72

Moore

"You should have stayed home. I swear Mr. Lucien only invited us to humiliate you. You should’ve hidden your face in shame," Nora sneered, her words dripping with malice.

I turned, my lips pressed into a thin line.

It had been almost a month. A month of silence, of swallowing my pride, of pretending their betrayal didn’t matter. But standing here, listening to her spit every cruel syllable, I realized something.

I didn’t need to be ready to put these people in their place.

I didn’t need to prepare to bring them down.

They deserved to be beneath me, and I would make sure they learned that.

I shifted my gaze, meeting Nora’s brown eyes first before flicking to Grey. His eyes, black or whatever dull shade they held, were nothing but amusement, the kind that made my stomach twist.

Not in anger.

In disgust.

"You even went ahead and married someone who hates you, just to get back at us. How petty," Nora continued. She must have been holding that in for a long time.

I almost wanted to laugh. They did so well to hide the struggle. It was almost too perfect. Lucien must have dealt so grately with him and I wonder if the company was still in good health.

Watching her run her mouth made me wonder how I had ever allowed these two people into my life?

I must have been so naïve. So utterly foolish.

My family had seen right through them, but I had been too blind to notice. Too stupid to listen.

"She can't even say anything." Grey scoffed, shaking his head. My silence made them think I was such a coward. "Mr. Giordano has reduced her to pathetic trash. Dressed her up just to humiliate her again."

Their words washed over me, but they didn’t sting. Not anymore.

I lifted my glass and drained the wine in one go, letting the warmth settle in my chest as I placed the flute back on the table.

And then, I turned.

My gaze found him.

Lucien.

He stood where I had left him, speaking to someone whose face I couldn’t see. But it wasn’t his conversation that caught my attention.

It was his eyes.

He wasn’t giving anything away, no reaction, no indication that he was watching. But something in his gaze told me—this is your moment.

And I had to use it well.

Or he would be disappointed.

Something inside me shifted. My lips twitched, not into a smile, but a smirk.

Lucien hated me.

But he had given me this.

And I wasn’t about to waste it.

He looked away, returning to his conversation as if nothing had happened.

But I had seen enough.

I turned back to Nora and Grey, stepping closer.

They watched me cautiously now, sensing the change in the air, but still too arrogant to back down.

Good.

I let my gaze sweep the room. Moments ago, the men in this hall had been staring at me, hungry, shameless in their attention. But now?

They looked irritated.

Annoyed.

Because these two disgusting people had blocked their fun.

I almost laughed.

“Let’s see who really gets humiliated tonight.” I let out, my lips still stretched in the smirk.

“What?”

I exhaled slowly, feeling the steady rise and fall of my chest as I stared at the two people who had once been a part of my life.

Not anymore.

They stood in front of me, sneering, eyes glinting with cruelty, waiting for me to shrink.

Funny, because even if I'm the hated wife of Lucien Giodarno, I'll never shrink at any of them, ever again.

"You asked for this," I said coldly, my voice cutting through the air like a sharpened blade.

Grey’s smirk faltered. "Asked for what?" His gaze locked onto mine, curiosity flickering beneath his arrogance.

I didn’t bother answering.

Instead, I took a deep breath, pushing past the lingering fear, letting something else take its place. Something sharper. Revenge.

And then—

I screamed.

The sound tore through the hall, cutting through the soft murmur of conversation and the delicate background music. It was loud. Raw. Designed to capture attention.

It worked.

Every head turned. The room froze. Whispering started almost immediately. Confused murmurs rippled through the crowd, and within seconds, all eyes were on us.

Nora, Grey and ME.

Perfect.

I cradled my cheek, as if I had just been slapped, tilting my head slightly so the nearest cameras would catch my expression.

Let them see.

Let them assume.

The press, the socialites, the ones who lived for scandal—it only took one moment, one spark to set the wildfire ablaze.

I could already hear the rumors forming.

Did she just get slapped?

By who?

That woman? Are they not aware whose wife she's?

Is that Mr. Allison Grey? He looks guilty—what the hell just happened?

You don't know them? That's Mrs. Giodarno ex-husband and ex best friend.

His company is currently going through some slumb. How could he be here?

I bet he lent some money to be here just to save face.

How shameless of him to blame Mr. Giodarno's wife for his misfortune. If he has a dispute against anyone, he should confront Mr. Giordano himself.

My lips curled ever so slightly. A carefully controlled smirk hidden behind a trembling lower lip.

People knew the story, yet they had always directed the hate to me, time to turn the table.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Grey hissed, whipping around as he realized the sudden shift in attention. Panic flickered in his eyes, but he masked it quickly, scowling instead. "Are you that petty? You’d resort to something so low just to get away from us?"

His voice carried, but it didn’t matter.

The court of public opinion had already decided.

And they weren’t on his side.

"You’re desperate," he scoffed, voice laced with disdain. "After what your husband did to me, you should be begging for my forgiveness!"

Before Nora could add anything, I turned sharply, locking eyes with her.

And then, with every ounce of fury that had been simmering inside me—

I struck her.

My hand collided with her cheeks, the impact sending a shockwave through my skin, but I didn’t care.

Nora gasped, stumbling back, hands flying to her face as the entire room collectively inhaled.

Silence.

And then—

Chaos.

People murmured louder now. Some gasped. Some laughed in delight, eating up the scandal as if it were their next meal.

Good for her.

If I was them, I would hide my face in shame.

I stepped forward, my voice shaking, but not from fear.

From rage.

"How dare you?" I seethed, my tone sharp enough to slice through glass. "How dare you lay your filthy hands on me after everything you did to me?"

Nora whimpered, but I didn’t stop.

"You seduced my husband while I was locked away for a crime you both committed!" I spat, pointing a trembling finger at both of them. "You destroyed my life, and now you dare come to me with accusations? How fucking dare you!"

Nora blinked, still dazed from the hit, but Grey recovered first.

"You’re insane," he sneered. "You think anyone will believe you? You’re just Lucien’s pathetic little plaything. A wife he drags around for entertainment—"

"Shut up you filthy thing!"

And before she gets to finish up her words, she earned yet another hard slap.