Chapter 2Her Husband Cheated, and She Tore Down the Wealthy Family for a Triumphant Revenge!

The bar pulsed with energy, a mix of neon lights and deep bass vibrating through the air. The scent of alcohol, sweat, and desperation lingered, thick enough to choke on.

Bodies moved together on the dance floor, strangers clinging to each other as if the night would never end.

I pushed through the crowd, my gaze sweeping the room until I spotted Sophia at the bar.

Her red dress clung to her curves in all the right places, her dark hair cascading down her back as she swirled her drink with a lazy smirk. Her eyes were sharp, scanning the room like a predator searching for its next conquest.

"Julia, over here!" she called, waving me over.

Sliding onto the stool beside her, I exhaled.

Sophia grinned. "Look around, babe. So many handsome men, and you’re wasting your time on Gabriel. Pick one, and I’ll go get him for you."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Sophia!"

She rolled her eyes. "I’m serious. Why are you still hung up on that bastard? What’s so great about him?"

I tensed at the question.

Sophia sighed dramatically. "I swear, I should just set you up with someone. Maybe then you'd finally realize how shitty he is."

"I need to use the bathroom," I muttered, avoiding her gaze.

Slipping off the stool, I made my way through the bar, the dim lighting and flashing strobes making it difficult to see clearly.

But as I walked past a private VIP lounge, a familiar voice stopped me cold.

Gabriel.

Heart hammering, I edged closer, peering through the small crack in the door.

What I saw made my stomach lurch.

Harper was perched on Gabriel's lap, her delicate arms draped around his neck, her lips curled in satisfaction.

His friends lounged around them, laughing, drinking—egging them on.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" someone chanted.

Gabriel smirked. And then he leaned in.

Bile rose in my throat.

My fingers curled into fists, nails biting into my palms as rage and heartbreak warred inside me.

As if sensing my gaze, Harper suddenly turned—and smiled.

A slow, smug, knowing smile.

Like she had won.

"When are you divorcing Julia?" Lucas Ross, one of Gabriel's closest friends, asked, swirling the liquor in his glass.

Gabriel chuckled, his voice dripping with amusement. "Divorce her? Please. You think I ever loved her?"

Something inside me snapped.

"She was just a means to an end."

My breath hitched.

"If it weren’t for her family’s company, I wouldn’t have even looked at her."

The room erupted into laughter.

I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.

"I used to hate the way she looked down on me," Gabriel continued, his tone darkening. "Thinking she was better than me. I wanted to tear her down, make her beg for my mercy."

Lucas whistled. "Damn, so she was just a pawn?"

Gabriel smirked. "She’s been under my control for years."

I staggered back, my chest tightening like a vise had wrapped around my ribs.

Five years.

Three years of marriage.

It was all a lie.

I turned, shoving past the crowd, my vision blurring as I rushed out of the bar.

The cool night air slapped me in the face, but it wasn’t enough to ground me.

I stumbled forward, my breaths coming out sharp and uneven.

Above me, the sky loomed dark and endless.

And then, as if mocking my pain—

It started to rain.

Cold droplets soaked through my clothes, drenching me to the bone.

But I barely noticed.

I was too busy trying to hold together the pieces of my shattered heart.

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