She framed her husband and put him behind bars, but he never saw it coming.
Emily stood motionless, her gaze locked on the door. The day had finally arrivedthe day she would settle the score with the man who had destroyed her life.
A cruel smile curled her lips. Two years. Two bloody years of waiting.
The creak of the door snapped her back to reality. Her heart hammered against her ribs.
On the bed lay her meager belongings, neatly folded beside the duffel bag she was meant to pack.
A prison officer stepped inside.
“Time’s up, Emily.” She didn’t hesitate. Clothes, letters, the few keepsakes she hadshe shoved them into the bag, then strode past the woman without a word.
“Eager to see your lover, are you?” the guard sneered as she followed her down the corridor.
Emily kept walking, chin high. Shed endured worse than snide remarks. The past was behind her. Now, it was her turn.
Memories flashedthree years ago, when everything had crumbled.
Emily and James had been golden. A thriving business, a perfect marriageor so it seemed. Success had poisoned him. Affairs, lies, the slow erosion of trust. Shed turned a blind eye, clinging to the man shed once loved.
Then, the betrayal.
Papers signed without thoughtdocuments she later learned had been forged. Accusations of fraud, a sham trial, James standing in court, coldly sealing her fate. Five years.
But prison had hardened her. Broken the frightened woman shed been.
Now, released early for good behaviour, she was ready.
“Good luck out there, love,” the guard muttered, shoving her toward the gates.
Emily froze. For two years, revenge had been her lifelinenow, faced with freedom, doubt clawed at her.
Then, she saw him.
David. Jamess oldest friend. The one whod visited her relentlessly, whod believed her when no one else had.
She ran. He caught her, crushing her against his chest.
“Emily. God, I thought this day would never come.”
She buried her face in his shoulder, laughing shakily. Hed been her lifelinevisiting, smuggling information, confessing his love in whispered letters.
“You came,” she breathed.
His grip tightened. “Always.”
She inhaled the scent of his cologne, steadying herself. David had uncovered the truthJamess mistress, the plot to steal Emilys share of the business. Together, theyd planned their move.
“Lets go,” she said, pulling back. “I need to wash this place off me.”
David chuckled. “You smell perfect.”
She grinned, reveling in the warmth of his hand in hers as they walked to the car.
Later, wrapped in his robe, sipping coffee in his flat, she set the mug down with finality.
“Show me.”
David retrieved the documents from his safe. Emilys fingers trembled as she took them.
“Tell me everything.”
He sat beside her, recounting the plan. His sister, a secretary at the firm, had slipped the papers into Jamess stack. Arrogant, careless, hed signed without reading.
Emily exhaled, satisfaction coiling in her chest.
She turned to David, cupping his face. “Marry me.”
His laugh was startled, joyous. “I was going to ask you.”
The next morning, Emily strode into the companys London offices, heels clicking, folder in hand. No one stopped her.
James was mid-call, smirking at some whispered promise. The phone clattered onto the desk when he saw her.
“You? What the hell”
She crossed her legs, placing the folder on her lap. “Still the owner, darling. Or havent you checked the paperwork?”
His face darkened. “Get out.”
She smiled sweetly, sliding the documents across the desk. “Copies. The originals are with my solicitor. Try anything, and youll rot in prison.”
James scanned the pages, disbelief twisting his features. “This is a joke.”
Emily leaned in. “You taught me jokes have consequences.”
Six months later, she married David. The company was hers. The house, the carseverything James had stolen, returned.
The courts ruled in her favour. James vanished, penniless, nameless.
And Emily? She toasted her victory with the man whod fought beside her.
Justice, at last.
