She couldnt have changed that much! Oliver stared, his mouth stuck open, as the ghost of his former wife stepped out of the shop window. The glossy display of a highend restaurant reflected her back, and he felt his knees go slack.
The woman, a stunning blonde, was perched by the window, typing intently on a sleek laptop. A waiter slipped a glass of freshly pressed orange juice and a bitesize cake laced with raspberries and strawberries onto the table.
How does she look so flawless? Oliver thought, eyeing the glittering bracelet on her wrist. That must have cost a fortune. He pressed his lips together and edged away, hoping she wouldnt notice his stare.
***
Six years earlier Oliver and Emma had met. Hed just finished university and landed a graduate role with a renowned construction firm in London; his career was climbing like a crane. At an industry exhibition, he struck up a conversation with a cheerful young woman manning a stand.
Dont you have to be near those excavators all day? Lets grab a coffee instead, he laughed, extending a steaming cup.
Emmas soft voice and shy smile caught his attention instantly.
Thats the kind of girl I needquiet, obedient, a perfect, compliant wife, he mused, halfjoking, halfserious. Shes a bit round, but a gym could fix that. If she ever gets out of hand after children, Ill find a lover. He handed her the cup, his thoughts already racing.
What are you doing here? Oliver asked when they stepped outside together.
Im a budding writer, hoping to be a screenwriter, Emma replied, her blue eyes flickering with a mix of hope and nervousness. I just finished a literature degree, still trying to pay the rent.
In Olivers mind she became a blank canvas: Shell cook, keep the house tidy, raise the kids, and obey me without question. He puffed up with pride, already bragging to anyone who would listen.
***
Oliver bought a takeaway coffee from a kiosk across the street and settled on a bench to keep watching Emma. When she emerged, his breath caught. She glided in a fur coat of mink, her posture lithe and graceful. The threeyear gap had transformed her into a vision from a glossy magazine, and when a sleek sports car pulled up, Oliver felt his throat close.
She must have found a rich man, he muttered, gulping the hot brew and clenching the cup until his knuckles whitened. Emma slipped away, disappearing down an unknown lane.
That night Oliver lay awake, scrolling through a newly created socialmedia account to catch a glimpse of her pictures after she had blocked him. Envy, jealousy, rage surged through him like a tidal wave as he downed a halfliter of gin.
Youre not the nobody who vanished without a penny, a flat, a face, he scolded the images of Emma lounging in fivestar hotels, clutching designer bags, flaunting a sculpted figure. Did you lose ten kilos? Plastic surgery? Or a gym you never leave? He slammed his phone shut.
***
Morning brought a flash of a conversation theyd once had.
Just nonsense. Who reads this? Oliver said, shaking his head at a new short story Emma had posted.
Everyones taste differs, Emma replied meekly. I already have readers.
What readers? The ones with no brain, perhaps? Oliver snorted.
Im trying to live my own life, Oliver. Im not critiquing your work, even if you stay up all night on it, Emma whispered, voice trembling.
Exactly! If you helped me at home, Id spend less time in the office, Oliver snapped, leaping from his chair. From today you stop writing and start assisting me.
What? No more writing? Emma froze, shock painting her face. But my stories are my soul! tears welled.
My soul is useless to anyone but you, Oliver barked. Youre now a tool. Ill give you daily tasks; youll do them. Thats all.
I dont understand. Youre taking away what matters to me, Emma sobbed, turning away.
Youre ungrateful. Ive fed you, bought you gifts, even taken you to the seaside. Either you help me or youre out. He pointed at the door. If you dont like it, the exit is right there.
Emma stared at the floor, the house, the empty promises, and finally whispered, Fine, Ill help. She wiped her eyes, switched off her laptop, and never wrote another line.
***
A year later Oliver had amassed contacts and capital, partly from the sale of his grandmothers cottage, and launched his own construction firm. From dawn till dusk Emma was his right handhandling paperwork, presenting to investors, supervising crews, arranging lunches.
Another year passed; Oliver built a suburban development and earned a tidy profit. He liked everything about his partnership with Emmaexcept her appearance. The constant stress turned Emmas palate toward sweets, and she began to gain weight swiftly.
Where am I going with this piglet? Oliver complained to a mate over pints at a pub in Manchester. She was plump before we married, now shes so heavy I cant bear to look at her.
His friend chuckled, A sad sight indeed.
Time to bench her, Oliver muttered, opening a dating app on his phone. I thought Id get a side fling once Emma had a baby, but theyre all dreadful now.
A sporty newcomer, Sophie, answered his first message. She agreed to meet at a swanky London restaurants restroom and immediately became his new companion. Sophie was demanding, whispering in his ear, You love how I look, dont you? in a plush flat with a panoramic nightcity view that Oliver rented for secret trysts. He ran his featherlight hand over her back, murmuring, Of course.
Sophie listed her expenseshair, nails, skincare, gymwhile Oliver simply admired her beauty, convinced he could now afford a higher tier of success. Within weeks she eclipsed Emma in his thoughts; he rarely returned home where Emma waited each evening.
When Oliver finally walked back from a week with Sophie, Emma greeted him with homemade pesto pasta. How was the business trip?
Fine, he grunted, pushing the plate away.
Lets get back to work. How are the numbers? Olivers gaze treated Emma as just another employee, demanding more from her than from anyone else.
A month later, Olivers projects falteredcontracts slipped, partners withdrew. He blamed Emma for the downturn and divorced her in a stormy split, ensuring she left with nothing. He threw her out in a single day.
Three years later, Oliver stared at his kitchen table, murmuring to himself. Shes now living in a wealthy suburb of Surrey near a big investor Im meeting. Ill pop by, see how shes doing. He sipped his tea, uneasy at the thought of a plain Jane blossoming into a rose.
A sudden message pinged from Sophie, who was on a holiday in the Emirates. Oliver, we should break up. Ive met someone else. Ill collect my things, and youll pay for my flight.
Rage flared. I paid for that trip! How dare you, Oliver typed furiously, hurling insults. Sophie replied with a voice note, Calm down, love. Im blocking you. Drama ruins my skin. She hung up and blocked his number.
Defeated by a failed investor pitch and a sour mood, Oliver drove to the upscale estate where Emma now lived. After a halfhour of idling and a pack of cigarettes, a sleek black car pulled up at the gate. Emma opened the door, surprise on her face.
What are you doing here? she asked, after Oliver knocked three times.
Just wanted to see how youve settled, he muttered.
She stared at him, the anger in his eyes evident. Oliver tried to soften his tone. Im actually here to apologise. Ive had a lot of time to think since you left. Things went badly.
Apologise? Emma laughed, shaking her head. You barred me from my passion. I worked for you for two years, cooked, cleaned, kept the house, believed in you when everyone else doubted you. Then you kicked me out in one day.
Oliver swallowed, Fine, Im sorry. He gestured toward the hallway. Maybe I could stay a bit?
Emma considered. Maybe Ill let you in but not because you deserve it. She led him into the spacious living room, eyeing the luxurious furnishings. Whos funding you? You cant build stone castles on honest work.
No one funds me. I bought everything myself, Emma replied, moving toward the kitchen.
What a lie, Oliver shouted, chasing after her. Do you think Im unworthy of my own dreams? Emma placed a glass of water on the table, eyes steady.
How could you change so much in three years? How did you start earning so much? Oliver spun the glass, bewildered.
I returned to writing, actually screenwriting. I sold a few pilot scripts to production houses, but they thought my work was rubbish, Emma said, brushing a stray hair behind her ear. Now Im one of the countrys most recognised scriptwriters; my shows are on the main channels.
It seems you came here to apologise, Emma said, sitting opposite him. The best revenge is to succeed where you thought I couldnt. That thought crushed me. Oliver, drenched in a fresh wave of fury, felt his anger surge again. The breakup with Sophie, the lost investor, Emmas meteoric riseall collided in his mind.
You were a plain Jane, unattractive, talentless, without connections or a flat, he whispered. Your success is because of me, the one who put you on the right path.
Its not an apology, Oliver, Emma smiled. The only thing you gave me was a lesson in how selfish people can be.
You wont get anything from me now, she said, standing. Its time you left.
Open the safe, give me the money, or you wont leave alive, Oliver roared, grabbing her elbow and dragging her toward the sofa.
Stop, it hurts! Emma screamed.
The plain Jane must stay a plain Jane, Oliver snarled, pushing her onto the couch. He seized a log from the fireplace, advancing.
Single women keep cats, Emma said, rubbing her elbow, meeting his gaze, and smiling. But Im not just any woman. Ive got dogs nowChilli and Willy.
Oliver turned to see two massive Dobermans standing a metre away, tongues lolling, eyes fixed on him. Chilli dripped saliva onto the marble floor; Willys growl was a low rumble.
Chilli, Willy, fetch! Emma shouted, her voice echoing through the hall. Olivers confidence faltered, his throat dry, as the dogs lunged. He tried to flee, but the hallway offered only half a metre of escape before the beasts closed in. A chaotic tableau unfoldedshouts, breaking glass, flashing lights as the police arrived, stitching together the aftermath.
The cameras in Emmas house recorded everything. Oliver received a short custodial sentence and never found his way back to the life he once knew. Emma, meanwhile, flourished. Rumours say she married a talented director, is expecting a child, and lives happily.
They say every successful woman has a man who broke her heart, and the best revenge is proving she can thrive without him. Whether that holds true in our moonlit world is up to you. One thing is certain: when you truly believe in yourself, everything is possible.
