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 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.

 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.

Chapter II: When the New Wife Calls

A Message from the Shadows

Months turned into years. I tried to move on, focusing on my career and rebuilding my identity apart from Kevin’s influence. Life began to settle into a rhythm of late nights at the office, quiet weekends in my apartment, and the distant hum of memories I barely allowed myself to think about. That was until a month ago—when an unexpected message arrived from an unknown number:

My heart began to race as I stared at the message. I had buried those days of heartbreak deep within me, but now they were surfacing with renewed force. I hesitated only a moment before replying.

Curiosity and Reluctance

I spent the restless night wondering: Why now? After all these years, why would Kevin’s new wife—Jess, the very woman who had once been the other woman in our unraveling—reach out to me? Was it remorse? Or was it something more sinister lurking beneath the desperate plea?

Despite my misgivings, I decided to meet her. Perhaps this was an opportunity to confront the remnants of the past and finally put the painful memories to rest. With cautious resolve, I set off the next day for Stevens Point, a town I hadn’t visited since before the divorce.

Chapter III: The Meeting in Stevens Point

A Tense Reunion

I arrived at a small, unassuming café in a quiet corner of Stevens Point. The air was cool and tinged with autumn’s edge, and my mind raced with a thousand questions. I chose a secluded table in the back, hoping to avoid any unwelcome attention.

Soon, the door creaked open and a woman entered. She moved with a nervous energy, her eyes darting around as if expecting danger to leap from the shadows. When she finally spotted me, she hurried over and sat down with a mix of relief and trepidation.

“Thank you for coming, Bridget,” she said, her voice trembling. “I—I didn’t know who else to turn to.”

I raised an eyebrow, trying to keep my tone neutral despite the storm of emotions inside me. “What’s going on?” I asked, my voice steady but my heart pounding.

The Shocking Confession

Jess took a deep breath, her eyes filling with tears. “I’m pregnant with Kevin’s baby,” she blurted out. There was a moment of heavy silence as the weight of her words settled between us.

I found myself both surprised and strangely unsurprised. Kevin had always treated me as disposable—and apparently, so did he treat her. “And?” I pressed, unsure what more she could say.

Her voice broke as she continued, “Kevin doesn’t want the baby. He told me I had to get rid of it. He says the divorce cost him too much money and he can’t afford a child right now.”

Anger, pity, and a grim sense of déjà vu surged through me. Here was the same man who had once used my infertility as a weapon against me—now trying to force a choice upon another woman. “What do you expect me to do?” I asked, my voice laced with incredulity.

Tears streamed down her face as she pleaded, “Maybe if you give back some of the money you received from the divorce settlement, he’d change his mind. I—I don’t know what else to do.”

The Decision

I was stunned. It was as if the universe had conspired to bring me face-to-face with the very injustice I had tried so hard to escape. “Jess,” I said slowly, “it’s not that simple. And you seem to have forgotten that he left me for you.”

She looked at me, her eyes pleading. “Please, Bridget. Help me.”

For a long, agonizing moment, I said nothing. My mind raced with conflicting thoughts—anger, sorrow, and a twisted sense of duty to protect another from the same fate that had once shattered me. Finally, I whispered, “I’ll think about it. But I can’t promise anything.”

Her tearful smile was brief but genuine. “Thank you, Bridget.”

As I left the café, I felt my heart heavy with memories of a betrayal I thought was long behind me. Yet there was a stirring inside—a desire to shield Jess from the cruelty of a man who had ruined so many lives.

Chapter IV: A Plan Takes Shape

The First Steps Toward Revenge

In the days that followed our fateful meeting, I wrestled with my emotions. The image of Kevin’s cold words still haunted me, and now, Jess’s desperate plea rekindled a fury I had long kept at bay. I resolved that if Kevin was going to use and discard lives as if they were nothing, then he would have to pay the price.

I called Jess the next day. “It’s Bridget,” I said as soon as she answered. “I’ve been thinking about your situation, and I want to help.”

Her voice cracked with relief. “Oh, thank you, Bridget! I—I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”

I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. “But not in the way you expect. Listen, Kevin doesn’t love you. If he did, he wouldn’t have told you to get rid of the baby. It’s not really about money—it’s about his priorities. And if he’s forcing you to choose, then you need to choose wisely.”

There was a pause, and then she whispered, “I…I understand. What do you have in mind?”

I took a deep breath. “I think you should move into my lake house temporarily—keep a low profile so that Kevin can’t track your every move. It’s safe there, and until we figure out our next step, you’ll be out of his reach.”

After a long, hesitant pause, she finally agreed. “Okay, I’ll do it. Thank you so much, Bridget.”

I called Jess the next day. “It’s Bridget,” I said as soon as she answered. “I’ve been thinking about your situation, and I want to help.”

Her voice cracked with relief. “Oh, thank you, Bridget! I—I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”

I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. “But not in the way you expect. Listen, Kevin doesn’t love you. If he did, he wouldn’t have told you to get rid of the baby. It’s not really about money—it’s about his priorities. And if he’s forcing you to choose, then you need to choose wisely.”

There was a pause, and then she whispered, “I…I understand. What do you have in mind?”

I took a deep breath. “I think you should move into my lake house temporarily—keep a low profile so that Kevin can’t track your every move. It’s safe there, and until we figure out our next step, you’ll be out of his reach.”

After a long, hesitant pause, she finally agreed. “Okay, I’ll do it. Thank you so much, Bridget.”