Fueling Her Revenge

Elise's POV

I could barely sleep that night as everything that had happened just that night came back flashing on my memory.

When morning came, my eyes were already heavy. I'd gotten a simple dress at a boutique near the hotel the night before, nothing fancy, just something to wear since I'd left my apartment with nothing but the clothes on my back.

The first thing I reached for was my phone and a message from Morris popped up on the screen. I didn't want to read it at first, my finger hovering over the delete button. But something made me open it.

"Don't bother going to the house. I sold it. You signed it over to me, remember? I told you I'd take everything from you. Watch me."

Another notification followed, it was a scanned copy of a legal document. My own signature at the bottom, dated from months ago. I had signed the house to him some months ago when I still trusted we were going to last forever, and that he'd be my husband after.

Tears filled my eyes as I quickly dressed up and headed to the house,i reached there a few minutes later, and the gate was open, but the front door wasn't. The key I carried didn't work anymore.

"Morris!" I shouted, banging my fist against the door.

"Open this door! You can't do this!" I said but there wao answer.

I pressed my forehead against the wood, tears spilling down my face. All I wanted was one thing, my mother's locket. The only piece of her that still existed.

"Elise?" Someone called and I turned to meet Mrs. Campbell, my elderly neighbor, 

The moment she saw my tears, her expression softened. "What's going on, dear?"

I shook my head helplessly.

"He sold it. My house. My mother's house. Everything..."

Mrs. Campbell came closer and reached for my hand, squeezing it gently. 

"Oh, sweetheart."

Then, without another word, she went back into her home and returned a minute later with a small brass key.

I frowned. "How...?"

"That's not needed now dear, just go get whatever you need." She said to me.

I stared at her, speechless. Then I nodded, tears still streaming down my cheeks, and slid the key into the lock and the door creaked open.

Inside, the walls were already bare, my photos were gone, and the shelves empty. Movers had already started taking things out. I walked through the hallway slowly, this was the remains of my mom, she built this with years of hardwork, a mf now I'm losing it?

My gaze fell on the table in the bedroom and the silver locket sat there, exactly where my mother had left it. My hands trembled as I picked it up and I pressed it against my heart and closed my eyes.

Mrs. Campbell stood waiting for me when I got back outside

"You can stay with me," she said.

"At least for now."

I shook my head. "I can't..."

"You can," Mrs. Campbell interrupted firmly. 

"You have no one else, dear. Let me help, please"

Together, we carried the few boxes that belonged to me to Mrs. Campbell's small house. She's a nice woman really, I can recall a lot of her good deeds. She offers me home made meals, sweeps my courtyard anytime she notices its dirty and even helps me anytime I'm cleaningy outdoors.

Hours later, I lay awake on the couch, scrolling through my phone when I saw a photo of me and Ravien from the night before, though my face was blurred out, but Ravien's wasn't. It was a blog post and different bloggers were posting it with different captions. My stomach turned. Someone had taken pictures! 

Why do I keep getting in a mess?

I stared at the screen, frozen. How did it even get out? Who would've...?

And then, as I kept reading, a new thought slipped into my mind.

Morris had worked under one of Ravien's subsidiary companies. If Ravien wanted to, he could ruin Morris's entire career, and he wouldn't even have to lift a finger to do it.

The thought grew louder, darker, more tempting. Maybe this was how I would make him pay. But how would I find Ravien again? I didn't have his number, not even a trace of where he lived.

Just as I was thinking, my phone buzzed and it was a message from any known number.

"Dinner, tomorrow at 7PM. Send location preference." The chat says. I could see his name on the top of the chat, it was Ravien!

My heart pounded so loudly that I could hear it. Should I go? What if it was about the photo? What if he blamed me and asked me to take responsibility? What if he suspects me involving in this? 

My fingers hovered over the screen before I finally typed one word.

"I'll come." I typed, not quite sure if what I wanted to do was the right thing.

I didn't have anywhere to go the next day so I was specifically waiting for that time to come, and when it was near, I had started dressing earlier.

When I got to the restaurant, it was quiet and it seemed as though he had rented out the whole place. I saw him where he sat at a corner, so calm and collected and dressed in a dark suit.

I walked toward him, 

"Mr. Drayton," I greeted softly, and upon his hand gesture, I sat on the chair across him.

He didn't respond, neither did he even look up. Instead, he reached into his briefcase and pulled out a folder.

Without saying a word, he placed it on the table in front of me and slid it forward. I looked at it, confused. My fingers hesitated before flipping it open, and then I froze.

At the top of the page was printed in bold letters: MARRIAGE AGREEMENT. My eyes darted to him, questioning what the paper meant and why he was showing it to me.

"Let's get married," he said quietly.