Dear Ex-husband, Burn In Hell

Leah

"...today makes it exactly twenty years since the freak accident that claimed the lives of the Lachlan family and the disappearance of the heiress. We like to—"

The TV screen suddenly went blank, cutting off the rest of the news. I glanced up to see my mother-in-law glaring down at me.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, flinging the remote at me.

I flinched as it made contact with the side of my head. "I d-don't understand. Is there a problem? Did I do something?"

Mrs. Burnes planted her hand on her waist. "Really? You're asking me that? The more accurate question should be why haven't you done anything?"

I blinked at her in confusion and her face twisted into a mask of pure annoyance and hatred. "Can't you look around you? Everywhere is such a mess and yet you're content to sit here and do nothing but watch TV. A TV that is paid for by my son's hard work and sweat, by the way."

I immediately rose to my feet. "But mother—"

"I'm not your mother!" she snapped. "Haven't I warned you about calling me that? You're an orphan. Never forget that."

I swallowed past my tight, aching throat. "I'm sorry, ma'am."

She rolled her eyes. "You can keep your useless apologies. I don't need them. What I need is for this house to be spotless. Don't you know what today is? Today is the day that my son is supposed to receive his honorary award. Or are you too useless to remember that much?"

I blinked back the tears that threatened at her harsh words. I didn't understand why Victor's mother hated me so much. I had never done anything to deserve this. I had been the perfect, respectful, obedient wife, and yet it still wasn't good enough for her.

I tried not to let it bother me too much since I loved my husband so much and he felt the same way.

*Are you sure about that?* A dark voice at the back of my head mocked me, but I quickly pushed it away. Of course he loved me. He had to. Otherwise, what was the point of enduring all this?

"Of course I remember, mo— I mean, ma'am," I quickly corrected myself. "I spent all day cleaning and preparing."

She glanced around in disbelief. "And yet this house is still such a mess? Every day I wonder how you managed to trap my son. You're a good-for-nothing girl. How can you proudly stand there and tell me you've cleaned this house! Are you crazy?"

My eyes went wide at the hatred in her voice. "I don't understand. The house is sparkling."

"You call this sparkling?"

"I'm not surprised," a new familiar voice chimed in with a dark chuckle.

I glanced to the side to see Gia approaching on her sky-high designer heels. At the sight of her, my fingers curled into fists at my sides. Gia was Victor's childhood best friend, and she had been a thorn in my side from day one. She was even worse than his mother, if possible.

She found fault in everything I did and never missed an opportunity to make it clear to me that I wasn't good enough for her precious Victor.

I had to resist the urge to scream at her that Victor was mine, not hers. It was me that had his last name, me that wore his ring. Though sometimes I wondered if those things meant anything at all.

"How do you expect a dirty street rat to know what a pristine home is supposed to look like?" She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "You have to pity her, mother."

My chest tightened at the sound of her calling my mother-in-law mother.

"She doesn't deserve my pity," Mrs. Burnes replied coldly. "She has brought nothing but frustration to my son's life. Frustration and shame. Everyone now talks about Victor and laughs behind his back all because of her. You're a parasite!"

My husband had warned me never to talk back to his mother, but I couldn't just stand here and endure this. "A parasite? You forget that I'm the one who took your precious son from a manager to a senior associate, and now he's about to become a board member."

Her jaw dropped open, fury flashing in her eyes. "How dare you imply that you're the secret behind Victor's success! My son is smart, hardworking and charming. While all you do is sit around and nag at him."

"How dare she even talk back to you?" Gia interjected. "You really think you're the boss here, huh?"

"Last time I checked, it's my husband's house," I told Gia, "which makes me wonder what exactly you're doing here?"

The brunette froze in shock. "You gutter rat! You dare to talk to your betters in such a way?!"

"My betters?" I scoffed. "One of us is happily married and the other is a bitter, aging spinster. Which one of us is the better, if I may ask?"

Without warning, Gia leaped forward with a furious shriek. I screamed in pain as she grabbed at my hair and yanked hard. Together we stumbled to the edge of the stairs. She yanked at my hair again, causing me to lose my footing.

We tumbled down the stairs with startled cries.

My head knocked against the last stair as I landed and tears sprang to my eyes. I tried to stagger to my feet, but my head spun so badly. The familiar ache of humiliation burned worse than any physical pain.

"Are you crazy?" I groaned at Gia.

Just then, the front doors flew open. All eyes moved to where my husband stood in his pinstriped suit at the door. Time seemed to freeze as he took in the scene.

I finally broke the silence by holding out my hand to him. "Victor, please help me up."

"Victor, my leg hurts," Gia wailed dramatically.

I rolled my eyes at her performance, and finally my husband approached. My lips began to curve, but the smile died a quick death as I watched the love of my life walk past me to another woman's side.

"Gia, are you okay?" he asked her while I lay there, feeling my heart shrivel up and die.