Seven Years Of Silent Revenge

The night I caught my husband hooking up with my best friend, I had just gotten back from picking up my son and grabbing groceries on a battered bicycle.

Clothes were violently scattered across the living room floor. Dripping wet in my cheap raincoat, I walked right into them cuddling on the leather sofa in the afterglow. The smell of the discount store spaghetti and meatballs in my hands couldn't mask the heavy scent of sex filling the room.

My son rushed forward. He practically jumped up and down, screaming his lungs out to welcome his new mommy.

I lost my mind. I hurled the bags of meatballs right at their naked bodies.

But no matter how hysterical I got, Chuck remained deadpan. He forced me out of the house with absolutely nothing to my name.

His excuse was simple. They already had a baby on the way.

Seven years later, I finally returned to Bayview.

Walking out of the luxury mall restroom, I bumped right into a ghost from the past.

"Maureen? Is that really you?"

Chucks face lit up like he had struck gold. He stepped right into my personal space.

"Where on earth have you been all these years?"

I froze. Of all the places in this massive city, the universe just had to throw this sick joke at me.

Seeing my silence, Chuck didn't even have the decency to feel awkward. He just kept talking.

"You vanished into thin air after the divorce. I looked everywhere for you."

"Someone finally told me you left Bayview entirely."

He paused, softening his gaze into something sickeningly gentle.

"You look stunning. How have you been treating yourself?"

"Look, I blame myself. I was young, arrogant. I shouldn't have made you leave with nothing."

Hearing him gloss over that absolute nightmare made my stomach churn.

"Mr. CEO, I've been doing just fine. You really don't need to lose sleep over me."

He blinked, then let out a forced, bitter chuckle.

"Maureen, I know you hate my guts."

"What happened back then... I just couldn't control my feelings for her. My hands were tied."

"But honestly, all these years, I never forgot everything you did for our home."

He reached into a bright orange shopping bag and pulled out a jacket he had just bought, holding it out to me.

"Ive always felt guilty, but I never knew how to make it right."

"Take this. It's freezing out there."

I stared at the hideous, clearance rack jacket and my lips twitched.

"Im good, Chuck. Really."

His eyes swept up and down my body. He stubbornly shoved the fabric against my chest.

"Just take it. Sienna has a closet full of these anyway."

"It's not a designer piece or anything, but I bet it still costs more than your rent."

I paused and looked down at my outfit.

I wasn't wearing a custom tailored suit with a massive luxury logo. I had on a slightly frayed gray knit sweater. I also smelled heavily of expensive bourbon from a brutal networking dinner I had just left.

I suppose I did look like a pathetic corporate slave grinding away for pennies.

Seeing that I wasn't putting it on, he sighed heavily.

"You haven't been back once. Noah misses you, you know."

Hearing my son's name made me scoff. I finally gave him a real reaction.

"Isn't he living the dream with his brand new mommy?"

Chuck let out a soft laugh.

"See? I knew you still cared about him."

A wave of absolute disgust washed over me. Before I could tell him off, Chuck kept rambling.

"He was just a kid back then. Kids say stupid things when they're mad. But you're his biological mother. He talks about you all the time."

"He just thinks you abandoned him because you never reached out."

He took a breath.

"Come over to the house when you have time. See Noah. We can put the past behind us and catch up like adults."

I laughed out loud.

"Wouldn't your wife have a problem with that?"

Right on cue, a sickly sweet voice echoed behind me.

"Why would I? You're my absolute best friend."

"It's been so long, babe. I missed you to death."

I turned around. Sienna was strutting toward me, dripping in designer logos and carrying a dozen shopping bags.

Her pregnant belly was obvious. She threw an arm over my shoulder with fake intimacy and rested her head against me.

"Oh, Maureen. You just up and left after the divorce. You didn't even look back to check on your oldest friends."

She let go of me and locked her arm around Chuck's elbow instead.

"Since we ran into each other, you have to come over."

"Plus, I'm pregnant with my second baby! I'm due soon. We should totally have dinner to celebrate."

I subtly wiped the cheap foundation she left on my shoulder.

"I'll pass. I have places to be."

"Oh, stop being so shy! It's just dinner."

Sienna blocked my path.

"Honestly, I always felt super bad about what happened."

"But Chuck and I are soulmates. True love wins, you know? Im sorry you had to be the collateral damage."

"We can definitely afford to treat you to a nice meal. Looks like you could use some real food anyway."

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed Chuck on the cheek.

"Right, honey?"

Chuck went rigid, but he awkwardly patted her head and turned to convince me.

"She's right, Maureen. We hired a new private chef. Let's just have one meal together."

I thought for a second. The real reason I returned to Bayview flashed in my mind. I decided to play along.

"Sure. Let's go."

Siennas smile cracked. A flash of dark annoyance crossed her face, but she forced her plastic grin back into place.

Chuck, on the other hand, looked thrilled. He eagerly led the way out.

A sleek Range Rover was parked by the entrance.

Chuck hopped into the driver's seat. Sienna slid into the passenger side, throwing me a smug, victorious look through the window.

I got into the back seat, finding the whole thing completely hilarious.

She really didn't need to flex so hard. Back when Chuck and I were actually married, he never let me sit in the passenger seat either.

My only mode of transportation used to be that rusty little bicycle. Rain, shine, sleet, or snow. Whether I was buying groceries or picking up our son, that bicycle was all I had.

I used to beg Chuck to buy me a cheap used car. Anything with four doors and a heater.

We had the money. A decent used sedan would have cost a few grand and saved me from freezing to death on the winter roads.

But Chuck always said it was a waste of cash.

He claimed I was a terrible driver and that traffic was too bad anyway. He gaslit me into thinking the bicycle was a privilege.

But I had a pristine driving record. I even used to race on amateur tracks before we got married. He just didn't want to spend a dime on me.

Then, I watched him buy Sienna a hundred thousand dollar sports car. When she totaled it rear ending someone, he dropped everything, ran to the scene, and bought her a brand new one the next day.

That was the day I realized he didn't think a car was a waste of money. He just thought I wasn't worth it.

Memories flooded my mind until the SUV pulled up to the house I used to call home.

Chuck knocked on the door.

It swung open, revealing a face pale with shock.

"Mom?"

I locked eyes with Noah.

Seven years had passed. The little toddler who hadn't even started kindergarten was now a lanky teenager drowning in a private school uniform.

"Come on in."

Chuck eagerly placed a pair of guest slippers at my feet.

As I stepped inside, Noah nervously backed away.

I ignored him. I sat on the sofa and looked around.

The interior was mostly the same, but the vibe was entirely corrupted.

Expensive women's coats overflowed on the coat rack. Bright plastic toys littered the hardwood floors.

The room I had originally painted and prepped for Noah now had a baby gate across the door. A little boy, maybe five or six, came crashing through it holding a plastic sword. He sprinted straight at Chuck.

"Daddy! Look at my castle!"

He bulldozed through the living room, knocking over decorative vases and kicking toys out of his way.

Noah silently crouched on the floor, picking up the mess. As his sleeve rode up, I noticed faint, fresh scratches on his forearm.

I knew exactly what the situation was.

This kid was the baby Sienna was carrying when she blew up my marriage. The baby that made Chuck force me out onto the streets.

Sienna's overly sweet voice drifted from the hallway.

"Toby just worships his dad."

She rubbed her pregnant belly, looking at the father and son with pure adoration. Meanwhile, Noah, the boy who used to scream for his new mommy, was left kneeling in the dust.

My face remained blank. I wasn't surprised in the slightest.

The chef brought out the food. Chuck pried Toby off his leg and gestured for me to sit.

The silver lids were lifted, revealing thick clouds of steam.

Toby immediately started screaming. He wanted the Wagyu beef. He wanted the king crab. He hoarded half the massive pot onto his tiny plate before anyone else could even pick up a fork.

Chuck shot me a nervous look, his ego taking a hit.

"Toby, finish what you have first. Where are your manners?"

Sienna just laughed and piled more meat onto Chuck's plate.

"Oh, relax. He's just a growing boy. It doesn't matter."

She grabbed Chuck's hand and placed it on her stomach.

"I bet the little guy in here is going to be just as wild as his big brother."

Chuck's scowl instantly melted away.

Amidst their picture perfect family moment, Noah finally reached out with his chopsticks to grab a single crab leg from the pot.

The second he did, a heavy serving spoon slammed down on his wrist, knocking the crab onto the floor.

Toby stood on his chair, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"That's my house's food! You're a beggar! You don't get to eat!"

Noah's hand trembled violently. A bright red welt swelled on his skin.

Chuck's face went dark.

"Toby! Do not treat your brother like that!"

Toby shrieked back.

"He's not my brother! My mom didn't make him! He's the son of that ugly bitch!"

Dead silence fell over the dining room.

I slowly turned my head and stared dead into Chuck's eyes. His face turned the color of bruised plum. He raised his hand, ready to strike the kid.

"You little brat! Is that how you speak in front of me?"

Before the slap could connect, Sienna caught his wrist. She giggled softly.

"Oh, Chuck, stop. Boys will be boys. They just play rough."

She threw a sideways glance at me.

"Maureen is a big girl. She's not going to get offended by a toddler, right?"

Noah looked at me with pure terror in his eyes. Chuck was sweating, watching my expression.

I didn't say a word. I just calmly picked up my crystal glass and took a sip of water.

Seeing my absolute indifference, Noah finally broke. His voice cracked with a suppressed sob.

"Mom..."

Sienna cut him off immediately.

"Alright, Noah, that's enough whining. Get on your knees and clean up the food you dropped."

Noah slowly crouched down. His skinny frame shook as he picked up the dirty crab leg from the floor.

"Yes, Aunt Sienna."

Behind him, Toby stuck his tongue out and danced around victoriously. Sienna chuckled again, dropping an overcooked piece of beef into my bowl.

"Kids are just so chaotic. Don't be shy, Maureen. Eat up."

"Chuck is so unoriginal. He just buys me the most expensive ingredients to keep me healthy. We eat this luxury stuff every single day. Honestly, I'm getting sick of it."

I pushed the bowl away.

"I'm full. My business partners forced me to eat lobster and caviar earlier, and the bourbon hasn't settled yet."

Sienna's smug smile froze. Her face twisted into something ugly.

It took her a long time to put her fork down. She forced out a dry laugh.

"Right. You must be working so hard. Hustling everyday, begging clients for pennies."

"Not like me. Chuck spoils me rotten. I don't even have to leave the house. If I point at something, he buys it."

Her eyes drifted down to my frayed sweater, and she actually let out a snort.

"Your boss is terrible, though. Letting you work yourself to the bone and paying you peanuts. Walking into a client meeting looking like a homeless person? No wonder you have to drink so much to close a deal."

She stood up, walked into her bedroom, and came back with a stack of outdated, gaudy neon dresses.

"Here. Take these. They're old season, but they are a million times better than the rags you're wearing."

She forcefully shoved the pile into my lap.

"Take them. We've known each other for over a decade. Consider it charity."

I didn't even blink. I shoved the pile right back off my lap, brushed the lint off my sweater, and smiled.

"No thanks. My family knitted this for me. It keeps me warm."

Chuck's face drained of all color.

"Maureen... what are you talking about? Your parents died the same year we got divorced."

The temperature in the room dropped below freezing. I clenched my fists under the table.

The one memory I wanted to bury forever started playing on an endless loop in my mind.

It was raining outside. Just like it was seven years ago.

I was wearing that suffocating plastic raincoat. Massive raindrops felt like stones hitting my shoulders. Bags of cheap groceries dangled precariously from the handlebars. Noah was hiding behind my back.

The plastic visor of my helmet was blurred by the storm. I wobbled through the aggressive city traffic on that dying bicycle.

A massive truck blew past us, spraying a tidal wave of filthy street water directly into my face. I swerved, lost control, and slammed right into the metal guardrail.

Mud soaked through my clothes. The groceries flew into the dirty puddle.

I panicked, scrambling to check on Noah. Thank God my maternal instincts kicked in and I had shielded him with my body before we hit the ground.

Cars behind us blared their horns. Blocks of tofu were crushed into white mush on the asphalt. I was on my hands and knees, desperately trying to salvage whatever food wasn't ruined.

Noah stood on the sidewalk under an awning. He didn't come to help. He just stared at me like I was a diseased rat.

When I finally scraped everything together, only one sealed bag of cheap veggie meatballs had survived.

I dragged the heavy bicycle upright, shoved the meatballs into my pocket, and waved for Noah to get back on.

He reluctantly crawled under the back of my raincoat, muttering loud enough for me to hear over the rain.

"Why do you always pick me up? Why can't Dad and Aunt Sienna do it? They have cool cars."

He shifted uncomfortably against my wet back.

"You ride this piece of junk and carry stinky groceries. Everyone at school is laughing at me. I'm so embarrassed."

Every single word pierced straight through my heart.

My soaking wet clothes clung to my freezing skin. The rain slashed against my face, and I blinked hard to keep the tears from falling.

I didn't yell. I didn't defend myself. I just gripped the handlebars and focused on getting him home alive.

I thought to myself, Once we get home, it'll be fine.

Once we get home, I can take a hot shower. I can cook a warm meal for my family.

But when I dragged my exhausted body through the front door, there was no warmth waiting for me.

There was only the heavy stench of sex and clothes littered everywhere.

The shock paralyzed me. I stumbled blindly into the living room.

On the expensive leather sofa I had saved up to buy, Chuck was buried deep in Sienna.

They were completely naked, except for Sienna wearing my silk nightgown wrapped around her neck. It was a scene straight out of a nightmare.

A guttural, shattered scream ripped out of my throat.

But even then, my very first instinct was to turn around and cover Noah's eyes. I didn't want my baby to see this trauma.

Instead, he violently shoved me away. He sprinted toward the two naked adults, clapping his hands in pure joy.

"Daddy! You finally brought Aunt Sienna home! Does this mean she's my new mommy now?"

I stopped breathing. The floor vanished beneath me.

Chuck didn't even have the shame to cover up. He laughed, reached out, and ruffled Noah's hair.

"That's right, buddy. You always wanted a pretty, nice mom, right? Aunt Sienna is your new mom now."

He grabbed Noah's little hand and placed it on Sienna's flat stomach.

"Look. Your new mommy already has your baby brother in here. We're going to be a real family."

Noah jumped up and down, absolutely ecstatic.

"Yes! Yes! I'm getting a brother and a new mom!"

He turned around and pointed his little finger right at my face.

"I don't want this broken mom anymore. She's ugly, she's old, and she makes me look like a loser!"

And Sienna. The girl who had been my best friend since high school. The girl who stood next to me at my wedding. Twelve years of sisterhood.

She laughed, pinched his cheek, and looked right into my eyes.

"That's right, baby. I'm your mommy now."

Something inside my brain just snapped.

I pulled the bag of veggie meatballs out of my pocket and hurled it at their faces with everything I had. They scattered across the expensive rug.

I threw myself at them like a rabid dog. I swung my fists wildly, but I was so weak from the cold that my punches felt like nothing.

The next second, Chuck grabbed my shoulders and violently threw me backward.

My spine slammed directly into the sharp edge of the glass coffee table.