The Mistress

Victoria Sy’s seemingly ideal life falls apart as she discovers her husband’s infidelity. Fueled by a desire for vengeance, she embarks on an unexpected revenge mission with Zander, her husband’s mysterious half-brother. As Victoria embraces her newfound freedom, she must navigate the perilous waters of love, betrayal, and self-discovery, redefining what it means to be genuinely alive.

Interlude

“I can’t believe you would do this to me, Daniel!” Victoria’s voice trembled as she stared at her husband, her disbelief mingled with fury. Her hands clenched into fists as her world seemed to crumble before her eyes.

Daniel leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable, though his eyes gleamed with a cold defiance. “I don’t know what you think you’ve found, Victoria, but you’re wrong. You’re always jumping to conclusions.”

“Wrong?” she shot back, her voice rising with the tide of her emotions. “I saw the messages, Daniel. I heard the whispers. Do you really think I’m that blind?”

His lips curled into a smirk, one that sent a chill down her spine. “You’re being dramatic. People love to talk, and you love to listen to their lies.”

“Don’t you dare gaslight me!” Her voice cracked with the weight of her anger and pain. “I trusted you, Daniel! I trusted you with my life, with our family, and you—” She couldn’t finish the sentence, the betrayal too immense to put into words.

Daniel stood abruptly, towering over her, his demeanor shifting from indifferent to menacing in an instant. “Be careful with your accusations, Victoria,” he warned, his voice low and sharp. “I won’t tolerate being disrespected in my own home.”

Her stomach churned at his audacity. “Disrespected? You disrespected this marriage! You disrespected me!” Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She wouldn’t let him see her break.

“I told you,” he said, his tone clipped, “you’re overreacting. There’s nothing going on, and you’re embarrassing yourself by making this into something it’s not.”

Her gaze bore into him, searching for even a shred of remorse, but all she saw was a man who was too arrogant to admit his sins. “You disgust me,” she whispered, her voice trembling but resolute. “You’ve lied to my face, over and over. You don’t even care, do you?”

Daniel’s eyes darkened, and a sinister smile tugged at his lips. “Care? Oh, I care, Victoria. I care about keeping my life intact. And if you think you’re going to ruin that with your baseless accusations, you’re sorely mistaken.”

The threat in his words was unmistakable, and it sent a shiver down her spine. “Are you threatening me now?” she asked, her voice quieter but laced with defiance.

“I’m giving you a warning,” he said, stepping closer. “You’ll regret it if you keep pushing this. Don’t forget who you’re dealing with.”

For a moment, silence enveloped them, the tension so thick it was suffocating. Victoria’s mind raced. The man she once loved, the man she built her life with, was a