Chapter160
I nodded. “Hmm, this theory actually makes sense.”
I had a lightbulb moment. “Maybe Antonio hooked up with the college girl first and then dumped Wendy?”
On the phone, Janessa laughed, “Bingo! How could a cheater like him settle for just one woman?
“To be honest, aside from you, Antonio’s taste in wornen has never changed. When that college girl comes in for an internship, she’s got that same swagger, just like how Wendy used to be, acting alll high and mighty.”
I felt a surge of emotion, but I was genuinely curious about Wendy.
“Janessa, did Wendy really sign the house over to Antonio last time?” I asked.
Janessa smirked, “Wendy isn’t foolish. She wouldn’t just give him the house. She was so furious that she painted the Mercedes with fake blood and drove it to Antonio’s place. The car was wrecked. As for her son, Wendy’s never been the nurturing type.
“Antonio saw how fierce Wendy could get and hasn’t mentioned the house since.”
The luxury car was wrecked just like that.
It wasn’t a big deal for Antonio, but it was enough to turn his stomach for six months.
Chapter150
Truly, only a cunning woman could handle a scoundrel like him.
End of the month, my lawyer asked me to fly back for the court hearing.
Things went smoothly, but I was caught off guard when Antonio’s new flame, Grace Parrish, tagged along.
Just as Janessa had painted her, Grace was a classic angelic bitch.
She was seemingly innocent on the outside, but with a gaze that cut right through people.
Antonio’s eyes flickered with a mix of regret and something more. complex upon seeing me.
Grace, scared I’d take her man, grabbed Antonio’s arm tight, staking her claim.
“Miss, I’ve heard all about you two from Antonio. You just couldn’t move on, always throwing in your miscarriage to make yourself look like the victim and drag Antonio’s name through the mud.
“But let’s face it. Antonio’s not into you. I’m the one he’s into. I get. you’re feeling a bit green right now. After the divorce, let’s not cross paths again.”
I looked at Antonio, who was hanging his head in guilt, and gave a small, wry smile. “Then I wish you both a long and happy life. I look forward to hearing the patter of tiny feet.”
As I turned to go, Janessa clutched my hand and shot a glare at Grace.
11
“You said Antonio’s into you. Has he bought you a house? Did he tell you about the house he gave to his first love? Come on! You’re not even in the same league.”
Grace’s smile vanished, replaced by a look of rage directed at Antonio.
Janessa pulled me away, leaving behind a trail of Grace’s heated words.
I booked a flight back to Vortexburg for that night.
What I didn’t see coming was the afternoon’s local news report on a brutal murder.
“A college girl, possibly out of spite, broke into a home to confront the other woman. The guy tried to intervene, but it ended in a sad tale of death and injury.”
I froze when I saw the familiar living room setup in the news report, and it took me a few seconds to process what was going
- on.
I couldn’t figure out the situation at first, or who was hurt or dead.
It wasn’t until the gossip online started to fill in the details.
It turned out that after Antonio moved out of the house, Wendy just barged right in.
When Grace found out that Antonio had bought a house for Wendy, she was consumed by jealousy.
She somehow figured out where the house was and went straight there, demanding Wendy transfer the deed to her name.
Chapter
11
Antonio tried to stop Grace, but she pushed past him, and in a fit of rage, Wendy grabbed a kitchen knife.
That move scared the color right out of Antonio’s face.
But Grace, fearless, just kept cursing and shouting.
“You’re just a damn home wrecker. If you’ve got any self–respect, transfer the house to me, or I’ll have people call you out every day in the neighborhood.”
Wendy’s eyes flashed with anger, and she lunged at Grace with the knife.
“Who’s the home wrecker? You are! Without you, Antonio and I would not break up!” Wendy snapped.
Grace moved fast, but the knife still hit Antonio, sticking in him so tight it wouldn’t budge.
Grace went to slap Wendy.
They started pushing and shoving, and Wendy slipped, tumbling off the balcony to her death.
The police showed up, closed the area off, and hauled Grace away.
As soon as Janessa heard this, she called me, a twinge of guilt in her voice. “Sweetie, I just learned Wendy had bipolar disorder. If I hadn’t told Grace about the house, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”
Janessa was a person with a sharp tongue but a warm heart.
I comforted her, feeling thankful she always had my back. “Listen,
if Grace hadn’t been such a bully at the courthouse, you wouldn’t have stood up for me, and she wouldn’t have gone after Wendy, ending up in this mess.
“Truth is, she asked for it. It was her own doing.”
It hit me that my decision to divorce Antonio was about the house
too.
This whole mess also ended because of that house.
It seemed that it was all destined.
Both Grace and Antonio got sentenced and ended up in jail for the murder.
Eight days later, I got the divorce papers I’d been waiting for.
That day, Janessa waited for me at the courthouse steps. She took my hand, handing over a bouquet of sunflowers.
“Congratulations, Lila. Welcome to your new life.”
“Thanks.”
I took the flowers and held her hand, a genuine smile finally gracing my face.
