LOVE AND RUIN: RHEA'S REVENGE

Today was supposed to be the turning point of my life. The day that'd counter all the tough days I ever had and crush them so badly that they would look like they never even existed. The happiest day of my life. I had woken up to the news that my boyfriend, Finn Dalton, the newly appointed CEO of the SYR Group, had bought an engagement ring and was planning a surprise party for his love - me. I had immediately gone to fix myself up. I did my nails, hair, and makeup as he loved it - clean and not overly flashy - and I wore a maroon tea length dress that defined my curves. I paired it with my black stilettos, a pearl necklace, and a black purse. And when I stared at the mirror, I was proud of she who stared right back at me - Rhea Dawson. A tear escaped my eyes and I dabbed my cheek gently with a napkin and then a powder brush. It was a happy tear, reminding me of all the bumps and hurdles we had overcome in the previous years. I closed my eyes and let myself sink into my memorie

Rhea Ann Dawson was dead - killed by her boyfriend, Finn Dalton. The wail of a police siren jolted me awake, adrenaline kicked in, and a few minutes later I had gotten out of the car and sprinting as far away from it as possible before it exploded. I couldn't get far enough though and the explosion did the rest, throwing off the alley onto the street. But adrenaline still worked overtime and even though I was bleeding badly and had a few broken bones, I was able to get up on my feet and crawl into the garbage truck that was parked close by. Once I was nestled up in it, I fell asleep. I woke up again, thanks this time to the scorching sun burning up my face. I immediately tried to block its rays with my hand but it didn't budge. Then I felt a piercing pain tearing at my head and secondary ones in my shoulders, back, and ankle. I bit on my lips to hold back tears, forcing myself up.

I would have to face Finn again. And I wasn't going to do it blinded. The next few days passed like a breeze. Diego and his dad, Matteo, took good care of me and my injuries healed faster each day. Sofia, his mother, wasn't keen on having me around. Thanks to my A+ in Spanish, I could understand that she saw me as a moocher, a temptress, and a demoness sent to steal her family away. The old me would have left one morning, before anyone else woke up, so they'd be more peaceful but being blind meant they'd just have to find me passed out or even dead a few metres away. So even though it was insulting to me, I had to deal with it, depending on their kindness until I learn to survive on my own. Diego would show me outside and around the house while I tried to remember where everything was so I could move a

I was going to make Jennifer Rossi suffer. So much that she'd wish for death. I stalked Jennifer a bit more that night, falling asleep with my phone in hand and her face on it. The next day, we went for my checkup and I had 20/20 vision in both eyes. Before we left the hospital, Diego convinced me to take him to eat ice cream and we snuck away when neither Matteo nor Sofia were looking. We got to the mall and I indulged him and got him the biggest size they had cause his parents were "no-sugar activists" and he wouldn't get another chance like this. I got myself a small sized one and we sat and ate, chatting and laughing over random things. He smeared a little on his face and I leaned forward to wipe it but froze immediately. Downstairs, Finn and Rita had just walked in hand in hand, and they were head