Chapter 24 CHAPTER 24
Recovering
Ayisha had been restless since they moved into the new house. The marble floors, the chandeliers, the two exotic cars waiting in the driveway. Everything felt like a dream. Yet every time she caught sight of Tessa curled up on the sofa, eyes dull and cheeks hollow from endless crying, her heart hardened.
“You need a new life, Tess,” Ayisha said one morning, standing in front of her with a glass of juice in hand.
Tessa blinked up at her, confused. “A new life? Ayisha, my children are gone. No house, no man, no future. What life do I have left?”
Ayisha leaned forward, her voice steady and persuasive. “That’s where you’re wrong. You’ve been broken for too long, Tess. But we can fix that. We can fix you. I made an appointment with a surgeon. We’re going.”
Tessa frowned, shaking her head. “Surgeon? For what? Ayisha, I don’t want this. I don’t care about looks. I just want my children back.”
Ayisha’s smile didn’t waver. She crouched in front of her, gripping her hands. “Listen to me. This isn’t about vanity. It’s about power. Have you seen your friend Chloe and how hot she is? Think of all the sexy women running after Ares. You’ve been thrown away, Tess. They think you’re nothing. But when you stand back up, when they see you transformed, when you walk into a room and no one can take their eyes off you… then you’ll understand. Beauty is a weapon. You need it.”
Tessa’s lips trembled. “But I…”
“No buts. You’re coming with me.”
By noon, the two women walked into the glossy white corridors of an exclusive plastic surgery clinic. The smell of antiseptic hung faintly in the air. Nurses in pristine uniforms greeted them warmly, ushering them into consultation rooms with sleek leather chairs and oversized mirrors.
The surgeon, a tall man with salt-and-pepper hair, entered with a professional smile. “Ladies, I’ve reviewed your requests. A Brazilian butt lift, liposuction, tummy tuck, breast augmentation, and minor facial enhancements. Correct?”
Tessa’s eyes widened. “All of that? At once?”
Ayisha cut in smoothly before she could object further. “Yes, for both of us. We want the works. Start with her,” she said, pointing at Tessa.
Tessa sat rigid in her chair. Her mind screamed resistance, but Ayisha squeezed her hand firmly. “Trust me,” Ayisha whispered. “This is for us. For the future.”
Hours later, under bright surgical lights, their bodies were marked with blue ink as the surgeon explained each step. The hum of machines, the clink of instruments, and the sterile silence were terrifying. As the anesthesia mask descended over Tessa’s face, her last thought was of her children—would they even recognize her when she saw them again?
Then darkness swallowed her.
When they awoke in recovery, both women were swaddled in compression garments, their bodies aching, stitched, and swollen. Tubes drained fluid, and nurses flitted around adjusting drips and monitoring vitals.
Ayisha groaned softly, her lips barely able to form words. “We… did it.”
Tessa blinked through the haze, pain wrapping her entire body. “I don’t… feel like myself.”
“That’s the point,” Ayisha whispered, eyes fierce even through the fog of medication. “You’ll never be the same again. We’re reborn.”
“My children won’t recognize me anymore.”
Ayisha let out a sigh. “Girl, those babies ain’t know what you look like. They can’t remember you.”
Ares stood under the blazing sun at a golf course. He swung his club with precision, the ball soaring across the green. Julian leaned lazily against his own club, watching.
“You seem distracted,” Julian remarked, adjusting his cap.
Ares exhaled heavily, lowering his club. “Since we threw Tessa out… she hasn’t even come back to beg. No calls. No messages. Nothing.” He frowned, eyes narrowed on the horizon. “What kind of mother doesn’t fight for her children?”
Julian smirked. “Maybe she’s finally realized it’s over. Maybe she knows you’re not the type of man who takes someone back after betrayal.”
“Even at that!” Ares snapped. “She was never kidnapped! She got broke after her lil boyfriend kicked her out…Chloe was right.”
“Talking about Chloe, why aren’t you making love to the girl? Common, she’s your wife.”
Ares didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he swung again, the sound of the club cracking against the ball echoing. Still, his jaw tightened. No matter how he tried to bury the thought, a part of him kept wondering: Where is Tessa now? What is she doing?
Back at the mansion, Chloe strolled through the lush garden, sunlight glinting off her hair. The kids toddled around her, giggling as they chased butterflies. Chloe bent to fix a ribbon on Pretty’s dress, a slow smile curving her lips.
“At least,” she murmured under her breath, “I’ve gotten rid of Tessa. She’ll never touch these children again. They’re mine now.”
Her laughter rang across the garden, light and victorious.
Inside the living room, Lady Bianca reclined elegantly on a chaise lounge, flipping through a glossy fashion magazine. Every now and then, she would nod, lips pursed in satisfaction.
“Finally,” she said aloud to no one in particular. “Balance restored. That girl was nothing but a blemish on this family’s name. Good riddance.” She turned a page, eyes gleaming. “Now my son can rise properly, without distraction.”
In the den, Marcus sat with his feet up, eyes glued to a football match on the giant screen. He cheered as his team scored, clapping his hands.
“Ha! That’s it!” he exclaimed, then leaned back with a satisfied grin. “And as for Tessa… I did the right thing getting rid of her. No weakness. No nonsense. Family comes first, always.”
He sipped from his glass, not an ounce of regret clouding his mind.
Far away, in the quiet of the recovery room, Tessa lay still, eyes closed, pain radiating through her body. A single tear slipped down her cheek. She whispered faintly into the sterile silence, “Why… why me?”
Ayisha reached over from her own bed, gripping her trembling hand. “I didn’t know it was this painful.”
Then she let out a very loud scream, crying that Tessa nearly laughed.