Retaliation In Kind

Closing the distance, Chloe aggressively grabbed the coffee straight from Valerie's hand. The sudden snatch sloshed dark liquid over the rim, spilling onto the marble countertop, but Chloe did not care. Without missing a beat, she raised the ceramic mug and dumped the remaining lukewarm coffee directly onto her own face. Dark droplets splattered across her pale skin, smeared her delicate makeup, and soaked deeply into the collar of her low-cut slip dress, staining the expensive silk.

Next, Chloe hauled off and slapped herself hard across the cheek. The sharp crack echoed against the sleek kitchen tiles, startling in the quiet morning. Her delicate frame then folded inward, and she crumpled to the floor with calculated precision. As she fell, she intentionally slammed her forehead against the sharp edge of the marble dining table. The dull thud was sickening. A warm, sticky trickle of crimson blood immediately split her skin, seeping into her hairline and spreading down toward her eyes.

"I am sorry. It is my fault. I should not be hanging all over Dominic like this. I apologize. If smacking me around makes you feel better, Valerie, then go for it. I will not lift a finger to stop you." Chloe sobbed, her voice trembling as she played the martyr. She huddled on the cold floor, shaking her head as she wailed in apparent agony.

Dominic had caught the racket from the dining area even from upstairs. Heavy, frantic footsteps pounded against the hardwood stairs as he bolted down, skipping steps in his haste. He rounded the corner, his fury igniting at the horrific sight of Chloe's bleeding, coffee-stained face.

"Chloe!" He raced over, dropping to his knees beside her huddled form.

He spotted the dark coffee streaks mingled with fresh blood dripping from her forehead, plus the stark red handprint blooming angrily on her pale cheek. His temper exploded like a powder keg. He shot Valerie a scorching glare, his eyes dark with accusation.

He demanded, his voice echoing in the spacious kitchen. "Valerie, have you lost your mind? Apologize to Chloe immediately."

Valerie locked eyes with him. She did not flinch or back away. She set her half-eaten sandwich down on the island counter, her expression calm amid the chaos.

"If I say it was not me, would you believe it?" Valerie asked slowly, waiting to hear his verdict.

Dominic snorted derisively, outright refusing to buy her innocence. He ground his teeth together. "You are seriously claiming Chloe doused herself in coffee, slapped her own face, and flung herself down? Valerie, I saw the whole thing. Do you think I am an idiot?"

In those few blunt words, it was obvious. Dominic did not buy her story one bit. She had expected as much, but hearing his blunt rejection straight to her face still sent a sharp pang through her chest. However, that fleeting sorrow rapidly froze into apathy. She watched the man she had loved so deeply choose to blindly trust another woman's blatant lie.

Chloe staggered up, wobbling unsteadily on her feet before slumping against Dominic's chest. "Dominic, it hurts so bad. Is my face burned?"

The coffee Valerie had been drinking earlier was still quite hot, leaving a few angry red patches on Chloe's delicate skin. Chloe grabbed at his shirt desperately, sinking her manicured fingernails into the fabric, flaunting her fake injuries to yank his focus back to her.

Chloe begged, her voice thick with fake tears. "Dominic, forget it. Let it go. If it calms Valerie down, I can handle a bit of pain and embarrassment."

Chloe looked up at him with those big, woeful eyes. She tilted her head just so, making sure he got a clear look at the angry slap mark and the blood trickling down her temple while she played the part of the suffering saint. Her manipulative words only dialed up the chill in his gaze toward Valerie. Secretly, out of his line of sight, Chloe shot Valerie a smug, victorious smirk.

Watching Chloe direct her own melodrama, especially on top of Dominic's knee-jerk blame game since last night, left Valerie feeling frozen inside. She squinted slightly, a sardonic smile curling her lips.

"You really want that apology from me?" Valerie asked.

"Apologize," Dominic ordered, his voice like steel.

Valerie just smiled. She abruptly pivoted on the spot and strode back into the main kitchen area. She grabbed a fresh ceramic mug from the upper cabinet, slid it under the high-end espresso machine, and hit the brew button. The machine whirred and hissed, loudly grinding the beans before dispensing a fresh, steaming hot cup of black coffee. The bitter aroma filled the air as the boiling liquid filled the cup to the brim. She picked up the mug by the handle, feeling the intense heat radiate through the ceramic, and approached the two of them.

Dominic and Chloe eyed her warily, puzzled about her sudden game.

A beat later, Valerie delivered the punchline. Stone-faced, she hurled the scalding liquid right into Chloe's face.

"Ah!" Chloe never saw it coming. Valerie actually doused her face with boiling hot coffee right there in front of Dominic. The scalding liquid hit her full-on, pulling a bloodcurdling scream from her lips as the intense heat seared her skin.

But that was just the start. Valerie stepped forward, raising her hand, and followed up with a brutal, sharp slap to Chloe's uninjured cheek. The resounding smack was twice as loud as Chloe's self-inflicted hit, leaving a bright red welt instantly. Without giving anyone a single second to breathe, Valerie physically yanked Chloe free from Dominic's protective arms. She grabbed the other woman by the shoulder and shoved her hard backward.

Right in his face, Chloe hit the floor with a heavy thud. Her mind went blank. She lay sprawled on the tiles, unable to process Valerie's whirlwind of sudden violence.

Even Dominic was caught off guard. He did not have time to react. He just stood there gaping as Valerie went after Chloe with ruthless efficiency. Only now, staring at the crumpled, sobbing Chloe at his feet, did it all click.

Valerie crossed her arms, eyeing them with frigid detachment. She looked down at the trembling woman on the floor.

Valerie coldly declared, her voice devoid of any emotion. "There you go. The charges stick now. Consider that my apology."

She stepped slightly closer, looming over Chloe. "Ms. Delgado, I am so sorry. Since you have already pinned those crimes on me, it would be a shame not to make them real. How else could I apologize properly? I should really thank you for the opportunity."

With that, Valerie flashed a faint smile at the apoplectic Chloe.

Chloe was shaking with unadulterated fury. Her eyes bulged with rage, looking as if she wanted to devour Valerie whole. If her face did not feel like it was on fire, she would have lunged at Valerie's throat.

Dominic finally snapped out of his shock. He bent down and scooped Chloe up in a princess carry. His stare was deadly as it fixed on Valerie.

Valerie could read the fury in his glare loud and clear, but she just gave them a casual glance. She tossed out some mocking advice. "Hey, Ms. Delgado, maybe get those wounds on your face checked out before they scar. Wait too long, and they might heal up all by themselves. Oh, wait, no, they could leave permanent marks instead."

Valerie smiled sweetly, though her eyes remained ice-cold. "I am afraid you will not be able to flaunt that harmless little act anymore, scamming your way through life. What a pity."

Spurred by the jab, Chloe burst into hysterical wails against Dominic's chest. "I am disfigured! It hurts so much, Dominic! My face, is it really ruined?"

Dominic rushed to calm her, his grip tightening protectively around her waist. "No, it will not be. I am taking you to the hospital right now."

As he moved toward the front door, he shot Valerie a vicious warning. "I will deal with you when I get back."

Before the words even settled in the air, he was out the door in a flash, rushing Chloe toward his parked car. The heavy oak door slammed shut behind them, leaving the apartment echoing with silence.

Valerie watched his retreating figure, her expression dripping with sarcasm. His threat meant nothing to her. She could not have cared less about what he planned to do upon his return. In the old days, she would have desperately clung to him, begging him to listen to reason and let her clear her name. She would have shed tears and bent over backward to prove her innocence.

But those days were permanently over. Valerie had discovered that truly letting go and putting herself first felt liberating. She had been such a fool before, blinded by love and constantly compromising her own boundaries for a man who did not respect her. Never again.

As she turned to head upstairs to gather her things, her phone suddenly rang in her pocket. She pulled it out and checked the screen. It was her real estate agent calling.

Valerie answered, her tone brisk and clear. "Hello?"

The agent spoke from the other end. "Hi, Ms. Thorne. I hope I am not calling at a bad time. I have some clients who are interested in the apartment. They wanted to know if they could swing by for a viewing today."

Valerie readily agreed without a second thought. "Sure, no problem. Bring them over."

The agent replied. "Fantastic. I will head over with them shortly."

After hanging up, Valerie opened her messaging app and texted the apartment's smart lock code to the agent. She needed to head back to the Thorne family home anyway, so she would not be around to get in their way during the tours. To offload the place quickly, Valerie had slashed the price to rock bottom, well below market value. She tossed in all the expensive custom furniture too, basically giving the entire property away to secure a fast cash transaction.

She was perfectly fine letting the agent handle the showings alone, recognizing that Dominic would not be back during the day. Whenever Chloe was involved, Dominic dove in headfirst and tuned out the rest of the world. He would be preoccupied with Chloe at the hospital, catering to her dramatic cries and demanding the best doctors for her burns.

It gave Valerie the perfect window to seal the real estate deal and accelerate her financial exit. She was not afraid of him finding out about the sale after the fact. Knowing Dominic would be preoccupied with Chloe, she had the perfect window to seal the deal. She just wanted to cut ties with them for good, knowing there was nothing left worth holding onto.