LAGACY REVENGE: A SECOND TASTE OF VENGEANCE

YISO'S POV

The loud beep of the alarm wakes me up from my sleep. I sigh as I slowly get up to turn it off so it doesn't disturb Marshall from sleeping since he worked until really late last night.

I smile as I get up from the bed, and quietly arrange the duvet. I look at Marshall once again and walk quietly to his side of the bed to give him a small kiss on the forehead, causing him to stir and smile. As soon as he opens his eyes I whisper to him " Happy anniversary my love".

"Happy anniversary to you too, my love". He says stretching.

"Are you off to work? Can't you stay a bit longer?". He says giving me a small kiss on the forehead and another, on my lips which causes me to blush a little.

" I'm so sorry my love but duty calls you know.......I'm still talking when my phone beeps and I quickly walk to my bedside table to pick it up.

I realize that it's a message from my secretary and I quickly open it up.

' Good morning ma'am, just to remind you of your meeting by 9am'.

I sent a reply and headed to the bathroom to take a shower and in no time, I was ready to go.

I was still trying to tame my short curly hair, when I catch Marshall through the mirror staring at me .

"I look stunning right?, I ask him.

"Come home early today I have a surprise for you" was his reply.

" Oh really now... you know how much I love surprises, I can't wait". I say wrapping my hair in a low bun and after a few kisses, I finally tell him goodbye and head for work.

I drive to work with a big smile on my face thinking about how I met Marshall from the beginning.

Sometimes I can't believe I met the love of my life on a dating app. I'm so happy Karen encouraged me to take the chance and just give it a try.

Father had been nagging that I get married as I wasn't getting any younger and he wanted to see me run the company with my husband.

I remember being in a bind because I didn't have much experience with dating and was so focused on work, that I didn't have even have time.

"I know you're skeptical Yi, but this app is approved by the New York Times and thousands of people have testified that it has helped them find their prince charming", Karen had said, placing her hands on my shoulders.

"You're beautiful Yiso, and you deserve love", she added.

I decided to believe and trust her, so I joined to see what it was all about although I did not expect much. That is how I met Marshall Emerald, it was love at first sight for me.

His profile caught my attention. I immediately swiped right and we began talking on the phone.

It was now the one year anniversary of being married to Marshall, and I needed it to be perfect.

I planned the perfect dinner but as usual I've been stressing over it, I wanted to take the day off , but there's just too much work to be done this month.

We recently made a deal with one of the biggest food distributors in the industry and there's a lot of paperwork.

At work, I quickly head to my office and just as I'm about to sit, I get a phone call and look to see that it's Karen calling.

I smile and pick up the phone.

"Heyyy baby girl!!! Happy one year anniversary!". She yells into the phone.

" Thank you so much Karen...you sound so overjoyed", I say, smiling.

" Of course girl I'm so happy for you soooo..... do you have anything planned?".

" Well Marshall says he has a surprise planned out for me and I'm super excited!".

"Aww...that's so sweet of him but I'm asking if you have anything planned for him, don't tell me you didn't get him anything ".

" Of course I did. I've been preparing this for months now you know". I replied, sounding like I was offended that she would think I wouldn't get Marshall anything.

"Right! That's what I'm talking about...alright I need to get ready for work, tell me how it goes okay? Take care, love you".

" Love you too, bye!". I say grinning, grateful that she's in my life.

As the day progressed, it got more hectic and I sadly realized that I might get home late so I quickly sent a message to Marshall. 'Hi love I'm sorry I might be a little late, I'll be back as soon as I can'.

It's 11pm when I am finally able to call it a day so I quickly pack up, and start heading home.

I had planned to get some groceries and make Marshall's favorite food but since it was too late, I decided to buy his favorite take out instead 'Chinese food'.

I head straight to the kitchen as soon as I get home, drop my bag, and plate the food so Marshall and I can eat together since we haven't done that in a long time now.

I set the dining table with the food and a bottle of champagne with two glasses when I hear a soft giggle.

I thought it was a mistake till I heard it again.

My heart skipped. That wasn't Marshall's voice. And that laugh..I turned toward the hallway, my mind racing.

The giggling wasn't just a passing sound; it was coming from our bedroom.

I moved toward the sound, each step feeling heavier .

Disbelief and fear turned in my stomach, making me nauseous. I didn't want to think about it, but my body was already leading me.

When I reached the bedroom door, I stopped. The door was opened a little, the faintest sliver of light spilling out.

Without thinking, I pushed it open, with Marshall's gift in one hand.

I'm not prepared for what I witness..... Marshall in bed with someone and not just anyone, my best friend Karen!.

I drop Marshall's gift in shock and can hear the small sound of glass shattering or more like my heart shattering to pieces.

YISO'S POV

There, in our bed, was Marshall, his shirt discarded, tangled sheets around his waist and Karen! Karen!

My best friend!

Her eyes were locked with Marshall's, her lips pressed against his as if they belonged to each other.

She didn't notice me at first, too absorbed in the moment.

Marshall's eyes, however, snapped toward me, possibly from the sound of the glass shattering which I couldn't even be bothered to know at this point and wide with shock, his hands froze mid-movement.

I couldn't breathe. My body went numb.

The words didn't come at first. All I could do was stand there, paralyzed by what I was seeing.

Finally, I managed to choke out the question I already knew the answer to. "What is this?"

Marshall scrambled to sit up, but Karen remained unmoved, her gaze cold.

I could feel the betrayal burning through me. It wasn't just that he'd done this. It was Karen, the one person I thought I could trust with anything. Even my life!

She has been there for as long as I can remember even when I was bullied in school she was the one who stuck with me and helped me overcome my fears.

She literally knew everything about me.

She was there the day I married Marshall she was my maid of honor, she was the one person I would call first everyday before I met Marshall so how could she do this to me.

Karen finally looked over at me, her lips curling into a cold and an unremorseful smirk. "Oh, Yiso... You're home early."

"Early?" It's almost 12 am and you say early?". I still couldn't process what was going on. "What... What are you doing?".

Karen casually stood up, slipping into her clothes as if nothing was wrong. "What does it look like? I'm taking what's mine."

The anger inside me was growing and suffocating me.

I couldn't see clearly at this point.

"Taking what's yours? What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," she sneered, crossing her arms.

"This perfect life you've built, this perfect marriage you've flaunted. It's all so..so fa..fake!"' Karen screamed, stuttering and shaking with rage.

I couldn't understand her rage.

I should be the one angry, I should be the one to scream, so why was she so angry when I'm the one badly hurt by the two people I have come to trust and love the most in the whole world.

Compared to how loved and lucky I felt earlier today, I feel cheated, betrayed and most of all lied to.

I tried to find my voice again.

"Karen, please." My voice cracked as I took a step toward her. "Why? Why would you do this?"

"You never saw it, did you?" she mocked. "You never saw how much I hated you, how I envied your life. Your husband. You've had everything, and I've had nothing. But not anymore."

"No..not anymore! I have tolerated you for so long. As it stands, and I can barely stand your goody two shoes nature longer than you can blink right now Miss Kenoly".

Before I could get in any more words, she continued in her raged monologue.

"I couldn't stand you for a long time Yi. I always had to hear people say 'she's so nice'. 'She's so beautiful'. 'She has the best personality I've ever seen'!. 'It must be nice to be her friend'.

"The constant subtle comparisons were too much but I took it all in silence knowing I would watch your downfall soon and I guess the wait made this look on your face even much sweeter to look at".

"I could take a picture and frame it Yi , that's how satisfying it feels right now". She said falling to the bed with her hands spread wide open.

I could barely breathe. "You're my best friend. How could you..?"

Karen's laugh cut through the air. "You really think Marshall wants you? You're wrong. He's mine now, he has always been mine. I'm not going anywhere."

"What do you mean by that?". I whisper, scared of what her reply would be.

"He has always been mine Yi..let's just say I lent him to you for some time". Her smile gets even colder and more sinister if that were possible.

She continues without stopping, making my heart shatter even more with her cruel words.

"I convinced him to get on the dating app you know..it took a lot but he agreed and I knew convincing you would be a piece of cake and in no time you fell right into my trap".

She slowly lifts herself up from the bed revealing her face better to me

"Don't you see Yi he was never yours to begin with and you have been living a lie. The love, care and affection was all just an act from my Marshall...and you can admit he acted excellently well". She said laughing loudly.

I turned toward Marshall, my voice rising in desperation. "How could you do this to me? To us?"

Marshall opened his mouth, but before he could say another word, Karen stepped in front of me, blocking my view of him.

"You're nothing but a fool if you think he ever cared about you."

And then, with a cold look in her eyes, she grabbed something from the nightstand . It was a hammer.

I froze, confusion and fear flooding my system.

I took a shaky step back " what are you doing with that Karen..I know you hate me but you wouldn't harm me would you?"

For the first time Marshall stood up from the chair he was so comfortable sitting in and said "Karen.....relax it hasn't gotten to this. Stop!".

"Don't stop me Marshall we have waited for so long for this remember? How could you stop me now! You...you don't care about her, do you?". She cut him off, turning her attention fully on him still holding the hammer.

"No Karen, she is shocked enough as it is". He whispered, planting a kiss on her forehead.

They let go of each other and she turned to me and screamed

"I hate you! Go to hell".

Before I could react, she swung it.

The world exploded into pain, and everything went blank.

YISO'S POV

Pain is all I feel. Dull, throbbing, spreading through my skull like thick, hot lava. I try to move, to scream, but my body won't respond.

I hear voices. Their voices.

"Why did you kill her?!" Marshall's voice is shaky, almost unrecognizable.

"Kill?", the word sounds foreign as it echoes in my head.

"You know we just wanted to force her to sign the deed of transfer."

My pulse, if it's still mine, slows and then quickens.

A wave of nausea rolls through me. Pieces come back like tiny shards of memory about Karen, the hammer and the sharp crack against my skull.

I'm dying.

Karen exhales sharply. "Don't yell at me, Marshall. It's done already."

"No. No, it's not. Please no", I yell, although I'm sure no one can hear me.

I try to swallow, but my throat is thick, and filled with something metallic and warm. Blood.

Marshall's voice lowers. "What do we do now?"

Karen, answers without hesitation. "Call 911. Let's drag her body to the bathtub. We'll say she slipped and hit her head."

" I can't let them do this to me. I have to fight. I have to.."

A siren wails in the distance distracting my thoughts.

The sound pulls me in. My body feels lighter. I'm slipping.

"No", is all I can say as I hear orders barked and feel myself being lifted. And then..the light.

It floods my vision, not harsh like in a hospital, but warm and golden, like sunlight.

I shut my eyes, trying to focus only on the warmth the light provides.

A figure steps forward, she feels familiar in a way that breaks my heart.

"Do I know you? ", I call out.

She steps closer and I gasp. She looks exactly as in the pictures I've seen, strong, beautiful, her eyes filled with something I can't quite figure out.

"My baby," she whispers, her fingers brushing against my cheek. "You were not meant to leave like this."

Mom?" My voice is barely a whisper.

She nods, stroking my cheek.

She cups my face in her hands, and I feel everything, the love, the pain and the regret.

"You have another chance," she says.

Another chance. The words echo in my mind, filling the space where fear should be.

A shiver runs through me. "A second chance? A way back? ", I whisper.

"But if you choose to return," she continues, "you cannot return as you were."

A deep, chilling fear moves through me. "Then who will I be?" My voice barely comes out.

Mom smiles, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

"That is for you to discover." She whispers.

Why am I being given another chance?", I ask.

"Because you need to see and fight for the truth.", she replies.

Before I can ask what she means, the golden light around us shifts. The warmth fades and the air grows heavier, thick with something dark.

Suddenly, we are standing somewhere else.

It's a familiar office. I look around and notice Mama stands beside me, calm and silent, as if she expected this.

At his desk, Marshall and Karen sit together. Papers are spread between them, the faint scent of whiskey lingering in the air.

Marshall leans forward, fingers tapping against the polished wood.

"We need to move fast. Once the papers are finalized, everything will be under my name." Karen smirks, crossing her legs.

"And Yiso?" Marshall sighs, rubbing his temples. "I told you, I've been working on her. She's stubborn, but once she signs"

Karen cuts him off. "She won't sign."

Marshall's jaw tightens. "She will. She has to."

Karen leans in, voice dropping into something cold."..And if she doesn't?"

Silence. A heavy, knowing silence. Marshall looks away, exhaling sharply.

He doesn't answer, but the unspoken words settle between them like a thick fog.

Karen's lips curl. "You know there's another way."

A chill runs through me as I realize that they planned this.

They had been planning it long before tonight.

My stomach twists.

I turn to mom, my voice barely a whisper. "He was going to do this anyway. Even if I hadn't caught them."

She nods, sadness in her eyes. "Yes, my love."

The scene shifts again. Now, it was the place where it happened. Where Karen raised the hammer. Where I felt my skull shatter.

I watch as it happens again.

Marshall standing frozen in shock. Karen breathing heavily, the hammer slipping from her fingers.

Marshall's voice shakes. "Karen, what the hell?"

"You said we needed her out of the way.Not like this!"

Karen scoffs, stepping over my fallen body like I'm nothing.

"Well, it's done. Now we clean up the mess."

The sirens. The panic. The rush to hide the truth.

I squeeze my eyes shut, willing it all to disappear.

When I open them, I am back in the golden light, back with mom.

Tears slip down my cheeks, my hands shaking. "He never loved me."

Mama wraps her arms around me. "No, baby. He didn't."

A sob rises in my throat, but she pulls back, holding me steady.

"But this isn't the end of your story."

I shake my head, confused. "Then what is?"

She touches my chest, right over my heart. "You will know soon."

She sighs, tilting her head. "Because some things cannot be undone, my love. But a new life can be made, and you're stronger than you know."

I want to ask more. I want to understand but the light around us flickers.

Her hands tighten around mine. "Time is slipping. You must choose now".

The golden glow dims. A cold breeze brushes against my skin, and suddenly, I feel my body again, heavy, aching, broken.

I look up at mom, panic rising. "I don't know what to do."

Then she leans in and kisses my forehead and suddenly the warmth vanishes and then I fall.

Air rushes into my lungs. It feels like I've been drowning, and suddenly I'm here, but where is here?

Beep. Beep. Beep is all I hear. I can smell the scent of antiseptic and feel a soft mattress beneath me.

I slowly open my eyes and all I can see above me is a White ceiling and then it registered that I'm in a hospital.