Scorned and Sovereign

On Women's Day, my husband Cade Wall bought a gold bracelet and a gold locket.

One went to his ex-girlfriend, the other to her daughter.

When I found out, I confronted him furiously. "They have a husband and a father. Why are you playing the fool for them?"

Instead of seeing the issue, he scowled and snapped at me. "Madalyn's husband can't earn much, and she's stuck raising her daughter without a job. What's wrong with me buying them a gift?"

I turned around and gifted a house to a guy I'd just met.

Then it was his turn to lose it. "Have you lost your mind?"

I smirked. "I've got money to burn and I like him. What's the problem?"

1

Cade was practically frothing at the mouth. "Are you insane? A house worth millions, just handed over to some random guy?"

I sipped my coffee, unfazed. "Yeah, I've got the cash. And I've taken a liking to him. Got a problem with that?"

His face twisted, veins bulging, like he wanted to tear me apart right there.

But I knew he wouldn't dare. Everything he had came from me, from my family.

Over the years, he seemed to have forgotten where he started, forgotten his place.

A few days ago, I found a gold bracelet and a locket in his briefcase.

With Women's Day coming up, I thought they were surprises for me and our daughter.

But days after the holiday, he still hadn't mentioned them. Then I saw her ex Madalyn Fowler's social media post.

The bracelet gleamed on her wrist, the locket hung around her daughter Cathryn's neck.

She posted nine pictures with a caption. "You always miss the best things in life. Can I still regret it?"

I was livid and stormed off to find Cade.

He wasn't at the office or home. Instead, I found him in his car with Madalyn.

Her daughter Cathryn Adams was there too.

Madalyn sat in the passenger seat, her short skirt barely covering her thighs, her cheeks flushed. Cade's hand rested where it shouldn't have been.

When she saw me, Madalyn put on a panicked look and started explaining. "Eleanor, don't get the wrong idea. Cathryn had a sudden fever, and I had no choice but to ask Cade to drive us to the hospital."

I glanced at Cathryn, who was bouncing around full of energy, and laughed. "Is your husband dead? Are you a widow now? If you are, you should keep your distance. Otherwise, people might think your daughter's a bastard and that'd kill her father!"

Her face paled. "Why do you have to be so vicious?"

Before I could fire back, Cade jumped in, siding with her. "Madalyn's right. Why do you have to be so sharp-tongued? Cathryn's dad is on a business trip. What's wrong with me helping out?"

I sneered and pulled up Madalyn's social media post. "Explain this then. Go on, give me a good explanation. Her husband's away, so you swoop in, huh? Cade, you're disgusting."

Cade's face froze in panic, but Madalyn smirked, taunting me. "Eleanor, you're upset over this? It's just..."

Before she could finish, Cade cut her off. "Her husband bought those for her. Why are you flipping out?"

He tried to play me for a fool.

I pulled up his bank statement. "Cade, is Madalyn's husband you? Oh, so you're committing bigamy now? That's a crime. Should I report you?"

He panicked even more.

He yanked open the car door to explain, but I wasn't having it. I slapped him across the face. "If you want to play husband to Madalyn so bad, go for it. Guess what? I'm ready to trade you in for a new one."

2

"You're talking nonsense. Husbands aren't just interchangeable!"

I tilted my head. "You've got another wife on the side. Why can't I have another husband? Cade, you can't have it both ways."

He scrambled to explain. "It's not what you think. I just saw Madalyn struggling to raise her daughter alone and thought, as a friend, I should help. That's it."

I scoffed. "You think I'm some naive teenager you can fool? This Women's Day, you bought nothing for me or our daughter, but you dropped thousands on gold for them. And you're telling me it's just help?"

He doubled down. "Madalyn's husband can't provide. Everyone else has gold, but they don't. Think about how that feels for them. Especially Cathryn. Her friends look down on her. Can you stand to see a little girl heartbroken? I can't."

What a saint.

"Cade, after all these years, I never knew you had such a big heart. Fine. I'll donate a million to a rural charity in your name right now."

His eyes bulged. "You're out of your mind!"

Madalyn chimed in, adjusting her skirt as she stepped out of the car. "Eleanor, Cade works so hard for his money. How can you waste it like that?"

She pressed on, tears welling up. "Cade, if you've got that kind of money, why not give me two million for a house? Cathryn's growing up, and we're still in a rental. I'm terrified every day the landlord will kick us out."

Her tears fell on cue, and she leaned weakly against Cade's shoulder, looking pitiful.

Any man would want to help her.

Too bad I was a woman.

And the kind who couldn't stand scheming sidepieces like her.

I called the new security guard at my company right in front of them. "Steven, come with me to look at houses. I'm buying you one."

Cade and Madalyn were floored. Cade's veins popped again. "What are you doing? Eleanor, what are you doing? Who's this Steven? When did you meet him?"

I gave him a cold smile. "Oh, just a new security guard at the company. Younger than you, better-looking, taller, stronger. He's even got an eight-pack. But that's not the point. His family's really struggling. Since you're so charitable, I can't fall behind. Helping him out is just what a boss like me should do."

Cade roared. "That's nonsense! He's just a security guard. What makes him deserve a multi-million-dollar house?"

I kicked him square in the crotch. "Because I like him. So what? I've got money to burn, and I want to spend it on him. What's the problem?"

3

Cade's face turned ashen, and Madalyn glared at me, her teeth clenched.

It felt so satisfying.

I loved watching them squirm, powerless against me.

Cathryn poked her head out of the car. "Cade, didn't you say you'd take me to the amusement park? When are we going?"

Wasn't she supposed to have a fever? I smirked.

Just then, the nanny brought my daughter home. My daughter started to rush toward Cade, but Cathryn beat her to it, wrapping her arms around his leg. "I've never been to an amusement park. Can you take me? All my friends have gone, and I'm so jealous."

Madalyn joined in, tears streaming down her face. "It's my fault for being useless. I gave birth to Cathryn but can't give her the best life. It's all my fault that people look down on her. I..."

Cade lowered his head, picked Cathryn up, and held her with tender pity. "Don't cry, Cathryn. I will take you right now."

He glanced at me and my daughter, guilt flickering in his eyes. "Honey, you wouldn't hold a grudge against a child, would you? Sweetie, you've had your mom and dad with you since you were born. You're so lucky and have everything you want. But Cathryn has nothing. You need to learn to share. I'll take you to the amusement park another day, okay?"

My daughter stood frozen, staring at them, and asked me, "Mommy, who are they?"

I scooped her up and pointed at Cade, speaking firmly. "Sweetie, remember this. From today on, your dad is gone. But don't worry, you and Mommy will still have a great life."

Cade, still holding Cathryn, snapped back. "Eleanor, don't talk nonsense in front of the kid. I'm not that kind of person. I'm just..."

I didn't care what he was or wasn't. I carried my daughter and walked away.

Back home, my daughter was heartbroken. "Mommy, Daddy promised to take me to the amusement park today, but he took someone else."

Her tears stabbed at my heart.

In front of Cade and Madalyn, I put on a brave face, but was I really unaffected?

No way.

Cade and I had been married for eight years, yet he chose Madalyn over me.

Seeing my daughter's hurt face, I took her to the amusement park right away.

Nobody was going to make my daughter feel neglected.

Without Cade, we could still have a blast.

4

From a distance, my daughter spotted Cade holding Cathryn in line, with Madalyn leaning on his shoulder, looking blissful.

I didn't hesitate. I snapped a few photos and led my daughter through the VIP entrance, bypassing their long queue.

Cade's face darkened when he saw us. "What are you doing here? I'm just spending one day with Cathryn. Do you have to follow us like ghosts?"

I stared at him coldly. "What, do you own this amusement park? You can come, but we can't?"

Cade was about to explode, but Madalyn grabbed his arm. "It's okay, Cade. As long as you're with us, that's enough. Please don't abandon me and Cathryn."

I nearly laughed out loud.

My daughter and I skipped past them and started enjoying the rides while they were still stuck in line.

Cathryn pouted. "Cade, they got here later but get to play already. I want to play now!"

Madalyn's tears fell again. "It's my fault for being poor. Cathryn gets trampled on like this. Cade, Eleanor's doing this on purpose to hurt Cathryn's feelings."

She was right. I was doing it on purpose. So what?

She knew Cade had a wife and daughter, yet she still wormed her way in. Why should I let them live comfortably, without a care?

Cade looked heartbroken at their tears and scooped Cathryn up, leaving the line. "It's just a VIP pass. I will buy it for you. No way I'm letting my Cathryn feel left out."

I caught Madalyn's smug glance and Cade's defiant look.

It was almost comical.

While I played with my daughter, I quietly froze Cade's secondary card.

Let's see how he'd pay for gold or VIP passes now.

Sure enough, I watched him try his card, entering the password over and over, sweat beading on his forehead. He looked up and glared at me. "Eleanor, you froze my card?"

What an idiot.

A guy who climbed up through my family's company, and he thought he could challenge me?

Madalyn, ever so understanding, pulled out her phone. "Cade, use my card. It's my daughter, so you shouldn't have to pay."

Losing face in front of his ex must've stung, because Cade messaged me. "Eleanor, you've gone too far. I just wanted to make Cathryn's dream come true, and you're this cruel?"

He thought that was cruel?

He had no idea.

I had plenty more up my sleeve.

I sent the photos I'd just taken to Madalyn's husband, Harold Adams.

Within a minute, he replied. "Who are you?"

I wrote, "Guess."

Less than a minute later, Madalyn's phone started ringing.

She silenced it, acting like nothing was wrong.

But the calls kept coming.

I sent Harold a video of them. "Your wife's too busy with my husband to answer your calls."

Madalyn's phone rang even more frantically.

Yet she stayed calm, ignoring every call.

Cade frowned. "Who keeps calling? Just block them."

I messaged Harold again. "My husband told your wife to block you."

He replied with one word. "Fuck!"

A minute later, another message came. "Want to team up?"

I nearly laughed. I didn't need to team up with him. I could crush Cade anytime.

He'd enjoyed the good life for years and forgot who he really was.

But I agreed to Harold's plan, because I wanted him to make Cade's life hell.

Let them fight like dogs.

All I had to do was kick them while they were down.