Giving Payback to My Cheating Ex-Fiancee

The night before our wedding, my fiancée came into the bridal room with eight young men. She said they were staying the night.

I stepped forward and charged, raising my fist to hit each one of them to the last man.

Suddenly, my fiancée stood in between us and said with a serious tone. “You can hit the others, but not him!”

“Why not?” I said, before kicking the last man down the stairs.

With that, my fiancée personally had me arrested. I was sentenced to three years in jail.

On the day I was released, she came to pick me up. At that time, she was pushing a wheelchair. In the chair sat a familiar face—the same man that I kicked before going in to prison.

“I was wrong back then,” the man said with tears. “You pushed me down the stairs and I broke my leg. Steph simply felt sorry for me and cared in the last three years. We are engaged now. And, we will leave soon—I have our plane tickets.”

Then, I noticed, my ex’s small pregnant belly. I said coldly, “Fine.”

Those I failed to kill three years ago—I’d make them all pay.

——

The moment Timothy heard my words, his eyes turned red.

He gently touched Stephanie’s belly. “Baby, don’t blame Daddy for not being staying with you. It’s all my fault. Daddy did something wrong. Maybe this will be the last time you and your mom ever see me.”

He spoke with such pity, sobbing so hard that he could hardly breathe. Anyone who didn’t know the truth might think he was about to die.

Meanwhile, Stephanie completely fell for it.

With deep sadness in her eyes, she wiped away Timothy’s tears, then turned to me.

“John, what happened back then was my fault. Don’t worry. Since I promised to give you a wedding, I’ll never break my word,” she said softly.

“But Tim is still the father of my baby. No matter what, the child is innocent. Why not let him stay here until the baby is born? Then Timothy can meet his child once before he leave,” she concluded.

I looked into Stephanie’s eyes. It was the same serious look she had before sending me to prison for Timothy’s sake.

“That’s fine,” I said. “I have no objection.”

“John, it seems these three years in prison really made you gentler and more understanding.” Stephanie smiled with relief, then carefully helped Timothy into the passenger seat—the one that used to belong only to me.

I also smiled.

It was good to keep him close. That way, I won’t have to waste time finding him when it’s finally time to settle the score.

***

Back at the house that once belonged to only Stephanie and I, everything had changed.

The decoration was now in the Southern style I hated. From the clothes in the closet to the ornaments on the table, there was no trace of me left. And by the window stood a wooden baby crib.

At one glance, I could tell Stephanie made it herself. Everything was arranged perfectly. It was clear, she had never really planned to send Timothy away.

Seeing me narrow my eyes slightly, Timothy suddenly shivered.

“Johnny, please don’t be angry. Steph just didn’t want me to stay alone, so she brought me here. I didn’t know this was your room. I’ll move to the guest room right away. Please, don’t hit me…” he said, trembling.

Timothy looked terrified and tried to stand, but his bad leg made him fall to the floor.

Stephanie quickly lifted him up and comforted him gently, “Tim, you don’t need to feel that way. I chose this room for you on purpose. John wasn’t here anyway, so why leave it empty?”

Then she turned to me and explained, “John, you see how Tim’s leg is injured and he can’t actually move like he wishes to. Besides, he’s in poor health and this room gets lots of sunlight. It’s good for him. Why not let him stay here for a few months?”

In the past, even when Stephanie fooled around with other men, she never let them show up in front of me. No one had ever stolen things that’s used to be mine.

She said the other men were just playing around. She liked to watch me get jealous and personally deal with those little seducers myself.

Timothy was the real exception to her and it happened more than once. Out of the eight young men back then, only he was treated with genuine kindness.

I said nothing to Stephanie and left for the guest room.

***

That night I woke from a bad dream and felt suddenly thirsty. I went to the kitchen to get water and happened to see Stephanie on the balcony, talking on the phone.

Her voice had a sharp laugh in it. “Had no choice. The boy was kicked down the stairs and cried badly. I was tired and simply need to vent. After thinking it over, prison was perfect for John—he needed to soften his strong temper after all.”

“And if I didn’t send him away for three years, there’s no way I can fully enjoy Tim? Now I’ve had enough fun. Johnny’s out and when Tim has the baby, I’ll send him away and I’ll live happily with Johnny.”

“But John really changed a lot. It was worth bribing those old men from the prison to fix his temper…”

Her hand held the phone so tight it made a little clicking sound.

Before Stephanie turned away, I was already back in the guest room, standing blankly by the door.

After a long time, I lit a cigarette. In the mirror I saw my red eyes through the smoke. It looked just like my first year in the prison.

My hair was torn, my skin cut by belts, hot cigarette butts pressed out on my skin—the cold iron rod, the smell of blood that seemed never to fade.

So those old men who targeted and tortured me back in prison—Stephanie had made deals with all of them. Every moment I felt worse than dead, meanwhile she was busy falling for another man.

Suddenly, a call came from one of my subordinates. “Johnny, preparations are almost done. Shall we go now…?”

“Let them enjoy things for a few more days. When they have nothing left to hold on, they will fall harder and hurt more.”

Stephanie had never once visited me in the past three years. So she wasn’t aware that since my second year in prison, the people she bribed— both inside and outside the prison—died for strange reasons.

Stephanie thought she had trained a good, obedient man. But what actually came out of prison was a demon.

One night someone climbed into my bed—and the smell of their perfume was familiar.

“John, you’ve lost so much weight. These three years were hard on you. I really missed you…”

I pressed down the hand Stephanie tried to use to touch me and said calmly, “If you missed me, why did you send me away? And why never come to see me?”

Stephanie lowered her eyes and sighed. “We grew up together in the orphanage and fought to get where we are. Why would I give you up? But your stubbornness is too much. It got to the point where you did hurt someone. Maybe some time in the prison can calm you down for good.”

“I was afraid I would soften if I did visit you, you know. Tim’s got crippled because of you; he needs care. And I must brace my heart to atone for you… It’s all past. From now on I will treat you well.”

Three years of living without daylight and intentional tortures, she spoke of my pain so lightly.

As Stephanie kissed my face, one of the house housekeepers knocked at the door. “Director Bloom, Mr. White says his stomach hurts. Please come see him…”

“I’ll be right there, John. I’ll come back and stay with you later,” she said.

The warmth from a moment before vanished. She rushed away and did not return.

I went to the bathroom and washed the places she had touched more than ten times, until my skin stung. Only then did my disgust lessen a little.

The next day, Stephanie told me to dress up nicely.

“Tim is really thoughtful. He tried to celebrate your return and prepared a welcome dinner just for you. John, don’t let Tim’s kindness go to waste,” Stephanie said.

I also wanted to see what Timothy was really up to, so I agreed.

The dinner was quite large. Besides people from the company, there were also Stephanie’s business partners.

During these three years, her career had flourished. She met powerful elites from many industries and many of them had secretly received her help.

They repaid her in kind—when they became successful, they provided her with funding and support. It helped her company to grow even more.

As soon as I entered the celebration venue, two buckets of black pig’s blood were dropped square at me.

“What are you doing?!” Stephanie shouted angrily at the waiters.

Timothy quickly stepped forward and explained timidly, “Steph, please don’t be mad. Johnny just got out yesterday and I heard that black pig’s blood can wash away bad luck. The prison isn’t exactly a lucky place, right? My stomach hurt last night and I was worried it might affect the baby…”

“I was only thinking for Johnny’s sake. Even if no one says it out loud, people might still wishes bad things for him. So, throwing the blood at him is aimed to remove any bad energy and calm everyone down. But don’t worry—I’ve already prepared clean clothes for him. It’s a gift I bought specially.”

After hearing that, Stephanie’s anger eased a little. “Then I’ll take John to change first.”

But Timothy gently grabbed her hand. “Steph, your business partners are here today. If you don’t greet them first, they’ll think we’re being rude.”

“Tim, you’re so considerate.” Stephanie thought for a moment and nodded. “John, you go change yourself. I’ll wait downstairs.”

When I arrived, I was wearing a formal suit — long sleeves and long pants. But the clothes Timothy had prepared for me were a sleeveless vest and shorts.

When I came out wearing them, I finally understood his real plan.

Everyone’s eyes fell on the scars covering my body. Gasps spread through the room.

“Oh my God, is he really wearing that outfit for this event? Ugh, so disgusting — I think I’m going to lose my appetite.”

“Johnny just got out of prison. I heard he didn’t behave inside and got punished badly. Honestly, he deserved it, after what he did to Mr. White.”

“Honestly, how could someone like that deserve Director Bloom’s hand in marriage? Mr. White and Director Bloom look much better together. Even though his leg is bad, he’s got that angelic face—unlike a certain unlawful guy over there. Director Bloom must’ve been wanting to get away from him.”

“Please don’t say that. My brother already knows his mistakes. Everyone deserves a second chance.” Timothy blushed shyly, but his voice remained gentle and understanding.

He added, “And really, you can’t compare me with Johnny? Stephanie even bought him a beautiful diamond watch. I’m nothing compared to him.”

He truly knew how to make himself look innocent and pitiful.

One of Stephanie’s business partners, who had never met me before, looked me up and down.

First his gaze stopped on Timothy, then turned toward me, full of disgust.

“Director Bloom, did I hear that right? That ugly criminal is actually his fiancé?”

Stephanie and I looked at each other quietly. A few seconds later, she turned her eyes away. “No, we were just a childhood friend.”

Those words were no different from announcing our breakup in public.

The whole room immediately burst into cheers for Stephanie and Timothy. “What a perfect couple! Just get together already!”

The other audiences nodded in agreement.

“I knew it! A beautiful woman like you, with that gorgeous diamond watch, could only be matched with a handsome man like Mr. White.”

That diamond watch finally ended up on Timothy’s wrist.

“Ah, Stephanie, this isn’t right,” he said shyly. “That was supposed to be for Johnny…”

“It’s fine,” Stephanie interrupted softly. “They’re right. It really suits you. I must have chosen the wrong gift for John. Take it as a reward.”

A reward? For Timothy helping her save face, she meant?

Then a guy from the audience looked at me with open disgust. “Why is this man still here? Director Bloom, someone that ugly will only ruin my mood for our business occassion.”

Stephanie walked over to me and whispered, “John, please go home for now. I’m sorry, but this deal is too important. Just bear with it this time and I’ll explain everything to everyone later, okay?”

Before turning away, she hesitated and added, “Also… don’t wear sleeveless shirts or open collars anymore.”

I didn’t miss the hint of disgust in her eyes. It was almost funny. Didn’t she know these scars on my body exist because of her sending me to prison?

That night, I was woken by the sound of Stephanie kicking open my door. She dragged me out of bed, furious.

“So just because I didn’t admit our relationship today and gave the watch to Tim, you had to hurt him like this?!”

Before I could respond, she pulled me toward Timothy’s room.

Inside the bed, the blanket had been cut open — dozens of leeches were writhing underneath it. It was disgusting to say the least.

“Johnny,” Timothy cried weakly, “I didn’t mean to take your watch or your status. But it was about Steph’s reputation! I couldn’t explain it at the time. Why are you so cruel and put these blood-sucking things in my bed? I was born anemic! I was lucky to check on my bed in time… I’ll return the watch! Just please don’t hurt me…”

I looked at Stephanie. “I didn’t do it. If you don’t believe me, check the CCTV.”

But she didn’t even consider it. “There’s no need. I know you too well, John—you always take revenge for every little thing. I thought prison might have changed you, but you’ve only gotten worse! You should have stayed in there a few more years!”

“No matter what, I’m going to teach you a lesson today. Don’t ever dare hurt Tim again!”

Half an hour later, Stephanie’s men came in, covering their noses while carrying a half-human-tall metal barrel. Inside the barrel were countless squirming leeches. They then dumped them all into a bathtub.

“Hold Johnny down,” she ordered coldly.

I lifted my head and glared at her. “Stephanie, you’ll regret what you’re doing today.”

“I’ll only regret it if I don’t teach you a lesson!” she retorted.

They forced me into the bathtub. Hundreds of leeches wrapped around me and soon covered my entire body. In seconds, the water turned bright red.

Not long after that, I lost consciousness.

When I woke up again, I was lying on the living room sofa, receiving a blood transfusion. Then I remembered… Stephanie and I have the same blood type.

She looked at me for a while before sighing. “Do you have to be this stubborn? If you’d just admit your fault, if you’d just be gentle, I wouldn’t have treated you that way.”

What was she even trying to do? Did she plan on hurting me then coax me with comforting words?

I yanked the needle from my hand and staggered upstairs.

Behind me, I heard her embarrassed, angry voice, “John, take this as a lesson! I don’t want to see it happen again!”

At the top of the stairs, I ran into Timothy holding a bowl of porridge. “Ah, Johnny, you’re awake! I made this porridge just for you to recover. Eat it while it’s warm.”

I looked at him coldly. “So this is how a little slut climb to the top. You’ve staged everything, right?”

Hearing that, Timothy finally dropped his act and smiled mockingly.

“I really didn’t expect you to walk out of prison alive. But so what? When it’s about love triangle, the one who isn’t loved… is always the third wheel, right?”

“You don’t believe me? I’ll prove it,” Timothy said after giving me a glance.

He suddenly smashed the bowl in his hand and screamed as he lunged down the stairs from his wheelchair.

Stephanie rushed up once she heard the noise and caught him just in time.

She turned to look at me with disdain. The next second, a strong hand grabbed my collar and I was thrown down the stairs. I rolled all the way down and got injured, my scalp bled.

“Johnny, you never change. Do you plan to use the same tricks you used back then?” she snapped.

“I’ve told you the last time,” I replied. “If you won’t trust my words, then fine, everyone is right! I’m a violent, malicious criminal who don’t deserve to be your husband.”

After what had just happened, I knew any explanation would be useless.

I looked at her and smiled. “So, Director Bloom—will you send me away again for the sake of your little pet?”

Her eyes landed on my blood-covered face and paused. “Since Tim wasn’t seriously hurt this time, I won’t send you away,” she said. “But I will make Tim the groom at the wedding — that’s what you owe him.”

“As for us… after the wedding ceremony is over, I’ll register our marriage with you. That will be our way of closing this chapter after so many years. From then on, you’ll stay quietly in the villa I’ve arranged. I’ll let Tim handle things on the company with me.”

I almost laughed out loud. Stephanie really knew how to enjoy having both men.

The mocking look in my eyes seemed to anger her. Thus, she shouted at the bodyguards, “Take Johnny to the suburban villa immediately. Don’t let him out without my permission. Let him reflect on what he did so he won’t hurt Tim again!”

Four or five guards forced me into a car. But they did not take me to the villa but an dumped me on an abandoned factory instead.

One of them take out a knife from his pocket and sneered, “Mr. White ordered that you don’t see the sun tomorrow. We’re just doing a job for money. Don’t blame us.”

No wonder these men looked different from Stephanie’s men. Turned out, they were Timothy’s people.

“One more thing,” the man said. “So you won’t die bored, Mr. White wanted us to show you something interesting.” He pushed a phone in front of my face. My pupils widened instantly.

On the screen, the cripled Timothy was now walking, arm-in-arm, with Stephanie while they were picking out wedding clothes.

He laughed and asked, “Steph, do I still need to pretend to be cripled? Won’t people get suspicious?”

“No,” Stephanie replied. “We’ll just say your leg has been healed. We must make you the most handsome groom, Tim. It was your idea to fall down the stairs when Johnny touched you. I then had someone forge the injury report—that’s how we got Johnny sent away.”

“Over the years, Johnny got more and more forceful. Sometimes I worried he was no longer a partner but a rival. I fought for everything I have now and I won’t let anyone threaten me.”

“I thought making him suffer inside would break his stubbornness. But he never changed.”

July was scorching hot, but I felt a bone-deep cold. We had been together for nearly twenty years. I had helped her build everything from nothing. We had been partners, friends, family. I never expected things would end like this?

She’s destroying me because she feared me? How ridiculous.

I watched the guards close in with vicious smiles and closed my eyes for a moment.

When I opened them, killing intent showed in my gaze. “Finish them all!”

Before the guards could react, a group of men in black burst out from the corners and, in an instant, knocked the guards to the ground.

Amid the sound of cracking bones and screams, my friend Albert handed me a handkerchief, eyes full of restrained anger.

“Johnny, I’ll go kill those two bastards right now.”

I calmly wiped the blood from my face. “They worked so hard to prepare that wedding. It’d be a shame to waste it, wouldn’t it?”

“The wedding planner’s one of ours, right? Tell him to make sure Timothy agrees to hold the wedding at sea—use our most luxurious cruise ship. He loves to show off. He’ll say yes.”

Timothy had fallen in love with that cruise ship at first sight and sure enough, he agreed when the planner suggested it. Stephanie, of course, had no objections. The grander the wedding, the more prestige for her.

Then, on the wedding day, Timothy was nowhere to be found. Someone said they saw him go into the luxury suite prepared for their wedding night.

The guests laughed and teased, “The groom’s really impatient! He can’t even wait for the ceremony to end before the honeymoon? Director Bloom must be that irresistible! Hurry up and bring him out. There’ll be plenty of time to enjoy each other after the wedding!”

Stephanie smiled politely, but unease crept into her chest. Surrounded by guests, she went to the suite.

The moment she pushed the door open, screams erupted all around her. Timothy wasn’t in the room.

The bed, which should’ve been covered with rose petals, was soaked in blood. And right in the middle of it lay a severed, bloody hand—still wearing that diamond watch.

“What a sight! Don’t you agree?” I clapped my hands lightly and stepped out from the crowd, smiling. “Director Bloom, your wedding decorations are always so… unique. Shouldn’t you go take a closer look?”