Revenge and Redemption

Violet Abubakar's POV

The morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a cruel radiance upon the remnants of the celebration that echoed through the previous night. As I slowly opened my eyes, the weight of the festivities crashed upon me with a relentless force. Waking up with a hangover after my engagement party feels like a mix of joy swirling within me. The sunlight that was streaming through the curtains revealed the remnants of celebration – scattered confetti, empty glasses, and a room filled with the faint scent of champagne. As I slowly piece together the memories of the night before, a warm glow of happiness washes over me at the thought of the heartfelt toasts and the dance floor filled with laughter. However, the throbbing headache and the echoes of revelry also serve as a reminder of the excessive indulgence that accompanies such joyous occasions. I instinctively turned to face my fiancee; the other side of the bed lay empty, untouched by his presence. Confusion mingled with a growing sense of unease, and I scanned the room, half-expecting to find him somewhere within its quiet expanse. The hollowness of the space beside me echoed with the absence, leaving me to grapple with the sudden solitude. The blankets retained the warmth of his departure, and the reality of waking up alone unfolded like a silent revelation

Glancing at the sparkling ring on my finger, a tangible symbol of commitment and love, the morning-after hangover becomes a humorous rite of passage, a small price to pay for the unforgettable celebration marking the beginning of a new chapter in life. Gingerly rising from the bed, I make my way toward the large windows of the yacht, drawn by the promise of a breathtaking view. As I pull back the curtains, the expanse of the open sea greets me with a vast and serene beauty. The gentle waves dance in rhythmic harmony, the sunlight playing on their surface like a scattering of diamonds. The horizon stretches endlessly, offering a sense of boundless possibilities that mirror the emotions of the previous night's celebration. Despite the lingering effects of the hangover, the stunning panorama provides a soothing contrast to the remnants of revelry inside. The salty breeze brushes against my face, carrying a mix of sea air and a hint of last night's festivities, reminding me that even in the aftermath of joy, the world outside continues its timeless dance. With the engagement ring glinting in the morning light, I take a moment to appreciate the beauty surrounding me and embrace the exciting journey ahead.

I step out of the room in search of my fiancé, who had been conspicuously absent from our shared bed. The polished floors feel cold beneath my feet as I navigate the familiar space,

In a surreal and disorienting moment, I stepped into the adjacent room, hoping to escape the throbbing aftermath of the celebratory excesses and to find my fiancee, only to be met with a scene that eclipsed the physical discomfort.

The sunlight filtering through the curtains now illuminated a tableau of betrayal. I froze at the doorway. My brain refused to interpret what my eyes had been telling me. It can't be happening, I told myself repeatedly. My step stepsister, Amani, whom I loved more than anything, is not in the bed naked with the man I loved with all my heart...my fiancee, is it? He just resembles the man I adored. His twin, maybe? Their faces marked by a blend of guilt and shock, locked eyes with mine. The air thickened with the weight of the revelation, and the remnants of trust shattered like fragile glass. The brightness of the morning intensified the shadows that danced across their faces, leaving me to confront not only the consequences of a hangover but also the stark reality of an engagement already haunted by deceit.

"What the hell is the meaning of this?"

I asked to the stark silence. It seemed that the two of them finally recovered from their surprise and realized that they were showing their full glory to my innocent eyes. They struggled to cover themselves with the sheets rumpled on the bed.

"Violet," Omar, my lying fiancée, called out scrambling around desperately for his underwear lying somewhere on the floor. "Let me explain."

Until that moment I was praying that my Omar had a twin that he'd forgotten to mention to me. The headache I had been experiencing right now was nowhere near the pain in my heart right now.

"Explain?" I spoke coldly. "Explain what?"My eyes were already stinging from the number of tears I was trying to hold back.

"That you've been enjoying in bed with my stepsister while your fiancé was in the other room suffering from a hangover?"

"Vi."

I tried not to cry out loud. I looked over at Amani and I couldn't explain the hurt and anger I felt towards her right now. I treated her like she was precious and she did this to me. I mentally blocked the image I had seen earlier from my brain...Amani, moaning my fiancee's name as he pleasured her.

What a fool I have been. From the very beginning, it was apparent that a handsome man would never develop feelings for someone like me. A wallflower, constantly blending into the background in public, navigating social situations with such awkwardness that engaging in a coherent conversation at parties proved challenging. I was the kind of woman who favored loose-fitting attire over flashy garments that emphasized my figure. The signs were there, underscoring the stark contrast between his allure and my unassuming nature. Omar Nasir seemed more fitting for someone in the league of my stepsister, often hailed as the 'darling of the city.' With her long black hair and strikingly large brown eyes, she embodied the City's most celebrated socialite.

When Omar whisked me away, I felt like Cinderella in her fairy tale. However, I should have recognized the disparity between fantasy and reality. In the real world, the charming prince would inevitably be destined for the beautiful stepsister, not the less conventionally attractive one.

"Violet. Please, let me explain to you."

Omar reached for his pants, and I averted my gaze as he dressed. Despite our impending marriage in a few months, we had never shared a bed. I naively believed he respected my innocence and was patiently waiting for our wedding night. It hadn't crossed my mind that he might have been indulging in an affair with my stepsister, disregarding our impending union. The realization crashed over me like a wave, stirring thoughts of their secret affair, hidden from me for who knows how long, sparking a desire for a response beyond mere words.

. "Don't bother," I said with a half-smile, I felt like my jaw would crack in effort. "No need to elaborate or offer explanations-I'll refrain from entertaining any stories you might try to concoct.

I took off the engagement ring from my left fourth finger and casually tossed it to Omar, indifferent to the cost of that accursed ring.

"Consider the wedding officially over," I declared with a sense of freedom.

With the final shreds of my dignity intact, I left that cursed room without a backward glance. Despite my reserved nature, the pride of the Abubakars flows within me, guaranteeing that not a single tear will be shed for their betrayal.

"Violet,"

My just now ex-fiancee called after me, walking out of the room only with his jeans on.

"Let me talk to you first." I hastened my pace.

"Leave me alone, Omar. I have nothing to say to you. As far as I'm concerned you and Amani are dead to me."

I gasped. Did I just say that? Apparently...judging from the stunned reaction of Omar.

"Violet," Omar grabbed my arm. "Please. Talk to me, please."

I removed my arm from his grip. I already hated his touch.

"We have nothing to say to each other. By tomorrow the tabloids will know that I ended our engagement."

I headed to the deck to clear my head. He still followed me. It should have been a happy vacation with the two people I loved with all my heart on the beautiful Ilashe Coast in my family's hundred-and-fifty-foot yacht. But the idle whole thing had just turned into my worst nightmare.

"My love," He cajoled, holding my hands with his, I used to melt when he would utter that endearment, but now all I could feel was disgust. "Please..."

I struggled to be free from his hold when I noticed that Amani had also come on the deck. Great, now they will try to feed me with lies.

"Let me go, Omar!" I struggled hard. I didn't want him touching me with those hands.

"We're through. Done! It's over!"

Then an unexpected thing happened, he suddenly released me and I lost my balance making me fall into the cold sea below. I gulped some salty water as I tried to keep myself afloat which is hard when you don't know how to swim.

"Help me!" I called out. They knew I couldn't swim. "Help!"

"Vi!" Omar exclaimed, looking down at me.

"Don't save her." Had Amani just really said that? She wants me to die here?

"This is a good opportunity, right? She'll be out of our lives forever and the Abubakar's billions would be ours."

"But Amani..." I heard Omar say.

"You don't intend to marry her for real, do you?" Amani said brutally. "You're just after her money, right?"

How many more truths was I blind to see before? If finding them in bed together broke my heart, this information shattered my broken heart into pieces. So the real reason why Omar had courted me was because he was just after the Abubakar fortune? He was not really in love with me?

I was praying that my Omar would deny it fiercely. I will forgive him for his affair with my stepsister if he just tells Amani that he has loved me even once. Seeing his silence Amani pounced again.

"Let's go and leave her here to die. By tomorrow the news about the death of the Abubakar heiress would be in the media, we'll claim that she was drunk and accidentally fell off the deck."

The stepsister I trusted with my life, was she capable of such a cold-blooded murder? It's like she was an entirely different person. I helplessly watched her drag the only man I had ever loved away from the deck. They were dead set on killing me!

"No!" I cried frantically, struggling to stay afloat in the water. But as I tried to open my mouth I gulped more salty water. I heard the yacht engine start and slowly move away from me. I can't die here, not yet, not until I have avenged the people who had played me for a fool.

If only...I started getting tired of paddling and keeping my head above the water when I glimpsed a light...is that the light from heaven above? I don't want to die here. Swallowing plenty of water I gradually surrender to the darkness, muttering to myself.

"I will come back for my revenge."