done for her. He made her feel as if she was deserving of all the good things in life. He made her hope again. When she thought her life was over, he helped her get back on her feet. He restored her faith in herself.

"I finally got here," she said quietly. "I will not let everything you have done for me go to waste. I promise you, I will succeed."

She lowered the picture frame and drank a glass of red wine that had been prepared for her.

"I wonder how they will react when they see me again." She made a sheepish grin as she looked at her reflection in the glass window.

The woman on the mirror was so different from the woman that she used to be. There was no trace of her old naive self now. Everything about her was powerful and strong. One look at her and you'd know that she wasn't someone to mess with.

"They have to wait a little longer, though," she added in a teasing tone. "For now, I will enjoy the 'play ground' that I created and play with their lives first. And when the time has come to reveal myself, I'll make sure all of them will feel my wrath."

She let out a long sigh and reached for a small remote control. She pressed a button, and a secret door hidden behind two large bookshelves automatically opened. Still holding a glass of red wine, she slowly entered the secret room that was specifically made according to her request.

The moment she got inside the room, she was greeted by a massive wedding portrait in the very center of the room. Five lights illuminated the portrait, allowing her to see the couple's big smiles. They appeared to be genuinely happy and in love. They looked like an ideal couple living happily together. They seemed to be really in love because they found happiness in each other's arms.

Too bad, she was about to ruin their lives for good.

"Hello there!" she mockingly greeted. "Did you miss me?"

Looking at the portrait brought her back to her dark days. Her heart's unhealed wounds became even more painful, her chest tightened and her tears threatened to fall as she looked at them.

They didn't have the right to be happy while she was miserable. They should also suffer and live a life full of misery.

She slowly approached the portrait and loudly threw the wine glass she was holding. Red liquid splattered all over the image. Still unsatisfied, she picked up a large piece of glass and stabbed it into the portrait for as many times as she could. The cracks in the portrait grew larger and larger much to her satisfaction.

It felt so good.

But she know that it was not enough. It would take way more than a broken portrait to make her feel completely satisfied. Heck, seeing them suffer wouldn't even suffice. She had to see them shattered beyond repair.

With all the power and renewed strength that she got, she was more than confident that she could devastate their lives. She remembered all the evil things they had done to her while she was stabbing the portrait. With each stab, she reminded herself of how they treated her like she was a worthless garbage.

Now that she's back, she will inflict the same pain on them. She will squish them to smithereens while they beg for her mercy.

An eye for an eye.

A tooth for a tooth.