Revenge Is Mine

9: Public Embarrassment

Chiara Moretti

“Did you do this?” Alessia asked as I made my way to the stall in the ladies' room.

“Do what?” I fired back, even though my face looked calm.

“You bloody well know what I am talking about! I don't even know you, Viviana; why are you out to draw my blood?” She asked, her eyes red with tears.

“I didn't do anything. You must surely know that if you belong to the elite, there are certain ways you must act in public. A lot of hungry newsmen around” I scoffed and walked past her.

She lunged at me, and I dodged her, quickly calling on the attention of the security men.

“Gary! Leonard! Come quick!” I called the men, who seemed shocked that I knew their names.

“How did you know our names? We are not wearing any name tags” Gary asked me, and I shook my head.

“That is not the priority now, is it?” I asked them as Alessia lunged for me again. This time, she was caught just in time by Leonard, who dragged her outside. Marco ran in to see her being dragged out of the washroom.

“What is going on here?” He demanded, his voice hard.

“Miss Alessia was trying to attack Miss Viviana” Gary responded calmly.

“Alessia, is this true?” Marco asked her even though his eyes were fixed on me throughout.

“She is the one behind the video! I am sure of it” she cried, but Marco calmly held her shoulder. It carried figments of the tenderness that I used to think meant that I was special to him.

"How are you so sure? Did she say anything, or did you see anything?” He asked her, but she shook her head and pulled herself from his grasp.

“I didn't, but it still doesn't mean that I am not sure of what I am saying. The feeling is too strong for me to just ignore it” she responded.

“What have I done to you that you accuse me of such?” I asked her, my gaze brazen as I held eye contact with her.

“There's just something about you that doesn't seem right, and even though I might not know it now, best believe that I will find out soon enough” she said as she yanked herself from Marco's grasp and left the bathroom area.

“I'm so sorry about that. She tends to act like that when she is overstimulated. Period, hormones, and whatnot” he said, and I felt a wave of nausea hit me from the disgust I felt for him. His words confirmed that he never really saw us women as anything important, just mere appendages to the life that he is already living.

“I understand” I said and made to leave the walkway that led out of the bathroom.

“Now, we still have something to discuss, don't we?” He asked me as he backed me up against the wall, leaving only a few inches of space between our bodies. I quickly moved away to avoid him boxing me into a corner and preventing me from leaving when I want to.

“What is that?” I demanded.

“How come you are in my company?” He asked, the wind bringing me the whiff of mint in his breath. It was then that I realized that he had followed me here; he had not come here for Alessia. He thought me showing up in my company was a subtle way of telling him that I was interested in him too.

“I bought shares here. It doesn't go beyond that. Shouldn't you be going after your business partner, who seems to be a very emotional person?” I asked him and watched the mischievous twinkle in his eyes die.

“She is just my business partner, I can assure you, even though she likes me a lot. I have always told her that I was not interested in her, but she won't just have it” he said, and I almost laughed in the face of the lies that he was rolling out. It made me think about the possible number of times he must have denied me too.

“How have you been coping with the loss of your former wife?” I asked him, and his eyes rounded. He backed away immediately and avoided my eyes. It was a good thing that I had such an effect on him. I wondered why no one else had read the guilt from his body language because it was written all over him that he had a hand in my death.

“It has been hard, but I am trying to move past it. It's why I have been coming after you since the first night we met” he said, and I shook my head, feeling sorry for the pitiful life that he was living.

“I am not ready for a relationship at the moment. Do well to find another woman to amuse yourself with” I said, and with that, I walked out on him. His presence is too nauseating for me to stand him for even another second.

His eyes were boring a hole through my back as I made my way out of the room and back to the board meeting. Everyone was whispering when I came back in, but I quietly took my seat and waited for the meeting to begin.

A few minutes later, Marco came back to the boardroom, his eyes red and a bit of white substance around his nose. I gasped in shock. He quickly cleaned it before he started addressing the board members, after which I introduced myself. Even right then, I knew my next plan. It was almost as if the universe was giving me pointers on how to take Marco and Alessia down.

“Can I make up for all that has happened with a cozy lunch date?” Marco asked me once we were done with the meeting and packing.

Liliana entered the room just then; I gestured for her to come close as she helped me carry my bags. I wanted to refuse, but she shook her head and motioned for me to come with her.

“Maybe another time, Mr. Marco. For now, I have so much on my plate, and even then, I wouldn't want your business partner to track us down to where we are and put on another emotional show. I will invite you for dinner soon enough.” I said, and without even waiting for him to respond, I left the room.

“He tried to put something in your bag” Liliana said as I met her gaze.

“We will check it out in the car” I said quietly as we made our way to where Alessandro was already parked and waiting for us. As soon as I got into the car, I retrieved a hotel card from my bag. My face immediately changed as I turned to Alessandro.

“Let's proceed with the next step. I know exactly what to do”.