Son of A bitch

—SAMANTHA POV—

It hit the floor with a dull thud, the lid snapping open, revealing the beautiful pastry I had spent weeks picking out. The elegant golden ‘3’ on top, meant to celebrate our anniversary, was now an ugly mockery.

Everything Gina had believed about Zeke.

Everything I had believed about Zeke.

Gone.

“No.” I shook my head, taking a shaky step back. “Stop! You’re lying!"

But Zeke’s smirk deepened.

“I never loved your sister. She was just a toy for me to use,” he casually said, zipping up his pants and then walking back to his desk. “… she was a means to get my inheritance. My grandfather wanted to hand everything over to my stupid uncle, but I wasn’t about to let that happen. So, I thought to myself… why not find some desperate little nobody? Someone pathetic enough to cling to any scrap of affection I threw her way.”

He chuckled, sitting on his expensive leather seat, shaking his head as if recalling an old joke.

“I found pretty Gina. Poor little thing, digging through trash cans, trying to make a few bucks to survive.” He let out a low whistle. “I have to admit, it was almost touching—the way she worked so hard, so determined to scrape her way out of the slums. But let’s be real, Samantha.” He tilted his head, his sly smile turning razor-sharp. “Did you really think I’d ever settle for someone like her?”

He exhaled, closing his eyes, as if indulging in fond memories. “Sweet words, a charming smile, a few expensive gifts… that’s all it took. She fell so easily, so gratefully into my arms. She thought she had found her prince.” His smirk widened. “But in reality? She was nothing more than my perfect pawn.”

God. No.

The office walls felt like it was closing in on me, the air growing thick, suffocating.

I clutched my chest, feeling the weight of everything crashing down on me. I could barely breathe. My vision blurred, but I couldn’t look away. Not from him. Not from the man who had taken advantage of my sister's naivety, and even came for me too.

My legs wobbled. "You… you deceived my sister?" I ground out, my voice shaking with rage. My nails dug into my palms, sharp enough to break the skin, but I barely felt the pain.

"Deceived?" Zeke repeated, letting out a short, amused scoff. He rolled his eyes like I had just said the most ridiculous thing in the world. "Come on, Samantha. Don’t make it sound so dramatic." He sighed, shaking his head as if he were actually disappointed. "If anything, I was being a good man. A real savior, even."

He placed a hand over his chest, mock sincerity dripping from his words. "Your sister was nothing more than a desperate little girl looking for a way out of her miserable life, and I? I was kind enough to give her exactly that. A comfortable life, beautiful clothes, expensive gifts—everything a woman like her could ever dream of."

Then, his face twisted with disgust. "And yet, after all that generosity, what did she do? Spread her legs for some pathetic gigolo just for a few extra bucks on her wedding night and even got pregnant for him." His voice turned sharp, cold. "She was greedy, Samantha. Greedy and shameless."

"Zeke Frost!" I shouted, green veins bulging out of my neck.

His lips curled into a smirk, so heartless, so cold.

Something inside me snapped.

The pain was unbearable, raw, agonizing.

Zeke never loved Gina.

Every single moment she spent believing in him.

Every single sacrifice I made for him—was meaningless.

It was all a lie.

Both my sister and I had been nothing more than pawns to these vile people!

Used. Deceived. Tossed aside.

What had we done to deserve such cruelty?

Was it because we were orphans? Because we had no wealth, no powerful family name to shield us?

Because we were easy to manipulate, easy to discard?

I felt as if the floor had dropped beneath me.

The world spun.

My vision swayed. The room felt too small, the air is too thin.

Ophelia laughed, flaunting her shiny hair. Her eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “Poor, sweet Gina,” she mused. “My, my, my, she thought Zeke was her prince charming when all along, she was just his stepping stone. Just like you, Samantha.”

My stomach twisted violently. My hands clutched my chest as my breath became shallow.

This couldn’t be real.

No. No, no, no.

Ophelia took a slow step toward me, her eyes glinting with wicked satisfaction. She was enjoying this—watching me break.

"You better believe it, Samantha," she purred, her voice thick with malice. "Gina was never special to Zeke. She was just a tool—his ticket to getting what he wanted from his grandfather. A poor, desperate bitch who was so eager to climb the social ladder that she fell right into his trap, believing every sweet lie he fed her."

Ophelia smirked, tilting her head mockingly. "But Zeke? He never saw her as anything more than a stepping stone. A means to an end. If the media hadn't gotten wind of her little scandal—the wedding night disaster, the pregnancy, and then her oh-so-tragic suicide—you wouldn’t even be here right now. Me and Zeke should have been married and even had kids! But the Frosts needed a quick fix to save their spotless reputation."

She leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a whisper that dripped Venom. "And lucky for them, you were the perfect replacement because you and your stupid sister were alike. You're just a living, breathing cover-up for your dead whore of a sister!"

Ophelia’s smirk deepened as she straightened, watching the horror wash over my face. "So you see, Samantha?" She spread her arms in a mocking gesture. "You were never Zeke’s choice. You were just… convenient."

A sob tore through me.

Everything I had believed in—my marriage, Zeke, even Gina’s love story—was a lie.

A cruel, sickening lie!

The world around me swayed, my knees buckling beneath me. My stomach twisted violently, and an unbearable pressure built up in my chest, rising—clawing its way up my throat. I gasped, choking on the raw agony that consumed me.

Then, a sudden metallic taste flooded my mouth.

Before I could stop it, a thick, hot spurt of blood burst past my lips, splattering onto the pristine marble floor, staining it deep red. My breath hitched, my body convulsing as another gush followed, the sharp coppery tang overwhelming my senses.

The floor of the office beneath me tilted.

“Samantha?!" Zeke’s voice was distant, but I barely heard it.

Darkness crept into the edges of my vision

I gasped for air, but my lungs refused to work.

My body gave out.

The last thing I saw before I collapsed was Ophelia’s victorious smirk.