Chapter 0009
THE PRICE OF BETRAYAL
EMILY,
I couldn't believe it. My heart pounded violently against my ribs, each thump echoing in my ears as my mind struggled to make sense of what I had just witnessed. It was as if the air had been sucked from my lungs, leaving me gasping, suffocating under the weight of the truth.
Ryan—my Ryan—stood there with her, his hands on her as if she belonged to him. The way he gazed at her, the soft smile that played on his lips, the way she leaned into him without hesitation—it was undeniable. It was real.
I had hoped, prayed even, that the rumors were nothing more than vicious lies meant to stir trouble. That people had exaggerated, twisting innocent moments into something scandalous. But deep down, I had known. Some part of me had feared this moment long before I ever laid eyes on them together.
But to see it with my own eyes? To watch him betray me in the most unforgivable way?
It was like a knife to the chest, the pain sharp and relentless.
My fingers tightened around the steering wheel as I drove, my knuckles turning white from the pressure. The road ahead was a blur, my mind replaying the scene over and over again. I wanted to unsee it, to erase the memory, but it was burned into my consciousness.
The way he looked at her.
The way he touched her.
The way she smiled at him like she owned him.
Elena.
Her name alone was enough to send a fresh wave of fury surging through me. I had warned her. I had made it perfectly clear that Ryan was mine. I had told her to stay away, to know her place. And yet, despite everything, she had the audacity to ignore me.
She had gone behind my back.
She had stolen what was mine.
By the time I pulled into my driveway, I was shaking. I barely remembered the drive home, too consumed by my thoughts, too blinded by rage.
As I stepped inside, my mother looked up from the couch, her warm brown eyes immediately locking onto my face. Her expression darkened with concern the moment she saw me.
"Emily, what's wrong?" she asked, rising to her feet.
I wanted to pretend I was fine. I wanted to act as though none of this mattered. But the emotions were too raw, too overwhelming. My lips trembled, and before I could stop them, the tears came rushing down my face.
My mother's eyes widened in alarm, and in an instant, she was in front of me, gripping my arms. "Emily, talk to me. What happened?"
A sob tore through me as my body shook. The pain was unbearable. "Ryan," I choked out. "He—he was with her. I saw them together. I saw everything."
For a moment, my mother didn't speak. But I saw it—the way her face hardened, the way her jaw clenched, the way fury flickered in her usually kind eyes.
Then, with deliberate calmness, she took a deep breath and reached for her phone.
I wiped at my tear-streaked face, my brows furrowing. "Who are you calling?" I asked weakly.
She didn't answer right away, but the moment I heard the voice on the other end of the line, I knew.
Ryan's father.
I sank onto the couch, burying my face in my hands as my mother spoke. Her tone was clipped, each word sharp and precise, filled with controlled anger. She wasn't just furious for me—she was furious for our entire family. Furious that Ryan had the nerve to humiliate her daughter in such a way.
By the time she ended the call, she turned back to me, her expression unreadable. "It's going to be okay," she murmured. "Ryan will regret this. His father will make sure of it."
Would he?
I wanted to believe it. I wanted to believe that Ryan would suffer, that he would understand the depth of his betrayal. But was that enough?
No.
Not even close.
I stood abruptly, pacing the room, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. My heart pounded violently, my vision blurred with rage.
"I transferred schools for him," I whispered, my voice shaking. "I gave up everything to be with him. And this is what I get in return?"
My mother sighed. "I know, my love. But listen to me—Ryan loves you. He made a mistake, but he will apologize. He will fix this."
Her words should have soothed me, but instead, they only made the anger burn hotter.
Fix this?
An apology?
Would that erase the image of him and Elena together? Would that undo the humiliation I had suffered?
No.
This wasn't about love anymore.
This was war.
Ryan would pay. Yes, he would. But Elena… oh, Elena had no idea what was coming for her.
I had warned her once. She had ignored me.
She had smiled, laughed, touched what was mine, as if she had every right to do so.
She had acted like she was untouchable.
But she wasn't.
She had made a mistake.
And now, she would pay for it.
I wiped away the last of my tears, my sadness hardening into something colder, something sharper. Something dangerous.
I picked up my phone and started typing.
My mother eyed me suspiciously. "What are you doing?"
I forced a small smile. "Nothing, Mum. Just sending a message to a friend."
She hesitated, then nodded. "Alright, sweetheart. Just… don't do anything reckless."
I nodded, but we both knew I was lying.
I looked down at my phone screen and finished typing.
Me: I have a job for you.
I hit send.
A few moments later, my phone buzzed.
Unknown Number: Meet me at 5. We'll discuss the plan.
A slow, cruel smile spread across my lips.
Elena had taken something from me.
Now, it was time to take something from her.
---
The rest of the day passed in a blur. I barely paid attention to anything around me. My mind was too consumed with thoughts of revenge, my body thrumming with anticipation.
I replayed every moment in my head, dissecting each detail. The way Ryan had looked at her. The way she had touched him. The way they had laughed together, completely oblivious to the fact that I was watching.
They hadn't cared.
They had acted like I didn't exist.
And that was their mistake.
By the time 5 p.m. arrived, I was ready.
Dressed in a black hoodie, I pulled the hood over my head, shielding my face. I wasn't taking any chances.
I checked the address I had been sent and headed out the door.
The meeting place was a small, dimly lit café on the outskirts of town. It wasn't somewhere I would usually go, but tonight, none of that mattered.
As I stepped inside, my gaze swept the room. Then, I saw him.
A man sat in the corner, his face shadowed beneath the brim of a baseball cap. When he looked up, his dark eyes studied me carefully.
"Emily," he greeted in a low voice.
I nodded and slid into the seat across from him.
"You said you had a job for me," he said. "Tell me what you need."
I took a deep breath, my fingers tightening around my phone.
"I need you to teach someone a lesson," I said quietly.
His lips curled into a smirk. "Who?"
I hesitated for only a second before speaking her name.
"Elena."
He leaned back, amused. "And what exactly do you want me to do?"
I met his gaze, my heart steady, my resolve unshaken.
"I want her to understand what happens when you take something that doesn't belong to you."
For a moment, he was silent. Then, he chuckled. "I like the way you think."
I didn't smile.
This wasn't a joke.
This was just the beginning.
Elena had crossed the wrong person.
And she was about to find out just how big of a mistake that was.