The Bitter Chill of Revenge

Prologue: When the Past Reaches Out

They say revenge is a dish best served cold—but sometimes, the chill comes not from the act itself but from the memories that refuse to fade. I had spent years trying to leave my painful past behind, burying the memories of a love that soured and a betrayal too deep to forget. Yet one unexpected message from the new wife of my ex-husband shattered that fragile peace, drawing me into a labyrinth of secrets, desperation, and a plot that I never thought I’d be forced to execute.

My name is Bridget, and this is the story of how old wounds were reopened, how a desperate plea for help awakened a fire I had long thought extinguished, and how, in the end, the scales of justice were tipped in a way that no one—least of all my treacherous ex-husband—could have predicted.

Chapter I: A Shattered Past

The Life I Once Knew

Five years ago, my life was almost a fairy tale. I was married to Kevin Michaelson—a charming, successful businessman whose confidence and brilliance had swept me off my feet. Kevin had a way of making me feel like the most special person in the world. Our love was celebrated among our friends and colleagues, and for a time, it seemed as if nothing could ever go wrong.

Yet beneath the glittering surface of our life together, there were secrets and insecurities that would later turn our love into ashes. I had always known about my infertility—a truth I had confided in Kevin from the start. In our quieter moments, he sometimes spoke about children with a longing that I thought was shared between us. But as time went on, it became painfully clear that Kevin’s dreams of a family were not meant to include me.

A Single Message That Changed Everything

That fateful day began like any other. I was at home when a message appeared on my phone. At first, I thought it was a mistake—a wrong number perhaps. But as I read the terse words again, my heart sank:

“I hate her, Jess. I hate Bridget, with every fiber of my being. She can’t even give me a baby.”

I stared at the screen, disbelief mingling with the cold sting of betrayal. It wasn’t just any message; it was a confession of hate from the man I had once adored. Kevin had accidentally sent that text to me instead of his secret lover—a woman he now called Jess. My blood drained from my face as I read and re-read those words. The pain was a familiar companion, but now it had a new, venomous shape.

The End of an Illusion

That message shattered our life together. In the days that followed, everything fell apart. I confronted him, demanded the truth, and in the end, we could not reconcile our differences. The divorce was as inevitable as the winter’s chill, and with it came a bitter taste of betrayal. Kevin moved on quickly—he built a thriving business empire, acquired several properties, and even kept our lake house. In the final settlement, I received half of his assets: a modest apartment, a share in his company, and the lake house, which became my reluctant inheritance.

I never imagined that the remnants of our shared life would be a constant reminder of his cruelty. But I clung to my work and my career with a passion that helped me forget, even if only for a while.