Eve's Wrath

by Linda Verji

  If it wasn’t for Sharon…

  As Eve walked down the aisle, she kept her gaze glued to the bitch. Forcing Eve to marry Carter was the greatest mistake Sharon had ever made in her life. She just didn’t know it yet.

  She’d regret this day.

  One day, Eve was going to erase that fake smile from her face.

  One day, she’d be as miserable as Eve was now.

  One day, Eve would crush Sharon’s world in her fist like Sharon had crushed hers.

  One day!

  CHAPTER 1

  ~ Five Years Later ~

  The auditorium was filled with people; row upon row upon row. Some of them were men but most of them women, which wasn’t strange given that the subject of this conference was ‘Women In Leadership’. The mood of the audience was somber yet charged, and an eagerness to learn swirled around the room in unseen currents. Quiet reigned in the large space, and the only sound was the voice of the woman standing on stage giving her speech.

  “The philosophy I live by is that I’m anyone’s equal but no one’s superior.” Sharon paused dramatically to look around the audience before adding, “As women we need to emphasize that this is what we’re looking for. An equal playing field.” She took a breath then continued, “We need to be braver, more confident, and sometimes repetitive to be heard. We need to force ourselves into spaces that we have been traditionally told are not ours…” And on she went.

  Anyone could tell that her speech was touching hearts. People were nodding along, some were taking quick notes, and others were even recording her. The only one who didn’t take her seriously was Eve.

  What a load of bullshit! Eve thought as she watched her mother-in-law talk. Even though she was seated on the first row just after the stage, she had enough of a view of the audience to know that they were eating up Sharon’s crap like it was the Ten Commandments and she was Moses delivering them straight from God’s mouth.

  Eve itched to shoot up to her feet and yell out that Sharon was actually the devil. That everything she was saying up there was carefully crafted to make her look good; none of it was real. That she was a psychopath and a monster with many, many faces that she changed at will depending on who she was dealing with. However, five years had given Eve herculean patience and self-control. If these people wanted to be fooled, then let them be. It would make their shock even sweeter when Eve unmasked Sharon.

  Sharon finished, “… So please, don’t be afraid to test your limits. Do everything you want to do even if people tell you that you can’t. You’re the only one who determines what you can or cannot do. Not them.”

  A cacophony of applause and cheering followed the end of her speech. Several people even stood to clap enthusiastically.

  Sharon grinned. “Okay then, any questions before I take my seat?”

  Eve turned to see if there was anyone who was so touched by Sharon’s bullshit ‘motivational’ speech that they needed more. Sure enough, several hands shot up. Barely managing to keep from rolling her eyes or snorting, Eve scanned the people who had their hands up. Her gaze screeched to a halt when it landed on the left-hand side of the fourth row. A petite Asian woman in her thirties was enthusiastically waving her hand to get Sharon’s attention. Eve immediately recognized the woman.

  Nina Wu. Reporter for the Stamford Tribune. Sharon’s fiercest critic.

  Sharon must’ve also noticed her because she studiously ignored that side of the auditorium. However, Nina was persistent. She kept her hand up until everyone had asked their questions and the only hand that was still up was hers.

  “Yes, Nina,” Sharon finally acknowledged her with a wide smile. To everyone else it looked genuine, but Eve knew that underneath that sweet smile, fury raged. “You have a question?”

  “Yes, I do.” Nina energetically hopped to her feet. Using her notebook for reference, she began, “In your speech, you stated that you’re always supportive of women and try to raise them up. I’d like to challenge that.”

  Sharon’s blue eyes twinkled with amusement. “Well, challenge away.”

  “You claim to help women but you’ve never actually supported any women to run for office whether it’s at our city’s level, state level or within the Federal government. Last election, all your preferred candidates were male. But that’s not all.” Nina took a breath before adding, “I took a look at your company’s employee list, and surprise, surprise, ninety-three percent of your executives are male even though it’s a cosmetics’ company which tends to attract more female applicants. How do you explain that?”

  Immediately, an uncomfortable murmur pulsed through the crowd. Nina’s question had dulled some of Sharon’s shine and the audience seemed to be reconsidering their passionate support for her. Their eyes swung to Sharon. Answer her question. Prove to us that you’re not just words and no actions.

  Sharon must’ve noticed the crowd’s dimmed excitement because for just a second, anger flashed in her gaze. However, she quickly masked it with a smile. “That’s a good question, Nina. But were you listening to my speech?”

  Nina, who was back in her seat, nodded.

  “I don’t think you were.” Sharon explained, “I said that as women we need to look for equality. Equality doesn’t mean that we want to be handed opportunities that we have not worked for and do not deserve. It means that we want to get the same fruits from our labor as men do.” Her tone increasing in strength and passion, she added, “We want the same pay, the same acknowledgment, and the same opportunities for promotion as men with our capabilities. La Belle is an equal opportunity employer. We hire the best; be it men or women. I would love to get more women in my company, but they have to be just as competent as their male counterparts. If you’re competent, you’ll get hired. I believe that that is what all of us here are looking for; equal opportunities not handouts.”

  Her words were perfect. They made sense. They touched the crowd and enthusiastic claps echoed afterwards. Meanwhile, Eve barely managed to hold in her sneer. Nice words, but as long as they came from that witch’s lips, they were still bullshit!

  As Sharon got off the stage, she was followed with thunderous applause. Eve stood with everyone else, forcing a smile and clapping as Sharon came towards her. When Sharon got close to Eve, she hugged her. Only immense self-control kept Eve from recoiling from the hug. Her forced smile still glued to her lips, Eve patted her mother-in-law’s back then they both sat down.

  “You did great,” Eve whispered. However, she made sure that the ‘whisper’ was loud enough so that the people next to them could hear. After all, it was her job to make sure that the rest of the world believed that she and Sharon were the perfect mother-in-law and daughter-in-law duo.

  Smiling indulgently, Sharon reached over and squeezed her hand. “Thank you.”

  Both women were still smiling and holding hands when the next speaker took to the stage. About two minutes into the speech, Sharon leaned over and whispered, “Restroom. Follow me in two.”

  Eve nodded. Seconds later, Sharon left her seat. Eve stayed in her seat for the ordered two minutes before grabbing her purse and walking out of the auditorium.

  It was almost as if Sharon was marking time in front of the restroom door because as soon as Eve walked into the restroom, Sharon’s hand cracked across her face. Slap!

  Eve staggered backwards, clutching her stinging face and eyes watering.

  “What the hell was that?” The smile was gone and only pure rage remained in Sharon’s gaze. “What was Nina Wu doing in the audience?”

  Still clutching her face, Eve worked her jaw to ease the pain before saying, “I didn’t know she’d be there.”

  “How could you not know?” Jowls shaking with her anger, Sharon demanded, “It’s your job to evaluate everyone who comes to these things.”

  “Nina wasn’t on the list the organizers sent us,” Eve explained. “She was a last minute add-on to make up for those who didn’t confirm their reservations.”

  Honest
ly, Nina had been on the list. Eve had seen her there and, even while knowing how Sharon would react, still let her stay on the list. Why? For fun. A slap was a tiny price to pay just to see Sharon’s face whenever Nina was around. Frankly, Eve had been hoping that today was the day the older woman finally had a heart attack and keeled over because of Nina.

  “I’m sorry,” Eve said, trying to sound genuinely apologetic. “It won’t happen again.”

  “It better not. If I ever see that woman again in any of my events,” Sharon threatened, “it won’t be just a slap. I’ll take off your head.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  Sharon took a breath to calm herself before saying, “Call Benisio. I’m ready to leave.”

  “But the event isn’t over,” Eve protested.

  “It’s over for me.” The older woman walked over to the mirror. Patting her short, white hair and plumping her lips, she added, “I can’t sit around those women any longer. They reek of failure.”

  Well, all right then. Keeping her comments to herself, Eve plucked her phone from her purse and called Benisio to tell him to bring the car out front. As she followed Sharon out of the restroom, Eve called one of their assistants and asked him to tell the organizers that Sharon had an unexpected emergency and had to leave.

  As expected, Benisio was waiting for them at the entrance of the building. He was a stern, looking man in his late forties. His swarthy skin and barrel-shaped physique were a testament to his Latino heritage. If it wasn’t for the ugly scar running from his left eye down to his jaw, he would be handsome. But that scar plus the dark eyes that were devoid of any warmth made him seem forbidding.

  Benisio was Sharon’s everything man. Driver, assistant, bodyguard, henchman… name it all. She’d plucked him out of the police department twenty years ago and molded him into a loyal dog whose bite was just as bad as his bark. If anyone knew Sharon’s secrets, it would be Benisio.

  As soon as Sharon and Eve stepped out of the building, he rushed to open the car door for them. Without even acknowledging his existence, Sharon stepped into the town-car. Eve nodded to him before bending to get into the car. However, just as she put her feet in, Sharon called out from the inside. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “Sorry?” Eve dipped her head into the car to meet Sharon’s gaze.

  Sharon met her with raised eyebrows. “You’re not trying to get in here, are you?”

  Wasn’t it obvious? They were going to the same house after all. Moreover, Sharon was the one who’d ordered her to leave her car at home so they could share this one.

  “No no no.” Sharon chuckled and shook her head. “After that nonsense in there, I’m not sharing a car with you. Why don’t you walk home?”

  Eve’s jaw dropped. “You want me to walk home?”

  “Yes.” Sharon smiled sweetly. “Use that time to think of how you can serve me better.” Before Eve could protest, the older woman called out, “Benisio, close the door.”

  His face blank, Benisio waited for Eve to step away from the car before shutting the door firmly. Without even a backward glance, he circled the car to take the driver’s seat. Within seconds the car sped off, leaving Eve staring after them in disbelief. However, after a moment that disbelief turned into a smile. If Sharon thought that going home alone was punishment to Eve, then she was severely mistaken. It was a reward.

  Also, Eve was not walking home. What she was doing was stopping by a café for a nice cup of coffee before taking a cab home. If Sharon didn’t like that, well… she could slap her again. Who cared!

  The cab dropped Eve off at home about an hour later.

  Once upon a time, Eve had thought that her parents’ home was huge. But it had nothing on the Wellings’ home. The sprawling, three-storey mansion sat on an expansive estate with panoramic views of the hills that surrounded the community. The whole exterior was painted white and several pillars graced the front of the house giving it an Ancient Greece feel.

  As Eve got out of the cab, she noted that Sharon’s town-car was in the circular driveway. She was already home. Immediately, Eve’s stomach knotted, and she had to take a deep breath to ease her tension.

  Just as Eve started towards the house, the huge, double-doors opened and Jackson, her nephew-in-law, rushed out. Eve smiled – her first genuine smile of the day – as she watched the twelve-year-old, dark-haired boy run to her. He was still in his school-uniform, which meant that he’d just gotten home too.

  “Aunt Eve, Aunt Eve,” Jackson called between rushed breaths as he got closer to her. “You won’t believe who-”

  His words screeched to a halt when he tripped on his own feet and pitched forward. Eve instinctively rushed towards him and caught him before he could hit the ground.

  “Hey, hey, hey,” she scolded as she set him back on his feet. “Careful.”

  “Sorry!” He beamed up at her. “Hi.”

  “Hi to you too.” Eve slung her arm around his narrow shoulders to give him a brief hug. “How was school?”

  “It was okay,” he answered simply before picking up where he’d left off. “I bet you can’t guess who’s in the house. Guess who’s in the house.”

  Keeping her arm around his shoulders, Eve turned him and they started walking towards the house. “What do I get if I guess right?”

  “Just guess. Just guess.”

  “Um… I don’t know.” Eve wanted to guess ‘grandma’ but she knew that Jackson would never be this excited to see Sharon. She thought over it a moment then said, “A friend of yours? Keith?”

  “No, no, no!” Jackson shook his head. “It’s not Keith.”

  “Amanda?”

  “No. I told you she and I aren’t talking anymore because I refused to be her boyfriend.”

  Eve shrugged. “Maybe you made up.”

  “We didn’t.” Jackson demanded, “Guess. Guess. Guess.”

  She wracked her brain for a guess but couldn’t come up with any. As they got into the house, she frowned. “At least give me a hint.”

  “Well, it’s someone we both like.”

  “Someone we both like? Hmm?” Eve was about to come up with a few names but just as they stepped into the foyer, footsteps echoed from the direction of the living room. Seconds later, he emerged. The moment Eve saw him, her heart stuttered in its path, her breath caught in her throat and everything in her froze.

  In some vague corner of her mind, Eve was aware of Jackson announcing with flourish, “Ta-da! Uncle Carter’s home.” But all she could register was Carter.

  He was back.

  The last five years had been good to him. He was still as handsome as ever, his blue eyes still danced with secret amusement and though he’d gained a bit of weight, it had all gone to his muscles and he was now deliciously buff. When her gaze locked with his, it felt like the air between them got sucked right out of the room and it became harder to breathe.

  Seeing him again after two months was like being struck by a thunderbolt. Instinctively, she wanted to rush forward and hug him but she stayed rooted to the spot just staring at him.

  “Eve,” Carter greeted simply, his low, dark voice stroking her nerve endings.

  Despite the whirlwind of emotions roiling inside her, Eve tilted her head and coldly returned, “Carter.”

  CHAPTER 2

  Carter felt his heart leap at the first sight of his wife.

  Two months away had not dulled her effect on him. Unfortunately. He took her in slowly from head to toe; his brain gathering her image slowly so he could savor it later.

  Eve wasn’t perfect, but she was perfect for him. From her perfectly coiffed hair to her large, pretty, brown eyes. From her button nose to her lush lips. From her caramel toned skin to her mouth-watering, curvaceous physique. She was pretty and sexy… the kind of woman any man would want to keep in bed for days. And Carter was no exception. He wanted her in his bed. Badly.

  It hadn’t always been this way. When he’d married her, it was because of pity rather th
an real love or fierce attraction like it was now. After her fiancée had left her and her business had gone belly-up, Eve had tearfully begged Carter to marry her. Those tears had stung him, and even though he knew that it was crazy to marry a woman who wasn’t in love with him, he’d still walked the altar.

  The first few months of their marriage he’d thought of Eve as just his best-friend. But over time something had shifted within him. And he’d found himself slowly falling for his wife. However, the feeling wasn’t mutual. Eve’s stare was still as icy today as it was on their wedding night.

  Her voice as wintery cold as her gaze, she said simply, “You’re back.”

  “I am.” Despite knowing that she’d hate it, he crossed the distance between them and drew her into a hug. “I missed you.”

  Eve didn’t say anything and her arms didn’t rise to his waist. She stood in his arms like a cold, stone sculpture and let him hug her.

  “Aunt Eve, you won’t believe what Uncle Carter brought for me.” Jackson interrupted the dispassionate hug. Eagerly, he turned to Eve. “Do you want to see it?”

  Eve’s face immediately changed when she turned to meet their nephew’s gaze. All the ice melted, and she smiled at the boy the way Carter wished she’d smile for him. “Sure, Jackson, I’d love to see-”

  “Jackson!” A voice cut into her words sharply. The three turned only to see Sharon coming from the living room. Smiling as she walked, she said, “You don’t have to show it right now. Your Aunt Eve just saw your Uncle Carter. Let them talk to each other first.”

  Jackson’s enthusiasm immediately dimmed. “Yes, Grandma.”

  Carter didn’t miss how the boy shifted closer to Eve as if seeking her protection, or how Eve set a hand on his shoulder as if in silent reassurance.

  “I just saw you two hugging earlier.” Sharon’s eyes twinkled teasingly as they shifted between Carter and Eve. “Is that the way you usually hug or are you just shy because of me and Jackson?”