Revenge Behind The Mask

COURTNEY'S POV. The discomfort slowly rocked me to consciousness. The pulsing and throbbing all over my body—then came the pungent smell of antiseptic, crushing against my nostrils like a squeeze of lemon. My lids fluttered open slowly, but snapped shut against the harsh lights, and it took a few more tries before a white ceiling finally came to focus. I groaned, feeling the pain levels rise and crash suddenly, getting faster in their rhythm. “How are you feeling?” A warm voice asked me, mixed with the beeping of machines. My lips were so heavy that I couldn't bring them to move. “Blink if you mean yes. Do you feel a little pain?” I blinked, and slowly turned to look at her. She gave directions to a nurse, and asked me a few more questions before giving me a pain reliever. “Why is my face bandaged?” I asked, placing my hands to feel the roughness of my usually smooth face. “Do you want the truth, ma'am?” She asked, looking at me sorrowfully, and before she even spoke, my heart fell twenty feet with a jolt, “Your face has been completely damaged. When we take the bandages off, you will be unable to handle it.” Flashes of the accident hit my mind. The screeching tires as the car tried to come to a halt, the screams, the honks, the smoke, and the loud bang, that sent me rolling on the floor, feeling an immense hit as something sharp and heavy knocked directly into my face. I didn't feel any pain then. I simply blanked out. “You've been in a coma for weeks. Your body has been healing fine, and it's a miracle that you're alive, but… we couldn't save your face. You'll need surgery.” Never had I felt so many emotions rising in me at the same time. Boiling rage, the bigger tinge of regret on my tongue, the constant hits as I kept replaying the doctor's words in my ears, and the voice shouting in my head that none of it was real. It was all a lie! But… when I was given a mirror, everything simply crashed, and I felt nothing. Just nothing. All I could hear was the sound of my breathing. The doctor's words, the beeping of the machines, the chatter of nurses and patients… it all faded away. The only thing that snapped me to consciousness was the man suddenly bending in front of me, looking into my eyes. Apparently, I'd been staring at my horribly bandaged face for hours, unable to believe it was me. This man was tall, broad-shouldered with piercing gray eyes similar to mine. In short, he looked like he stepped out of a novel. “I'm David Jones, the man who saved you, and paid your bills.” I sniffed, cowering as I felt ashamed of my face. “I can cover my own bills.” “Really? The hospital said the credit card on you was drained, and the man we called, who was on your emergency contact, said he had nothing to do with you. You have no parents, and…” “What man?” “My Forever.” He said. The name I'd used to save Kent's number. I bit my lip. Then it occured to me. I had nothing. I'd foolishly given it all to him because he told me he didn't want his woman to work. He wanted me to live like a Queen while he did all the hard work. He was a scammer! A con artist who had approached me for my money! Damn him! “Careful, you're busting your stitches. Your face is all ruined up.” He tossed a file to me, and I glanced at him suspiciously before opening it. It was a contract. One with weird terms— really weird terms. “Get surgery, a new face, a new life, new assets…” he leaned in, beauty dripping off his face like spring water, “All it takes is your signature on that.” My signature on this… contract with strange terms?

COURTNEY'S POV. I kept staring at the white contract sheet, words struggling to form in my mouth, but dying instead at my throat before they could even make it past. The terms were very clear, and I looked at his beautifully molded face. “You don't understand?” “I don't.” “I need a wife, and you'll be her. But at the same time, I'm going to use you to fulfill what we both want. Revenge on Kent. In return, I give you a new face, a new life, new assets, and the opportunity to get back at Kent Bieber.” My fingers clenched around the contract, as something burned alive in my chest. “Should you be thinking twice? Perhaps, you haven't seen this.” He said, tossing his phone to me, and I looked at the photo on it. It was Kent, and his side chick Lacey. The wedding that ought to be mine. In the wedding dress that I picked out, the wedding hall that I personally picked, and supervised, with the flowers I bought and adored. I gave a scoff, wanting to smash the phone into the ground, as my eyes became hot, and my throat raw. I wanted to hit something. Damnit. I was in a coma for weeks, with a completely destroyed face, but he was having the marriage of the century after deceiving me, and conning me? To think that I loved him. “It is purely business, and we part when…” Before he even finished speaking, I scribbled my signature away on the contract with fingers shaking from fury. David put a finger under my chin. “I will make you pretty, darling. Very pretty.” He said, his eyes holding a promise. ~ Weeks later, I sat in the mirror, staring at my new face. We'd done the surgery, started a new life for me, given me some social exposure, and finally, we were preparing for the grand event which we were looking forward to. That was the day we would ruin Kent. But first, I had an important mission. Putting mascara on my long dark lashes, I smiled, knowing my grey eyes would never be enough to make him remember me. Now, my nose was high and elegant, my lips a perfect, little heart, my chin shaped in a soft V. My hair the brown of autumn leaves, cascading softly down my shoulders in soft, silky waves. I'd become a piece of artwork. David and I held a large wedding. The wedding of my dreams, although the bitterness was still there because each smile we sent to each other, each sweet look, each shared kiss was as fake as a bronze ring slathered with shiny gold paint. But that was fine. Turned out Kent had messed around with more wrong people. “He also tried to con me, but he will never get away with it. You are my doll, and you'll smash him into pieces for me.” David had whispered into my ear that day after we'd left the hospital. I picked up my bag, after putting on a little gloss, and made my way out of the house. David was making tea for himself when I passed by. Why would Kent mess with such a man? His build alone, and the powerful feeling he evoked was enough to scare anyone away. Why was Kent so stupid? His gray eyes turned on mine, and I shifted them away. Somehow, his eyes were way too intense. “I'm going to see Kent.” “Ah,” A wicked smile stretched on his lips, “Don't get overwhelmed.” He said, and I nodded, before going out. The driver drove me to the matrimonial home of Kent and Lacey. The home I'd picked, and paid for. Kent opened the door swiftly, and I stared into his brilliant emerald eyes, feeling the heat spread in my chest. Slowly, his eyes traveled to the cleavage I'd revealed by missing two buttons of my shirt. Once a jerk. Always a jerk. Let's do this.

COURTNEY'S POV. What was our plan? Ha… our plan was a dangerous one. And it started with seducing Kent. Crazy, right? But I'd do anything to see him beg on his knees. I had only one chance to drag Kent down. He'd sold all my house, all my cars, without me even knowing. He'd robbed me of everything completely. My chance wouldn't be wasted. There was the Grand Meet, which was approaching fast. The Grand Meet was for businessmen across the spill of the country. It was a time when each businessman showcased, and boasted of everything they had. It was also a time for everyone to make more connections, and define the hierarchies. Kent had decided to donate on that day, a hundred million dollars… Money that was never his from the start. The hard-earned money from the sweat and blood my parents had spilled to raise fortunes for me. “Ah, welcome, Mrs. Jones. It's a pleasure to be doing business personally with you.” He said, finally tearing his eyes off my cleavages. Disgusting. God help me I don't bat his face with something strong before the day ends. “It’s a pleasure to do business with you too. My husband insisted that I come personally since you're way too important for a secretary to handle.” I said, making my voice more relaxed, letting the tones flow out gently like honey poured onto a pie. My natural voice wasn't as smooth as that. It was always excited when I was with Kent, and a little bit higher, so I wasn't surprised when he laughed, completely unable to notice any similarities. “Would you like some tea? Wine?” He asked, and I took a deep breath. David taught me this. I can do it. *** It was the day before, and he'd sat me down in the garden, looking into my eyes. “The rage will be there. The disappointment, the annoyance, but you must look at him like this.” Then his green eyes had carried a softness that had been nothing but mesmerizing, “You let him know you're thinking something in your head, and that you find him a little attractive.” “That's going to be hard when I want to pummel him, and dip him in hot, burning oil, then chop him in…” He suddenly tucked my hair behind my ear, shutting me up with that simple gesture. “Gentle touches on his arm, shoulders, but no form of communication for the flirting. Slowly, till you can break whatever barriers he has put there. We're going to con the con-artist.” He told me softly, and for a while, I got lost in his eyes. *** Okay! Let's stop there for now. Why am I thinking about David's eyes? “Wine?” Kent inquired, raising the glass, and I realized I'd been staring into space. I gave him a pleasant smile that took stepping on thorns to generate. “Sure. So what do you have in mind for Project 312?” I asked in my honeyed voice, staring into his annoying face, as he poured wine into a glass. He began, pulling out files, and I did my best to clench my fists, and give smiles, even though questions were already popping in my mind to ask him. All the time we were together, did you really feel no guilt? Did you have this thought from the start, or it suddenly occured to you that you could use me? All through the meeting, Kent kept sneaking peeks at my cleavages, getting distracted, and stumbling on his own words, and I kept on being David's doll, smiling the way he'd told me to, and touching him when necessary. Finally, the day ended, and I was about to walk out the door when Lacey came in. “Uh…” she began… “Good evening.” I greeted, and Kent shot to his feet. “Mrs. Jones. Say that again.” He said, and I turned around, looking at him. Oops. I'd let my real voice slip out.

COURTNEY'S POV “I said ‘Good Evening.’ Why did you ask me to rephrase myself?” I asked, slipping back into the cool tones that he knew belonged to Mrs. Jones. “Ah, I see. I'm sorry. Don't mind me.” He replied, his eyes falling to my cleavages once more, before he quickly batted them away onto his wife who was watching me with disdain. Not to worry, sweet Lacey. You would feel exactly what it feels like when you're betrayed by someone you love. Hopefully, you love him, so my plans would sting. “Have a nice day, Mr. And Mrs. Bieber.” I said, with a slight smile, and cat-walked out the door, heading for my car. Getting in, I twisted the ignition and drove away as fast as I could. “Courtney, we have to bear this. It's hard, but it's the path to destroying that son of a bitch!” I said, squeezing my steering wheel with the vortex of rage swelling rapidly within me. Shortly, I got home, and David was there, having dinner. “How did it go? Hard?” “As if.” I replied, sitting on the sofa next to him, as I kicked off my shoes, “He was a dog, waiting for crumbs from his owner. He couldn't take his eyes off me.” “Attractive. Nice strategy.” He said, and I turned to him. His eyes rose from my cleavages to stare right into mine, and I blushed red. He'd been looking at it too. “That's not meant for you.” I said, turning away so my clumsy fingers could fix my buttons. He chuckled, “Is it?” “Yeah.” “So, what are you planning when you finally seduce him? Sleep with him?” “Why? Jealous of your wife being in bed with another man?” “Ah, I remember. A man ought to be crazy if his wife is in bed with another man.” He said, his green eyes as cool as spring water on a lonely night, “So what will you do?” “Never would I ever sleep with him again. I have my ways, David. You don't have to worry about a thing.” He chuckled, “As if.” ~ The next day, I was back again in Kent's house, feeling even better than the last time as the quest for revenge had succeeded in blinding me fully. We sat on the sofas of the living room, and I crossed my legs, exposing sweet and smooth flesh that he would love to run his hands over. I'd chosen the color of seduction, a bright red tight skirt, with a red jacket, which did nothing to cover my temptation. And today, my shirt was missing three buttons, not two. I shot him sweet smiles as we spoke, and did well to expose my neck, and run my own painted fingers over my thighs. “So, would you do me a favor, Mrs Jones?” “Caitlin. Not Mrs. Jones.” I said softly, and his eyes traveled over me. “Caitlin. I'd love you to recruit a friend of mine into your company.” “I see.” I said, rising to go to the counter where I mixed drinks. He came to stand next to me. “She's the daughter of a friend of my mother's.” The fool had no mother! “Okay?” “Can you recruit her?” “Absolutely.” I said, taking off my jacket to reveal softness and feminity as the white shirt clung to me tightly with its short sleeves, “Send me her resume, and she can start working tomorrow.” “Just like that.” Then I turned to him, looking at his lips, as I bit mine slightly, stepping closer to him, “I'm the wife of the CEO.” “Oh.” His voice dropped an octave, and I pulled down the collar of his shirt, forcing myself to meet his lips with mine. I was going head on like the bull I was.

COURTNEY'S POV However, before our lips could meet, I withdrew, and gave a sly smile. Yes, that was the first direct move. Showing him I was interested. It was his turn to make the next move. “But of course, we have spouses, so I need to keep my attraction to you leveled.” I said, staring at him like a dove, making myself look more innocent. Since innocent women drove men like him crazy. “You are attracted to me, Caitlin?” “Aren't you quite the prize, Mr. Bieber. You're a loving, handsome man who knows how to make a woman feel seen.” I chuckled, “My husband and I haven't even made love since we married. He hasn't so much as kissed me.” I said, and he looked surprised. Well, that was the plain truth. Then a pleased smile lit his face, “You mean David Jones hasn't done anything with you since you married?” “Yes, he hasn't.” “I'm also interested in you.” “Think we could take it slow? Perhaps, choose a week where we make love all night?” “What?” He asked, intrigued. “We're going to make it like a teen party because damn, I love everything that makes me feel younger. And David makes me feel older.” “I will make you feel younger.” “Great, Mr. Bieber.” “Kent.” “Okay. Kent.” I smiled. “My name sounds blissful coming from you.” “You flatter me. So, we're going to drink for hours, see the best drinker, and then become crazed teenagers for making love. Then we make drunk love.” “My God!” “Straight up for a week.” “For a week?” “I don't know if your wife would like it though. I'm not really going to be confident if she knows this…” “What she doesn't know, won't hurt her.” He said, and I looked at my fingers, feigning shyness, and a little reluctance. Idiot. He was falling into my trap quite easily. It wasn't even taking much time. Turns out a cheat would always be a cheat. “So, if it's going on for a whole week, why don't we start today?” He asked, and I gave a smile. “Sure.” ~ When the sky got dark, Kent and I headed to the hotel. I'd informed David of my movements, so he could know where I was, and if need be, he would come and get me. Kent had a smile on his face, as he slid his credit card to the woman at the counter, and I returned the smile. Knowing Kent, he was a goner when it came to whiskey, so of course, I ordered whiskey. When we got to the room, we sat at a little table, and I began to pour shots for him to drink quickly. “I like bad boys.” I began, after he'd taken cour shots. “You do?” He asked, and I deftly placed my phone on the desk. He would never know that I was recording our conversation. “Yes. Bad boys who know how to trick girls just turn me on. Some girls are so stupid, you know? If you can't handle a bad boy, then don't go to him.” “Wow. I love the way you think.” I said, pouring him more shots. “Yeah, there's this friend of mine. Her boyfriend cheated on her, and she got mad.” “What's there to get mad about? All men will cheat. It's her fault because she didn't satisfy him well. Some ladies are just so boring when it…” “Yes, yes, boring! I had a fianceè before Lacey, you know.” Great, there you go. Now spill it. Only a few shots, and he was spilling already. “Seriously? My God, that's so cool.” “I played her nastily from the start to the bottom, and she believed it like a blatant fool.” He said, laughing, “Come to think of it; you both share similarities.” He said, pausing his drink to stare into my eyes, “Your eyes… They're hers.”

COURTNEY'S POV As he stared into my eyes, I suddenly had that dreadful feeling that he would somehow recognize me. Pouring more shots for him, I pushed them to him, wanting him to drink the memory of the night away. “Go on. So what were your incredible plans for your ex-girlfriend?” “My plans were top-tier. My target was her companies. At first, it was her body which she gave very easily.” He gave a loud laugh which made me want to take his head, and smash it into the table, “Then I discovered the numerous companies she had which she didn't know how to manage. It was very crazy though. She had companies, but couldn't utilize them the way a man would, so I got her to sign the companies to me, telling her she didn't need to work, and honestly, she didn't even waste any time. She believed it instantly, and stupidly.” Kent went on, speaking and aggravating the feeling in my chest, and I kept pouring and pouring till his words became slurred and devoid of sense. I recorded every single thing, and when he finally passed out, I took off his shirt, flung it across the room, did the same to his pants, socks and shoes, before taking off my shirt, and skirt, flinging it in that same direction. Yes, it looked like the perfect sex scene where the clothes were strewn aside. Standing over him, I placed smeared lipstick marks on his chest, cheeks and lips, before wrapping myself up in the sheets, sleeping as far from him as I could. ~ The sun rose, and he was the one who woke me. “Caitlin?” My eyes flew open, and I sat up, clearing my hair out of my face, while holding the blankets to my chest. “Yeah?” “Did we… do it?” “What? Wait… you don't remember?” I asked, and he looked around. “Uh…” “Are you for real? All that tiger fierceness that you almost killed me with, you don't remember it at all?” “Why wont I?” He asked, with a nervous chuckle, “I can never forget it. You were quite the tigress too.” He said, and I laughed out loud. He would never know the reason for my laughing. “Don't tease me.” “So, do you think we could have a morning quickie?” He asked, but I smiled nastily. “Only at night. I've got a lot of work.” I said, slipping out of the bed, picking my clothes. I caught him looking at the lipstick marks on his chest, and smiled. Got you, “As for the girl, send me her resume.” “Sure.” He replied, and I stepped out the door. First, I checked on the recording I made the previous night, listening to it again to be sure I got every part correctly. So he had actually approached me for my body. Well, that wasn't a problem. He would apologize, and go on his knees to beg me. My phone chimed, and I saw he'd already messaged me with the girl's resume. Rolling my eyes, I sent it to the company, with my approval. I needed Kent to trust me fully, and believe I was purely taken by him. That was the only way to get my companies back. When I got home, I stepped out, walking to the gates with my hands in the pockets of my jacket against the cold morning air. David would be pleased at my insane smartness. However, when I walked into the room, there was someone unfamiliar, seated with David. It was a woman with dark hair in an elegant bun at her nape, draped in jewelries, and clothes that screamed expensive. She scrutinized me with jade eyes, before finally speaking… “Finally meeting you in person, Caitlin.” She said, with a deep-seated frown on her face, “I'm Joanna, David's mother.”

COURTNEY'S POV Why did she look like she wasn't pleased with me? She got up from her seat, and faced me with crossed arms. “I heard maids come here at a given time to cook and clean up. Is that true?” She asked, and I glanced at David, before nodding slowly. David looked defeated. He didn't even try to say anything. “Well, you're married to my son now. He will only eat whatever you prepare because only you can have good intentions for him, and if you have bad intentions, Heavens so help me, you would regret it. The maids can clean other room, but not his room. He's in your hands now, and it's up to you to take care of him. I came here last night, and he had to order a meal! Besides, you didn't even come home last night.” She moved closer to me, and I stepped back even though she wasn't even within inches of me, “Are you already hooking up with another man?” “No!” It came out way too sharply, “I mean… no, ma'am. I was on a business trip. I would never do that to David. I love David with all my heart, and cannot bear to be with another man.” David gave a silly grin, and his mother turned to look at him. “I told you we're really in love.” He said, coming over to me to place a hand around my shoulder, looking into my eyes with those shiny green eyes. I cleared my throat, and his mother raised her chin. “You have left a bad first impression. I will be seeing you later, Caitlin Jones.” She snapped, and walked past me. “Was that your mother?” I asked immediately she left. “Are you still asking?” He asked, walking away. “You could have called me!” “No. Your work with Kent is far more important. She came to see how I was doing and also talk about the latest project we're working to develop in the company.” “What's the latest project?” “Something impressive. It's a hiking outfit that had everything on it. Super stretchy, and comfy, has a holster for a water bottle, has a whistle, has a GPS on it. A space for a mini blanket, also a flashlight… you name it. With it, your traveling bag will be light when going hiking. You know it's almost the hiking season. We call it the Light Hike.” “Wow… impressive indeed.” “How's it going with Kent?” “I managed to record him confessing to all the things he did to me.” “Did you sleep with him?” He asked casually, and I looked at him. “What do you think?” “That you didn't.” He said, with his playboy smile, and I turned away, smiling. “I didn't.” ~ For the next two days, I didn't see Kent, ignored his calls, and texts, and completely disregarded him. Part of it was to make him want me more, and the other part was simply because I was already so disgusted by him, and the recording I played over a million times that I didn't want to see him anymore. “Try it on.” David's words broke me out of my thoughts as he threw me an outfit. It was the new outfit they were working on. “Okay.” I said, looking at the outfit, “Is everything ready?” “No, this is just a test model. By the way, you haven't been going to see Kent. Slacking off? The contact doesn't allow slacking off, you know? Get your emotions under control, so we can be done with our contract fast enough.” He said, and I sighed, parting my lips to reply. However, the TV interrupted me, as I heard a familiar name. “Da Silva companies is making the public excited with their brand new, highly expected product called the Light Hike!” Light hike? The product in my hands yet to be released? A picture showed on the screen and it was the exact same thing as what I was holding. David came forward, shocked. How did that company produce the same thing as us? Our product wasn't even out yet! Who did this? Was our only enemy not Kent? Was there someone else looking to attack David?