Valentina's Revenge

"I love you too, Babe." Matteo responded to the heartfelt confession that didn't come from me. I stood trembling at the slightly ajar door as I saw Bianca lean in to kiss him on the lips, my blood ran cold when he reciprocated, fiercely meeting her lips with extra fervor.

I clenched my fist, my nails drawing blood as I stood with a shattered heart at the door. I should turn away but I don't. I couldn't bring myself to. I made to barge in and confront them but stopped when she pulled away to get her bag.

"We get her drugged today, huh?" Bianca had a snide smile on her face.

Who? Get who drugged?

"Yeah. It's high time I get a divorce and be with you Love." Matteo grabbed her butt but she pulled away.

My knees buckled and I held the door post for support. Today is my 25th birthday and this is what I get coming to my husband's office to celebrate.

Bianca giggled, hitting his chest lightly. "I can't wait, Babe." She leaned in again and I couldn't watch, tears blurred my vision. I felt the air get forcefully taken out of my lungs as I rushed to the side to stifle my tears.

In between loud wet kisses I heard their malicious plans...

"A surprise birthday party..."

"I have that planned already."

"You really need to stop kissing me and let me concentrate, Matteo. I'll offer her the drink and you will take it from there. Get her laid by the guys I hired. I confirmed that they are all HIV positive..."

What! My eyes widened in terror, my heart thrummed painfully in my chest. So this was it? This is what I get, a surprise birthday present from my husband of 3 years and my college best friend.

This is what I get after putting an end to my acting career because he found it uncomfortable. Right there, my eyes widened in realization. Right after I quit my acting career, his agency signed Bianca as an actress and soon, she became a top star.

Rage blinded my vision. It felt hard to breathe.

"After all you married her because her family was indebted to the mafia Lord."

"I know right." His voice was thick with desire.

"The bitch! She just needed to avoid being offered to the Mafia Lord in place of her wretched family's debt."

"You know I was forced to marry her because of her family's ties with mine."

"You don't love her right?"

"Not a bit."

I needed to leave before my heart got torn apart from the explosive pain I felt. Staggering like a drunk, I made my way to the elevator, ignoring the questioning eyes of the staff.

I got into my car feeling too sick to drive but I did either way, almost getting myself hit by another car. On getting home, I wrenched my guts out in the toilet after which I went straight to bed. My eyes were already puffy and I had no strength left to cry or think.

"Hey Babe." His voice drew me out of my subconscious but I only jerked up when his lips landed on mine.

"Hey? What's wrong?" He stared at me in confusion and for a second, I thought I had imagined everything I saw in his office.

The hurt was back, it almost blinded me and I felt like digging my hands into his innocent looking eyes.

"Nothing." I forced out the word and made to smile.

"Happy Birthday Babe." He leaned in again to kiss me but I dodged like his lips would kill and saw the frown on his face.

"You weren't home when I woke up." I replied instead, forcing my voice to be normal.

"I had to meet an important client." He said seriously and I almost barked out a laugh but I nodded instead.

"Well, that's about to change. Get dressed, I'm taking you out." He smiled at me like I am supposed to smile back and wag my tail in appreciation.

"I feel sick, I can't..." I started but the darkening of his gaze stopped me.

"The venue is at room 306, starlight lounge. It's 3 p.m, you need to be there before 6 p.m." He spoke as if in a business deal before standing up.

"See you there...Babe." He added like an afterthought.

When he got to the door, he paused before turning back to me. "Don't be late." He smirked and shut the door behind him.

I sat still, eyes red and wide, lips trembling, teeth chattering as I felt the chills run down my spine.

No! I have to do something about this.

I sat with my trembling fingers to my teeth, nibbling them off while I thought of what to do. I needed to do something about this and I needed to do it fast else I would be ruined.

My eyes sparkled at the thought that I had and without stopping to think, I ran towards my closet, took out a red bag and brought out a black card with my heart pounding in my chest.

Picking up my phone, I dialed the number I haven't dialed in 3 years.

I stepped in dark private room nervously.

"Hello?" I called out in the darkness but got no response.

For a moment, my heart quivered in fear. What if I get pounced upon by some men? I turned back to the entrance to leave, I made to run out but the door got closed from the outside. NO!

I was a trembling mess, sweat poured out from my pores and I almost passed out in terror, I looked around me half squatting with my fists pushed forward in preparation to strike any of the supposed men down.

"Happy birthday!" Voices called out from the dark before the light came on and I almost sank into the floor but Bianca held me still.

"Your pose was funny." She giggled into my ear and my stomach churned in disgust.

"You know I have nyctophobia." I hissed through gritted teeth but she let go of me before eyeing me.

"Calm down, don't be dramatic. We were all here with you." She walked away.

"Happy birthday Babe." Matteo sang happily, bringing the cake towards me.

I looked around the faces of the invitees and bit my inner cheeks in sadness, they were all either Matteo friends or Bianca's, I had no friends.

"Go on, blow off the candle and make a wish." He smiled at me but I felt no desire to force a smile.

I did blow off the candle either way and made a wish that they both meet a terrible fate.

"What did you wish for?" Bianca stood before me with two glasses of red wine in hand, she had a large grin as she looked at me for answers.

"It wouldn't be a wish if I told you." The words forced themselves out of my throat as my eyes stared at the glasses in her hands.

"Right." Her smile irritated me as I stood awkwardly in the centre of the room, clenching my handbag like my life depended on it.

"Yes, this." She pushed the drink forward.

"Hey guys, let's make a toast to the birthday girl." She raised her voice and everyone stood with a glass in hand.

My heartbeat spiked, she was making it difficult for me to refuse her.

"Go on, take it." She pushed the glass forward towards me.

"I feel sick, I can't drink."

She looked back at Matteo who had a frown on his face.

"That's nonsense." She smiled before pushing the glass into my hand.

"A glass of wine won't kill you Valentina, we all know that."

I swear to the heavens, if she smiled one more time, I was going to let hell loose and smack her face.

"To the birthday girl!" She cheered and they all replied before downing their drink.

I stood frozen before forcing a cough, in a twinkle of an eye, I splashed the drink on her while doubling over in a fit of cough ignoring the gasps around me.

"Aah!" She shrieked and I coughed louder, hitting my chest while on my knees.

"Oh my God! Bianca. Are you okay?" Matteo rushed towards her instead while she fussed over the wet patch on her expensive cloth, ignoring me completely on the floor.

Soon enough, I felt his hand tighten itself around my arm before dragging me up.

"Ouch Matteo! You are hurting me!" I cried out but he ignored me, his eyes were thick with disgust.

"Apologize!" He demanded.

"What?" I glared at him.

"Apologize to her now!"

"I had a fit!" I declared stubbornly.

"That's no excuse..." His hand went tighter, his fingers digging into my flesh and my eyes stung.

"Oowww Matteo, it's alright for real, it's just a wet patch." Bianca purred before hurrying towards us like she wasn't just standing by and watching things unfold.

Effortlessly peeling Matteo's hand from my arm, she clung to me before whispering in my ear. "I told you earlier, you don't have to be dramatic."

I felt the poison in her tongue.

"Why can't I when it's my birthday today?" I asked her, meeting her gaze with a hard stare as she frowned.

"You want Matteo right?" I questioned in a whisper and her eyes widened.

"Nah, you already have him wrapped around your little dirty fingers right?" Her grip on me loosened, her face went red.

"You can have him." I turned to face her fully, her breath was loud enough for me to feel her terror and mine came in a hurry, showing my anger.

She broke the tension in the air with a snort, then a laugh before bending down to the table closeby to pick a drink for herself.

I squinted at her.

"Don't be silly." She waved her hand in the air.

"Do you love Matteo?" I stepped closer and she spilled the drink out of her mouth to my face, drawing everyone's attention to us.

"Is everything okay?" Came Matteo's concerned voice.

"We are fine." I responded, cleaning my face.

"I bet you enjoy his lips more than I did." I stepped even closer and suddenly, she gripped my clothes tightly, throwing herself backwards, forcing me to push her hand off my cloth by reflex and soon, she was on the floor with a loud thud followed by her shrill painful cry.

"Bianca!" Matteo called out in a pained voice before rushing to her side.

I watched in shock and disdain as Bianca's cries grew louder, drawing everyone's attention to her.

"What happened?" Mateo glared up at me and I took a step back at the hatred in his eyes.

How was I blind all these years to have not noticed the blatant disgust he had in his eyes for me.

"I said what happened?" He yelled and I shook my head in response to the lack of words.

How was I to explain the sudden irrational actions of Bianca?

Turning to face her, he cupped her cheeks. "What happened?" He asked in an extremely gentle tone that made my heart bleed while I stared down at them.

"She..." Bianca started, then hiccuped and Matteo turned to face me with a glare in his eyes.

"What did she do?" He pressed softly and gasped loudly when Bianca showed him something.

I tried to peer past his broad shoulders to see what it was but could only see Matteo's fast movement and soon, there was a loud slap. I gasped, holding onto my right cheeks.

"Matteo?" I called out shakily, tears wetting my lashes.

Looking at the giggling guests who found my predicament entertaining, I bit my lips in shame.

"What did you do to her?" He questioned with wide angry eyes.

"What?" I asked and he marched back to Bianca and showed off a claw mark on her wrist. The angry red lines that were accused of being caused by me were unfamiliar to me.

"I didn't do that." My voice broke.

"Liar!" It was Bianca this time.

She grabbed Matteo's shirt and cried into it like a baby and I went numb. I felt stupid, I was fed up, it all felt like an expensive joke.

"We were talking and ... and all of a sudden, she tried to claw at my face and I blocked her hand with mine..." She pointed at the claw marks on her wrist.

"Then ... then she pushed me saying I should die and go to hell!" Bianca explained, getting more agitated as she spoke while Matteo rubbed her back to soothe her.

"What have I done to you Valentina? Is it my fault you gave up your career to please a man?" She questioned righteously and my jaws slacked. My mouth went wide and I could not believe the unfolding event.

"Be calm Baby." Matteo soothed her and if my jaws could drop to the ground, it would at this moment.

"Matteo!" I could not stop myself from yelling his name.

"You jealous bitch! Were you trying to get her killed?" He yelled back at me instead and I took three steps back.

I was going to black out, I could not breathe and the murmurs from their guests made everything worse.

Bianca got up with the help of Matteo before drying her wet eyes and putting on her irritating smile. The bitch was really an actress. She made a step towards me.

"Don't." I snarled at her and Matteo made to move but she put out her hand, stopping him.

"I forgive you." She said it out loud in a clear voice, all evidence of her dramatic tears gone into thin air.

Before I could react, she closed in on me, hugging me tightly to the sickening applause from the little crowd.

"You can't do any goddamn thing about us Valentina." She giggled into my ear, patting my back while I stood still in shock.

"You are the dramatic one." I managed to say and her giggles grew louder.

"That's why he loves me instead of you. You are such a bore, even in bed." She declared and it pierced my heart.

"Before you react, think. I could set you up again and make you get hated on." I wanted to tell her that I knew about her plans but I held myself back.

"Do your worst." I snarled instead, still standing stiffly in her arms.

"Now hug me back, else I would scream and heaven knows you would get beaten to death and Matteo wouldn't care about your corpse." I hated this, I hated her but I had to comply for the greater good.

"Good girl." She purred when I obeyed and I gritted my teeth.

"See, we are good now." She disengaged and turned to smile at the guess and at Matteo who smiled back at her.

Matteo brought two glasses of the same drink from earlier towards us. My jaws tightened. Are they fools? Don't they get tired of the same trick after the first failed attempt?

My mind scurried for a possible attempt at another excuse to give as he approached.

"Why not take a glass of wine to celebrate your reconciliation?" He pushed a glass to me before pushing another towards Bianca.

"I want the other one." I declared and they both paused, the air got thick with tension.