Payback

Jalen’s POV

The next morning, I woke up with a calm I hadn’t felt in years.

I dragged my robe on and strode out of the room to sit at the dining table with my laptop and coffee. I had sent out the video Fiona sent me anonymously to several popular blogs and gossip platforms on purpose. I wanted her to feel the same pain I felt when she did the same thing.

My conscience felt heavy, but I didn’t mind what it cost. She never thought about mine when she leaked my video with Fiona.

Within thirty minutes, the video exploded.

It went viral, I didn't expect it to go out that much. My phone chimed continuously with messages from different friends and family, including fiona but i ignored it.

I stood up from my laptop and crossed the room in three strides and crashed into the three-seater chair. Then, I suddenly heard Marian’s voice ring through the house from upstairs as she answered a call.

“Jordan, calm down!” she hissed. “I don’t know how it got out… Yes, I’m handling it… No, don’t come here!”

I smiled into my coffee, listening to her panicked voice. Pure satisfaction coursed through my veins.

Soon, heavy footsteps stormed down the stairs.

“You bastard!” Marian screamed, marching into the living room like a woman possessed. “What have you done? You leaked that video! How could you?!” she yelled while panting

I didn’t look up from my phone. I kept scrolling through the comments, a small smirk playing on my lips.

Marian grabbed a vase and smashed it on the floor close to my feet, her body shivered with fury, her hands trembled like she was about to give up.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you!” she shrieked. “You have no shame! After everything I’ve done for you! I took your bullshit and defended you in public, I covered for your cheating miserable life and this is all I get?”

I finally lifted my gaze, calm and unbothered.

“You should be more careful where you fuck people, Marian. Especially in my house.”

“Your house?” she scoffed. “You forget that this house belongs to my father and he willed it to me as a wedding gift just so we could have a roof over our head, you have been nothing but a burden to my family and me since I married you fucking asshole.”

She let out a frustrated scream and ran back upstairs. Minutes later, she came down dragging two of my suitcases, throwing them toward the front door.

“Get out!” she yelled. “Get the hell out of my house!”

I stood up slowly, walked over to my laptop on the table, and forwarded another file to her.

“You forget that I still have a video of you and your little bitch, drilling her fucking hole in a strip club hun? How will her father feel when he sees that hun?”

“You already publicized one video, sending another will make people see you as a fool cause they already know what's going on now. Save yourself the stress.” I answered. Before she could say another word, her phone chimed.

She opened it.

Her face went pale as she scrolled through the documents — bank statements, wire transfers, fake invoices. All the proof of her stealing millions from the University of Arts over the past four years.

“You… you wouldn’t dare,” she whispered.

I stepped closer, voice low and dangerous.

“Count yourself lucky I haven’t sent this to the board yet. Pack my bags back inside this minute. We will live in this house until the divorce is finalized. And if you ever come near Fiona again — if you even look in her direction — I will release everything. Your career, your reputation, your freedom… everything will burn.”

Marian’s legs gave out. She staggered and dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face.

“Jalen, please… delete it. I’m begging you. I’ll do anything.”

I stared down at her coldly.

“You should have thought about that before you tried to destroy Fiona.”

I turned and walked upstairs to my room, leaving her sobbing on the floor.

Marian’s POV

Later that evening, I sat in my car at a secluded park on the outskirts of the city, heart still racing with rage and fear. I had cried the last drop in my tear gland that I had nothing else to give, Jalen is a cruel beast, I can't believe I married him, I can't believe I ever loved him.

My head kept banging, my eyes were swollen and sore, burning.

“I hate him! I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!” I screamed, slamming hard at my car's steering wheel.

Jordan arrived ten minutes later. He looked just as disheveled as I felt.

“You should save your last strength for the solution to what the fuck is going on,”

“What the fuck is going on, Marian?” he snapped. “That video is everywhere! My wife is calling me every hour. My business partners are asking questions! How could you be so reckless?”

“Just shut up and listen,” I said sharply. “Jalen has more. He has proof of the money I’ve been taking from the school. If I don’t play by his rules, he’ll destroy me completely.”

“How is that my fucking business?” he asked and I chuckled.

“Jordan,” I called, dragging his name a little too dangerously. “You forget that we spent all that money together, the money can be traced to your accounts if anything gets out, so if I'm going down, you are coming with me, and don’t you ever blame me for the videos because we both enjoyed it.”

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. “So what now? You’re just going to let him win?”

A dark smile slowly spread across my face.

“No,” I said, voice dripping with venom. “I have a plan.”

Jordan raised an eyebrow. “What kind of plan?”

I leaned closer, lowering my voice even though we were completely alone.

“We’re going to hit him where it hurts most. We’re going to destroy that little bitch Fiona in a way Jalen will never recover from.”

Jordan smirked. “I’m listening.”

I stared out into the dark trees, my mind already spinning with wicked possibilities.

“By the time I’m done,” I whispered, “Fiona will wish she never met my husband.”