The Heiress' Revenge

Ariana’s POV

I sat in the chair. The room was cold, the walls were white, and the table in front of me was empty except for the papers.

Divorce papers.

Jonathan sat across from me with a kind face.

Sorry, but kindness didn’t matter.

Sorry, it didn’t matter.

Nothing mattered anymore.

My body was empty.

My womb was empty.

My heart was empty.

I had lost my baby.

I had lost my husband.

I had lost my sons.

Alan didn’t know me.

Asher, Leo, and the girls were at home with Sarah, and Dante was getting married tomorrow.

To Melissa.

Jonathan cleared his throat. He pushed the papers closer to me. "Ariana, I know this is difficult. I know this is the last thing you need right now, but Dante’s wedding to Melissa is tomorrow. He can’t marry her while he’s still legally married to you. The paperwork needs to be filed before the ceremony."

I stared at the papers.

My name was on them.

Ariana Melendez’s husband’s name was on them. Dante Russo. Soon, that name would belong to someone else.

Melissa’s husband.

Not mine.

"He doesn’t know," I said, my voice was flat and empty. "He doesn’t know he’s married to me; he still doesn’t remember our children or me. He doesn’t remember anything."

Jonathan nodded slowly. "The doctors have advised that we don’t remind him. They say forcing him to remember could cause more damage. It could set back his recovery. It could even cause a stroke or a seizure. His brain is still healing. We have to let him remember on his own, if he ever does."

I laughed. It was a hollow sound. "So I lost my husband because his brain forgot me. I lost my marriage because the doctors say it’s dangerous to tell him the truth. I lose everything because Melissa gets to pretend the last ten years never happened."

Jonathan’s face was full of pity. "I’m sorry, Ariana, I truly am, but the lawyers have looked at everything. The shares you signed over to your father... that was a legal transfer. Your signature was verified. There’s nothing we can do to get them back, and without those shares, without your marital rights, there’s no settlement. No alimony. Nothing."

I looked at him. "He’s taking everything. Dante is taking everything, and he doesn’t even know it."

"The children will stay with their father. That’s standard in cases like this. The court will see that you signed away your shares. They’ll see that you were involved with your father, who is a convicted criminal. They’ll see that you’ve been under emotional distress. They’ll award custody to Dante."

"Dante doesn’t remember them," I said. My voice was shaking now. "He doesn’t remember any of them. How is it fair that he keeps the children? How can he have custody of children he doesn’t remember?"

Jonathan sighed. "The court doesn’t know that. The doctors have advised us to keep his condition private. If it gets out that Dante has amnesia, the company could collapse. The stock prices would plummet. Everyone who works for him would lose their jobs. Melissa has made it very clear that if we go public with his condition, she’ll make sure the media destroys him."

"Melissa," I spat. "Melissa is the one making all the decisions now. Melissa is the one who gets to play wife. Melissa is the one who gets to raise my children. Melissa is the one who gets everything."

Jonathan pushed the papers closer. "Ariana, I’m sorry, I wish there was another way, but you have to sign."

I stared at the papers at the line where I was supposed to sign. The line that would end my marriage.

The line that would give Melissa everything.

"If I sign, I lose my children. I lost my home. I lose everything."

"If you don’t sign, you could lose Dante forever. He could die, Ariana. Is that what you want?"

I closed my eyes.

Dante’s face flashed in my mind.

The way he smiled, the way he held me, and said my name.

Ariana.

His Ariana.

But Dante was gone.

The man in the hospital didn’t know me.

He looked at me like I was a stranger.

"He doesn’t remember me," I whispered. "He doesn’t remember our life. He doesn’t remember our children. He doesn’t remember any of it, and I have to let him go. I have to let him marry her because I don’t have a choice."

Jonathan didn’t answer.

There was nothing to say.

I picked up the pen with my hand that was shaking. My whole body was shaking. I looked at the line one more time.

My name.

My marriage.

My life.

I signed.

The pen scratched against the paper, my name. Ariana Russo. The last time I would write that name.

The last time I would be his wife.

I dropped the pen. It clattered on the table. The sound was loud in the quiet room.

Jonathan took the papers. He looked at my signature and then nodded slowly. "I’m sorry, Ariana. I’ll file these today. The divorce will be final before the wedding tomorrow."

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t answer. The words were stuck in my throat.

Jonathan stood up. He gathered his things. He walked to the door and paused. "Ariana, if there’s anything I can do—"

"There’s nothing," I said. "You’ve done enough."

He left.

The door closed behind him.

The room was silent.

I sat there staring at the empty table at the space where my marriage used to be.

The door opened again I didn’t look up. I didn’t care who it was.

"Poor Ariana." The voice was sweet.

Mocking.

Familiar.

I looked up.

Melissa stood in the doorway.

She was wearing a white dress.

Not a wedding dress, but something casual. Like she was already the bride, with her hair perfect and her makeup.

Her smile was perfect.

Cruel.

"Melissa," I said, my voice was flat and empty.

She walked into the room and sat in the chair across from me.

She crossed her legs and then smiled.

That smile that made me want to scream.

"I heard you signed the papers," she said. "I knew you would. You always do the right thing. The selfless thing. It’s your biggest weakness."

I stared at her. "What do you want?"

She laughed. "What do I want? I already have everything I want, Dante, the kids, mansion, company, your shares, husband.... Basically, your whole life." She leaned forward, her eyes were bright. Victorious. "I’ve finally won, Ariana. After all these years. After everything you took from me. I’ve finally won."

I felt something stir in my chest.

Something I thought was dead.

Anger.

Rage.

Hate.

"You haven’t won anything," I said. My voice was low. Cold. "You’ve stolen, lied, and manipulated. You’ve taken advantage of a man who can’t remember. That’s not winning. That’s stealing."

Melissa’s smile didn’t waver. "Call it whatever you want. The result is the same. Tomorrow, I marry Dante. Tomorrow, I become Mrs. Russo. Tomorrow, I move into the mansion. And you? You go back to your miserable little life. No husband, children, or money. Nothing."

I stood up, my legs feeling weak. My body was still healing, but I stood and looked at her, the woman who had taken everything from me, and I couldn’t do anything but watch.

"You’ll regret this," I said, my voice shaking. But I meant every word. "You’ll regret everything you’ve done. One day, Dante will remember. One day, he’ll wake up, and he’ll know what you did. He’ll know about the lies. The blackmail, manipulation, and when that day comes, Melissa, he will hate you. He will hate you more than he’s ever hated anyone."

Melissa’s smile flickered. Just for a second, then it came back. "Dante will never remember. The doctors said it’s unlikely. His memory is gone, and even if it comes back, I’ll be his wife. I’ll be the mother of his son. I’ll be the one who was there for him when he woke up, not you. You were gone. You signed the papers. You walked away."

I stepped closer to her, but she didn’t move. "I didn’t walk away, and we both know that, but mind you. I’m not going anywhere, Melissa. I will spend every day of my life making sure you pay for what you’ve done for my children, my marriage, and my baby."

Her face hardened. "Your baby is dead. Your marriage is over. You have nothing, Ariana. Nothing."

The words were knives.

Each one cutting deeper than the last, but I couldn’t break, not in front of her.

"You’re wrong," I said. "I have my children. I will fight for them... you know what? You can keep Dante, I don’t fucking care, not anymore, but my children, I will fight for them, and one day, Melissa, I will make you pay. I will make sure you lose everything. The way you made me lose everything."

Melissa stood up; she was taller than I was.

"Good luck with that," she said. "Enjoy your miserable life, Ariana. I know I’ll enjoy mine."

She turned and walked to the door. She paused. Looked back at me. "Oh, and Ariana? Don’t bother coming to the wedding. You’re not invited."

She laughed that horrible laugh.

Then she walked out with the door closing behind her

I stood there.

Alone.

In the empty room.

Dante did this, and so did Melissa.

Rage.

Hate.

The need for justice for revenge and to make them pay.

After everything we’ve been through, he chose to lie to me and then forget me and marry his ex-wife again?

"You’ll regret this," I whispered to them. To everyone who had taken from me. "You’ll all regret this. I will make you pay. Every single one of you, I swear it."