“Ethan, Valentine’s Day is so lonely by myself. Why don’t you come and keep me company?” My husband immediately took a screenshot and sent it to the Family WhatsApp Group, followed by reporting her on social media. I stood there, jaw dropping, not able to say a word before Ethan’s warm body wrapped around me again. “That doesn’t count, I haven’t shown my true strength yet,” he said, playfully pinning me down. As soon as the screenshot hit the Family WhatsApp Group, it exploded. Sabrina Rivers, my third cousin, chimed in sarcastically: “Look at Madison, shameless as always!” My brother, Zach Rivers, tagged Madison with a cold laugh: “Madison, you’re disgusting! Try to steal my sister’s man again and I swear I’ll ruin you!” Thanks for the reminder. Of course, it had to be brought up. Madison and I never got along, and she always had a habit of taking my things. But I never thought she’d stoop so low as to throw her body into the mix. Two years ago, Liam Carter and I had gone home to introduce him to my parents to discuss marriage, but Madison seduced him. I caught them in bed together. Two years later, she’s trying the same old tricks! But Ethan Cross is no Liam Carter. Her little game won’t work on him! While I was thinking about it, Ethan leaned in close and whispered, “How are you feeling, babe? Was that enough payback?” Ethan and I were always very open with each other, and he knew everything about me. I smiled. “Yeah, that was pretty satisfying!” Just imagining Madison pulling out her hair in frustration had me feeling gleeful. “But…” I waved my hand. “Let’s not celebrate too soon.” Sure enough, right after I said that, my dad called. As soon as I picked up, he started yelling, “Ava! Are you trying to kill your sister? Get in that group chat and explain yourself!” I chuckled in disbelief. “Explain what? That she was prowling around in the middle of the night, trying to seduce my husband?” He was silent for a second. Then angrily, “Nonsense! She just lost a game! Now get in there and clear it up!” As he spoke, I could hear Madison crying in the background, people comforting her. I rolled my eyes and sneered, “Sure thing.” Since she wanted to ruin my Valentine’s Day, nobody was going to have a good time. I hung up the phone and immediately opened up Mr. Mason’s contact. Conveniently, he’d been trying to partner with CrossTech Enterprises, and I just happened to be in charge of the project. Madison worked for him. I sent the message. Within minutes, he replied: “Apologies, Ms. Rivers. I’ll handle this immediately and make sure you’re satisfied with the outcome.” It didn’t even take 30 minutes. He messaged me again with the result: Madison had been fired. I thought she might have learned her lesson, but no—she dared to pull more stunts that same night!
It was late, and I was half asleep when Ethan’s phone kept buzzing. I was about to put it on silent when I saw it was Madison. Suddenly, I was wide awake. She had sent him a photo of herself in a flimsy nightgown, with tears streaming down her face. She looked so pitiful. “Sorry, Ethan. I lost a party game. I didn’t know Ava would be so petty and share the screenshots with everyone and then complain to Mr. Mason, which got me fired.” “I know she’s still hung up on Liam. That’s why she hates me. I’ll give Liam back to her if she stops coming after me, okay?” I shook Ethan awake, fuming. “Look at this!” “Unbelievable,” Ethan muttered after reading it, rolling his eyes. He quickly started typing a response. “Madison, you love throwing yourself at men. You didn’t get fired for nothing. CrossTech doesn’t hire chickens, so you shouldn’t be surprised.” “And what’s Liam worth? He’s trash. You love him so much, you can keep him. You two are made for each other.” Without waiting for a response, Ethan blocked her. I grinned and kissed him on the cheek as a reward. The next day, after replying to messages from friends who were concerned about the drama, I headed to work. I was feeling a bit tired after a long day when Ethan came home. “Babe, I missed you,” he said, dropping his briefcase and wrapping his arms around me from behind, nuzzling my neck. I was about to scold him playfully when I caught a whiff of a familiar scent. Madison’s perfume. My face changed immediately. “Did Madison come to see you?” “Yes, but I didn’t meet with her! The smell must’ve gotten on me by accident,” he said, trying to reassure me. Ethan’s face twisted with disgust. “Your cousin is out of her mind. She was waiting by my car and literally threw herself at me. I kicked her to the ground!” “Pfft~” The image of Ethan kicking Madison made me laugh out loud. “As long as you’re not mad,” Ethan sighed with relief. “I’m not mad at you,” I said softly. I wasn’t angry with Ethan. I was just disgusted by Madison’s shamelessness. “If I had known she rubbed off on me, I would’ve thrown out these clothes,” he said, tossing his jacket in the trash before heading upstairs to take a shower. As I was getting dinner ready, my phone kept buzzing. Sabrina Rivers: Ava, check Instagram! Did you get cheated on again?! What?!
I narrowed my eyes and opened Instagram. There it was, trending locally. Shocking! CEO of CrossTech Enterprises caught in a parking lot tryst with a mysterious woman! The photos were crystal clear. Ethan was lowering his head, and Madison was looking up at him with a soft, flirty smile. From the angle, it looked like they were hugging—or worse, kissing. Knew the CEO’s wife was a looker, but wow, she’s stunning! Omg! They’re perfect together. I’m shipping this couple! Even some of Ethan’s business partners were congratulating them in the comments. And to make things worse, Madison had capitalized on the attention, posting a vague message on Instagram that only fueled the rumors further. I was furious. Right then, Ethan came running downstairs, not even fully dressed. “Babe! You believe me, right? It’s all a setup!” I sighed. “I know.” I never doubted him. We were both very private and had kept our marriage under the radar. No one knew I was his wife, which gave Madison the perfect opportunity to manipulate things. Ethan, now fully enraged, replied to the top comment: You can ship what you want, but let’s not get twisted. Then, he posted a photo of our wedding. Within minutes, CrossTech’s official Instagram blew up. This is the real wife! Look at them, they’re so sweet together! Told you, Ethan looked totally disgusted in that other photo. That girl was obviously trying to force herself on him! Some of the internet turned against Madison, while others attacked Ethan for getting involved in a scandal. But CrossTech’s PR team was fast. They found the parking lot footage, traced the source of the viral post, and uncovered that Madison had paid to have it promoted. Ethan didn’t lie—he had actually kicked her to the ground. When the footage dropped, I had to stifle a laugh seeing Madison fall. OMG, am I the only one who thinks Ethan kicking her looked kinda hot?! Ethan even liked that comment. Guys, take notes—this is how you deal with a scheming woman! Lol, Ethan’s face said, ‘Don’t touch me!’ I’m dying! The comments were overwhelmingly on our side. Madison was torn to shreds online and earned the nickname “Clinger.” She panicked and deleted her Instagram account overnight. But I wasn’t done with her yet. Everyone has to pay for what they’ve done.
I asked Sabrina for some information. Turns out, after Liam Carter went bankrupt, Madison dumped him. Even though she was the one who left him because he was broke, she spun the story to make it seem like it was my fault. I scoffed. “Shameless.” “Exactly! Ava, you think she’s about to make a move?” Sabrina asked excitedly. I nodded. She continued, “I’ve been waiting for this! Let me send you something—I want in on this too!” After the call, she sent me a recording. I laughed after listening. “Thanks, Sabrina! I owe you dinner.” I hadn’t even reached out to Liam when he showed up at my office! The next day, I received a bouquet of roses at work. I thought for sure it was Ethan being romantic. But when I saw Liam Carter standing there, I wanted to gouge my eyes out. “Ava, Madison told me you’ve always had feelings for me,” Liam said smugly, raising an eyebrow. Ha! I wondered how he had the nerve to show his face. Madison must have really brainwashed him into thinking I still cared. I glared at him silently. He mistook it for shyness and kept going, “After we broke up, I realized that you’re the one I truly love. Why don’t we just get back together?” “I don’t care that you’ve been married. But if we do tie the knot, you’d need to bring a house and a car as part of the deal. My parents would expect that.” He was acting like he was doing me a favor. It made me sick. Beyond delusional. I scowled. “Liam, I’m not interested in picking up trash.” Goosebumps covered my arms as I suppressed my disgust. “But I do have a little gift for you.” “A gift?” Liam looked eager. “You really think Liam is all that? If Ava hadn’t liked him back then, and if he hadn’t had some money, I never would’ve gone near him,” said Madison’s voice from the recording. “Who would want to marry a broke man like him? He’s got nothing left now—he’s dreaming if he thinks he’s going to marry me!” Her words echoed through the office, loud enough for everyone to hear. I saw Liam’s face drain of color. So I smiled and said, “Weren’t you and Madison supposed to be in love? I guess it was all about the money, huh?” “I heard your family lost the house. You should ask for some of those gifts back from Madison. Maybe you can afford to live a little more comfortably.” As I twisted the knife, I knew I was turning him against Madison. Sure enough, his face turned dark as he stormed out of the office. Knowing how petty Liam was, there was no way he’d let Madison get away with making a fool of him. I called Ethan and asked him to join me for the show. By the time we arrived, Liam had Madison by the hair, slapping her face repeatedly. He hit her so hard, her face was swollen after just a few slaps. “You slut! You ruined everything for me! I could’ve had a happy life with Ava!” “This is all your fault! I’ll kill you!” He kicked her to the ground and stomped on her head. As Madison begged for mercy, she looked up just in time to see the disgust in Ethan’s eyes. And that was when she broke down, sobbing and whimpering. Watching her pathetic state, I almost couldn’t hold back my laughter. My parents showed up, called the cops, and that ended the spectacle. I heard they ended up taking each other to court. Madison accused Liam of assault, and Liam accused her of financial fraud. It was a true case of dog-eat-dog.
A week later, it was time for my brother Zach and his wife Tessa’s baby shower. My mom had been calling me non-stop, insisting that Ethan and I attend. My mom is one of those traditional women who believe a husband’s word is law. Whatever my dad says, she follows without question. If my dad hadn’t given her permission, I doubt she’d ever reach out to me on her own. Finally, the day of the baby shower arrived. We had just stepped out of the car when I saw Madison Rivers. Her eyes lit up when she saw Ethan, like a dog spotting a bone, her expression showing sheer determination. Despite the bruises that still marred her face, she had tried to cover them up with makeup, but it only made her look more like a swollen pig. I smirked silently and caught her shooting me a hateful glare. After playing with Grace, my niece, for a while, the time came for lunch. Just as I sat down, a sharp pain hit my stomach. Ethan noticed immediately and helped me upstairs to rest. We hadn’t even reached the top of the stairs when we heard… noises. Intimate noises. Familiar voices. And one of those voices… sounded a lot like my dad’s. Ethan and I exchanged shocked glances, our eyes wide with disbelief. Even though I was feeling sick, we stayed still outside the bathroom door, listening to the embarrassing and heated conversation happening inside. “No, Uncle! Don’t kiss me, someone might catch us!” It was Aunt Karen, my uncle Richard’s wife. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I stood there, frozen in place. Then I heard my father’s voice again. “Relax, no one’s going to find out.” It really was my dad. Even in his old age, he couldn’t resist cheating. I clenched my fists, trying to control my anger, and looked over at Ethan. He knew exactly what I wanted him to do—he pulled out his phone and started recording the conversation. The two of them kept going for a while until Aunt Karen let out a final, breathless sigh. Then, finally, they were done. Ethan and I quickly hid in a corner as they stepped out of the bathroom, still not caring to be discreet. Aunt Karen’s face was flushed, and there were kiss marks all over her neck. The audacity! I felt a surge of fury. How could they? Did they not remember how Uncle Richard had literally saved my dad’s life in that car accident? How could he betray him like this, and my mom too? I could feel my pulse racing, anger burning through me, and I almost forgot the pain in my stomach. Ethan, sensing my rage and my confusion about what to do, whispered, “You should rest for now. Maybe talk it over with Zach and Tessa later.” I nodded, unable to think of a better plan at the moment. By the time I woke up, it was already late evening. The guests had left, and Zach and Tessa were seeing her family off at the train station. Ethan and I were preparing to leave too when my dad stopped us. He insisted on having a private talk with Ethan, while my mom stayed close by, constantly hovering over me. I wanted to drop hints to my mom about what I’d discovered, to prepare her, but I didn’t want to cause a scene, so I agreed to stay a bit longer. I also wanted to see what Madison was up to. She had been suspiciously quiet all afternoon. “I’m going upstairs to rest,” I said, smiling sweetly. “You’ve got my old room ready, right?” Madison exhaled in relief and replied quickly, “Of course, Ava. It’s all set up for you.” “Mom, why don’t you come sit with me? You said you missed me, didn’t you?” I asked, hoping to get some alone time with her. For some reason, my mom looked guilty, avoiding my gaze. “I still have things to take care of. I’ll come find you later.” I narrowed my eyes slightly but nodded and headed upstairs. Her behavior was definitely strange. I stalled for a while, waiting until the coast was clear, then turned off the lights and quietly slipped back downstairs. I hid behind the door of the living room and listened in on their conversation. “So, what did you want to talk about, Mr. Rivers?” Ethan asked. My dad lit a cigarette, exhaling smoke slowly. “How did you and Ava meet?” Ethan answered him truthfully. As I listened to my parents ask Ethan about me, it almost felt like they were genuinely concerned. It warmed my heart a little. Maybe they did care about me after all. But then my mom spoke up. “Ethan, you’re a good man. Your uncle and I don’t want to hide the truth from you. The thing is, Ava… she’s not really good enough for you.” I froze. Ethan did too. “She was a wild child,” my mom continued. “In middle school, she used to hang around those boys and fool around. She even had a few abortions…” Hearing my mom say that hit me like a punch to the gut. I had always thought my parents just didn’t love me. But now, I realized it was much worse than that—they were spreading lies, trying to destroy me. The blood drained from my face. My hands went ice cold. How could they do this to their own daughter?
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