Chapter 2 The betrayal scheme

"How could someone be that cold-hearted?" While sitting at a café close to the airport with Jessica Smith , her best friend, Beatrice Carter complained. Jessica woke up the following morning and made her way as quietly as possible to the airport following her unpleasant experience with Hannah in the kitchen. She didn't want to cause a scene or give Hannah or Christopher any reason to think she wasn't planning to go. Giving them another opportunity to embarrass her was the last thing she wanted. So in less than an hour, she got out of bed and out of Christopher's hair as soon as the sun rose and the nightstand alarm went off. But Beatriceshowed up with a glaring scowl thirty minutes before her flight, and she was practically dragged out of the airport. "It doesn't matter now." Jessica traced the rim of her hot coffee in an attempt to calm her furious companion. "Let's just forget about whatever happened." "Are you sure you can forget about it?" Knowing that Jessica wasn't the kind of girl to easily let go of her feelings, Beatricearched an eyebrow. Since they were young children, they had been best friends. She was familiar enough with Jessica to know that unless something was done, she would never be able to move on. "Since I don't believe so. We must devise a strategy to avenge him. in order to awaken him to his actions. to exact a price on him. to inflict suffering onto him." "Beatrice!" With a resigned groan, Jessica realised she was suddenly too weak to continue the tiresome debate. "That is not what we are doing. We were both aware that this would occur eventually. Thus, avoid acting as though it happened overnight, as it didn't." With her arms crossed over her chest, Beatricepouted, "You're still trying to defend him." "Even after everything he's done to hurt you." "I'm not." Jessica firmly maintained that she wasn't. All she was doing was being sensible. That is, she hoped. "All I'm trying to do here is to be a bigger person." Beatricegave a snort. "What's the fun in that?" "Not everything is meant to be fun, Beatrice." "You're just dull because that's your choice. "Duh!" she scowled. "If I were in your shoes, I'd make him regret his entire life." "Well then, it's a good thing that it's my life and not yours." Her eyes genuine, she stretched out and gently grasped Beatrice's hand. As much as I value your support, please just let me tackle this on my own. Have faith in what I say. I'm skilled at what I do. And even if I don't, I'll figure something out. Would you please simply believe me?" Jessica was not able to reassure her of the same, even though her voice was full of assurance. She could not perceive the truth. Even before she signed the marriage contract, she knew this was her fate. Why it hurt more than it should have didn't make much sense to her. Why did she hold herself to such high standards for a man who never even gave her a close look? Why, with all seriousness, did she play his wife in spite of the sad truth of their relationship? Did he really deserve that? Not after he forced her into a relationship he didn't intend to be committed to. To him, she was just an item. Something he gave no thought to. Absent deference. All Beatricecould do was cave in. Jessica could not take on more worry when she already had plenty on her plate. "Fine." She fussed, a little too unwillingly, maybe. "But only because I love and trust you and know you won't let anything knock you down." Jessica grinned, pleased that they both agreed. She genuinely detested it when they disagreed on anything. Fantastic. That's resolved then." Before another thought crossed Beatrice's head, she took a sip of her coffee. She returned the cup to the table with haste. "Wait, one more thing." "What now?" Jessica, who was munching on a fry, asked in jest. "I have already set the paperwork in motion, but I still need you to say yes." Jessica was clueless about her friend's intended meaning behind that. Her eyebrows furrowed in perplexity. "What do you mean?" Beatriceexclaimed, "To join my company," with all the excitement of a person preparing to burst into the biggest surprise of the day. "In fact, I'm offering your partnership." Beatrice!" Jessica gave a headshake. "Don't." "Why not?" Frustrated, Beatriceasked. "Thanks to you, I had a company of my own in the first place. Without your assistance with the finance, my startup would never have gotten off the ground." With remorse, Jessica murmured, "It belonged to Christopher," her eyes settling on her lap. "It wasn't mine." "Yeah, which he very conveniently handed you in exchange for marrying his asshole self." Beatricefurrowed her brow. "Jessica, hurry up. You did not take from him a single penny. You fully committed to me. To be honest, there was a time when I had to decide whether to thank him or strike him in the face, but I have no regrets. Not any longer. He deserves something far worse than hell for what he did to you." Jessica slumped on her seat, not knowing how to respond. Yes, Christopher had bought her to be his wife. He was desperate to solve the issue when Hannah became cold feet just hours before the wedding. Jessica was never offered an option. or the chance to discover what on earth was going on. She had made an effort to talk him down. But he wasn't prepared to hear anything from anyone, not under these awful circumstances. Not even his parents, no one. or his grandfather, whom he held in the highest regard. In the face of his unwavering determination, everyone failed. "You're not going to drop him off your hit list, are you?" Finally, Jessica raised an eyebrow. "Nope!" Beatricegave a condescending shrug. From the moment Jessica spotted Beatriceat the airport, she knew this conversation was going to bite her in the ass. When she got the chance, she ought to have fled. She wouldn't be able to crawl out of here with Beatriceon her back now. Beatriceexhibited the ugliest stubbornness imaginable. Until she was proven incorrect, she refused to let go. Jessica didn't have the energy to get into another argument at this moment. She had no energy, no will, and was too fatigued to do anything at all. Her only wish was to locate a comfortable bed and climb into it. She blew out a laugh and nodded to her, a sigh thwarted from her lips. "Fine." Beatricelet out a happy squeal. "Congrats! This won't be a regret. I swear to you—" Beatricewas about to lose it, but Jessica interrupted her, saying, "I'm ready to go back to work." "...but NOT as a partner." "What? Why not?" Beatricewas perplexed, her excitement waning slightly. "Because this business is solely yours, and you put in all the effort. Nobody is able to take that away. not even your closest pal. It would be a pleasure to work for you. And that's my one and only need," Jessica continued, sipping her coffee slowly and taking her time—if only to annoy her ecstatic companion. She smiled a lovely smile at her. "For now." With a frown, Beatriceasked for the bill and looked back at her pal. "This isn't over." Laughing, Jessica felt grateful to have such a buddy. "We'll see about that, won't we?"

* * * As Jessica and Beatricewere leaving the cafe, a black SUV with tinted windows pulled across the street and they headed to Beatrice's car, which was parked on the side of the road. The call was taken by the man seated in the backseat. "Are you certain she's no longer a problem?" He spoke to the person on the other end. "Yes, of course. She is permanently gone from Christopher's life. We can now go to the following stage of our strategy. The man hummed, staring at Jessica, who was giggling and laughing. "I'll believe anything you say. However, if the strategy failed—" He couldn't finish because of the other person on the queue. "It won't happen. Possess a degree of faith. Please notify me as soon as you're prepared to begin our next action." The man squinted his eyes and hung up the phone. He waited until Jessica got into a car and left with the other woman. It was only then that he looked back at the other man in the car. aside from the operator. "Is this the right time?" His brow knit as he asked. The other man gave a smile. "Definitely! Strike the iron while it's still hot.