Some words are best shared in solitude, and some deeds are best done where no one else can see.
Hattie spoke to the butler, “I’m going to have a word with Fiona over there, just the two of us. Don’t worry, nothing will happen. She won’t do anything here, not with the surveillance around and you watching.”
The butler thought this made sense. With Fiona and Harry’s wedding imminent, she shouldn’t cause any trouble, especially with him watching from a distance and the surveillance cameras in place.
The two women walked to a secluded area, and Fiona got straight to the point, “Hattie, how much do you want to leave Harry? I’ll pay anything.”
“You need to understand, it’s Harry who can’t leave me, not the other way around. Fiona, think it through. Instead of asking me to leave, why not persuade Harry to let go? Do you think everyone likes to treat a plate of shit as a meal?”
Fiona couldn’t handle the provocation, “Who are you calling a plate of shit!”
“Whoever you think it is, that’s who it is. If the shoe fits,” Hattie said with a laugh, then gently touched her abdomen.
Fiona noticed the gesture, and her heart tightened, recalling a recent trending news that Hattie was pregnant.
“You’re pregnant?”
“Yes,” Hattie admitted openly. “And it’s Harry’s child. So, how much are you willing to pay to make me leave? Is it your own money, or is it from Harry? Why would I give up on this goldmine that is Harry?”
“Hattie, are you shameless! How could you enjoy being the other woman, intruding into someone else’s marriage!”
“Me, the other woman? When I was with Harry, you didn’t even know where he was! As for the marriage, you and Harry aren’t even married yet. What marriage are you talking about? And now that I’m pregnant, who knows if Harry will still marry you?”
“You…” Fiona, face flushed with anger, pointed at Hattie.
“What about me? Don’t believe me? Okay, listen to this.” Hattie pulled out her phone, already prepared, and played a recording.
The recording was of a conversation Hattie had with Harry right after finding out she was pregnant, though she had slightly edited it.
-“Harry, have you ever thought about marrying me?”
“I want to marry you, Hattie.”
“Then you can’t contact Fiona anymore.”
“I’m happy, Hattie.”
“Happy about what?”
“Happy that we’re having our child, happy that you still care about me.”
Fiona’s heart clenched as each sentence from the recording played, familiar with Harry’s voice after so many years. The recordings were real.
So, Harry really did want to marry Hattie. He cared about Hattie, wanted Hattie, wanted a child with Hattie.
And her? What was she?
“I don’t believe this.” Fiona shookher head, tears falling, looking pitiful. Unfortunately for her, she was facing Hattie, not Harry, and Hattie was not one to show mercy. She preferred to be ruthless.
“You’re wondering why Harry suddenly stopped dealing with you, why he doesn’t want to see you or answer your calls, why he outright ignores your messages. Haven’t you ever thought about the reason behind it? Fiona, you really are deluding yourself. You say you’ve been preparing for years, staying by Harry’s side silently, and in the end, it all comes to nothing. You’ve ended up being just a stepping stone for me, Hattie.”
Hattie stepped closer, knowing exactly what Fiona valued and wanted, and her intent was clear: to destroy everything Fiona cherished.
That’s how Hattie was-unforgiving. No sympathy or forgiveness, no forgetting past grievances.
Compared to playing the saint, she preferred being the dark heroine.
“Fiona, you thought you won during that car accident two years ago, but I’ve always wondered where your victory was. Was it in losing your limb? What did that gain you apart from forcing Harry to bow down to you on my behalf? What else did it bring you?”
Fiona’s face turned pale, the mention of the amputation from the car accident being a topic she loathed to revisit. Now, voiced bluntly by Hattie, she felt a phantom pain in her missing leg.
Hattie continued to mock, “You’re over thirty, neither possessing the innocence of a child nor the beauty of youth, not to mention your intelligence seems to have declined along with your physical abilities. You cling to a man like a parasitic vine, lacking dignity, kindness, or morality. If I were you, I’d at least keep my dignity instead of ending up with nothing, screaming in desperation.”
These words were a ruthless indictment, diminishing Fiona to nothing.
Could one blame Hattie’s sharp tongue? No, if anyone, it was Fiona who had positioned herself for such scathing remarks.
Fiona’s fists tightened audibly, her breathing erratic, red veins creeping into her eyes, her fingertips digging into her flesh hard enough to draw blood, painful even to look at. Underneath Fiona’s calm gaze, a storm was brewing, and even Hattie feared it could cause her to collapse.
However, Hattie didn’t want to knock Fiona unconscious; she hoped for a fiery reaction, perhaps even a physical altercation that could result in a tragic mishap for the baby.
But Fiona wasn’t foolish. With so many cameras around, she retained some sense and refrained from attacking Hattie.
“Hattie, what right do you have to judge me? What do you think you have left after losing a finger, those disgusting scars, and spending two years in prison? Do you think you can keep Harry forever?”
Hattie covered her mouth and smiled slyly, only her challenging eyes visible, “That’s still better than some who can’t even hook him despite trying. What I don’t have, you lack as well, and what I do have, you certainly don’t.”
Fiona’s eyes narrowed suddenly, something within them cracking.
“You’d better spend your time convincing Harry to save your dream wedding instead of chasing me here. It would be a shame if you picked out a ring but never got to wear it. Oh… I forgot, Harry doesn’t even want to see you.”
A murderous look flashed through Fiona’s eyes, her gaze finally resting on Hattie’s abdomen, filled with hateful curses, “The child you can’t have, Hattie, will die too!”
Hattie responded with a meaningful smile, “We’ll see about that.”