MARRIED FOR REVENGE

Who would’ve thought a bright, sunny day filled with laughter could turn so dark in just a moment?Clara stood under the shade of the beach umbrella, watching the kids run around in the sand, their squeals rising over the crashing waves. Her little daughter, Claire, had been all smiles earlier, wearing her pink birthday dress and twirling like the little princess she believed she was. It was her 5th birthday party, everything seemed perfect.Even though her husband, Ken, hadn’t shown up—not that she expected him to anymore—Clara kept her smile on. She didn’t want to ruin Claire’s day. She’d gotten used to doing it all alone.Her eyes moved slowly across the beach. That’s when she noticed—Claire wasn’t there.She scanned the party again. The laughter, the music, the crashing waves—they all seemed to blur into one low hum. Her chest tightened.Then came the scream.A sharp, bone-deep scream that made her heart stop.The glass of wine slipped from her hand, hitting the sand with a dull t

The cold, gloomy weather, the thick clouds, and the low chants of the priest—all synced with the loneliness that now consumed her.Clara watched as the priest said prayers for little Claire, her heart hollow, her eyes sunken in, making her look dead herself.A few of Claire’s teachers from school were the only ones who bothered to attend the funeral. Everyone was dressed in black. Little Claire’s casket was placed on a silver table.The priest finished the prayers, and Clara was the only one allowed to see little Claire one last time. She stared down at Claire’s lifeless corpse, her skin akin to that of a ghost.She was dressed in her favorite blue gown, one she vividly recalled her wearing when she played the role of Cinderella at school.Her wide grin and cheerful laughter were now replaced by a hollow look—the gore. She had promised to take her to Disneyland during their school break. She never knew her little bundle of joy wouldn’t live to see that day.A drop of tears fell from h

Her eyes fluttered open, taking in the dim lights—she wasn’t in the hospital anymore. Where was she now?She sat up on the bed, eyeing the luxurious room. The doctor had said it wasn’t unusual to fall unconscious now and then after the surgery, but who had brought her here "Kai?She stood up from the bed and walked towards the glass window. It was raining. The rain violently splashed against the glass, and she could see her faint reflection, reminding her that she wasn’t who she used to be anymore; she was someone entirely different now, living to accomplish a certain goal. Her brows pulled together, and then she left the room. She was greeted with a grand hallway; although the lighting was dim, the luxury couldn’t be hidden. Taking more steps, she saw a door at the other end left ajar, leading to a terrace. Kai stood there, his broad back to her as he made a phone call.“I can accomplish my goals without the need for an heir, which is why the thought of getting married sickens me.”

After a few hours of doing nothing but reflecting on my interaction with Kai, the topic of marriage came up, and I could not get Ken and me off my mind.Due to my stubbornness and my love for Ken at the time, my parents disowned me. I recalled my wedding to Ken. We could have had the wedding my parents wanted for me, but I could not have had the wedding I have always wanted, complete with my dream dress, décor, flowers, and other details.But Ken was so broke that the money I received from my parents went towards planning how and where we would live. Since I loved Ken and would stop at nothing to make him happy, I agreed to help him with the money he needed to launch his business.We all rely on my money for everything, and his parents did not help out. We had a church and a pastor who performed the blessings.We went through everything together, and Yvonne, who was my best friend, assured me that she was there for me and had my back. I never suspected I was being duped; we came a lo

I am not sure how long he had been standing there listening to what we were saying.Turning to him, I said, "You are not really available for me to ask you questions, and I apologize if it appears that I am invading your privacy.The timmer of the oven rang out, breaking the silence in the room: "Saved by the bell." As Lucy turned to retrieve the plates, Cindy stepped forward to remove the baked cookies from the oven.I approached Kai and said, "Hello, would you like to take a shower first or some freshly made cookies? How is your day at work?To be completely honest, I have no idea why I said that to him; perhaps it stuck with me because I am so accustomed to treating Ken in the same way.He gave me a strange look, but at least I care about him, or at least I thought so, even though this is not a romantic relationship."What are you attempting to do?" In fact, he appeared perplexed as he asked.He seemed to have never been asked a question like this before."I am used to taking care o