THE VENGEFUL EX-WIFE

chapter 4

Rebecca's attacks were deliberate and advised, Lisa's were more insidious, a constant shower of unresistant-aggressive dabs and snide reflections. She was a master of the silent treatment, her icy eyes and tight-lipped silence a potent armament that looked down at Jenny.

Despite their collaborative hatred, Jenny desperately tried to find common ground, trying to bridge the ocean of enmity that separated them. Each attempt was met with cold acceptance, a faint nod, and a curt 'thank you' that soaked further than any icy regard.

The weight of their enmity pressed down on Jenny, a heavy cloak that choked the life out of her spirit. The house, once a symbol of love and belonging, had come to captivity, her days a monotonous cycle of trying to please the women, of living in a constant state of expectation, waiting for the next slap or the next insult.

It was a dark autumn, rain lashing against the windows, mimicking the tempest raging within Jenny's soul. She sat all by herself craving for an escape, for someone to talk to, someone who understood the unsupportable weight of the Durants' cruelty.

A flicker of hope burned within her. Rachel Weiss, Michael's ex-girlfriend, had been kind to her in the past. Unlike the Durants, Rachel had been kind, a lamp of warmth in the chilly world of the Durant family.

Jenny telephoned Rachel's number, her fingers pulsing as she waited for the ringing to stop.

"Jenny! It's been a while! How are you?" Rachel's voice, warm and vibrant, filled the silence in the house.

"Rachel, I... I need to talk to someone. Can I come over?" Her voice, slightly above the whisper, betrayed the fermentation raging inside her.

"Of course, Jenny. Come on over. I am just getting started on a new series. I'd love to hear what is been going on with you." Rachael said.

The drive to Rachel's house was a blur, her mind consumed by the feelings threatening to overwhelm her. Reaching Rachel's cozy apartment, she was enveloped in a surge of warmth, the aroma of lately brewed coffee and the vibrant colors of Rachel's room creating a sense of solace.

"Oh, Jenny, you look terrible! What is going on?" Rachel's concern was genuine, her eyes reflecting a deep empathy that touched Jenny's heart.

Jenny, her voice choked with emotion, poured out her tale of woe, her words an alluvion of frustration and despair.

"Rachel, I can not take it anymore! They detest me. They make me feel like I am unnoticeable like I do not indeed exist. I try so hard, but every attempt is met with despisement. I do not know what to do presently. I feel like I am losing myself!" Jenny complained.

Rachel heeded patiently, her hand resting gently on Jenny's arm, offering silent support. When Jenny eventually fell silent, Rachel spoke, her voice soft yet firm.

"Jenny, you have to understand. This is not about you. They are bitter and resentful. They are still mourning the loss of Michael's former relationship. They haven't accepted the fact that he has moved on, and they are taking it out on you. You aren't the problem." She said.

"But what can I do? I feel like I am walking on eggshells, afraid of saying the wrong thing or doing the wrong thing. Every time I try to connect with them, they push me further away. I am so exhausted, so agonized." Tears welled up in Jenny's eyes, blurring her vision.

"Jenny, you deserve better than this. You deserve to be loved, to be accepted. You deserve to feel happy and valued. You are a good person and a valuable friend." Rachel's words, however simple, held an important truth that reverberated within Jenny.

"But what about Michael? He does not defend me. He just stands there, watching them hurt me." Jenny's voice quivered with a mixture of anguish and pain.

"Jenny, occasionally love is not enough. perhaps Michael is caught in the middle. perhaps he is not as strong as you suppose he is. But that does not mean you have to stay in this situation. You deserve someone who'll fight for you, someone who'll stand by you, no matter what." Rachael said.

As the evening wore on, Rachel's words of encouragement strained into Jenny's sick heart, offering a hint of hope amidst the despair. They talked for hours with their discussion a lifeline in the storm that was Jenny's life.

Eventually, as darkness began to settle over the city, it was time for Jenny to leave.

"Thank you, Rachel. I do not know what I would have done without you. You are the only person who is been kind to me." Jenny said.

"Jenny, you are welcome. Anytime, okay? Just remember, you are not alone. I am here for you." Rachael assured.

With a final clinch, Jenny drove back to the Durant Residence, her head brimming with a mixture of hope and alarm. She had found solace in Rachel's words, but the reality of her situation remained. She could not be with Rachel every day. She had to face the Durants, had to navigate the minefield of their enmity.

As she pulled into the driveway, the sight of the assessing house filled her with a sense of dread. Her heart pounded in her chest, her stomach churning with a poisonous blend of anxiety and fear. What awaited her within those walls?

Stepping outside, the familiar atmosphere of hostility washed over her, suffocating her with its dispassionateness. The silence was broken only by the ticking of the grandfather clock in the hall, each tick a hammer blow to her already fragile spirit.

Michael was in the study, the door ajar, the faint gleam of the beacon illuminating the room. Jenny walked in, trying to mask her apprehension with a forced smile.

"Michael, I am back," she said, her voice a bare tale.

Michael looked up, his face a mask of fury. "Where have you been?" he barked, his words laced with hostility.

"I went to see Rachel. We talked." She replied simply.

Before she could finish, Michael slammed his fist on the desk, the sound echoing through the room.

"The documents" he screamed, his eyes narrowed. "The documents from my office, the ones I told you not to touch, they are gone! They have been sold to my rivals! One million dollars worth of information Jenny!"

Jenny's heart declined to her stomach. "Michael, I did not take anything. I would no way..."

"Do not lie to me, Jenny! You are a thief! You are a liar! You've been stealing from me, stealing from us!" His voice shook with wrathfulness, his words like daggers piercing her soul.

Rebecca and Lisa surfaced from the hallway, their expressions a mixture of hate and triumph.

"Jenny, you've gone too far this time," Rebecca said, her voice trickling with venom. "We tried to advise Michael, but he wouldn't hear. Now, you will pay for your dishonesty."

"You were always a gold digger, Jenny." Lisa sniggered, her eyes spangling with malice. "You just wanted to get your hands on Michael's money. You are a pathetic reason for a woman."

Jenny, trapped in a whirlpool of allegations tried to defend herself.

"I did not do it! I swear to God, I didn't! I would noway betray Michael, I love him."

But her words were lost in the whirlwind of wrathfulness and allegations. Michael, his face contorted with rage, snapped a stalk of papers from his table and threw it at her feet.

"Here, Jenny, your freedom at last," he said, his voice trickling with disdain. "This is your divorce, your ticket out of my life. And you will be paying me back, every last penny, for the damage you've done!"

Before Jenny could indeed reply, Michael's voice chimed out, clear and sharp.

"Call the police," he commanded, his eyes burning with fury. "Tell them Jenny Durant has stolen a million dollars from me. She needs to stay locked up until she pays me back." He said.

Soon enough, the sound of sirens in the distance, growing louder and more pertinacious, pierced through the air. The police arrived, their faces grim, their eyes surveying the scene and their presence a cold wave.

Michael, his face contorted with rage, refocused on Jenny. "She's the one, Officer. She stole from me. She needs to be arrested." He said.

Jenny, her heart sinking like a gravestone, felt the icy grip of fear constricts her chest. She was trapped, a victim of their crooked allegations, her life worsening around her.

"No, Michael! I did not do anything! Please believe me!" Her cries were lost in the noise of the officers' orders, the clinking of handcuffs, and the cold iron biting into her skin.

As the officers led her away, the faces of her persecutors, filled with a mixture of trim satisfaction and vengeful looks, burned into her memory. This wasn't the end, she thought, a flicker of defiance kindling within her. She'd fight, she'd prove her innocence, and she'd reclaim her life...